IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jotrge/v124y2025ics0966692325000675.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Quantifying the influences of telecommuting on household total trips and VMT generation

Author

Listed:
  • Tian, Guang
  • Jenkins, Bryce
  • Danton, Bob

Abstract

Telecommuting has long been indicated as a possible travel demand strategy; however, previous studies highlight the complementary effects working from home can have on household trips and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) generation. This study aims to analyze this relationship further by controlling for both socioeconomics and the built environment in pre-COVID-19 cross-sectional data with precise locations of households from California. This study categorizes the frequency of telecommuting per month into three categories – occasional (1–5 days monthly), frequent (6–10 days monthly), and regular (more than 10 days monthly), plus categories for non-working and working, non-telecommuting groups. Spatial patterns, descriptive statistics, and basic statistical testing all indicate relationships linking levels of telecommuting frequency, household trips, and household VMT generation. However, regression analyses demonstrate that only household trips continue increasing at each level of telecommuting frequency, while only occasional and regular telecommuters were correlated with increased overall VMT production. Disaggregating travel by purpose shows that no significant relationships exist between home-based non-work travel and telecommuting, while non-home-based trips increased with all telecommuters and non-home based VMT increases with occasional and regular telecommuting. This study adds insight to previous literature by showing the relationships that telecommuting frequency, trip purpose, household characteristics, and the built environment have with travel behavior. The study demonstrates that telecommuting may not be a travel demand strategy in and of itself, but its complementary effect on household trips need not increase VMT generation if policymakers and planners create efficient, sustainable, and equitable transportation systems to filter extra household trips into environmentally sustainable travel modes.

