https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27098 Sat, 13 Jun 2026 15:09:48 GMT 2026-06-13T15:09:48Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29821 What have we learned about long term structural change brought about by COVID-19 and working from home? Hensher, David A.; Beck, Matthew.J; Nelson, John D. March 2020 will forever be etched in our minds as the beginning of what has become the most concerning health pandemic faced by all generations of the living population. Almost two-and-three quarter years on, we are starting to see a number of signs for what the future might evolve into through structural change brought about by many events, and no more so than the burgeoning growth in working from home (WFH). No longer associated with negative stigma, working from home, or remote working more generally, has become almost folklore with all elements of society slowly recognising that it is to some extent here to stay, and we should start rethinking how this non-marginal change in the way we live, and work will be used to restructure the fabric of society. In this paper, we draw on the research undertaken as part of an ongoing project on WFH and its relationship to travel and work, since March 2020 to summarise the main evidence that we use to speculate on what we think are likely to be the big changes in the land transport sector that would not have been considered, at least to the same extent, pre-COVID-19. Tue, 20 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29821 2022-12-20T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29792 Taken for a Ride: How the poor cost-effectiveness of Sydney’s automated Metro Railways provides a salutary lesson for infrastructure planning Day, Christopher; Day, Dick Building rail infrastructure creates a significant opportunity cost for taxpayers. This makes it imperative for new rail capacity to obtain the best possible value. In this paper, we examine Sydney’s current programme of automated metro railway construction and identify several, not immediately apparent, factors which undermine value to taxpayers. Their root cause is a systemic failure to undertake adequate and effective project evaluation. Lessons applicable to transport infrastructure decisions globally highlight the importance of (i) retaining network compatibility; (ii) maximising utilisation of transport assets; (iii) undertaking comprehensive cost-benefit analysis which encompasses the full scope of works and flow-on implications of a major infrastructure decision; (iv) recognising changes in demand trends (v) maintaining a knowledgeable public service and (vi) holding decision-makers accountable for investments which lack justification. Mon, 12 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29792 2022-12-12T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29718 MaaS in a Regional setting: recent experience Mulley, Corinne; Nelson, John D.; Ho, Chinh Q.; Hensher, David A. The aim of this paper is to examine the evidence base for a technology-led approach to the policy of reducing rural transport disadvantage. Previous mobility interventions are shown to provide the foundations for regional and rural Mobility as a Service (MaaS). Beginning with a definition of MaaS, the main body of the paper focusses on the experience to date with MaaS in a regional and rural setting with consideration of recent evidence in an international context. We consider the elements of rural MaaS, and a variety of schemes, their status and levels of integration. Findings show that MaaS in a rural context is dominated by a preponderance of short-lived pilots with only a small user base, even in Finland and Sweden which can be described as the trailblazer locations. There are examples of niche schemes such as tourist focussed and there is evidence that car-based services are becoming more prevalent. Ultimately, prospects for scalability appear limited in current Rural MaaS activities since this will depend on how well MaaS segments the market. Thu, 17 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29718 2022-11-17T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29704 Two MaaS paradigms: Private Assets as a Service (PAaaS) with reference to the Private Car as a Service (PCaaS) and Corporate MaaS (C-MaaS) Hensher, David A. Mobility as a service, or MaaS, is the most cited idea. MaaS however, despite its intuitive appeal, is struggling to develop a future. While a growing number of App developers are parading their digital capability as delivering a MaaS capability, in the main we see little more than another trip planning app. ‘Private Car as a Service (PCaaS)’ or more generally “Private Assets as a Service (PAaaS)” is based on a critical need to provide mobility services to residents of regional towns and rural hinterlands who have a need to visit medical specialists who are located many kilometres away, often over 200 or more kilometres, and where they are likely to have to stay overnight. The idea of bundling or packaging of MaaS offers can be appealing to businesses as a corporate initiative that fits well with the social licence and commitment to corporate social responsibility. Fri, 11 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29704 2022-11-11T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29666 Working from home 22 months on from the beginning of COVID-19: What have