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May 28, 2023 | 4:06 p.m
The new DOT study will build on this survey and target people living in “less populated areas of New York City,” such as suburban neighborhoods.
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New York City will conduct a comprehensive new study into the impact hybrid working is having on transportation and the economy following “long-term shifts” in travel patterns first sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conducted by the city’s planning authority, the government-funded study analyzed a series of data points provided by cellphones used in office buildings and other locations to better understand people’s movements.
“Using cellphone mobility datasets, this project seeks to gain a better understanding of current and future work-related and non-work-related travel behavior,” said a description of the plan, set out in a 2023-24 budget report prepared by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council.
“The use of cellular data offers the opportunity to understand travel behavior, economic activity, footfall and significant mobility patterns with more accurate location and time information compared to previously accessible data.”
The study will analyze a series of data points provided by cellphones used in office buildings and other locations to better understand people’s movements.Getty Images
The draft report explains the need for a “comprehensive analysis” of the shift to remote work in order to “make future decisions about the region’s transport network and economic growth strategy”.
Funding for the project is set at $501,789.
The agency just awarded a $99,000 contract to Placer Labs Inc. to provide some data.
Placer analyzes foot traffic in 800 office buildings across the country.
The city’s Department of Transport will also carry out a related analysis of the “long-term effects of teleworking” on vehicle kilometers traveled by drivers during the working day.
During the pandemic, a DOT survey found nearly half of the workforce was working from home.
“Using cellular data offers the opportunity to understand travel behavior, economic activity, footfall and key mobility patterns,” the budget report said.Getty Images
The new DOT study will build on this survey and target people living in “less populated areas of New York City,” such as suburban one- and two-family homes.
Trends suggest the hybrid work schedule – working some days in the office and some days at home – is here to stay.
According to the MTA, weekday subway ridership is still just 70% of pre-virus levels.
Manhattan workers are spending at least $12.4 billion less a year than before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released in February.
The shift has resulted in significant losses in the city’s tax revenue.
The forecast for owners of commercial office space is particularly sobering.
Funding for the project is set at $501,789. Getty Images/iStockphoto
An industry report released last week said the impact of hybrid work could reduce the value of office buildings by 44 percent because fewer people are employed there.
Placer, the city developer, said in a recent blog post that the hybrid work structure will remain.
They claim that Manhattan office visits fell by 37.5% in the first quarter of 2023 compared to pre-pandemic 2019.
“The monthly data also shows that the average number of office visits per workday has not changed significantly over the past few months,” Placer’s Lila Margalit said in the blog post.
“As we’ve noted, the persistence of this pattern appears to reflect a new hybrid normal, with employees coming in less frequently and concentrating their visits midweek. This waiting pattern seems to indicate a stalled recovery.”
According to an industry report, the impact of hybrid work could lower the value of office buildings by 44 percent due to fewer employees. Getty Images
Margalit said, “Fedestrian traffic data indicates the continued strength of the hybrid model” and the back-to-office push “doesn’t seem to have made a significant change overall.”
“Looking ahead, hybrid work arrangements that offer both employers and employees the best of both worlds may remain,” Margalit said.
A Department of Urban Planning official said the work-at-home study is consistent with his ongoing research into changes in the Big Apple.
“Broadly speaking, we are constantly monitoring work and commute patterns to enhance our planning efforts. No immediate policy changes are planned,” DCP spokesman Casey Berkovitz said.
A business representative representing the city’s largest corporate and financial firms stressed that the era of clerical work is not over yet.
“New York City attracts ambitious people who appreciate the importance of physical presence to advance professionally and build relationships. The “new normal” is flexibility, not remote or hybrid work. Office culture will continue to be important,” said Kathryn Wylde, CEO of the Partnership for the City of New York.
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