What Telecommuting Does to Transport Demand
Launch library · evergreen read
Telecommuting removes a commute from the transport system entirely on the days it happens, rather than shifting that trip to a different mode or a different time, which distinguishes it from most other transport interventions that aim to make an existing trip more efficient rather than avoid it outright.
Because commuting trips are heavily concentrated at predictable peak times, even a partial shift toward telecommuting among a workforce can meaningfully ease peak period congestion and the associated emissions that come with vehicles idling and crawling through heavy traffic during the busiest parts of the morning and evening.
The effect is not uniform across a population, since telecommuting suits some jobs and industries far more readily than others, meaning its impact on overall transport demand depends heavily on how many workers in a given city or region hold roles genuinely capable of being performed away from a fixed workplace desk each day.