North American Transportation During COVID-19: What Really Changed?

Abstract

COVID-19 arrived in the United States and Canada at a time when the future of sustainable urban travel across the continent looked uncertain. A decade-long trend in transit ridership growth appeared to have stalled in many cities (Boisjoly et al., 2018), while automobile ownership grew. This chapter synthesises unfolding evidence on how COVID-19 disrupted some of these existing trends in North American urban transportation while accelerating others. This synthesis is organised around three themes emerging from COVID-19 in the region: declining transit ridership, increased auto ownership or auto purchase plans, and a possible ‘new normal’ of increased telecommuting. The author evaluates each theme in the context of prior trends and public policy choices feeding those trends. Untangling hype from data, the chapter concludes with recommendations on how to support travellers in the region while calling for clearer thinking from urban thought leaders and researchers on the likely long-term impact of the crisis.

Citation

Palm, M. (2022), "North American Transportation During COVID-19: What Really Changed?", Attard, M. and Mulley, C. (Ed.) Transport and Pandemic Experiences (Transport and Sustainability, Vol. 17), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 55-75. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2044-994120220000017004