The pandemic let many people experience a commute-free lifestyle, but can we reduce rush-hour traffic as we make our return to physical workplaces?

"Every recent survey reports that the rush-hour commute is, to most of the drivers who endure it, the most difficult and unpleasant part of their day," writes Alan Ehrenhalt. "It is also the most alienating." Yet "[i]t shouldn’t be forgotten that the solo commute is a creation of the 20th century. In Victorian times, work and home life were concentrated in the same places." In fact, "[t]he nightmares of rush hour were and are creatures of the automobile, the modern suburb and the zoning ordinances that have rigidly separated commercial and industrial enclaves from the residential districts of metro areas."
During the pandemic, travel patterns shifted significantly. "Drivers, especially those working at home, have been spacing out their travel much more evenly over the course of the day," flattening the rush hour traffic peaks. "Is there a way we can buck the historical trend of eventual return to congestion and keep something like the current arrangement going?"
In lieu of a scenario where a significant percentage of workers keep working from home(a possibility that carries its own rippling implications), Ehrenhalt argues that a simple solution to the commute problem "would be to bring most remote workers back to the center city but to stagger their hours, as has been happening to a limited extent already." Our "nightmare rush hours" are a result of "inefficient management practices — we could wake up from the nightmare with a commitment to sensible scheduling."
Of course, writes Ehrenhalt, "the most appealing long-term answer is for more of us to live near the places where we work," reducing the need for extensive travel to and from work. The commuting problem can only be solved by eliminating the need for it for more people.
FULL STORY: Is There an Exit Ramp from the Rush-Hour Nightmare?

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

Chicago Approves Green Affordable Housing Plan
The Mayor’s plan calls for creating a nonprofit housing corporation tasked with building affordable housing that meets Green Building standards.

Quantifying Social Infrastructure
New developments have clear rules for ensuring surrounding roads, water, and sewers can handle new users. Why not do the same for community amenities?

Dallas Code Reform Makes Way for Missing Middle Housing
The Dallas City Council voted to change the city’s building code to allow up to eight residential units in three-story buildings.

Mahjong Game Highlights Displacement of Seniors in NYC’s Chinatown
‘Aging Out of Place’ explores the mechanisms that displace vulnerable seniors, and how the community can help preserve key resources and institutions.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions