Influences of COVID-19 pandemic on travel patterns across past, present, and future

As societies strive to return to pre-COVID-19 norms, there's growing recognition of the profound changes people have experienced over the past two and a half years. This has prompted discussions on how to shape future transportation strategies to align with evolving lifestyles. Understanding people's travel patterns before, during, and after the pandemic is crucial for shaping post-pandemic actions. This study investigates the relationship between travel patterns across these phases, with a focus on the pandemic's mediating effects. Using structural equation modelling and data from 7,613 U.S. survey responses, we uncover noteworthy shifts in travel behaviour dynamics. During the pandemic, policy measures and sociodemographic factors significantly influenced travel. However, these effects may diminish as measures are lifted and vulnerabilities no longer correlate with sociodemographics. I…