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on Transport Economics |
| By: | Kenneth Gillingham; Sébastien Houde; Arthur A. van Benthem |
| Abstract: | A central question in the analysis of fuel-economy policy is whether consumers are myopic with regards to future fuel costs. We provide the first evidence on consumer valuation of fuel economy from a natural experiment. We examine the short-run equilibrium effects of an exogenous restatement of fuel-economy ratings that affected 1.6 million vehicles. Using the implied changes in willingness-to-pay, we find that consumers act myopically: consumers are indifferent between $1 in discounted fuel costs and 15-38 cents in the vehicle purchase price when discounting at 4%. This myopia persists under a wide range of assumptions. |
| Keywords: | fuel economy, vehicles, myopia, undervaluation, regulation |
| JEL: | D12 H25 L11 L62 L71 Q40 |
| Date: | 2019 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_7656&r=all |
| By: | Tilman Graff |
| Abstract: | I assess the efficiency of transport networks for every country in Africa. Using rich spatial data, I simulate trade flows over more than 70,000 links covering the entire continent. I maximise over the space of networks and find the optimal road system for every African state. My simulations predict that Africa would gain 1.1% of total welfare from better organising its national road systems. I then construct a novel dataset of local network inefficiency and I find that colonial infrastructure projects significantly skew trade networks towards a sub-optimal equilibrium. I also find evidence for regional favouritism and inefficient aid provision. |
| JEL: | F1 O18 R4 |
| Date: | 2019–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:25951&r=all |
| By: | Daniel Albalate (Dept. of Econometrics, Statistics and Applied Economics, University of Barcelona, Spain.); Mattia Borsati (Dept. of Economics and Management, University of Trento, Italy.) |
| Abstract: | The development of high-speed rail (HSR) has had a notable impact on modal market shares on the routes on which its services have been implemented. The aim of this study is to analyse whether the HSR expansion in Italy has led to a modal shift from motorway to HSR. We empirically test i) whether HSR openings adjacent to motorway sectors have reduced the total km travelled by light vehicles on these sectors during the period 2001-2017; and ii) whether this reduction has been persistent or even more evident after the opening of on-track competition between two HSR operators. To do so, we carried out a generalized difference-in-differences estimation, using a unique panel dataset that exploits the heterogeneous traffic data within all tolled motorway sectors in a quasi-experimental setting. Our findings reveal that neither HSR openings nor the opening of on-track competition led to a modal shift from motorway to HSR services, as the two transport modes are non-competing. Conversely, both phenomena had a slightly positive impact on motorway traffic. The extent to which HSR demand could be the result of a modal shift from motorways is a relevant issue in any cost-benefit analysis of HSR investments. |
| Keywords: | High-speed rail, Motorways, Inter-modal competition. JEL classification:D78, L92, R41, R58. |
| Date: | 2019–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ira:wpaper:201910&r=all |
| By: | Daniel Albalate (Universitat de Barcelona, Departament d’Estadística, Econometria i Economia Aplicada, Avda. Diagonal 690, 08034 (Barcelona) Grup de Recerca en Governs i Mercats (GiM), Institut de Recerca en Economia Aplicada (IREA). Observatory of Analysis and Evaluation of Public Policies.); Albert Gragera (Technical University of Denmark, Department of Management Engineering, Produktionstorvet Building 426, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark. Observatory of Analysis and Evaluation of Public Policies, Universitat de Barcelona.) |
| Abstract: | Car ownership is a major driver of household travel behavior and has a marked impact on transport demand, energy consumption, emission levels and land use. However, just how curbside parking regulations (i.e. paid parking) affects car ownership remains unclear. Here, we employ a two-way fixed effect model using panel data and difference-in-differences estimations to determine the causal impact of changes in parking regulations and the specific impact of the extension of a city-wide parking policy in Barcelona. Our results suggest that the introduction of paid parking to reduce non-resident/visitor demand has a positive impact on resident car ownership levels. Our welfare analysis suggests that the welfare loss derived from the residents’ parking subsidy and their likely increase in car usage can easily offset the benefits derived from visitor-trip deterrence. This being the case, the tradeoff between efficiency and acceptability requires careful consideration. |
| Keywords: | parking regulations, car ownership, policy evaluation, difference-in-differences. JEL classification:H42, L91, L98, R41, R42, R48. |
| Date: | 2019–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ira:wpaper:201909&r=all |
| By: | Alexander, Diane (Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago); Schwandt, Hannes (Northwestern University) |
| Abstract: | Car exhaust is a major source of air pollution, but little is known about its impacts on population health. We exploit the dispersion of emissions-cheating diesel cars—which secretly polluted up to 150 times as much as gasoline cars—across the United States from 2008-2015 as a natural experiment to measure the health impact of car pollution. Using the universe of vehicle registrations, we demonstrate that a 10 percent cheating-induced increase in car exhaust increases rates of low birth weight and acute asthma attacks among children by 1.9 and 8.0 percent, respectively. These health impacts occur at all pollution levels and across the entire socioeconomic spectrum. |
| Keywords: | Car pollution; health emissions-cheating; health; pollution |
| JEL: | I10 I14 J13 K32 |
| Date: | 2019–06–13 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fedhwp:wp-2019-04&r=all |
| By: | Roshanak Azarafshar (Department of Economics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON) |
