Four-Day Work Week and Transportation

The concept of the 4-day work week is reviewed. Potential impacts identified are total travel, peak period travel and safety. Impact on total travel does not appear to be great, although there will likely be a shifting in time, place and purpose of travel with 4-day. Peak period travel is subject to the greatest impact from 4-day. A freeway bottleneck and a major activity center were examined as case studies. Application of 4-day reduced both the duration of the time when demand exceeds capacity of a freeway bottleneck and the number of vehicles excess demand over capacity. In the major activity center examined, 4-day also redistributed travel demand to permit substantial additional persons to enter the cordon area during a day and peak period demand was also substantially affected. Safety could be affected as present patterns indicate a potential for increasing accidents.