Post-COVID Pandemic National Travel Changes
Post-COVID Pandemic National Travel Changes
Travel behavior in the US has changed more in the past few years than at any time in living memory.
While some travel patterns have returned to normal since the COVID-19 pandemic, others have not. Traffic volumes, transit ridership, and broader commuting habits still differ significantly from pre-pandemic levels.
In 2024, the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) formed a task force to analyze this shift. Ian Barnes of Fehr & Peers contributed to that research and co-wrote an article for ITE Journal sharing the group’s findings.
Read the full article to learn more about this ongoing research, and contact us to explore how it could apply to your projects.
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Ian Barnes
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