Understanding COVID-19 pandemic-related shifts in active commute patterns: Insights from employees of a Canadian university

Abstract

Introduction

It is well established that the COVID-19 pandemic profoundly disrupted the commute patterns of people worldwide. Yet, little is known about how commuting by active transportation (AT) has shifted since COVID-19 restrictions lifted. This quasi-experimental study aimed to: 1) compare AT mode share pre-versus post-COVID-19 pandemic; and 2) identify key post-pandemic correlates of transport mode.

Methods

A survey of employees from a Canadian university was conducted annually from 2013 to 2017 and in 2022. There were 644 valid participants who completed at least one of the surveys pre-COVID-19 pandemic and in 2022. Participants were categorized as using AT, passive transportation (PT), or mixed transportation (MT) as their primary transport mode between home and workplace. The mode share of each transport type pre-versus post-COVID-19 was analyzed. Additionally, shifts in individual-level transportation modes and related sociodemographic correlates were evaluated.

Results

Compared to pre-COVID-19 pandemic, AT decreased from 27.0% to 23.4%; however, PT increased from 52.0% to 60.7% in the post-pandemic era. Household income, age, and sex/gender were key correlates of transport mode shifting. Only the lowest income group showed an increase in AT (18.8%–20.3%); all other groups showed no change or a decrease, with the greatest decline observed in those earning $90,000 to $119,999 (20.5%–13.5%). AT use decreased in all age groups under 50 years with the clearest change in the 20- to 29-year-old age range (24.3%–8.1%). Females/women used AT at half the rates of males/men, both pre- and post-COVID-19.

Conclusions

Queen's university's employees demonstrated changes in transport mode use due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decline in AT coupled with an increase in PT shown in this sample emphasizes the importance of organizational- and/or municipal-level interventions to encourage transportation modes that are both sustainable and health-promoting in the post-pandemic era.