Shifts in remote work and e-commerce, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, have created considerable uncertainty about their ongoing impact on transportation demand and system efficiency in the future. TRB hosted a webinar on Monday, February 10, 2025 from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM Eastern that presented results from the past four years of U.S. Department of Energy-funded research on transportation system simulation and system-of-systems studies. Presenters highlighted two large-scale integrated agent-based transportation system simulation tools used in multiple studies across the U.S., exploring the impact of telecommuting on travel patterns and transportation system energy, as well as the effects of e-commerce on shopping demand, goods movement, and system energy consumption and efficiency.
This webinar was sponsored by TRB’s Standing Technical Committee on Effects of Information and Communication Technologies on Travel Choices.
The slides are available. Please contact trbwebinar@nas.edu for a link to the recording. There may be a $90 fee.
 
Webinar agenda and presenters

• Simulation studies on telework and e-commerce impacts on travel and energy using Beam-Core – C. Anna Spurlock, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• Large-scale analysis of mobility and energy impacts of travel demand trends using POLARIS – Joshua Auld, Argonne National Laboratory
• Question and answer session moderated by Venu Garikapati, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

The first 60 minutes of the webinar were for presentations and the final 30 minutes were reserved for audience questions.
 
Learning Objectives
At the end of this webinar, participants can:

• Evaluate the impact of telecommuting and e-commerce on travel demand and transportation system energy
• Explore potential future impacts as growth in these trends continue and interact with other future mobility phenomena
• Assess the value of integrated agent-based system-of-systems modeling tools to explore these multi-dimensional disruptive transportation trends

 
Professional Development Hours
This webinar was delivered as a scheduled – e-learning live event and is categorized within RCEP as Technical, Health and Safety.
Professional Development Hours (PDHs) earned on completion of this program were reported to the Registered Continuing Education Program (RCEP). Certificates of Completion are issued to all participants via the RCEP.net online system. Complaints about registered providers may be addressed to RCEP, 1015 15th Street, NW, 8th Fl., Washington, DC, 20005.
American Institute of Certified Planners Certification Maintenance Credits
This webinar was approved by the American Planning Association (APA) for 1.5 Certification Maintenance (CM) Credits. CM credits provide continuing education opportunities for AICP Certified Planners to continue their professional skills and knowledge. To receive CM credits, Certified Planners should visit the TRB event webpage on American Planning Association and register their participation. If you have problems reporting your CM credits or have general questions about the CM program, please contact the APA.