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The Environmental Impact and Policy Implications of Supercommuting in the Northern California Megaregion
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2024-12-31
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[PDF-3.84 MB]
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Edition:Final report (May 1, 2024 - December 31,2024)
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Abstract:The long distances some commuters travel to work, 50 miles or more for each trip, means that despite the small share of so-called supercommuters, their contribution to total vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gas emissions is significant. This study provides a detailed overview of supercommuting in the Northern California Megaregion, home to some of the counties with the highest numbers and rates of long-distance commuting. The empirical focus of the research is to estimate the incidence of supercommuting to better understand what factors may contribute to people commuting long distances and to assess the environmental impact of supercommuting. We use data from several public and proprietary data sources to develop a picture of supercommuting that includes geographic patterns, trends over time, demographics, and insights into why people supercommute. We estimate that supercommuting accounts for as much as 4-5% of total VMT and that while some supercommuting is more common in the exurban edge of the San Francisco Bay Area, many supercommuters live close to the major regional employment centers, emphasizing the heterogeneity of causes for long-distance commutes. We use worker miles traveled estimates to assess three emissions reduction strategies: clean vehicle adoption, remote work, and residential relocation, and find that while clean vehicles have the smallest initial impact, they have the greatest long-term potential to reduce emissions.
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