Commuters Say ‘No’ to Monday Morning Travel
Beating the Monday blues is set to get easier in the post-pandemic world, as Huq’s latest insight into commuter patterns reveals a significant shift away from travel at the start of the week.
Last week we looked at peak travel times on TFL’s Greater London network and how tends towards the evenings – with little apparent morning rush hour. Today Huq’s high-frequency mobility data shows how ‘hybrid’ working could impact businesses trading off the commute economy throughout the week.
Historic data shows that Friday has always been one of the busiest days for travel. Pre-pandemic, the number of trips made on Fridays was 13pts higher than Mondays. However, data from recent months shows how the difference between Mondays and Fridays has become far greater. The end of the week is 42pts (almost 50%) busier than the start. That’s an overall change in profile of 223%.
Bulletin Signup
Get regular, data-driven news on how our world is changing - free!
Despite Fridays now showing proportionately more traffic than prior, it’s important to note that overall journeys are still well below 2019 levels. Rail usage remains around 45% of pre-pandemic levels according to the ORR.
The overall drop in passenger numbers – attributed to working from home – means that leisure trips now make Saturday’s numbers level with Tuesday and almost 20pts higher than Monday. That’s a marked contrast to pre-pandemic patterns. Sunday remains the day of the week with the least amount of trips.
While numbers remain low and the future shape of commuting will take time to emerge, this data offers early clues as to what the new working world looks like. The queue for your Monday morning coffee may remain a little shorter.
Sign up now for more regular data-driven news and speak to our expert team to discuss your specific measurement requirements.
Discover realtime, global mobility data
Huq Industries publishes data across themes derived from its first-party mobility data. Our verified and compliant data helps professionals in financial services, real-estate, and public sector and CPG make more effective choices.
Related Stories
The Ultimate Guide To Mobility Data – 2022
This guide contains all you need to know to reap the benefits of mobility data, whether you’re from a local government, building contractor or even in finance. Mobility data can really improve your…
Open Data: Using Footfall to Measure Parks & Open Spaces Usage In the Pandemic
Discover how parks and green spaces played an important role for residents during the pandemic. Huq used mobility data with 149.2K parks and open space locations to conduct the first UK ‘big data'…
Using ‘Time of Day’ Mobility to Analyse Local High Street Performance | Part 4
Using ‘time of day’ mobility data to analyse local high street performance and find the impact of pandemic trends on rural and urban high streets.
Google Startup Stories: Huq CTO Talks About The Startup Journey
Huq Industries was recently featured in Google Cloud Startup Stories. Watch the video to hear Huq CTO Isambard Poulson talk about our exciting journey as a startup and Google Cloud Native Partner.
Exploring Local High Street Usage Through Mobility Data | Part 3
Exploring local high street usage through mobility data: In Part 3 of our blog series on Huq’s Local High Streets Report we look at the use of rural and urban high streets on different days of the…
Mobility Data Insights for Local High Streets | Part 2
Huq’s latest report on local high streets looks at how people in these places reacted to the restrictions introduced due to Covid-19, and how this can help councils plan for the future.
Evidencing the Impact of Covid-19 on Local High-Streets using Mobility Data | Part 1
We know through personal experience that people used their local high streets differently during the two years of the pandemic. But how can councils quantify those changes, and use that information…
New eBook! Pandemic Trends and The Future of Local High Streets
Download the ebook Pandemic Trends and The Future of Local High Streets for a detailed and informative look at how the UK’s local high streets have performed through the pandemic and until today.
Recognising Regional Variations in Parks Usage with Mobility Data | Part 4
In this final article we map parks and open space usage across all England regions to show clear distinctions between the impact on and rates of recovery in specific areas.