Projects
Research_
Working from home research
Tracking the impact of working from home on travel activity
We collaborate with industry partners to track the implications of working from home for metropolitan strategic transport models.
The Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies has partnered with industry on two projects to track the travel activity and positions of the Australian population on working from home through a longitudinal data plan, commencing in March 2020.
Responses from employers and employees to working from home throughout COVID-19 will raise important questions as to what revisions will be required to strategic models used by state governments in respect of modal choice and frequency of weekly travel.
The research program develops revised post-COVID-19 travel choice models conditioned on working from home preferences.
The projects have been undertaken in collaboration with:
- the iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre
- Transport for Main Roads, Queensland
- Transport for NSW
- Western Australia Department of Transport
View the April 2024 Hensher Econ Society Presentation: Commuting mode choice and work from home in the later stages of COVID‐19: Consolidating a future focussed prediction tool to inform transport and land use planning
Related research
Published
Beck, M. and Hensher, D.A. (2020) Insights into the Impact of Covid-19 on Household Travel, Work, Activities and Shopping in Australia – the early days under restrictions, Paper #1, Transport Policy, 96, 76-93.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2020.07.001 (one of top most downloaded papers in the journal).
Hensher, D.A., Beck, M. J. and Wei, E. (2021) Working from home and its implications for strategic transport modelling based on the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Paper #2, Transportation Research Part A, 148, 64-78.
Beck, M. J., Hensher, D.A. and Wei, E. (2020) Slowly coming out of COVID-19 restrictions in Australia: implications for working from home and commuting trips by car and public transport, Paper #3, Journal of Transport Geography, 88, 102466.
Beck, M. and Hensher, D.A. (2020) Insights into the impact of COVID-19 on household travel and activities in Australia – the early days of easing restrictions, Paper #4, Transport Policy, 99, 95-119. Online 19 August 2020 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2020.08.004.
Hensher, D.A., Wei, E., Beck, M.J. and Balbontin, C. (2021) The impact of COVID-19 on the time and monetary cost outlays for commuting - the case of the Greater Sydney Metropolitan Area after three months of restrictions, Paper #5, Transport Policy, 101, 71-80.
Vallejo-Borda, J.A., Lira, B.M., Basnak, P., Reyes-Saldías, J.P., Giesen, R., de Dios Ortúzar, J., Hensher, D.A., and Beck, M.J. Characterising public transport shifting to active and private modes in South American capitals during the Covid-19 pandemic, Paper #6. Submitted to a Special Issue on COVID-19 (edited by Hani Mahmassani and Patricia Mokhtarian), Transportation Research Part A, January 2020.
Beck, M.J. and Hensher, D.A. (2020) What does the changing incidence of Working from Home (WFH) tell us about Future Transport and Land Use Agendas? Transport Reviews, 41(3). (Shortened version for The Conversation, November 2020 to accompany Academy of Social Sciences Australia (ASSA) podcast).
https://doi.org/10.1080/01441647.2020.1848141.
Also https://theconversation.com/covid-has-proved-working-from-home-is-the-best-policy-to-beat-congestion-148926
Beck, M. J. and Hensher, D.A. (2021) Australia 6 months After COVID-19 Restrictions Part 1: Changes to Travel Activity and Attitude to Measures Paper #7a. Transport Policy, online 17 June 2021.
Beck, M. J. and Hensher, D.A. (2021) Australia 6 months After COVID-19 Restrictions Part 2: The Impact of Working from Home Paper #7b. Transport Policy, online 17 June 2021.
Hensher, D.A, Balbontin, C., Beck, M.J. and Wei, E.(2022) The Impact of working from home on modal commuting choice response during COVID-19: Implications for two metropolitan areas in Australia, Paper #8 For a Special Issue on COVID-19 (edited by Hani Mahmassani and Patricia Mokhtarian), Transportation Research Part A, 155, 179-201.
Beck, M.J., Hensher, D.A., and Nelson, J.D. (2021) Public transport trends in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic: an investigation of level of concern as a driver for use, Paper #9, Journal of Transport Geography, online 96, 103167.
Hensher, D.A., Beck, M.J. and Balbontin, C. (2021) What does the quantum of working from home do to the value of commuting time used in transport appraisal? Paper #10, Transportation Research Part A, 153, 35-51.
Beck, M. J. and Hensher, D.A. Insights into Work from Home in Australia in 2020: Positives, Negatives and the Potential for Future Benefits to Transport and Society, Paper #11 submitted to a Special Issue on COVID-19 (edited by Hani Mahmassani and Patricia Mokhtarian), Transportation Research Part A, 12 January 2021, referees reports 25 May 2021, revised 1 June 2021.
