Mikayla Elder at the Institute of Transportation Studies and Southern CA Association of Governments

I am working with the Institute of Transportation Studies who has partnered with the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) to investigate the temporary and longer-lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on individual mobility and to understand how various policies may affect this new “normal” in terms of modified travel behavior and resulting impacts on equity and the environment. Our study will try to answer the question of whether these behavioral changes from the pandemic will consist over time. I have conducted exploratory analysis using quantitative (behavioral and attitudinal surveys) and qualitative (phone interviews) transportation and behavioral data from 2018 to Fall 2020 from respondents in different regions in California. From this data I will try to understand people’s behavior and attitudes towards public transportation and new mobility trends, but more specifically, what makes a car driver shirt for a more efficient mode of transportation. I will then develop a research paper to communicate my results and extrapolate my findings to identify the implications on future policy decisions.