3 PM Is the New 5 PM: Post-Pandemic Travel Patterns in Southern California Are Shifting

Abstract

In the spring of 2020, daily travel collapsed as public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic kept most people at home. Streets were suddenly and eerily empty in cities around the world. Since then, rates of driving, biking, and walking have largely rebounded, roughly returning to pre-pandemic levels. However, public transit use, particularly in the U.S., has been slow to recover and remains mostly well below pre-pandemic levels. While previous research has examined pandemic-induced changes in how and by which modes people travel, when travel occurs has garnered far less attention.