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on Transport Economics |
| By: | Escobar-Garcia, Diego (Department of Civil Engineering, National University of Colombia); Garcia-Orozco, Francisco (Department of Civil Engineering, National University of Colombia); Cadena-Gaitan, Carlos (UNU-MERIT/MGSoG) |
| Abstract: | The construction of cable-propelled systems, fully integrated to urban public transport systems, has become an innovative trend in recent years for some Colombian cities. The most prominent examples include the cities of Medellin and Manizales, where these infrastructures have been built and running for several years. In fact, it should be highlighted that Manizales hosted, during the first half of the 20th century, the longest cable system in the world, which operated for nearly 40 years and was a cornerstone in the development of the region. This historic cable enabled the transportation of large shipments of coffee to the Magdalena River, to be exported across the world. In this paper we provide a thorough assessment of the current cable system in Manizales. We evaluate its costs in a comparative perspective against the impacts generated by the system, via time savings in daily travel. Due to its full integration with the public transport system, we also provide empirical evidence of the related passenger demand variability. Upon the implementation of the first cable system, additional similar projects have been initiated. We provide insights into a cable system designed and being built for recreation, and describe the planning process for the most recent public transport cable system being designed. All these systems are evaluated from the supply-side, measuring accessibility, from the demand-side, modelling the complete urban transport system for the city, and from the political side, describing the determinants of the decisions that ultimately stimulate the implementation of these projects in sustainable mobility. Based on the results obtained, we offer conclusions regarding the actual competitiveness of cable-propelled systems, arguing that they should be considered valid urban passenger transport solutions. |
| Keywords: | Accessibility, impact of transport modes, cable propelled system, transport innovation |
| JEL: | O33 R41 R42 |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unm:unumer:2013017&r=tre |
| By: | Celbis, Mehmet Güney (UNU-MERIT / MGSoG, Maastricht University); Nijkamp, Peter (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam); Poot, Jacques (University of Waikato) |
| Abstract: | Low levels of infrastructure quality and quantity can create trade impediments through increased transport costs. Since the late 1990s an increasing number of trade studies have taken infrastructure into account. The purpose of the present paper is to quantify the importance of infrastructure for trade by means of meta-analysis and meta-regression techniques that synthesize various studies. The type of infrastructure that we focus on is mainly public infrastructure in transportation and communication. We examine the impact of infrastructure on trade by means of estimates obtained from 36 primary studies that yielded 542 infrastructure elasticities of trade. We explicitly take into account that infrastructure can be measured in various ways and that its impact depends on the location of the infrastructure. We estimate several meta-regression models that control for observed heterogeneity in terms of variation across different methodologies, infrastructure types, geographical areas and their economic features, model specifications, and publication characteristics. Additionally, random effects account for between-study unspecified heterogeneity, while publication bias is explicitly addressed by means of the Hedges model. After controlling for all these issues we find that a 1 per cent increase in own infrastructure increases exports by about 0.6 per cent and imports by about 0.3 per cent. Such elasticities are generally larger for developing countries, land infrastructure, IV or panel data estimation, and macro-level analyses. They also depend on the inclusion or exclusion of various common covariates in trade regressions |
| Keywords: | Infrastructure, Trade, Transportation, Communication, Public Capital, Public Goods, Meta-Analysis |
| JEL: | O18 F10 H54 R53 C10 F19 R49 |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unm:unumer:2013032&r=tre |
| By: | Börjesson, Maria (KTH); Jonsson, Daniel (KTH); Lundberg , Mattias (KTH) |
| Abstract: | This paper performs an ex-post cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of the Metro system in Stockholm built in the 1950s. We find that the Metro was socially beneficial and that the largest benefit of the Metro is its capacity, making it possible for many people to travel to and from the city center. We also assess the significance of the wider economic impacts due to labor market distortions and the land-use effects in the case of the Stockholm Metro. The wider economic impacts increase the consumer surplus with 48%, and the yearly income in the county with 3.7%. A land-use model is used to analyze how the land-use has been influenced by the Metro over the years 1956-2006. The land-use model indicates that the historical centralized planning of housing along transit corridors has developed the region into a more dispersed region than if it had been planned according to the present inhabitants’ preferences. Moreover, we find that the land-use impacts from the investment itself seem to be small, but the land-use impacts from planning accompanying the decision to build the metro have been substantial. |
| Keywords: | Ex-post evaluation; Cost-benefit analysis; CBA; Appraisal; Land-Use modeling; Metro; Wider economic impacts; Rail investments |
| JEL: | C25 D61 J22 R41 R42 |
| Date: | 2013–11–20 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:ctswps:2013_034&r=tre |
| By: | Altshuler, Alan |
