Pandemic travel patterns by neighborhood: the mobilities of stability versus gentrification using location-based services data

Keywords: travel demand, regional planning, big data, gentrification
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

This paper uses location-based services (LBS) from Streetlight to analyze changes in origin-and-destination patterns and trip frequency in Transportation Analysis Groups (TAZs) in Southern California. It has been suggested that lower-resourced neighborhoods may be less able to take advantage of the benefits of remote work, thus commutes for residents in these places may remain higher than in wealthier neighborhoods. In addition to varying by income, they vary by income trajectory--with an increase in neighborhood median incomes seen an indicator of gentrification, but may also reflect a mix of occupation types and travel preferences. This study characterizes neighborhoods as stable high income, stable low income, relative increase, and relative decrease to assess the extent of travel pattern and distances experienced in a dynamically changing set of neighborhoods.