A more sedentary approach to commuting is now more common than taking the bus or train to work, trailing only driving to work as the most common commute mode.
"The latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau published last week show that approximately 8 million workers primarily work from home," reports Mike Maciag. "That makes telework now second behind only driving as the most common means of getting to work, exceeding public transportation for the first time."
The share of commuters choosing telecommuting in the most recent American Community Survey has grown steadily, reaching 5.2 percent. Transit commuters remains flat at 5 percent.
According to Maciag, several factors are contributing to the growth of telecommuting, including employers programs and improvements in technology.
One key demographic distinction is worth mentioning to complicate the picture: "older workers are significantly more likely to telework than younger age groups."
Maciag lists more details about the data and also a few reasons why public transit's commute share has been suppressed in recent years.
FULL STORY: More Americans Now Telecommute Than Take Public Transportation to Work
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research