Dr. Robert A. Simons, Professor and Chair of the Department of Urban Studies at Levin, and his research team have published an article, "COVID-19 and its Effect on Trip Mode and Destination Decisions of Transit Riders: Experience from Ohio” in Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives. The research team included Mark Henning, Research Associate in Levin's Energy Policy Center, Abigail Poeske, PhD student at Levin, Malcolm Trier (BA '17), and Kirt Conrad. According to the abstract, their research addresses travel patterns including trip mode and destination before and during the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. The team collected surveys from 1,081 transit riders in Ohio. They found that shopping and work trips dropped the least (11–19%) while social visits and worship trips were reduced the most (49–61%). Bus, personal car, and paratransit use dropped the least, while walking and ride share dropped the most. Regression analysis revealed that females, married persons, individuals with children at home, those with higher income, and areas with high COVID-19 infection rates had the largest decreases in trips. Being unbanked and being employed (including while working from home) corresponded with stable or increased trips. Females and those with children reported they felt less connected to the community, but unbanked people did not. Respondents likelier to fear acquiring COVID-19 were female, nonwhite, older, had kids, and had the highest incomes; being employed or having a driver's license were not associated with increased fear.

Photo Credit: The photo on the College homepage referring to this publication is by  Gabriella Clare Marino on Unsplash.