This paper investigates the resilience and recovery of public transport use in Kunming, China during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using trip records from November 2019 to September 2020, the study defines and measures travel behavior resilience, focusing on individuals who consistently used the subway before and after the initial pandemic wave. The findings reveal a slow recovery of public transport use, influenced by urban functionality, transport supply, social context, and individual differences. The study highlights variations in travel behavior resilience across groups, with commuters exhibiting faster recovery in frequency and trip length compared to older adults, who reduced frequency but maintained activity space. The research underscores the importance of considering group heterogeneity and travel behavior resilience in transport management and city restoration.

Jiaoe Wang, Jie Huang, Haoran Yang, David Levinson