Preserving Sustainability Gains of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of MIT Campus Commuting

Abstract

COVID-19 profoundly affected how communities live, work, and commute. In particular, reductions in commutes caused reductions in commuter-related emissions. The pandemic also prompted businesses and institutions to consider longer-term adjustments, including work-from-home policies that continue beyond pandemic protocols. If properly evaluated and implemented, these policies may have long-term beneficial impacts in reducing commuter-related emissions. This work presents a case study of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus community, using data from a prepandemic transportation survey with responses from approximately 50% of the community, as well as data on the academic groups and home locations of the broader population. These data were used to estimate car commuter miles by various academic groups and to model and evaluate interventions in relation to reducing car commuter miles. The interventions include staff work-from-home policies, changes that increase use of alternative transit, and improving access to housing. The analysis used differences in how groups commute to inform the potential interventions. For example, there was an estimated 16% reduction in car commuter miles if staff worked from home 1 day/week on average (excluding service staff whose work is on-site), and the same estimated reduction could be achieved were just one staff group that is well-suited to working from home allowed to do so 2 days/week. This analysis is intended to establish groundwork for further studies to assess how potential campus policies and land use might affect sustainable transportation use and parking demand, as well as to provide a case study for other institutions considering similar changes.