we learned for the future provision of transport services? Hensher, David A.; Beck, Matthew J.; Balbontin, Camila COVID-19 has delivered an unintended positive consequence through working from home (WFH). While it may be some time until we are able to indicate, with some confidence, the impact that WFH will have on traffic congestion and crowding on public transport, there is a sense already that it is a game changer, and indeed is one of the most effective policy levers that the transport sector has had for many years in ‘managing’ the performance of the transport network. This paper draws on multiple ways of survey data that have been collected since March 2020 when the pandemic first resulted in severe restrictions in Australia. We present the evidence up to December 2021 on the incidence of WFH and how it has been received by employees and employers from the height of restrictions up to a period when restrictions were relaxed, followed by further lockdowns throughout Australia. We show what this might mean for work productivity, lifestyle, and the changing preferences for passenger modes. With a growing preference, within some occupation classes, to WFH 1 to 2 days a week, and a good spread through the weekdays, we discuss what this means for the way we analyse the impact of transport initiatives on the performance of the transport network with a particular emphasis on the growth in suburbanisation of transport improvements, less costly service and infrastructure improvements, and the changing role of public transport. Tue, 01 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29666 2022-11-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29665 Time Allocation of Reduced Commuting Time during COVID-19 under Working from Home Hensher, David A.; Beck, Matthew J.; Balbontin, Camila The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the amount of weekly commuting activity, with a commensurate increase in remote working, especially from home. The reduction in the amount of commuting time has resulted in time released for other activities. In this paper we identify the incidence of released time to paid work, unpaid work and leisure, and investigate the key drivers of this allocation. The findings are important in obtaining estimated time benefits from reduced commuting activity with such travel time being traded against work and against leisure, and what this might mean for the future travel, activity location, and lifestyle landscape. Tue, 01 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29665 2022-11-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29486 The influence of working from home on the number of commuting and non-commuting trips by workers during 2020 and 2021 pre- and post-lockdown in Australia Balbontin, Camila; Hensher, David A.; Beck, Matthew J. Since the start of 2020, we have seen major changes in the way communities operate. Mobility behaviour has been drastically impacted by work from home (WFH) and by lockdowns and restrictions in different jurisdictions. This study investigates the influence of WFH and different lockdown patterns on commuting and non-commuting trips in Australia by workers between early 2020 and late 2021. The data includes three waves of data collection to represent different lockdown periods. A multiple discrete-continuous extreme value (MDCEV) model is estimated to represent the number of one-way trips undertaken weekly with different purposes (commuting, work-related, education, shopping, personal business/social recreation), and by different modes (car, public transport, active modes). Explanatory variables include socioeconomic characteristics, location, the time period during the pandemic (i.e., waves), and latent variables. The results suggest that across all waves and jurisdictions, respondents that WFH more often are more likely to undertake relatively more shopping trips and personal business/social recreation trips, perhaps substituting these trips in replacement of their lesser commuting trips. Interestingly, all other influence held constant, individuals who are more concerned about the use of public transport are more likely to undertake commuting trips by all modes, more likely to do shopping trips, and less likely to undertake personal business/social recreation trips – suggesting they are prioritising essential trips rather than social/personal trips. Wed, 31 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29486 2022-08-31T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29461 Quantifying the impact of COVID-19 on travel behavior in different socioeconomic segments Xi, Haoning; Li, Qin; Hensher, David A.; Nelson, John; Ho, Chinh This paper investigates the impact of COVID-19 on travel behavior in different socio-economic segments in the USA using integrated mobile device location data over the period 1 Jan 2020 ~ 20 Apr 2021. A fixed-effect panel regression model is estimated to statistically identify the relationship between COVID monitoring measures and travel behavior such as nonwork/work trips, travel miles, out-of-state trips, and the incidence of WFH in different socio-economic segments. We find that as exposure to COVID increases, the number of trips and traveling miles starts to bounce back to pre-COVID levels, while the incidence of WFH remained relatively stable and may never return to pre-COVID level. The findings have