As the remnants of the pandemic fade into the annals of history, its effect on our day-to-day routines remains palpable. One particular area of interest is the average time Americans spend commuting to work.
Based on the latest US Census data, examined by Yardi, 2022 saw a decrease in average national commute time by 4% compared with the 2019 figure. Despite this seemingly positive shift, a closer analysis tells a different story.
The dramatic increase in remote workers during the pandemic undoubtedly played a role in the dip in commute times in 2021, which was comparable to 2011 levels. However, as businesses began mandating returns to the office, 2022 experienced a significant increase in average commute time – a shift that historically took four years one way, returned in just one.
This flux in commute durations is indirectly proportional to the prevalence of remote work, for which there is rarely a commute time, so to speak. Fewer remote workers mean more people on the roads and public transport. For instance, the decrease in remote workers from 2021 to 2022 added almost a minute to the average national commute time.
A snapshot of city commutes
New York City, renowned for its bustling streets, edged close to its pre-pandemic all-time high, with commuters spending an average of 40.7 minutes on one-way trips, according to the report. Other metropolitan areas, including Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston and Los Angeles, also reported high commute times.
In contrast, Midwestern cities like Wichita and Omaha offered some of the shortest commutes. The West, especially cities like San Francisco and Oakland in California showed significant reductions in commute times due to a rise in remote work.
The south and north-east experienced nuanced patterns. While Austin, Texas, benefited from an increased remote workforce, leading to an 11% reduction in commute time, Boston, Massachusett, didn’t see a proportional decrease despite a significant rise in remote workers.
Remote work vs commute time
The post-pandemic era has sparked a debate about the future of work. Will remote work dominate, or will traditional office spaces make a comeback? The current data suggests a hybrid approach is more the norm. While remote work offers flexibility, the importance of networking, in-person collaborations, and the professional environment of a workspace continue to lure employees back to the office. That, or they have been mandated to return.
This ebb and flow between remote work and office attendance directly influences commute patterns. As more employees transition back to physical workplaces, the workforce will likely see a continuous increase in commute durations, possibly even exceeding pre-pandemic figures given the trend over the past decade.
[Read more: New report reveals the best cities for green commuters]
