Introduction
The purpose of this study is to quantify the immediate and anticipated effect of the
COVID-19 pandemic on local travel in the U.S.
Methods
A national survey of a representative sample of U.S. adults was conducted using The
Harris Poll panel. The online survey was conducted from June 17 to 29, 2020. Respondents
reported the frequency of travel before the pandemic, during the pandemic, and anticipated
travel when normal activities resume for walking, bicycling, personal vehicle use,
and public transit. Analyses were conducted in July and August 2020.
Results
During the pandemic, local travel significantly decreased (−10.36%, 95% CI= −16.26,
−4.02) relative to prepandemic levels. Within travel modes, significant decreases
were reported for public transit, personal vehicle use, and walking. There was no
change in reported bicycle use during the pandemic period relative to prepandemic
levels. When normal activities resume, respondents anticipated a significant increase
in bicycling (24.54%, 95% CI=3.24, 50.24). Anticipated travel using personal vehicles,
public transit, and walking were not significantly different from the prepandemic
levels.
Conclusions
Unlike the other local travel modes, bicycling did not decrease during the pandemic
and is anticipated to significantly increase. Investment in bicycle-safe infrastructure
could sustain the anticipated increase in bicycling.
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REFERENCES
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: March 02, 2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
