What’s it like to navigate work, home, and a pandemic in Tysons? A survey sheds some light.

What is it like to live or work in Tysons during a pandemic? A recent survey released this week offers a snapshot into the many concerns people have from transit and childcare to what may be stopping people from returning to the office for work.

The Tysons Partnership, a member-based forum tasked with setting stragetic goals for the future of Tysons, surveyed about 700 people in July. Respondents, who answered the survey questions anonymously, were sourced from social media, local listservs, and the Partnership’s database.

Of the people who responded to the survey, about 71% were working full time, and about 470 of the respondents were working from home. About 32 businesses were represented, 18 of which were within Tysons and the surrounding area. Twenty three percent of survey takers considered themselves essential workers.

The results of the survey will allow public and private entities “to think innovatively, collaborate, and consider a wide range of human emotions as they continue evolving their responses to a stubborn public health crisis,” Sol Glasner, President and CEO of the Tysons Partnership, said in the report.

Below are a few things that stood out to us.

How did people feel about transit?

According to the survey, less than 10% of respondents are comfortable with riding transit now. And 50% of people questioned stated they will not ride transit until there’s a vaccine. But for about 23% of respondents, transit is crucial to them returning to the office for work.

How did respondents feel about returning to offices?

While 70% of respondents trust that their company will provide a safe work environment, many employers, however, worried about having the resources to ensure those spaces are safe. Concerns for employers that bubbled to the surface were: guidance on what is safe and creating a safety plan, sourcing enough PPE, or sourcing cleaning supplies.

Meanwhile many people who have had the option of working from home may not want to return to an office setting anyway. According to the survey, nearly half of the respondents didn’t feel the need to return to an office. Another 35% said either they or someone in their household faces a higher risk of becoming chronically ill from the coronavirus.

More surveys to come

While this is only one survey, it does shed some light on the thoughts, fears and considerations people in Tysons think about when neogitating work, life and a pandemic. Glasner said he hopes that the survey will be a starting point of converstion and expects the partnership to conduct more surveys in the near future. You can see the full report here.