Telework has significantly increased from pre-pandemic levels in the region while for those not teleworking, more commuters shifted away from transit and towards driving alone to get to work, according to the new Commuter Connections’ 2022 State of the Commute Survey Report.
The triennial survey of more than 8,000 employed adult residents, last conducted in 2019, examines commuting, defined as travel to and from work, for the metropolitan Washington region. Results from this survey are then used to inform regional planning efforts to reduce vehicle trips, vehicle miles of travel, and emissions resulting from commute travel, as well as to support other regional transportation goals.
Two-thirds (66 percent) of survey participants reported teleworking at least occasionally, up from 35 percent in 2019. Teleworking replaced nearly half (48 percent) of all weekly commute trips in 2022, up from 10 percent in 2019. Drive alone commuting accounted for 41 percent of weekly commute trips—the lowest share of these trips recorded since the survey began. However, for those traveling to work and not teleworking, driving alone continued to be the primary mode of transportation for commuters. 78 percent of trips to outside work locations were by driving alone, an increase of 14 percent from 2019.
Transit experienced a threefold decrease in weekly commute trips since the last survey, accounting for 8 percent of trips in 2022 versus 24 percent in 2019 with commuters citing pandemic-related health concerns with shared travel modes.
“Our 2022 State of the Commute survey is a comprehensive source of data illustrating how the COVID pandemic upended commuting in the metropolitan Washington region, most notably by accelerating an explosion in telework,” said Nicholas Ramfos, Commuter Connections Director. “That said, it’s clear that commuting patterns are still changing and will be greatly affected by return-to-office plans, transit reliability, and a range of factors.”
The survey also provided insight into commuter satisfaction in the region. Despite reporting shorter and easier commute times, overall commuter satisfaction levels remained stable when compared to 2019 results. At the same time, transit riders in 2022 were more likely to report commute difficulty and lower commuter satisfaction than other mode users and reported greater levels of dissatisfaction than in 2019.
Geographically, commute patterns remained consistent with 2019 levels. Commuters living within the “core” of the region (District of Columbia, Alexandria, and Arlington County), were significantly more likely to utilize transit, while those living in the “inner” and “outer” jurisdictions were more likely to drive alone to work. Throughout all geographic and demographic commuter populations, transit’s share of commuter trips declined.
MORE: Draft State of the Commute survey report and presentation