Residents predict fewer trips in the future, plan to use solo modes more as coronavirus upends transportation patterns across Massachusetts
A sharp increase in working from home could also spell huge changes in commuting patterns.
Massachusetts residents say they will probably be making fewer trips as the state emerges from coronavirus crisis, but more of those trips will be by themselves, according to a new statewide poll out today. On balance, residents expect to drive or walk more, and use all types of shared or public transportation mode less.
In all, 35% of residents say they will ride the MBTA subway less than before, and 33% say the same of the commuter rail. Among the most frequent transit users, 44% say they will ride the subway less, and 45% expect to drive more. Young people and Boston residents are among the groups indicating the biggest increases in driving.
These are some of the key findings of a major new survey of Massachusetts on transportation issues. The survey was conducted by The MassINC Polling Group and sponsored by The Barr Foundation.
“This survey suggests we could see changes all across the system in terms of how people get around, with large swaths of the population planning to do things differently than before,” said Steve Koczela, president of The MassINC Polling Group.
One big change could involve workers who stop commuting altogether. In all, 41% of employed people say they would prefer to work from home even after the state reopens. During the crisis, 60% worked from home at least part of the time. But there are deep inequities in who can work from home. Only a quarter of workers with a high school degree or less have worked from home all of the time during the crisis, compared to 71% of employees with an advanced degree.
Coronavirus concerns are the key reason for this potential mode shift. Although the state is in process of a phased reopening, dealing with the virus is still far and away the top concern of residents, with 64% identifying it as the most important issue before state government.
For now, making riders feel safe on transit is a matter of avoiding crowding and taking conspicuous precautions. Only a quarter of residents say they would feel very (10%) or somewhat (16%) comfortable riding transit during peak times, like rush hours. Off-peak, that figure rises to 43%. Majorities of residents say they would be at least somewhat comfortable riding if transit agencies adopted precautions like requiring masks, installing hand-sanitizer dispensers, and limiting the number of passengers allowed on vehicles and platforms.
Cleaning and social distancing dominated open-ended comments about needed changes to transportation as the state reopens. Overall, 59% of residents agree “we need to make big changes to the transportation system coming out of the crisis” while just 21% say “we just need to go back to the transportation system we had before the crisis.”
And while residents may be most worried about public transit, they are also open to changes to promote alternatives to driving alone. Majorities support dedicating more space on city streets to walking and biking, both during the shutdown (62%) and as the state reopens (64%). In Boston, interest in walking more was highest, with 53% saying they plan to walk more as the state reopens.
About the Poll
These results are based on a survey of 1,478 Massachusetts residents. Responses were collected via online survey interviewing May 5-13, 2020. Final survey data was weighted to known and estimated parameters for the state’s 18+ population by age, gender, race, education, geography, and party identification. This project was sponsored by The Barr Foundation.