Transportation
Why Telecommuting Really Matters, in 6 Charts
And what its rise means for urban transportation systems moving forward.
Over the past 30 years, at the same time the percentage of commuters driving has flatlined, the share of people working from home has exploded, almost doubling since 1980. Telecommuting is controversial — some suggest it increases productivity while others maintain the value of offices — but it is gaining popularity no matter its merits.
More than just affecting the way people work, the increasing ease of telecommuting will dramatically affect the way we adapt our urban transportation systems. Indeed, an increase in working from home might suggest that we have less to fear about the future of traffic congestion than we might have believed.