As people reassess ground transportation options in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, many are choosing isolated modes such as driving or biking over public transportation or ride-sharing.
According to a new report from Foursquare and Apptopia, which analyzed transportation trends in the United States using location and mobile data from apps including Uber, Lyft, MTA, Bird and Citi Bike, public transportation usage has continued to decline even as destinations have opened up.
Visits to metro stations are down 68% since mid-February, while visits train stations are down 60%, the study finds. Additionally, public transit app installs have halved year-over-year.
Meanwhile, although ride-sharing bottomed out in April amid the crisis, demand is on the rise, albeit at pre-pandemic levels: According to the report, combined downloads for Uber and Lyft are down 21% year-over-year.
As the weather warms, consumers are also turning to bikes and scooters, however scooter usage is actually down compared to 2019.
Bike-share demand, on the other hand, is increasing, with mobile app installs in May and June of bike-share apps up 15.6% and 23.3% year-over-year, respectively.
The Mobility Reimagined report also finds that for all modes of transportation, usage is up midday compared to earlier and later commuter hours.