|
on Transport Economics |
| By: | Pouya Rezaeinia; André de Palma; Robin Lindsey (Université de Cergy-Pontoise, THEMA) |
| Abstract: | Tradable permits (TP) have been proposed as a tool for controlling road traffic congestion. Unlike with tolls, travelers in aggregate do not incur net out-of-pocket costs if permits are distributed free. Moreover, if travel conditions do not change, a TP scheme can be designed to support the same traffic flows as tolls. However, the two instruments are no longer equivalent if conditions fluctuate, and neither permit quantities nor toll levels can be adjusted accordingly. In this paper, we compare the economic efficiency of TP and tolls during a morning peak travel period on a stylized urban road network. Road link capacities are susceptible to temporary reductions due to incidents, bad weather, road repairs or other shocks. We apply the dynamic traffic network simulator METROPOLIS in which travelers make mode, departure time and route choice decisions. Permit quantities and tolls are chosen to control the number of vehicle trips into the city centre with the goal of maximizing welfare defined by expected social surplus. We find that tolls outperform TP if road capacities are perfectly correlated (e.g., due to bad weather), whereas TP outperform tolls if capacity fluctuations are independent (e.g., due to crashes). |
| Keywords: | Congestion tolls; permits, departure time, uncertainly, network, second-best |
| JEL: | D62 R41 R48 |
| Date: | 2021 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ema:worpap:2021-09&r=all |
| By: | Miquel-Àngel Garcia-López (Autonomous University of Barcelona & Institut d’Economia de Barcelona (IEB)); Alfonso Herranz-Loncán (University of Barcelona and 'Antoni de Capmany' Research Centre); Filippo Tassinari (University of Barcelona & Institut d’Economia de Barcelona (IEB)); Elisabet Viladecans-Marsal (University of Barcelona & Institut d’Economia de Barcelona (IEB)) |
| Abstract: | This paper analyses the impact that Spanish road construction had on local population growth between 1787 and 1857. We find that the increase in market access associated to road accessibility had a substantial effect on local population growth. The impact was substantially higher on the municipalities that were connected earlier and that had a more diversified occupational structure. By contrast, the effect of the new network on population growth was negative in municipalities close but without direct access to the roads. We interpret these findings as evidence of a process of rural-to-rural migration due to the new roads. |
| Keywords: | roads, accessibility, market access, population growth, pre-railway transport, Spain |
| JEL: | H54 N73 N93 |
| Date: | 2021–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hes:wpaper:0209&r=all |
| By: | ITF |
| Abstract: | Blockchain and other distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) could help create trust and consensus in areas of the transport sector where they are needed for efficient solutions but currently often lacking. Such challenges concern for instance clearing transactions amongst multiple parties with divergent interests, authenticating provenance, managing assets, and auditability. This report explores how DLTs can address these issues by providing an alternative to centralised record-keeping and third-party audit-based approaches. It offers recommendations for maximising the benefits of DLTs in transport based on several use cases in freight and logistics as well as passenger transport. |
| Date: | 2021–02–26 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:itfaac:90-en&r=all |
| By: | Fiona Burlig; James B. Bushnell; David S. Rapson; Catherine Wolfram |
| Abstract: | We provide the first at-scale estimate of electric vehicle (EV) home charging. Previous estimates are either based on surveys that reach conflicting conclusions, or are extrapolated from a small, unrepresentative sample of households with dedicated EV meters. We combine billions of hourly electricity meter measurements with address-level EV registration records from California households. The average EV increases overall household load by 2.9 kilowatt-hours per day, less than half the amount assumed by state regulators. Our results imply that EVs travel 5,300 miles per year, under half of the US fleet average. This raises questions about transportation electrification for climate policy. |
| JEL: | Q4 R4 |
| Date: | 2021–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:28451&r=all |
| By: | Ian Parry |
