Octa's transportation blog

COVID-19 Impacts on OC Transportation Are Dramatic, According to OCTA Survey

To understand how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the experience of the last months may have lasting effects on public attitudes, working arrangements, and travel behaviors, OCTA worked with True North Inc., a market research firm, to conduct a scientific survey during July 2020.  The findings will assist OCTA in its mission to develop an integrated and balanced transportation system that reflects the character of Orange County and supports its diverse travel needs.

According to the survey, COVID-19 impacts have been dramatic. Among survey respondents:

  • Unemployment increased from 4% to 18% between February and June.
  • Working from home increased from 0.8 days per week to 2.6 days per week for the average employee.
  • Working exclusively from home increased from 12% to 47% of employees.
  • Reductions in commute and non-work trips have resulted in large decreases in transit, active transportation, and rideshare usage.
  • Reductions in transit, active transportation, rideshare, and driving are occurring for a mix of reasons – higher unemployment, remote work, and fewer opportunities for non-work trips.
  • Once the pandemic is over, about half of employees prefer to maintain (or increase) the percentage of days they work remotely.

The survey results will be used to help inform future planning efforts and establish baseline measures against which a future tracking survey can be used to identify enduring, long-term impacts.

For more information about the survey, please go here.