Suggested Citation

  • Tian, Guang & Jenkins, Bryce & Danton, Bob, 2025. "Quantifying the influences of telecommuting on household total trips and VMT generation," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:124:y:2025:i:c:s0966692325000675
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2025.104176
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692325000675
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2025.104176?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Arjun Ramani & Nicholas Bloom, 2021. "The Donut Effect of Covid-19 on Cities," NBER Working Papers 28876, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Wei (Laura) Tang & Patricia L. Mokhtarian & Susan L. Handy, 2011. "The impact of the residential built environment on work at home adoption frequency: An example from Northern California," The Journal of Transport and Land Use, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, vol. 4(3), pages 3-22.
    3. Patricia L Mokhtarian & Gustavo O Collantes & Carsten Gertz, 2004. "Telecommuting, Residential Location, and Commute-Distance Traveled: Evidence from State of California Employees," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 36(10), pages 1877-1897, October.
    4. Pengyu Zhu & Liping Wang & Yanpeng Jiang & Jiangping Zhou, 2018. "Metropolitan size and the impacts of telecommuting on personal travel," Transportation, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 385-414, March.
    5. Pengyu Zhu, 2012. "Are telecommuting and personal travel complements or substitutes?," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 48(2), pages 619-639, April.
    6. Su, Rongxiang & McBride, Elizabeth C. & Goulias, Konstadinos G., 2021. "Unveiling daily activity pattern differences between telecommuters and commuters using human mobility motifs and sequence analysis," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 106-132.
    7. Reid Ewing & Guang Tian & JP Goates & Ming Zhang & Michael J Greenwald & Alex Joyce & John Kircher & William Greene, 2015. "Varying influences of the built environment on household travel in 15 diverse regions of the United States," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 52(13), pages 2330-2348, October.
    8. Simona Rasciute & Paul Downward & William H Greene, 2017. "Do Relational Goods Raise Well-Being? An Econometric Analysis," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 43(4), pages 563-579, September.
    9. Liu, Sitian & Su, Yichen, 2021. "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the demand for density: Evidence from the U.S. housing market," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    10. Caldarola, Bernardo & Sorrell, Steve, 2022. "Do teleworkers travel less? Evidence from the English National Travel Survey," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 282-303.
    11. Reid Ewing & Robert Cervero, 2017. "“Does Compact Development Make People Drive Less?” The Answer Is Yes," Journal of the American Planning Association, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 83(1), pages 19-25, January.
    12. Andrew Hook & Victor Court & Benjamin K Sovacool & Steven Sorrell, 2020. "A Systematic Review of the Energy and Climate Impacts of Teleworking," Working Papers hal-03192905, HAL.
    13. Parkhomenko, Andrii & Delventhal, Matthew J, 2023. "Spatial Implications of Telecommuting in the United States," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt97q6c2rg, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    14. Melo, Patrícia C. & de Abreu e Silva, João, 2017. "Home telework and household commuting patterns in Great Britain," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 1-24.
    15. Choo, Sangho & Mokhtarian, Patricia L., 2007. "Telecommunications and travel demand and supply: Aggregate structural equation models for the US," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 4-18, January.
    16. ., 2017. "Econometric analysis: loopholes and shortcomings," Chapters, in: Econometrics as a Con Art, chapter 5, pages 88-105, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rafiq, Rezwana & McNally, Michael G. & Sarwar Uddin, Yusuf & Ahmed, Tanjeeb, 2022. "Impact of working from home on activity-travel behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An aggregate structural analysis," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 35-54.
    2. Andrew Hook & Victor Court & Benjamin K Sovacool & Steven Sorrell, 2020. "A Systematic Review of the Energy and Climate Impacts of Teleworking," Working Papers hal-03192905, HAL.
    3. R. M. Faber & M. Hamersma & J. Brimaire & M. Kroesen & E. J.E. Molin, 2024. "The relations between working from home and travel behaviour: a panel analysis," Transportation, Springer, vol. 51(6), pages 2173-2197, December.
    4. Böhnen, Carina & Kuhnimhof, Tobias, 2024. "Working from home and commuter travel in germany – panel data analysis of long-term effects," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    5. Ozbilen, Basar & Wang, Kailai & Akar, Gulsah, 2021. "Revisiting the impacts of virtual mobility on travel behavior: An exploration of daily travel time expenditures," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 49-62.
    6. Kappler, Laísa Braga & de Abreu e Silva, João, 2025. "Telework frequency and travel behaviour during the later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. A study across different Metropolitan Areas: Lisbon, Istanbul, and Porto Alegre," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    7. Bouzaghrane, Mohamed Amine & Obeid, Hassan & Villas-Boas, Sofia B. & Walker, Joan, 2024. "Influence of telecommuting on out-of-home time use and diversity of locations visited: Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    8. Georges A. Tanguay & Ugo Lachapelle, 2019. "Potential Impacts of Telecommuting on Transportation Behaviours, Health and Hours Worked in Québec," CIRANO Project Reports 2019rp-07, CIRANO.
    9. Pengyu Zhu & Liping Wang & Yanpeng Jiang & Jiangping Zhou, 2018. "Metropolitan size and the impacts of telecommuting on personal travel," Transportation, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 385-414, March.
    10. Zhang, Shihang & Moeckel, Rolf & Moreno, Ana Tsui & Shuai, Bin & Gao, Jie, 2020. "A work-life conflict perspective on telework," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 51-68.
    11. Handy, Susan L & Volker, Jamey M. B. & Hosseinzade, Reyhane, 2024. "Assessing the Effectiveness of Potential Vehicle-Miles-Traveled (VMT) Mitigation Measures," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt1pf307sp, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    12. de Abreu e Silva, João & Melo, Patrícia C., 2018. "Does home-based telework reduce household total travel? A path analysis using single and two worker British households," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 148-162.
    13. Wöhner, Fabienne, 2022. "Work flexibly, travel less? The impact of telework and flextime on mobility behavior in Switzerland," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    14. Robbennolt, Dale & Haddad, Angela J. & Mondal, Aupal & Bhat, Chandra R., 2024. "Housing choice in an evolving remote work landscape," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    15. Nicholas S. Caros & Jinhua Zhao, 2022. "Preparing urban mobility for the future of work," Papers 2201.01321, arXiv.org.
    16. Caldarola, Bernardo & Sorrell, Steve, 2022. "Do teleworkers travel less? Evidence from the English National Travel Survey," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 282-303.
    17. Pengyu Zhu, 2013. "Telecommuting, Household Commute and Location Choice," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 50(12), pages 2441-2459, September.
    18. Malik, Khyati & Kim, Sowon & Cultice, Brian J., 2023. "The impact of remote work on green space values in regional housing markets," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    19. Bergeaud, Antonin & Eyméoud, Jean-Benoît & Garcia, Thomas & Henricot, Dorian, 2023. "Working from home and corporate real estate," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    20. Wang, Xinyi & Mokhtarian, Patricia L., 2024. "Examining the treatment effect of teleworking on vehicle-miles driven: Applying an ordered probit selection model and incorporating the role of travel stress," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:124:y:2025:i:c:s0966692325000675. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-transport-geography .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.