In Ile-de-France transport, teleworking has not eliminated peak hours

If teleworking contributes to emptying public transport in the Ile-de-France region of its users on Fridays, it does not prevent employees from finding crowded metros and RERs at rush hour on other working days. It is the half-hearted conclusion of a study on the frequentation of transport in the Ile-de-France regionconducted for the third year in a row by the Institut Paris Région, in partnership with Transilien SNCF, the Mass Transit Academy and the design offices Hove and Sustainable Mobilities.

Made public Thursday, October 20, this extensive survey compiles different sources to provide an overview of the travel habits of Ile-de-France residents: traffic data in Ile-de-France, analysis of GPS traces of inhabitants of the region as well as as two surveys conducted by BVA with customers of transport lines and teleworkers.

According to these data, Ile-de-France residents travel less by public transport than before the crisis: since the spring of 2022, attendance at the mass transit (rail network, excluding bus) has only recovered between 80% and 85% of its pre-Covid-19 level. A phenomenon fueled by telework, “became a structural given”argues the director Transilien SNCF, Sylvie Charles.

This average hides a very variable attendance: according to the conclusions of the analysis note published by Paris Region, “Fridays now have an 18% difference in attendance compared to Tuesdays”, at the morning rush hour. The same difference is found at the level of the road networks (16%) and reaches a peak on the Parisian cycle paths (30%).

RER A remains less busy than before the crisis

The differences in attendance between the lines are also notable. On the RER B, used mainly by “front line” workers, “We fairly quickly returned to 2019 levels”, notes Sylvie Charles. But, on the RER A line towards La Défense, a business district mainly frequented by executives likely to benefit from teleworking, “we still haven’t found these levels, including at peak times”.

Admittedly, before the pandemic, transport in the Ile-de-France region was already less crowded on Fridays; but the maximum difference was 7% with the days of the week. “At the same times, we see today frequentation of the mass transit strong on Tuesday and Thursday, weaker on Monday and Wednesday, very low on Friday »reports Paris Region.

A phenomenon that can be explained by the plebiscite of Friday as a telework day: according to one of the surveys carried out by BVA for the SNCF, Friday is a teleworked day by 49% of those who use the rail transport network in common Ile-de-France, against 31% for Tuesday.

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