Investigating the changes in residential location and commute patterns during the pandemic using smart card data

Commute trips typically constitute a major share of weekday trips made in urban areas. Hence, commute distances and modes of travel usage are closely linked with the level of transport sustainability of a city. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant change in commute patterns – the length and frequency of commute trips and the usage rate of public transport in particular. To ensure the long-term sustainability of transport in a world faced with the persistent threat of potential pandemics, it is crucial to understand these changes. This paper empirically examines how the residential locations and commute patterns of a segment of subway commuters in Beijing changed during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Passively generated smart card data from 8,792,539 subway users were used to quantify the relative impact of different factors contributing to these changes. The results indicate a notable trend of residential relocation towards the city centre that is opposite to the trend of moving away from city centres observed in some other countries. Further, it is observed that the pandemic has acted as a catalyst for individuals with long commute times (over 45 min) to reconsider their locations, aiming to reduce commuting time. Consequently, such relocations lead to an average commute time reduction. The findings contribute to advancing existing knowledge related to the long-term mobility and sustainability implications of the pandemic, some of which are expected to be transferable to future pandemic contexts.