Download Paper #11 (pdf, 425KB)
Balbontin, C., Hensher, D.A., Beck, M.J., Giesen, R., Basnak, P., Vallejo-Borda, J.A., Venter, C. Impact of COVID-19 on the number of days working from home and commuting travel: A cross-cultural comparison between Australia, South America and South Africa, Paper #12, Journal of Transport Geography, 96, 103188
Balbontin, C., Hensher, D.A. and Beck, M. J. Balbontin, C. Advanced modelling of commuter choice model and work from home during COVID-19 restrictions in Australia Paper #13, early version presented at the 2021 International Choice Modelling Conference online and Chilean Transport Research Conference, 23 May 2021, submitted to Transportation Research Part E, 1 December 2021.
Download Paper #13 (pdf, 498KB)
Hensher, D.A., Beck, M.J., Nelson, J.D. and Balbontin, C. (2022) Reducing congestion and crowding with WFH, in Mulley, C. and Attard, M. (editors) Transport and Pandemic Experiences, Emerald Press, Paper #14.
Balbontin, C., Hensher, D.A. and Beck, M. J. (2023) Relationship between commuting and non-commuting travel activity under the growing incidence of working from home and people’s attitudes towards COVID-19, Paper #15, Transportation. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-023-10403-2
Hensher, D.A., Beck, M.J., and Balbontin, C. How has COVID-19 impacted on the propensity to work from home? An assessment over four time periods between March 2020 and June 2021, Paper #17, Journal of Transport Geography, 20 April 2022.
Hensher, D.A., Beck, M. and Balbontin, C. Time allocation of reduced commuting time during COVID-19 under working from home, Paper #18, submitted to Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, 29 September 2021.
Download Paper #18 (pdf, 846KB)
Hensher, D.A., Wei, E, and Liu, W. (2023)Accounting for the spatial incidence of working from home in MetroScan - an integrated transport and land model system, Paper #19, Transportation Research Part A https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/27127), 173, 103793.
Beck, M.J., Nelson, J., and Hensher, D.A, Restoring Confidence in Public Transport post Delta COVID-19 Lockdowns: Identifying User Segments and Policies to Restore Confidence, Paper #20, completed 22 November 2021.
Download Paper #20 (pdf, 959KB)
Hensher, D.A. and Beck, M. J. (2023) Exploring how worthwhile the things that you do in life are during COVID-19 and links to well-being and working from home, Paper #21, Transportation Research Part A, 168, 103579/ https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0965-8564(22)00330-5
Balbontin, C., Hensher, D.A. and Beck, M. J. (2023) How are life satisfaction, concern towards the use of public transport and other underlying attitudes affecting mode choice for commuting trips? A case study in Sydney from 2020 to 2022, paper prepared for presentation only at IATBR, December 2022 Chile and World Conference on Transport Research - WCTR 2023 Montreal 17-21 July 2023. Transportation Research Part A, accepted 2 September 2023. Paper #22.
Nelson, J., Beck, M.J. and Hensher, D.A.(2023) COVID-19 and public transport response and challenges, for COVID-19: Implications for Policy and Planning, edited by Veronique Van Acker, Patricia L. Mokhtarian, and Sangho Choo; Elsevier book series “Advances in Transport Policy and Planning” Paper #23, (https://www.elsevier.com/books/book-series/advances-in-transport-policy-and-planning).
Balbontin, C., Hensher, D.A. and Beck, M. J. The influence of working from home on the number of commuting and non-commuting trips during 2020 and 2021 pre- and post-lockdown in Australia, paper prepared for 17th International Conference on Competition and Ownership of Land Passenger Transport (Thredbo 17), Sydney, Australia, September 2022. Paper #24. Submitted to Transportation Research Part A, 4 October 2022.
Hensher, D.A., Beck, M. J., Balbontin, C. Working from home and what it means for the future provision of transport services and infrastructure, paper prepared for 17th International Conference on Competition and Ownership of Land Passenger Transport (Thredbo 17), Sydney, Australia, September 2022 Research in Transportation Economics, online 9 March 2023, 98, 101271 .Paper #25.
Beck, M. J., Hensher, D.A. and Balbontin, C. Can (Is) work from home be sustained (sustainable) after intensive lockdowns? an examination of three disparate experiences, Paper #29. Submitted to Sustainable Cities and Society, 28 February 2023.
