City eye$ WFH’s hit to coffers

New York City will conduct a sweeping new study on the impact hybrid work has on transportation and the economy following “long-term shifts” in travel patterns first triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The federally funded study will be conducted by the Department of City Planning and will analyze a series of data points provided by cellphones used in office buildings and other locations to better understand people’s movements.

“Using cell phone mobility datasets, this project seeks to establish a better understanding of present and future work-related and non-work-related trip behavior,” reads a description of the plan outlined in a 2023-24 budget report drafted by the regional New York Metropolitan Transportation Council.

“The use of cell phone data allows for the opportunity to understand trip behavior, economic activity, footfall, and significant mobility patterns with more precise location and time information in comparison to previously accessible data.”

The draft report explains the need for a “comprehensive analysis” of the shift to remote work in order to “guide future decisions about the region’s transportation network and economic growth strategy.”

The funding for the project is set at $501,789.

The agency just awarded a $99,000 contract to Placer Labs Inc. to provide some of the data. Placer analyzes foot traffic at 800 office buildings across the US.

The city Department of Transportation will also conduct a related analysis of the “long-term implication of teleworking” on vehicle miles traveled by motorists during the work day.

During the pandemic, a survey by the DOT found that nearly half of the employed population worked from home.

The new DOT study will build on that survey and target persons living in “lower density areas of NYC,” such as suburban neighborhoods with one- and two-family homes.

Trends indicated that the hybrid work schedule — working some days in the office and some at home — is here to stay.