A recently released report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) examines the impacts of increased telework, finding effects on workers, the economy, and the environment, and identifying areas where additional federal support may be needed to help communities adapt.
The report was requested by Congressman Mark DeSaulnier. It found that the rise in telework has contributed to changes in transportation patterns, vehicle usage, and real estate trends.
To address these shifts, the GAO recommends that the U.S. Department of Transportation develop and implement a detailed plan to improve travel demand data and provide guidance to Metropolitan Planning Organizations. The goal is to support more effective community planning related to workforce needs, public transit, and housing.
The report is the third in a series examining telework. Earlier reports analyzed telework trends before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as its effects on worker productivity and business performance in certain sectors.
The WFH movement proved itself to be hugely successful – productivity remained the same or higher, work / life balance improved significantly, worker costs decreased due to lower transportation costs (gas, fares, etc.) environmental impact impacts improved with fewer vehicles on the road, obviously less traffic… it was the businesses in the cities that began to have vacancies in their buildings and the side businesses hurt by fewer workers in the cities – the mayors of those cities complained to big business & Sacto then the whole RTO movement started…. but of course any state or federal studies won’t show that ……….much like EIR reports always show “no significant impact” when a large development is being built due to developers big $$
Not too sure on that point as most people have returned to the office. Productivity was at an all time low as the model of people hanging out in Starbucks in their pajamas has come and gone. All the fools rushing to post Tik Toks on their day working from home dispelled the myth that people are more productive left to their own lazy tendancies!
So all those threats of service cuts from transit are meaningless ” ?
An there’s not really a need for HSR
The 1960s plan of building high rise, high density housing
around transit hubs (bart stations) can be canceled.