implications for understanding the heterogeneous mobility response of individuals in different socio-economic segments to various COVID waves, and thus can provide insights into the recovery of travel behavior. Wed, 24 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29461 2022-08-24T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29429 Evidence from GTFS-R that Bus Priority Lanes reduce Marginal Delay Xian, Tingsen; Moylan, Emily; Nelson, John Bus priority measures such as bus lanes have been widely deployed in order to improve bus performance and attract ridership. The validation of these expected benefits has usually been done at the aggregate level with tolerances for acceptable delay. Newer data sources allow us to track micro delays and relate them to spatially detailed bus priority data. Because schedules are adjusted to account for the benefit of bus priority measures, we hypothesise that bus lanes will result in small reductions in expected delay relative to the schedule even when assessed to the second and at the bus-stop-to-bus-stop level. We further hypothesise that the benefit of bus lane priority measures can be seen in the reduction in the variability of delay relative to the schedule. This study aims to use the GTFS arrival delay data for Sydney from June 2020 to March 2022 in order to analyse the effect of bus-stop-to-bus-stop route characteristics data on bus stop-to-stop marginal delay. This working paper shows the first result using GTFS arrival delay data from March 2021 (i.e. one month) only. The delays are modelled using panel regression with marginal delay and standard deviation of marginal delay as the dependent variables. The independent variables include the presence of priority measures, the traffic volumes, the number of traffic signals and the scheduled travel time. We find that the bus-taxi lanes and bus-HOV lanes are effective in reducing variation in the stop-to-stop marginal delay. The impact on marginal delay itself is mixed due to the interaction of demand, schedule adjustments and the priority measure. These findings quantify the benefits of bus priority measures at a microscale. Mon, 22 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29429 2022-08-22T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29338 Light commercial vehicles destination choice: Understanding preferences relative to the number of stops and tour-based trip type Balbontin, Camila; Hensher, David A.; Ho, Chinh Freight delivery modelling has made significant progress in the past few decades. In this study we propose to use an aggregate multi-step approach to gain a better understanding of the tour-based trips of light commercial vehicles in Sydney, Australia. The paper identifies preference differences in destination choice-making given by the number of stop and the tour-based trip type, defined by the total number of stops in the trip. The findings suggest that estimating a separate model for each number of stops provides a better understanding on how destination choices are made. Simulation results show how the probability of choosing a certain destination in the different tour-based trip types and number of stop changes due to variations in travel time and distance. Results show that light commercial vehicles are more sensitive to the generalised cost (defined by travel time and distance) in the first stop, and the sensitivity decreases as the trip is completed. Thu, 28 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29338 2022-07-28T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29337 A Comparative Assessment of Zero and Low Emission Strategies for the Australian Truck Fleet Hensher, David A.; Wei, Edward Various strategies worldwide have been introduced to cut emissions and pollutants in freight distribution, such as a low emission strategy mainly supported by low carbon fuel standards, shifting road freight to rail, and a zero-emission strategy to change from diesel to either battery-electric trucks or hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks. This paper assesses emission, local air pollution and cost implications of a range of initiatives available, comparing and recommending actions that government and truck operators may take in the near term to longer term. Thu, 28 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29337 2022-07-28T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29326 Oceanian Perspectives on Transport Pricing and Financing of roads and public transport Stanley, John; Hensher, David A. This chapter provides an overview of pricing and funding initiatives in recent years in Oceania, with a focus mainly on Australia and to a limited extent, New Zealand. With a focus on land based road and public transport, we summarise approaches adopted by various State jurisdictions as well as the Federal government. Specific attention is given to road user charging of heavy and light vehicles as well a public transport, including the plans as we transition to electric vehicles. The paper overviews approaches to road financing including the role of PPS. Wed, 27 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/29326 2022-07-27T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/28907 How the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the landscape of transportation research: An integrative scoping review and roadmap for future research