| Abstract: | The United States has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050, meet sectoral objectives (e.g., for carbon free power, electric vehicles) and encourage greater mitigation among large emitting countries and of international transportation emissions. Fiscal policies at the national, sectoral, and international level could play a critical role in implementing these objectives, along with investment, regulatory, and technology policies. Fiscal instruments are cost-effective, can enhance political acceptability, and do not worsen, or could help alleviate, budgetary pressures. Domestically, a fiscal policy package could contain a mix of economy-wide carbon pricing and revenue-neutral feebates (i.e., tax-subsidy schemes) with the latter reinforcing mitigation in the transport, power, industrial, building, forestry, and agricultural sectors. Internationally, a carbon price floor among large emitters (with flexibility to implement equivalent measures) could effectively scale up global mitigation, while levies/feebates offer a practical approach for reducing maritime and aviation emissions. |
| Keywords: | Carbon tax;Greenhouse gas emissions;Non-renewable resources;Natural gas sector;Fuel prices;Climate change,carbon neutrality,US climate mitigation,carbon pricing,feebates,carbon price floor,international aviation and maritime.,WP,efficiency cost o n,feebate variant,fuel economy,mitigation cost |
| Date: | 2021–03–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2021/057&r=all |
| By: | Wellmann, Nicolas; Czarnowske, Daniel |
| Abstract: | This paper quantifies the marginal willingness to pay for a reduction of automobile traffic. By using a new structural approach in a hedonic framework by Bishop and Timmins 2019 we are able to avoid common issues in hedonic studies using instrumental variables. Our analysis is based on data from nine large cities in Germany between 2016 and 2019 and includes 533,402 detailed observations at the apartment level as well as for various points of interest. To the best of our knowledge this is the first paper to conduct this analysis for Germany. We estimate that the average willingness to pay for a reduction of traffic by city and per year ranges between €30.3-59.2 for a 10% reduction, €93.8-158.3 for a 20% reduction and €190.6-252 for a 30% reduction. The highest willingness to pay for a reduction of traffic is observed in Frankfurt am Main, the lowest in Leipzig. Further, we compute the expected gains for a reduction of traffic at the city level. In addition to the willingness to pay for a reduction of traffic, this considers the composition of the road network as well as for the number of households. Accordingly, these expected gains amount to €163,970-1,019,454€ for a 10% reduction, €484,023-3,261,837 for a 20% reduction, and €1,018,240-6,727,148 for a 30% reduction. The highest expected gains for a reduction of traffic is observed in Munich, the lowest in Leipzig |
| Keywords: | willingness to pay,traffic,air pollution,hedonic price models,rent prices,environmental policy |
| JEL: | O18 Q51 R48 |
| Date: | 2021 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:dicedp:361&r=all |
| By: | David S. Jacks; Martin Stuermer |
| Abstract: | We provide evidence on the dynamic effects of fuel price shocks, shipping demand shocks and shipping supply shocks on real dry bulk freight rates in the long run. We first analyze a new and large dataset on dry bulk freight rates for the period from 1850 to 2020, finding that they followed a downward but undulating path with a cumulative decline of 79%. Next, we turn to understanding the drivers of booms and busts in the dry bulk shipping industry, finding that shipping demand shocks strongly dominate all others as drivers of real dry bulk freight rates in the long run. Furthermore, while shipping demand shocks have increased in importance over time, shipping supply shocks in particular have become less relevant. |
| Keywords: | Dry bulk; maritime freight rates; structural VAR |
| JEL: | E30 N70 R40 |
| Date: | 2021–03–19 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:feddwp:90397&r=all |
| By: | Howard Bodenhorn |
| Abstract: | Penology in the Jim Crow South centered on the chain gang. Gangs ostensibly served three purposes: their severity served as a deterrent; their putting convicts to work on roads and other public improvements reduced the taxpayers’ costs of infrastructure; and their discriminatory implementation reinforced the social order defined by Jim Crow. Drawing on insights from the economics of crime literature, this paper analyzes whether chain gangs reduced road maintenance costs. Using a fixed-effects design, the analysis finds that the costs of using gangs in road maintenance were marginally lower on average than using wage labor. The results are consistent with county officials choosing between convict and free labor in manner consistent with minimizing taxpayers’ costs. |
| JEL: | K42 N12 |
| Date: | 2021–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:28405&r=all |
| By: | Jack, John Kwane Adu; Amoah, Emmanuel K. S.; Hope, Eric; Okyere, Frimpong |
