How post-pandemic public transit journeys can inform employers’ return to office strategies in Boston, MA and Washington, DC

Abstract

This research focuses on the changes in public transit in Boston, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C., against the backdrop of companies facing challenges in bringing employees back to the office. These challenges include rolling back official in-office dates due to resistance from remote-capable employees experiencing significant shifts catalyzed by the pandemic and layered upon decades of transit disinvestment in the United States. The study builds on previous research on work-from-home trends among white-collar workers, leading to the central question of how employers in dense urban areas can manage a return to the office amidst fluctuating public transit service levels and changes in job accessibility.

To address this question, the research analyzes housing affordability and public transit service levels in Boston and D.C. for three design and development companies. It aims to determine the potential success rates for returning to the office for two specific job roles. The findings suggest that an income-informed approach to returning to the office, coupled with strategies to align employee preferences with best practices, can be beneficial.