Haghani, Milad; Merkert, Rico; Behnood, Ali; De Gruyter, Chris; Kazemzadeh, Khashayar; Ghaderi, Hadi; Shahhoseini, Zahra; Thai, Vinh; Irannezhad, Elnaz; Fahimnia, Behnam; Waller, S Travis; Hensher, David A In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, scholars across all domains of science and engineering mobilised their efforts to address its far-reaching societal problems. Transportation researchers were no exemption. With mobility restrictions being front and centre of the pandemic, many researchers shifted their focus to this issue, and as a result, a new cohort of transportation science was developed within a short period of time. Here, we examine more than 400 studies related to the COVID-19 pandemic published across transportation journals during 2020 and 2021. The aim is (i) to scope this newly developed segment of transportation research, (ii) outline the diversity of pandemic-related issues across various divisions of the transportation field and (iii) provide a roadmap for the continuation of this line of research. Common themes in pandemic research within the transportation field are identified and existing congruence and discrepancies across findings are discussed. The study also highlights how pandemic-related topics across different domains of transportation research can be interconnected and have implications for another, requiring a holistic integrative overview. Results show that no pre-pandemic study was particularly instrumental in the development of this section of transportation literature, and that, it can be considered a nearly independent body of transportation science. It is expected that the outcomes of this work will contribute to systematising this segment of the literature and provide insights about areas where research has been produced to near saturation, as well as areas that need most attention from transportation researchers, particularly moving forward and coming out of the pandemic. Mon, 27 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/28907 2022-06-27T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/28804 The Impact that COVID-19 and working from home has had on the amount of main location office space retained and the future use of rented satellite offices Hensher, David A.; Wei, Edward; Beck, Matthew J. Despite the extensive amount of research on the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on significant changes in the location at which work takes place, especially working from home (WFH), there is very little systematic consideration given to the relationship between the substantial increase in WFH and the responses taken by organisations in reviewing their office (work space) capacity needs in the future, including a switch of the mix of utilising work space in the main office(s) and satellite office locations. Using data from 459 businesses for three periods for pre-COVID-19, April 2022 (25 months after the outbreak of the pandemic) and stated intentions for 2023, we develop a random effects regression model for the Greater Sydney Metropolitan Area in which we identify some of the influences on the downsizing or not of the main office(s) work space, and comment on what we see as the most likely scenario for WFH and work space in the main office and rented satellite office space under the ‘next normal’. The findings can be used to inform future commuting travel as well as changes in land use activity at specific locations, including possible reallocation of existing office space to other activity uses. Thu, 09 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/28804 2022-06-09T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/28682 Co-Modality for Sydney’s Ferries Schulz, Veronica; Bell, Michael; Zhu, Shengda; Geers, Glenn; Bhattacharjya, Jyotirmoyee Logistics issues arising from the last mile delivery of goods in an urban environment are plentiful. Co-modality, whereby the movement of freight and passengers are integrated on the same public transport mode, can mitigate road congestion and promote sustainable transport. This working paper investigates the merits of using co-modality for the ‘intermediate mile’ with Sydney’s ferries in Australia. A global review of field trials found that a high level of stakeholder interaction and a robust data management system are necessary to ensure the success of the endeavour. A review of the transit assignment literature led to the selection of the frequency-based transit assignment model to locate spare capacity in the ferry network before the pandemic. Additionally, there was an evaluation of every ferry station’s suitability for handling cargo with proposals for storage areas within each ferry station. An assessment of a range of Unit Load Devices (ULDs) in which goods are carried led to the selection of the ‘meter cube’ container as the most viable for Sydney’s ferries. Tracking and tracing requirements were reviewed. Four business models are developed for different delivery processes and types of cargo – pickup and delivery of full meter cube containers, parcels transported in meter cube containers, or perishable goods transported in refrigerated meter cube containers. The repositioning of empty meter cube containers is not considered in detail. Potential limitations, risks and next steps for the successful implementation of co-modality for Sydney’s ferries are detailed. Tue, 31 