Stanford Professor | LinkedIn Top Voice In Remote Work | Co-Founder wfhresearch.com | Speaker on work from home
Analyzed GPS data on millions of daily commutes comparing pre to post pandemic with Alex Finan. Key findings: 1) Super-commuting is up. Journeys above 75 miles rose about 1/3. WFH allows folks to live further away, so a longer but less frequent commute. 2) Traffic speeds about 10% faster as more WFH means less congestion. Mean speeds 27.3 MPH pre-pandemic vs 29.5 MPH post-pandemic. This benefits everyone, even those who do not WFH. 3) Biggest jumps in super-commuting in New York, Washington DC and Phoenix - large suburbs with expensive city centers. WFH allows folks to have more living space in costly locations. Report: https://lnkd.in/gKDcpdRa WSJ piece: https://lnkd.in/gaXek4ss
Who would be against fewer cars on the road and a much quicker commute if you have to go into the office? Love this report. 👍 A very positive sign that work from home is here to stay.
Interesting data set. Even though I would have expected such a shift given that people moved outside of city centres, over 75 miles is super far and hard to grasp for me as a European. I wonder what the data for Europe would tell us? Thanks for sharing Nick Bloom
It's fascinating to see how WFH is reshaping commuting patterns and city dynamics. Your insightful analysis sheds light on the significant shift in super-commuting and traffic speeds. It's evident that remote work is not only impacting individuals but also transforming urban landscapes. Great work, Nick Bloom!
Roderick MacKenzie - I wonder if our DriveTime Metrics could play a role here?
Digging into your data!: Interesting to see how late in the day these long commutes end. I wonder if "super commuters" also take greater advantage of city dinner, entertainment and leisure activities after work on days they drive in. 🤔 Great stuff Nick Bloom
Really cool! Since people go to office for fewer days than before, it must be a lot of people who live 75+ miles away so that the percentage of long trips would increase even if the frequency of commute per week decreases.
And it's not only about the traffic. Housing affordability is leaving younger generations behind and threatens to tear apart the fabric of society even if older gens don't care to notice. Super-commuting opens up land and reduces population and housing pressure within traditional employment catchment areas.
It seems like you have to drive further to get better pay.
Stanford Professor | LinkedIn Top Voice In Remote Work | Co-Founder wfhresearch.com | Speaker on work from home
1yHere is the traffic speed data too