The pandemic shaved a few minutes off your drive to work, our colleague Sami Sparber writes.
What's happening: The average one-way commute in Chicago was 3.4 minutes shorter in 2021 than in 2019, per the latest U.S. Census data.
Why it matters: The COVID work-from-home revolution has reshaped the traditional back-and-forth.
- More than 19% of Illinoisans worked remotely in 2021, up from 5.4% in 2019, according to the data.
The big picture: Traffic congestion is down about 27% across major U.S. cities' downtowns compared with pre-pandemic levels, reports Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick.
- Nationwide, the average one-way trip to work was two minutes shorter than in 2019.
What we're watching: For those who do return to the workplace, flexible work arrangements make it easier to avoid rush hour and ease the stress of commuting, Adam Kamins of research firm Moody’s Analytics tells Axios. .
Go deeper: The number of people working remotely tripled during COVID
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