Traffic data shows impact of remote working

Peter du ToitI'm the founder of FutureWork IQ where I spend my time assisting businesses to design digital workplaces or “offices in the cloud.” These environments enable companies to allow flexible and remote working for their teams. I also teach the digital literacy, fluency, communication and collaboration skills needed to work in these modern technology-rich workplaces.

This data from INRIX shows the impact enforced work from home policies are having on traffic in Seattle. Obviously there has been a major decrease in traffic.

“Overall, the shift to telecommuting by the Seattle area’s largest employers [Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Google] has had a major impact in average travel speeds with drivers experiencing speeds greater than 10 MPH faster than normal. As precautionary measures continue to be taken, and likely more widely implemented throughout the region, it is likely major time savings for drivers will persist. Long-run, the question will be whether these dramatic shifts will have any residual impact on commuter and business behavior.”

There is another, way more serious and devastating scenario hurtling our way that will make the Coronavirus seem like child’s play – the unfolding climate crisis resulting from unabated fossil fuel emissions. We now know that taking cars off the roads by allowing knowledge-worker remote work DOES make an impact. Knowledge-worker remote work should become a permanent requirement until EV’s are more readily available.