Abstract Manager

Tele activities such as telecommuting and teleshopping opportunities have been widely adopted during the COVID-19 travel restrictions, which was largely possible due to the advancement in information and communication technologies such as smartphone and high-speed internet services.  Government agencies are also interested to explore this option to tackle congestion and climate change. All these have facilitated more opportunities to continue tele activities. However, as we come out of the COVID-19, the longer-term implication of the exposure to tele activities after the pandemic is unknown. For example, will individuals continue replacing their travel with online activities? Or will they fully return to in-person activities? Or will they do both? This preference for online activities has a direct impact on travel demand, congestion, emissions and transit scheduling, among others. To better prepare for the future, cities and transit agencies need to understand how tele activities and in-person activities have evolved and how this choice/preference differs by different population groups and their location. In this line of investigation, this study analyzes the choice of tele activities and in-person activities after-the-pandemic, and the future preferences for the same. Specifically, the scope of this study includes a wide ranging non-mandatory activity such as online shopping for groceries, travel to grocery stores, virtual care, travel to a health care facility, online food ordering, and dine in at a restaurant. Data for this analysis comes from a travel survey conducted from October – December of 2022, for the Central Okanagan region of British Columbia, Canada. The survey collected information regarding tele activities and in-person activities for mandatory activities (e.g., work) and non-mandatory activities (e.g., grocery, retail shopping, recreational activities, health care service, personal business activities, civil/religious activities and food) for two time periods: current (i.e., during the survey) and future. The survey also includes data related to home and work location, socio-demographics, vehicle and technology ownership, travel pattern and attitudes. This study will shed insights on how online and in-person engagement in different non-mandatory activities are related to individuals’ location, vehicle ownership, and attitude. The findings will help transportation planners and engineers in understanding the existing and potential demand for travel and online activities, and the target population groups.