The effects of teleworking on commuting

Expert

In this context, it is crucial to reassess the links between telecommuting and mobility. In this article, we have analyzed and transcribed the discourse of teleworkers, drawing on other scientific studies (Pigalle, forthcoming). Our results could thus inform public policies in favor of more sustainable means of travel.

Main rebound effects of teleworking on daily commuting

 

• Longer commuting distances and changes in the frequency of non-work trips

Numerous studies have shown that teleworkers live on average further from their place of employment than non-teleworkers (de Abreu e Silva, 2022; de Vos, Meijers, & van Ham, 2018; Ravalet & Rérat, 2019). However, some diverge due to the nature of the trips included in the analyses. Thus, for some authors, telecommuting reduces traffic congestion (van der Loop, Haaijer, & Willigers, 2019), particularly during rush hour (Lachapelle, Tanguay, & Neumark-Gaudet, 2018), as well as distances traveled by car and consequently pollution (Shabanpour, Golshani, Tayarani, Auld, & Mohammadian, 2018). In contrast, others conclude that it increases distances traveled (de Abreu e Silva & Melo, 2018; Zhu & Mason, 2014) and CO2 emissions (Cerqueira, Motte-Baumvol, Chevallier, & Bonin, 2020). Caldarola and Sorrell point out that telecommuting can encourage teleworkers to make additional trips outside work and/or influence the travel behavior of other household members. These complex interactions make the overall impact of telecommuting difficult to predict, especially as results vary according to the modalities of telecommuting (e.g., number of days and days of telecommuting), as well as whether or not household members telecommute (2022).

 

• Towards new spatio-temporal mobility patterns

The time saved by not commuting is generally reinvested in work time, family time and personal activities. Telecommuting changes the frequency and patterns of non-work trips by eliminating those made on the commute, such as going out for a drink with colleagues after work or passing the supermarket. While some prefer to stay at home on teleworking days, others claim that it's an opportunity to change their consumption habits, favoring proximity and fresh produce, even if this may require more travel (Budnitz, Tranos, & Chapman, 2020). In addition, teleworkers also postpone their trips to less busy periods, favoring less crowded days or avoiding rush hours.

Previous studies have already indicated that teleworkers tend to travel to non-work destinations closer to home (Pendyala, Goulias, & Kitamura, 1991), including on telework days, and that their activity space is more restricted (Saxena and Mokhtarian 1997).

 

• Towards greater use of active methods of transportation

Teleworking is often associated with an increase in the use of active methods such as walking and cycling for non-work trips (Elldér, 2022), as well as increased use of public transport for commuting. However, this does not lead to an overall demotorization, as the total number of kilometers traveled by car may increase due to longer commutes and new trips generated by telecommuting. What's more, although only 1% of the telecommuters in our survey feel that they've been missing a car since telecommuting, only 8% are considering selling one (Pigalle, Aguiléra, & Belton Chevallier, 2024).

The close correlation between telecommuting and the use of active methods of transportation reveals a significant opportunity: that of offering extra time and, consequently, enabling a wider range of choices. This correlation associates pleasure and comfort of life, notably in aspirations to local life and social life in proximity, encountered in desired changes in practices.

Telecommuting, an adjustment variable and decision-making throughout life

Telecommuters' activity and travel choices are the result of trade-offs between various factors and life experiences (such as the arrival of children, moving houses, job changes), making it difficult to attribute behavioral changes directly to this practice alone. Thus, understanding the effects of telecommuting on mobility requires a holistic and longitudinal approach to grasp the complexity of these interactions and evolutions.

 

 

References

• Budnitz, H., Tranos, E., & Chapman, L. (2020). Telecommuting and other trips : An English case study. Journal of Transport Geography, 85, 102713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2020.102713
• Caldarola, B., & Sorrell, S. (2022). Do teleworkers travel less? Evidence from the English National Travel Survey. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 159, 282‑303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2022.03.026
• Cerqueira, E. D. V., Motte-Baumvol, B., Chevallier, L. B., & Bonin, O. (2020). Does working from home reduce CO2 emissions? An analysis of travel patterns as dictated by workplaces. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 83, 102338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2020.102338
• de Abreu e Silva, J. (2022). Residential preferences, telework perceptions, and the intention to telework : Insights from the Lisbon Metropolitan Area during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Regional Science Policy & Practice. https://doi.org/10.1111/rsp3.12558
• de Abreu e Silva, J., & Melo, P. C. (2018). Home telework, travel behavior, and land-use patterns : A path analysis of British single-worker households. Journal of Transport and Land Use, 11(1), 419‑441.
• de Vos, D., Meijers, E., & van Ham, M. (2018). Working from home and the willingness to accept a longer commute. The Annals of Regional Science, 61(2), 375‑398. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00168-018-0873-6
• Elldér, E. (2022). Active travel and telework in Sweden : Teleworkers walk more, but cycle less. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 109, 103362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2022.103362
• Hostettler Macias, L., Ravalet, E., & Rérat, P. (2022). Potential rebound effects of teleworking on residential and daily mobility. Geography Compass, e12657. https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.12657
• Lachapelle, U., Tanguay, G. A., & Neumark-Gaudet, L. (2018). Telecommuting and sustainable travel : Reduction of overall travel time, increases in non-motorised travel and congestion relief? Urban Studies, 55(10), 2226‑2244. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098017708985
• Pendyala, R. M., Goulias, K. G., & Kitamura, R. (1991). Impact of telecommuting on spatial and temporal patterns of household travel. Transportation, 18(4), 383‑409. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00186566
• Pigalle, E. (A paraître). What are the impacts of teleworking on activity-travel behaviour ? A text mining study. Articulo—Journal of Urban Research, (24).
• Pigalle, E., Aguiléra, A., & Belton Chevallier, L. (2024, 15 février). Comment le télétravail impacte-t-il nos mobilités ? The Conversation. Repéré à http://theconversation.com/comment-le-teletravail-impacte-t-il-nos-mobilites-223121
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Release date: June 2024