One of the great unknowns vexing transportation planners is whether all the people who have been working from home will return to the office after the coronavirus pandemic eases. And if they do, how will they get there?
When COVID-19 forced the shutdown of businesses in March, the expectation was for a quick end to the pandemic and then back to business as usual. But recent polls of employees, like the one done by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, have shown otherwise. Chamber President and CEO Jim Rooney said while one third of respondents say that they will return to the office full time, twice as many say they will return to the office only part time and otherwise continue to work from home. And, the survey shows, that’s even if concerns about COVID-19 fade as more people become vaccinated.
Outgoing Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack said all those people continuing to work from home — and not commuting to work — will lessen demand for public transit. And those who do physically return to work, she said, will probably drive because with far fewer commuters, highway congestion will drop dramatically. And she predicts a long-term decline in ridership on all forms of public transportation.
The chairman of the MBTA's Fiscal Management Control Board, Joe Aiello, said despite the change in commuting patterns, the T must commit itself to providing service to essential workers.
“There is a big core of folks that depend upon us every day to deliver service at an affordable price point," he said. "And we're going to continue that commitment to those folks just as they were committed to us.”
Aiello admited the financial challenges of continuing to provide that service are daunting, and he said the MBTA will need more federal aid to do it. But he's hopeful that the Biden administration will push hard for its proposed trillion-dollar-plus infrastructure plan.
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