| Keywords: | Architecture, Arts and Humanities, Education, Engineering, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Date: | 2013–04–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:uctcwp:qt7pd4c1jj&r=tre |
| By: | Eleonora Morganti (IFSTTAR/AME/SPLOTT - Systèmes Productifs, Logistique, Organisation des Transports et Travail - IFSTTAR - PRES Université Paris-Est); Jesus Gonzalez-Feliu (LET - Laboratoire d'économie des transports - CNRS : UMR5593 - École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État [ENTPE] - Université Lumière - Lyon II) |
| Abstract: | Cet article présente le concept de pôle logistique alimentaire, qui semble avoir un fort potentiel pour améliorer l'approvisionnement des villes en produits alimentaires tout en favorisant un transport durable. Après présenter la notion de pôle logistique alimentaire, les liens avec les plates-formes logistiques urbaines sont présentés. Enfin, des exemples internationaux de pôles de ce type sont proposés. |
| Keywords: | Approvisionnement des villes, alimentation, food hub, logistique urbaine |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00905931&r=tre |
| By: | Isaías N. Chaves; Stanley L. Engerman; James A. Robinson |
| Abstract: | One of the great puzzles of Sub-Saharan African economic history is that wheeled transportation was barely used prior to the colonial period. Instead, head porterage was the main method of transportation. The consensus among historians is that this was a rational adaption to the underlying conditions and factor endowments. In this paper we undertake the first systematic investigation of the relative costs of the different forms of wheeled transportation in Africa. We focus on calculating the social savings and social rate of return associated with the introduction of the railway into colonial British West Africa. We provide more speculative estimates of the social savings of other forms of wheeled transportation. We find that all forms of wheeled transportation were economically efficient in the sense that they increased national income, though the estimated social savings of railways were modest when compared to GDP. However, we also find that the social rate of return of railways was exceedingly high, with annual social returns being equivalent to the entire capital outlays in Nigeria, i.e., railways there had a social rate of return of around 100%. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, railways appear to have been a very good social investment in West Africa because they were cheap to build. We discuss some alternative hypotheses that may nevertheless account for why they were not adopted. |
| JEL: | N77 O33 R40 |
| Date: | 2013–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:19673&r=tre |
| By: | Sorensen, Paul |
| Keywords: | Architecture, Education, Engineering, Law, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Date: | 2013–10–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:uctcwp:qt2gd4r06p&r=tre |
| By: | Federico Cingano (OECD); Ivan Faiella (Bank of Italy) |
| Abstract: | The Europe 2020 strategy commits Italy to reduce emissions by about 16 per cent by 2020, compared with 2005. In the case of transport, the sector that has contributed most to the growth of total emissions between 1990 and 2008, the 2020 target could be achieved by introducing a Carbon Tax (CT). A CT would significantly reduce householdsÂ’ demand for private transportation, lowering their emissions. CT proceedings could pay for the reduction of more distortive levies (e.g. labour taxation) or recycled to finance the deploying of renewable energy, replacing the existing charges on electricity consumption, thus alleviating the cost burden of less-affluent households. The CT would also be consistent with the polluter-pays principle, since the largest reduction in emissions would be financed to a proportionally larger extent by those with higher emissions. |
| Keywords: | environmental taxation, climate change, transports |
| JEL: | D62 Q52 Q54 Q58 |
| Date: | 2013–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bdi:opques:qef_206_13&r=tre |
| By: | Willson, Richard |
| Keywords: | Architecture, Education, Engineering, Law, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Date: | 2013–10–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:uctcwp:qt8rq839r1&r=tre |
| By: | Inderst, Georg |
| Abstract: | This study discusses the structure and development of private infrastructure finance in Europe in a global context. It examines the contribution of private capital to the financing of infrastructure investment needs. A 'big picture' is created by putting the various financing instruments and investment vehicles into a simple frame, i.e. percentages of GDP. There is scope for the development of alternative financing arrangements (such as public-private partnerships) and investment vehicles (such as project bonds and suitable investment funds). However, the traditional ways of corporate (and public) capital expenditure as well bank lending, need to keep working in Europe. Institutional investors can play a bigger role as a source of finance but expectations should be realistic. There are a number of barriers in place, regulatory and otherwise, that need to be worked on. -- |
| JEL: | E22 G23 |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:eibwps:201302&r=tre |
| By: | Mondschein, Andrew; Blumenberg, Evelyn; Taylor, Brian D. |
| Keywords: | Architecture, Education, Engineering, Law, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Date: | 2013–10–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:uctcwp:qt9k4908w2&r=tre |
| By: | Sambracos, Evangelos; Maniati, Marina |