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/28682 2022-05-31T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/28556 Consumer preferences for innovative and traditional last-mile parcel delivery Merkert, Rico; Bliemer, Michiel C.J.; Fayyaz, Muhammad The purpose of this research is to reveal consumer preferences towards innovative last-mile parcel delivery and more specifically unmanned aerial delivery drones, in comparison to traditional postal delivery (postie) and the recent rise of parcel lockers in Australia. We investigate competitive priorities and willingness to pay for key attributes of parcel delivery (mode, speed, method and time window), the role of contextual moderators such as parcel value and security, and opportunities for logistics service providers in the growing e-commerce market. A survey involving stated choice experiments has been conducted among 709 respondents in urban Australia. We estimated panel error component logit models, derived consumer priorities and deployed 576 Monte Carlo simulations to forecast potential delivery mode market shares. Our results suggest that people prefer postie over drone delivery, all else equal, but that drone deliveries become competitive with large market shares if they live up to the premise that they can deliver faster and cheaper. Both drone and postie become less attractive relative to parcel lockers when there is no safe place to leave a parcel at a residence, highlighting the importance of situational context and infrastructure at the receiving end of last-mile delivery. We identified opportunities for chargeable add-on services, such as signature for postie and 2-hour parcel deliveries for drones. We offer timely and novel insights into consumers preferences towards aerial drone parcel deliveries compared to postie and lockers. Going beyond the extant engineering/OR literature, we provide a starting point and add new dimensions/moderators for last-mile parcel delivery choice analysis and empirical evidence of market potential and competitive attributes of innovative versus traditional parcel delivery alternatives. Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/28556 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27965 TDM measures for Education Precincts – past progress and future prospects Nelson, John D.; Balbontin, Camila; Hensher, David A.; Beck, Matthew Travel Demand Management (TDM) initiatives are widely applied by transport planners to establish and enable appropriate use of critical transport infrastructure. This paper considers the specific case of TDM in an education precinct (university) context drawing on international experience to date, with examples of TDM measures that have been introduced in university settings. The important role of regular surveys of staff and student travel behaviour is highlighted, particularly as part of a Sustainable Travel Plan (STP). A comparison of TDM Measures implemented as part of University STPs is discussed using recent experience from Australia as a case study. An important message of this paper is the need to propose a new focus on Education precinct TDM in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper thus explores the international evidence on the influence of changing travel and study practices in response to COVID-19 before considering, with reference to Australia, the role of Return to Campus plans which have been developed to encourage COVID-Safe Travel in a university context. The paper concludes with a call to learn more about the emerging and intended commuting patterns of university staff and students “post-pandemic” or under “living with COVID-19” and the requirements of TDM implementation plans in the developing university environment. Fri, 01 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27965 2022-04-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27818 An investigation of Regional Public Transport Spend in Australia Kandanaarachchi, Thiranjaya; Nelson, John D. This report presents the outcome of an investigation of the regional public transport spend in each state of Australia. Deriving reliable figures for comparison was a key objective and the core metric used is government spend per capita on country bus and rail in the respective state. In terms of results, it is observed that different states have different configurations of rail and bus transport networks and that NSW and QLD stand out as the states with the highest public transport spend per head in metro areas. While NT, TAS and regional SA completely rely on bus services, VIC is the state with the highest public transport spend per head in regional areas with robust train and bus networks which deliver healthy patronage. In the case of NT, TAS and SA there is scope for greater investment in bus network design given the absence of passenger rail operations. WA stands out as the state with highest regional bus transport spend per head ensuring a relatively high patronage despite the low population density. In terms of regional areas that rely only on bus transport, TAS could be highlighted as a benchmark due to its positioning in terms of patronage and population density. Wed, 23 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27818 2022-03-23T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27578 Attitudes towards public transport post Delta Covid-19 lockdowns: identifying user segments and policies to restore confidence Beck, Matthew J.; Nelson, John D.; Hensher, David A. