2021 STAR Impact Report
As San Mateo County begins to live and work in a post-pandemic environment, the data gleaned from this 2021 impact report gives a special insight to how San Mateo County commuters went to work during the second year of the pandemic. Most of the data above is cumulative since Commute.org started tracking this data in 2016, but the results from this year are still incredible despite the circumstances. By 2020, 1.1 million trips had been logged, which means that 2021 commuters added an additional 100,000 alternative trips being taken to or from San Mateo County. Despite the confusion of coming back to work, people are still striving for a sustainable commute.
Carpool, Bike, Transit, and Telework have remained the top modes for the past two years, and they have accounted for 84% of all alternative trips logged in STAR, an increase of 6% from the 2020 report. The biggest increase in alternative modes being logged came from Telework and Bike trips which saw a 68% and 12% increase, respectively.
Another exciting result is that users saved an additional $1 million by using an alternative mode. In the process of saving money on their commutes, San Mateo County commuters have also saved almost 1000 more tons of CO2 since 2020. That’s the equivalent to the CO2 emissions from 102,080 gallons of gasoline! Lastly, an additional 2.17 million miles were traveled via a sustainable commute, which is almost a 10% increase from last year’s data.
This data is very exciting, and it is important for Commute.org (and other transportation/city planning groups) to use this information for future commuter projects and resources. The increase in alternative trips and tons of CO2 saved from last year is promising even as more people return to work, and these positive trends will be helpful in securing funding for more sustainable transportation support.
Over 10,000 users reported their trips, and the data only becomes more valuable as more people log their sustainable trips. If you do not have an account yet, consider using the STAR platform to log your daily alternative commute. There are cash prizes for individual transportation modes as well as seasonal promotions for commuters coming to or from San Mateo County. There are also several different resources and programs that are designed to help you find an efficient, sustainable commute.