| Abstract: | Shipping sector constitutes a sector with special characteristics that considerably differentiate it from the other sub-sectors of international transport. The maximisation of benefits for each one of the special market characteristics form a highly dynamic environment, with high risk of loss of invested capital. Within this framework, commercial banks, being the main source of financing shipping market, which is characterised by high capital and operating costs, have to take into account various variables in order to minimise the risk and maximise the return. The last is of particular importance considering the recent regulatory framework for banks applied by the Basel III, which has been elaborated on the grounds of inappropriateness of Basel II. |
| Keywords: | Finance, Shipping Market, Basel, Risks |
| JEL: | E32 G15 G32 R40 |
| Date: | 2013–10–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:51573&r=tre |
| By: | Dallinger, David |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes how energy throughput and depth of discharge-based battery ageing affects vehicle-to-grid operation of plug-in electric vehicles. Plug-in electric vehicles are discussed as a grid resource to balance the fluctuating electricity generation of renewable energy sources, but their contri-bution to balance fluctuating generation strongly depends on battery ageing and costs to feed back electricity. Therefore, an electricity system scenario with a very high share of wind and solar generation for Germany 2030 is analyzed focusing on different battery cost scenarios and ageing assumptions for plug- in vehicle batteries. The agent-based approach used renders price-based control with vehicle specific dispatch decision possible. Hence, in dependence of the individual state of charge depth of discharge-based battery discharging costs and expected smart charging revenues can be calculated. The results indicate that depth of discharge-based battery ageing results in a more restrictive vehicle-to-grid operation that is substantially affected by the driving behavior. Overall, vehicle-to-grid allows for increasing the contribution to balance fluctuating generation compared to load shifting only but encounters challenges in terms of costs and battery ageing. -- |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:fisisi:s92013&r=tre |
| By: | Manville, Michael; Williams, Jonathan |
| Keywords: | Architecture, Arts and Humanities, Education, Engineering, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Date: | 2013–04–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:uctcwp:qt0tt0j0xv&r=tre |
| By: | Dallinger, David; Link, Jochen; Büttner, Markus |
| Abstract: | This study describes a method for programming a plug-in electric vehicle agent that can be used in power system models and in embedded systems implemented in real plug-in electric vehicles. Implementing the software in real-life applications and in simulation tools enables research with a high degree of detail and practical relevance. Agent-based programming, therefore, is an important tool for investigating the future power system. To demonstrate the plug-in electric vehicle agent behavior, an optimization algorithm is presented and two battery aging methods as well as their effect on V2G operation are analyzed. Aging costs based on the depth of discharge result in shallow cycles and a strong dependency on driving behavior, because the state-of-charge affects the discharging process. In contrast, aging costs based on energy throughput calculations results in deeper cycles and V2G operation which is less depend-ent on driving behavior. -- |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:fisisi:s82013&r=tre |
| By: | Chorus, Caspar |
| Abstract: | This paper presents, discusses and tests a generalized Random Regret Minimization (G-RRM) model. The G-RRM model is created by replacing a fixed constant in the attribute-specific regret functions of the RRM model, by a regret-weight variable. Depending on the value of the regret-weights, the G-RRM model generates predictions that equal those of, respectively, the canonical linear-in-parameters Random Utility Maximization (RUM) model, the conventional Random Regret Minimization (RRM) model, and hybrid RUM-RRM specifications. When the regret-weight variable is written as a binary logit function, the G-RRM model can be estimated on choice data using conventional software packages. As an empirical proof of concept, the G-RRM model is estimated on a stated route choice dataset, and its outcomes are compared with RUM and RRM counterparts. |
| Keywords: | Random Utility Maximization; Random Regret Minimization; Choice model; Unified approach; Generalized Random Regret Minimization |
| JEL: | C5 M30 R41 |
| Date: | 2013–11–21 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:51637&r=tre |
| By: | Harley, Robert |
| Keywords: | Architecture, Education, Engineering, Law, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Date: | 2013–10–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:uctcwp:qt8hh7406h&r=tre |
| By: | Pierce, Gregory; Shoup, Donald |
| Keywords: | Architecture, Education, Engineering, Law, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Date: | 2013–10–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:uctcwp:qt0j41t7rz&r=tre |
| By: | Jesus Gonzalez-Feliu (LET - Laboratoire d'économie des transports - CNRS : UMR5593 - École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État [ENTPE] - Université Lumière - Lyon II); Christian Ambrosini (LET - Laboratoire d'économie des transports - CNRS : UMR5593 - École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État [ENTPE] - Université Lumière - Lyon II) |
| Abstract: | Cet article propose une analyse de plusieurs scénarios d'approvisionnement des villes en 2050. Trois éléments principaux dans la construction des scénarios sont comparés: la technologie, les stratégies de localisation et l'organisation logistique. En comparant les différents scénarios, il apparait que la combinaison des trois éléments est nécessaire pour obtenir des réductions significations des émissions de gaz à effet de serre. Enfin, une réflexion sur comment y arriver est aussi faite. |
| Keywords: | Approvisionnement des villes, alimentation, facteur 4, prospective |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00905929&r=tre |