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IBM Survey Predicts Post-Pandemic Changes in Transportation

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American transportation trends are set to change significantly in the wake of the pandemic

Many of us are driving less during the pandemic. It’s normal to start thinking about how transportation will change once the COVID-19 pandemic is over. According to a recent survey from IBM’s Institute for Business Value, it’s likely that how people use transportation will change drastically in the near future.


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The survey’s findings

IBM surveyed a total of 14,000 people to come up with the results. One of the key findings is that more people would prefer using a private vehicle rather than rideshares or public transportation. Per Car and Driver, 17 percent of participants said they plan on using their personal vehicle more due to coronavirus concerns. In addition, 28 percent said they’ll use public transit less frequently, while 20 percent said they’ll stop using it altogether.

Participants who are currently working from home full-time also expressed a desire to keep doing so. According to the study, 75 percent of respondents said they’d like to keep working remotely at least part-time if not full-time.


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Future implications

A decline in public transit users and rideshares might result in more traffic in populated areas, as more people use personal vehicles for commuting and other trips. That could mean an increase in car sales and leases for dealerships nationwide in the months ahead.

Though, if more businesses give workers the green light to keep working from home, this would significantly reduce the number of commuters on the roads, at least during rush hour. It’ll be interesting to see which trends arise in vehicle ownership and transportation as 2020 continues to play out.

Planning on ditching public transit and using a personal vehicle more? Get the scoop on car leases here. And read more about how to sanitize your car to keep it coronavirus germ-free.