| Abstract: | This study aims to find the effects of financial point of sales incentives on the sales of electric vehicles across the Canadian provinces from September 2012 to December 2016. My findings indicate that purchase incentives cause the sales of new electric vehicles to increase by 8 percent on average due to a $1000 increase in incentives. I find that 47% of electric vehicle sales across the rebating provinces (Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia) are attributed to the purchase incentives. Results of the counter-factual simulations imply that the cost of eliminating one tonne of carbon emissions across the provinces that offer incentives over the years of my study is, on average, $216/tonne CO2. |
| Date: | 2019 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ott:wpaper:1901e&r=all |
| By: | Takeru Sugasawa |
| Abstract: | The study examines the effects of accessibility to the nearest urban metropolitan area on rural poverty by using Japanese municipality-level data. We conduct nationwide cross-sectional analyses, and find that a larger time distance to the nearest urban metropolitan area significantly increases regional poverty rates. In addition, the study focuses on opening of new commuting train, Tsukuba Express (TX), connecting Tokyo and Ibaraki prefecture, a suburban area of Tokyo. We conduct municipality-level panel analyses, and the results suggest that opening TX reduced rural poverty rates of the surrounding areas, but the effects required 6-10 years to be observed. Therefore, regional policy makers might need to consider that transportation investments that improve inter-regional accessibility do not affect regional economic performance for several years. |
| Date: | 2019–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:toh:dssraa:94&r=all |
| By: | Jan K. Brueckner; Ethan Singer |
| Abstract: | This study provides further empirical evidence on pricing by international airline alliances. The paper covers a long sample period, which runs from 1997 to 2016, and it supplements the usual USDOT fare data with confidential fare data reported by the foreign alliance partners of US carriers. The empirical results for connecting service match earlier findings, with alliances charging lower fares than nonaligned carriers. The GTG results imply that, in the latter part of the sample period, granting antitrust immunity to two previously nonaligned carriers is equivalent to removing a competitor, with a consequent increase in fares (an effect seldom seen in previous work). |
| Date: | 2019 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_7649&r=all |
| By: | Knut Einar Rosendahl; Ingvild Vestre Sem; Henrik Lindhjem; Kristine Grimsrud (Statistics Norway) |
| Abstract: | The Norwegian high-level Green Tax Commission proposes inter alia cost-effective taxes on red meat and increased toll charges on road traffic to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution, respectively. Implementation requires support by the public, but the acceptance of such taxes is not known. We have conducted a national survey of the public's acceptance of the two taxes. The survey instrument showed dynamically the reduction in emissions/pollution for each tax level. Despite survey information about the purpose of the taxes, only 25 percent, on average, were in favour of their introduction, the rest did not know, had zero willingness to pay, or opposed the tax. In this respect, preferences for the two taxes are similar. However, on average people are willing to pay approximately 90 percent of the optimal tax for red meat, but only about 25-35 percent of toll charges on road traffic depending on fuel type. Earmarking the tax revenue for environmentally friendly technology increased acceptable tax level, but only for red meat. Earmarking tax revenues for reduced income tax did not increase the acceptable tax level. |
| Keywords: | Environmental taxes; red meat; road traffic; acceptance; willingness to pay |
| JEL: | H23 H31 Q51 Q53 Q54 |
| Date: | 2019–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ssb:dispap:909&r=all |
| By: | Christian Bontemps (ENAC - Ecole Nationale de l'Aviation Civile); Bezerra Sampaio |
| Abstract: | In this paper we review the literature on static entry games and show how they can be used to estimate the market structure of the airline industry. The econometrics challenges are presented, in particular the problem of multiple equilibria and some solutions used in the literature are exposed. We also show how these models, either in the complete information setting or in the incomplete information one, can be estimated from i.i.d. data on market presence and market characteristics. We illustrate it by estimating a static entry game with heterogeneous firms by Simulated Maximum Likelihood on European data for the year 2015. |
| Keywords: | multiple equilibria,airlines,estimation,industrial organization,entry |
| Date: | 2019–05–22 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-02137358&r=all |
| By: | Odolinski, Kristofer (CTS - Centre for Transport Studies Stockholm (KTH and VTI)); Pyddoke, Roger (CTS - Centre for Transport Studies Stockholm (KTH and VTI)) |
| Abstract: | There is scope for generating welfare effects by changing parking fees, where knowledge on price elasticities are central elements in the implementation of an efficient parking policy. In this paper, we estimate price elasticities of demand for five parking garages in the central business district of Stockholm, using transaction data and a price increase implemented in January 2017. The econometric results for the purchased parking hours show an average elasticity estimate at -0.60, while the effect on the decision to park is -0.45. These elasticities vary for the different parking garages, showing that there is a considerable heterogeneity between garages, even within the central business district, which needs to be considered for an efficient parking policy. Based on our estimated elasticity for garage parking (-0.60) and a willingness to pay a premium for curbside parking in previous research, we calculate a proxy for the elasticity of curbside parking in Stockholm, which is found to be -0.39. |
| Keywords: | Parking; Price elasticity; Garage; Parking policy |
| JEL: | R41 R42 R48 |
| Date: | 2019–06–19 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:ctswps:2019_002&r=all |
| By: | Reiche, Colleen PhD; Brody, Frank; McGillen, Christian; Siegel, Joel; Cohen, Adam |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2018–11–21 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt2pc8b4wt&r=all |