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the propensity to use public transport, with many countries seeing a decline in patronage to as low as 20% of the pre-pandemic levels. Although public transport use is recovering with 60% of pre-COVID-19 levels being a common statistic, there is a view that it could take many years to fully recover if at all. This paper presents evidence on societal perceptions and attitudes about the use and return to public transport that were obtained from surveys undertaken during COVID-19 at a period in early 2021 in which there were no lockdowns, and during a subsequent period of varying durations of lockdowns in the Greater Sydney Metropolitan Area and South East Queensland. Together with views on future plans, this paper offers policy useful evidence on the challenges that the public transport sector currently face, and are likely to continue to face, in developing a plan to support a return to using public transport, rather than increased use of the private car. The focus of the paper is on an analysis of attitudinal and open-ended qualitative responses using a mixture of descriptive interpretation and analytical methods of factor and cluster analysis to identify the spectrum of attitudes and concern about using public transport as a way of guiding future messaging. Fri, 04 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27578 2022-03-04T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27577 Effects of passing rates on driving behaviour in variable speed limit-controlled highways: Evidence of social pressure from a driving simulator study Ali, Yasir; Raadsen, Mark P. H.; Bliemer, Michiel C. J. Variable message signs on motorways can show dynamically changing speed limits for traffic safety or efficiency reasons. While the effects of variable speed limits have been studied in the literature, the effect of (drivers in) vehicles operating under different speed limit information ― caused by transitioning from one speed limit to another ― has not received any attention. During such a transition, drivers can either be overtaken by vehicles operating under a higher speed limit, or conversely, drivers overtake slower vehicles operating under a lower speed limit. In both scenarios, opposite forms of social pressure are expected to be exerted by the surrounding traffic. To investigate the effects of this social pressure on driving behaviour, this study analyses outcomes of driving simulator experiments where such passing rates were systematically varied. Forty-five participants performed three randomised drives, each reflecting different passing rates, i.e., the number of vehicles overtaking the driver, or vice versa, caused by a speed limit change. Passing rates varied from as low as 90 veh/h to as high as 360 veh/h. Increasing passing rates act as a proxy for increasing levels of social pressure applied to drivers. Statistical analyses are conducted using a Linear Mixed Model (LMM) and a Generalised Estimating Equations (GEE) approach, accounting for correlation caused by the panel nature of the data. The LMM indicates that the driving behaviour indicators are indeed affected under different passing rates and that these differences are statistically significant. Results indicate that drivers in higher passing rate scenario(s) tend to accelerate and drive faster compared to the low(er) passing rate scenario(s). Further, the GEE model for speed selection indicates that drivers from different age groups and gender select different speeds in response to the impact of social pressure caused by surrounding traffic. Similarly, the GEE model for speed variation within a driver suggests differential speed variations of age groups and gender under different passing rates. Overall, this study finds pronounced effects directly related to the imposed social pressure via the surrounding traffic, where high passing rates lead to significant speed variations that increase the chances of drivers engaging in safety-critical events. Fri, 04 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27577 2022-03-04T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27403 Working from home, health and wellbeing consequences of a pandemic Greaves, Stephen; Beck, Matthew.J; Cobbold, Alec; Standen, Christopher; Rissel, Chris; Crane, Melanie Drawing from a survey of 1,165 Sydney (Australia) workers conducted in late 2020, when restrictions from the first COVID-19 wave were easing across Australia, we explore the impact of the pandemic on perceived changes to working from home (WfH) and other travel behaviours. Based on this analysis, we identify three distinct segments of the population with differing physical activity (PA) and quality of life (QoL) outcomes: (1) ‘Active but Anxious’ (22%) – younger, higher income, largest increase in WfH, sitting most of the day, sufficient PA; (2) ‘Less Change, Less Worries’ (38%) – older and male, least change in WfH, sitting relatively less, largely sufficient PA; (3) ‘Stressed and Sedentary’ (40%) – average age, lower income, largest loss of paid work, highest levels of sedentary behaviour, lowest PA and QoL. In a probable future of greater opportunities for WfH, understanding these heterogenous outcomes has implications for individuals, employers and