2021 Perspective on Mobility Movements
The global pandemic has had a profound impact on various sectors, and the transit industry is no exception. A survey conducted by our website during December 2020 and the first week of January 2021 sought to understand the effects of COVID-19 on transit agencies and private companies. The survey results offer valuable insights that could shape the industry's future.
The survey, directed towards transit agencies, subscribers, and representatives from private companies, focused on a variety of aspects related to the transit industry and its operations. Topics ranged from budgets, COVID-19 impacts, State of Good Repair, procurement plans, and more.
The most common cost-cutting measure among transit and private company respondents was leaving unfilled positions vacant. Nearly half of transit agency respondents anticipate a permanent reduction in ridership, while a higher percentage (22%) of respondents from large urban areas reported employee furloughs. Interestingly, small urban area and rural operators are more likely to report budgets higher than 2020. A majority (55%) of transit respondents expect their operating and capital budgets to remain the same or increase compared to 2020.
The data about the impact of COVID-19 on transit agencies and private companies was gathered primarily through a combination of land use analysis, ridership data, and demographic characteristics. The study used land use attributes such as commercial, residential, educational, medical, park, and transportation lands as primary explanatory variables, combined with metro ridership fluctuations across different stations and times during the pandemic. This approach involved modeling these effects using the Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression (GTWR) model to capture how COVID-19 influenced ridership patterns in relation to the surrounding built environment and population factors.
Additional data sources included rider demographic surveys and operational data from transit agencies to understand behavioural changes, and government financial statistics tracking transportation expenditures and COVID-19 stimulus funding impacts. This mixed-methods approach combining quantitative modeling, survey data, and financial records enabled a comprehensive understanding of COVID-19's impact on transit agencies and private companies.
The survey results provide valuable insights to mobility providers and the industry that supports these providers, offering a roadmap for navigating the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic. As we move forward into 2021, these insights will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping the future of the global transit industry.
The survey findings reveal that that finance, like budgeting and expenditures, has been significantly affected by the pandemic in the transit industry, with many transit agencies and private companies adopting cost-cutting measures such as leaving vacant positions or implementing employee furloughs. Additionally, the data gathered indicates that the transportation sector, particularly in urban areas, has seen a shift in ridership patterns, which could impact the future growth of the industry.
