Pandemic shaves more than a minute off Tampa Bay commutes

What can an extra minute and a half get you in the morning before work? More time to perfect your hair? A slice of toast for the road?

Driving the news: The average one-way commute in Tampa Bay was 1.6 minutes shorter in 2021 compared with 2019, per the latest U.S. Census data.

The big picture: More people working from home and fewer commuting by car have reshaped the traditional back-and-forth.

• 21.2% of workers age 16 and older in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area worked from home in 2021, compared with 8.6% in 2019.
• More than 16% of Floridians primarily worked remotely in 2021, up from 7% in 2019.

Between the lines: 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, per the Census data.

What we're watching: For those who do go back in, flexible work arrangements make it easier to avoid rush hour and cut back on some of the stress around commuting, Adam Kamins, a senior director at research firm Moody's Analytics, told Axios.

Go deeper: The number of people working remotely tripled during COVID