Does telecommuting promote sustainable travel and physical activity?

Abstract

Researchers have explored the efficacy of telecommuting as a travel demand management strategy in the U.S. Conditions under which telecommuting can reduce VMT (vehicle miles traveled) and ease peak-period traffic congestion have been extensively investigated; empirical findings are well documented in the literature. Analysis of the impact of telecommuting on nonmotorized travel, public transit use, and physical activity, however, has received relatively less attention in the past. In this paper, I use the 2009 U.S. National Household Travel Survey to explore how telecommuting is associated with usual travel behavior, i.e. walking/bicycling, transit use and driving, as well as with average time spent in daily physical activity. I also compare telecommuters’ travel behavior and physical activity on a typical workday in telecommuting vs. nontelecommuting scenarios. I find that frequent telecommuting (4+ times/month) is associated with 15% more walk trips per week, 56% higher odds of 1+ transit trip per month, 44% higher odds of 30+ minutes of physical activity per day, and 27% higher odds of driving 20,000+ miles per year compared to no-telecommuting scenario. On a typical workday, telecommuting is associated with 41% higher odds of walking/bicycling > 1 mile, 71% higher odds of 30+ minutes of physical activity, 71% lower odds of riding transit, and 3.58 times greater odds of driving < 10 miles. Findings suggest that telecommuting can increase non-motorized travel and physical activity in the presence of latent demand for active living. Increase in transit ridership and reduction in VMT are not automatic. Planning and policy implications are discussed.