| Abstract: | In the wave of raging debate, even on the floor of parliament, as to whether it would be expedient to commercialize Bikes’ usage in Ghana, it is important to look at its benefits or otherwise. Hence, the study sought to show whether Ghana should legalize the commercial use of motor cycles and tricycles operations. The design was a descriptive study which used quantitative tool to show public acceptance or rejection of commercializing the use of motorcycles and tricycles in Ghana. The study was based on the use of questionnaires for the data collection and were analyzed using Microsoft Excel. The sample population considered was Five (5) Regions in Ghana which are Central, Greater Accra, Bono, Bono East and Northern Regions. Questionnaires of 460 were drawn for the study. It was found out, among others, that many of the riders do not possess licenses; riders are aware of robbery incidents perpetuated by their colleagues; police harassments and passenger pressure are strong reasons for not observing traffic regulations; unfavorable road architecture; the activity is a good source of income. It was therefore recommended that, the okada/pragia/keke/motor king/motor kia operations should be legalized for commercial use with regulations and strict compliance by actors or operators. |
| Date: | 2021–03–16 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:shuk5&r=all |
| By: | Christian Desmaris (LAET - Laboratoire Aménagement Économie Transports - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - ENTPE - École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, IEP Lyon - Sciences Po Lyon - Institut d'études politiques de Lyon - Université de Lyon); Guillaume Monchambert (LAET - Laboratoire Aménagement Économie Transports - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - ENTPE - École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the productive efficiency of French regional rail operators. Benefiting from unique databases (2012-2016), we use a panel stochastic frontier model to measure and explain the productive efficiency. We consider the regional monopoly nature of these operators by introducing specific contract-related variables into the model. The technical efficiency level of regional operators ranges from 59 to 98 per cent, revealing a high degree of heterogeneity in productive performance between regional operators. Factors related to the societal environment (density and delinquency rate), the characteristics of the rail system (network length and number of stations) and contractual design are significantly correlated with the technical efficiency. The policy implications of these results are substantial for both public authorities and rail operators. |
| Keywords: | TER,France,Stochastic frontiers,Regional rail passenger market,Rail regulation,Productive efficiency,Working Papers du LAET |
| Date: | 2021 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-03118747&r=all |
| By: | Paolo Delle Site; André de Palma; Karim Kilani (Université de Cergy-Pontoise, THEMA) |
| Abstract: | We study the welfare change from project and policies when consumers’ behaviour is described with additive random utility models. We consider the random compensating variation mainstream approach and review the latest methodological developments. The expectation of the random compensating variation is used as a measure of the average welfare change. Without income effect, it is expressed by the monetized difference of the expectations of the maximum utilities with and without the changes in monetary costs or quality. This measure reduces for the multinomial logit model to the logsum formula. More generally, the expectation of the compensating variation can be expressed as a path-independent line integral. The rule-of-a-half is an approximation of this line integral. With income effect, the expectation of the compensating variation, both unconditional and conditional on the choices without and with the changes, is provided by one-dimensional integrals which can be computed numerically. In the conditional case, the average welfare change is attributed to those keeping and those changing alternative. The cumulative distribution function of the compensating variation allows the analysis of inequalities by extending the classical Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient. This analysis is perfomed distinctly for positive and for negative values of the compensating variation. Treatment of observed and unobserved heterogeneity is included. The survey of theoretical results is illustrated with a numerical example in the context of transportation mode choice, based on large-scale data collected in France. |
| Keywords: | random utility model; compensating variation; Gini coefficient; Lorenz curve; rule-of-a-half |
| JEL: | D11 D30 D60 R41 R42 R48 |
| Date: | 2021 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ema:worpap:2021-11&r=all |