policy-makers. Fri, 04 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27403 2022-02-04T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27224 Travel with dogs: the need to accommodate “messy trips” in healthy and sustainable transport transitions Kent, Jennifer L.; Mulley, Corinne Private car dependency is widely recognised as problematic: for human health through injury, respiratory illness, declining rates of physical activity and the erosion of the social ties that allow us to flourish, environmentally through carbon emissions and reliance on a finite resource, and economically through the costs of traffic congestion. While some of these problems can be remedied with future technologies like autonomous and electric vehicles, all can be mitigated with less use of the private car in the first place. This paper seeks to examine barriers to the use of healthier and more sustainable transport modes. We use the way people travel with dogs as a way to demonstrate the need for transport scholars to explore what we call “messy trips”, and transport providers to accommodate such mess. Using data from a survey of 1,057 dog owners in a city where dogs are restricted from using public transport, we consider three examples of trips with dogs. The analysis finds that while regular dog walking trips usually occur on foot, there are other activities that people do with their dog and these activities are often accommodated by private car. Responsible dog ownership is an ostensibly health promoting activity, however if dogs are not accommodated by sustainable transport systems it is a practice with the unintended consequence of perpetuating private car use. Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27224 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27223 The Impact of Working from Home on Modal Commuting Choice Response during COVID-19: Implications for Two Metropolitan Areas in Australia Hensher, David A.; Balbontin, Camila; Beck, Matthew J.; Wei, Edward The need to recognise and account for the influence of working from home on commuting activity has never been so real as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only does this change the performance of the transport network, it also means that the way in which transport modellers and planners use models estimated on a typical weekday of travel and expand it up to the week and the year must be questioned and appropriately revised to adjust for the quantum of working from home. Although teleworking is not a new phenomenon, what is new is the ferocity by which it has been imposed on individuals throughout the world, and the expectation that working from home is no longer a temporary phenomenon but one that is likely to continue to some non- marginal extent given its acceptance and revealed preferences from both many employees and employers where working from home makes good sense. This paper formalises the relationship between working from home and commuting by day of the week and time of day for two large metropolitan areas in Australia, Brisbane and Sydney, using a mixed logit choice model, identifying the influences on such choices together with a mapping model between the probability of working from home and socioeconomic and other contextual influences that are commonly used in strategic transport models to predict demand for various modes by location. The findings, based on Wave 3 (approximately 6 months from the initial outbreak of the pandemic) of an ongoing data collection exercise, provide the first formal evidence for Australia in enabling transport planners to adjust their predicted modal shares and overall modal travel activity for the presence of working from home. Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27223 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27127 Accounting for the spatial incidence of working from home in an integrated transport and land model system Hensher, David A.; Wei, Edward; Liu, Wen The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a seismic shift in the way in which work is conducted. Remote working or working from home is becoming a centrepiece of the next normal with strong support from both employers and employees. With reduced commuting activity associated with an expected 1 to 2 days working from home for many occupations and industries, associated with releasing commuting time to spend on other activities including changed levels and patterns on non- commuting travel, it is necessary, indeed essential, to allow for the incidence of working from home in integrated strategic transport and location model systems. In this paper we show the extent of changes in travel behaviour and the performance of the transport network before and after allowing for working from home which is more impactful than any new infrastructure project. The differences are significant and suggest that even within the existing modelling frameworks used pre-COVID-19, we need to make adjustments in the modal activity overall and by location. Using the MetroScan platform in the Greater Sydney Metropolitan area, we present a number of outputs to illustrate the significant impacts of working from home such as modal activity (total and shares), emissions, government revenues, and generalised cost of travel. Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27127 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z