Hensher, D.A., Wei, E. and Beck, M.J. (2022) The Impact of COVID-19 and working from home on the main location office space retained and the future use of satellite offices Transport Policy, 130, 184-195. Paper #30 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2022.11.012
Hensher, D.A., Beck, M.J. and Nelson, J. (2023) What have we learned about long term structural change brought about by COVID-19 and working from home? Transportation Letters, online 19 July 2023. Paper #31 https://doi.org/10.1080/19427867.2023.2237269
Xi.,H., Li, Q. H., Hensher, D.A., Nelson, J. and Ho, C. Quantifying the impact of COVID-19 on travel behavior of people in different groups, submitted to Transportation Research Board Annual Conference, Washington D.C, January 2023, Paper #32; Transport Policy, accepted
Hensher, D.A., Balbontin, C., Beck, M.J., and Wei, E. (2024) Commuting mode choice and work from home in the later stages of COVID-19: Consolidating a future focussed prediction tool to inform transport and land use planning. Paper #34, Presented at ICMC Conference Chile (April1-3 2024), Transportation Research Part A, 187, 104194 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2024.104194
Hensher, D.A. Beck, M.J. and Balbontin, C. (2023) Final Report for Combined WFH projects 1-031 and 1-034, 22 December 2022. Available at https://imoveaustralia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Working-fromHome-and-implications-for-revision-of-Metropolitan-Strategic-Transport-Models.pdf
Xi, H., Nelson, J., Hensher, D.A., Hu, S., Shao,X. and Xie,C.(2024) Evaluating travel behaviour resilience during COVID[1]19 pandemic across metropolitan and rural areas: contributions of vaccination and epidemiological indicators, full draft 6 August 2023, WFH Paper #35, Transportation Research Part A, 102890
Jose Agustin Vallejo-Borda, Ricardo Giesen, Beatriz Mella Lira, Paul Basnak, José P. Reyes, Francisco Pasqual, Guillermo Petzhold, Matthew J. Beck, Juan de Dios Ortúzar, David A. Hensher. Paper #16, Characterizing public transport shifting to active and private modes in Brazil during the Covid-19 pandemic, 4 May 2021.
Balbontin, C., Hensher, D.A. and Beck, M. J., Venter, C. and PUC Comparison of Wave 4 Australia and Wave 2 Latin America and South Africa, Paper #28.
Basnak, P. Camila Balbontin; Jose Agustin Vallejo-Borda; Fernando Feres; José Reyes; Matthew J. Beck; David A. Hensher; Ricardo Giesen, Determinants of mode changes in times of COVID-19: A study of 11 main Latin American cities, Paper #36, submitted to Transportation Research Part A, 15 August 2023.
Hensher, D.A., Beck, M., Balbontin, C. and Nelson, J. Commuting mode choice and work[RC1] from home in the later stages of COVID-19: Implications for sustainability in Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Urban Transport, edited by Lucy Budd and Maria Attard, for 2025 publication. Paper #37.
Hensher, D.A., Wei, E., and Pellegrini, A. Accounting for the location and allocation of working hours throughout the working week: a discrete-continuous choice model, submitted to Transportation Research Part A, 27 May 2024
Hensher, D.A. and Beck, M. J. How worthwhile do you think the things that you do in life are during COVID-19 and working from home? Paper #21, Full draft 30 November 2021.
Beck, M.J., Hensher, D.A. and Balbontin, C. Working from home changes over 10 months during the COVID-19 Pandemic: a contrast between metropolitan and regional locations. Paper #26.
Balbontin, C., Hensher, D.A., Beck, M.J. and Venter, C. Contrasts in South Africa between 2 waves, Paper #27. This paper has been cancelled.
Balbontin, C., Hensher, D.A. and Beck, M.J. Comparative assessment of metropolitan and regional incidence of working from home, Paper #33, being prepared for ICMC, Chile, May 2024.
Wei, E. and Hensher, D.A. Workforce Productivity and the Role of Employee Motivation since the Pandemic. Paper #38.
Agustín, José, Balbontin, C., Hensher, D.A. and Beck, M. J., Understanding the influence of dominance, arousal and pleasure in the number of days people want to WFH in the future, WFH Paper #39.
Mobility as a Service (MaaS): Where to next? - ASSA: Academy of Social Sciences Australia (ASSA)
How avoiding the commute is making us happier - Seriously Social
Corona Business Insights: Urban mobility - Sydney Business Insights
Early Days of the Pandemic (April 2020) and Views on Working from Home - The Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS)
Consequences for land transport of Covid 19 and work from home (esansw.org.au)
Australian Institute of Transport Planning and Management (AITPM) Presentations:
ACSPRI 2020 Conference on Social Science Methodology: the Australian Consortium for Social and Political Research, Inc. 3 December 2020
Engineers Australia, Transport Australia Society 3 February 2021
TfNSW's TDM Session #3: iMOVE/ ITLS speakers 7 July 2021.
TDM talk for the AITPM group. This is the third talk in our four part TDM series.
Third online free Bridging Transport Researcher (BTR) conference (5th & 6th August).
Australian Institute of Traffic Planning and Management Ltd. Meeting agenda of 2021 transport modelling knowledge sharing workshop, 17 August 2021.
AITPM National Conference Plenary session (David Hensher) speakers at the AITPM National Conference 1 on “Impact of COVID on mobility, place-making, shared mobility models or other interesting and innovative solutions to the ’new normal’”.
6 September 2021.
What might the changing incidence of Working from Home (WFH) tell us about Future Transport and Land Use Agendas - Thinking Outside the Box series