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on Transport Economics |
| By: | Plötz, Patrick |
| Abstract: | The vehicle distances travelled by individual users can very strongly between different days. This is particularly problematic for electric vehicles since trips larger than the electric range clearly reduce the vehicle's utility. Here we estimate the number of days with driving distance larger than a given threshold for individual users based on their observed driving behaviour. The general formalism is developed and estimates for the main observable and standard errors are derived based on the assumption of individual log-normal distributed daily vehicle kilometres travelled. Numerical simulations of driving profiles demonstrate the validity and accuracy of the analytical results. -- |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:fisisi:s12014&r=tre |
| By: | A. Kerem Cosar (University of Chicago, Booth School of Business); Banu Demir (Bilkent University, Department of Economics) |
| Abstract: | Poor domestic transportation infrastructure in developing countries is often cited as an important impediment for accessing international markets. Yet, evidence on how transportation infrastructure improvements affect the volume and composition of exports is scarce. Drawing on the large-scale public investment in expressways undertaken in Turkey during the 2000s, this paper contributes to our understanding of how internal trade costs affect regional exports and specialization. Two results emerge. First, we estimate that this road infrastructure project accounts for 15 percent of the export increase from interior regions, generating a 10-year discounted stream of additional export revenues that amount to between 9 and 14 percent of the value of the investment. Second, while the exports of all industries within a given region increase in response to improvements in connectivity to the international gateways of the country, the magnitude of this increase is larger the more time sensitive an industry is. Accordingly, we also observe an increase in the regional employment and revenue shares of such industries. Our results support the hypothesis that internal trade costs can be a determinant of international specialization and comparative advantage. |
| Keywords: | international trade, infrastructure, transportation costs, time-sensitive industries. |
| JEL: | F14 R11 R41 |
| Date: | 2014–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:koc:wpaper:1406&r=tre |
| By: | Mario Genco; Emanuela Sirtori; Silvia Vignetti |
| Abstract: | This paper illustrates the story of the Port of Gioia Tauro, a major infrastructure investment co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund in the period 1994-1998, but whose origin dates back to the beginning of the 1970s. It draws from a recent ex-post evaluation carried out for the European Commission aimed at assessing the long term effects produced by a sample of ten major infrastructures in the Transport and Environment sectors and interpreting the key determinants of the observed performance. The analysis shows an emblematic story of great business success and unexploited potential for local development: the overall assessment of the economic impact of the project is mixed, stressing the multi-faceted dimensions of development plans. Although a significant effect in terms of job creation, the expected long term development effects, in particular in terms of industrial development in the surrounding area, did not materialise despite much effort (and money) being spent to that end. Wider effects of efficiency on the Italian and Mediterranean port system are additional benefits of the project, but they did not materialise at the local level and did not affect the living conditions of the local population. A key determinant of the past, present and even future performance of the port is the governance structure of the port and the broader area of Gioia Tauro (including in particular two industrial zones located close to the port area), which has been always characterised by fragmented actions and lack of coordination and clear political will. The number of actors, poor strategic direction, vested interests at national, regional and local level and, finally, conflicts between local public authorities are responsible for the current state of play and are the main difficulty to be resolved going forward. In addition, the weakness of the overall transport (and more specifically port) strategy at national level has exacerbated the existing governance problems. The paper discusses to what extent factors such as governance, managerial response and social acceptability can be key determinants of long term effects of a large infrastructure project, more than forecasting capacity or project technical design. It also offers a pilot case testing an innovative evaluation exercise combining cost-benefit analysis with qualitative assessment and adopting a long-run perspective (30 years), which extends into both the past and the future, and requires a mix of retrospective and prospective analysis. |
| Keywords: | Cost-benefit analysis; Infrastructures; Cohesion Policy; Regional Development |
| JEL: | D61 H54 R58 O12 |
| Date: | 2013–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa13p1003&r=tre |
| By: | Remi Jedwab (Department of Economics/Institute for International Economic Policy, George Washington University); Alexander Moradi (University of Sussex) |
| Abstract: | What is the impact of modern transportation technology on economic change in poor countries? Rail construction in colonial Africa provides a natu-ral experiment. Using new data on railroads and cities over one century within one country, Ghana, and Africa as a whole, we ï¬nd large permanent effects of transportation technology on economic development. First, railroads had strong effects on agriculture and urbanization before independence. Second, using the fact that railroads collapsed post-independence, we show they had a persistent impact. Evidence suggests that railroad cities persisted because their emergence served as a mechanism to coordinate investments for each subsequent period. Historical shocks can thus trigger an equilibrium in which cities will emerge to facilitate the accumulation of factors, which promotes long-term development. |
| Keywords: | Transportation Technology; Development; Path Dependence; Africa |
| JEL: | O1 O3 O18 R4 R1 N97 |
| Date: | 2014–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gwi:wpaper:2014-03&r=tre |
| By: | Remi Jedwab (Department of Economics/Institute for International Economic Policy, George Washington University); Edward Kerby (London School of Economics and Political Science); Alexander Moradi (University of Sussex) |
| Abstract: | Little is known about the extent and forces of urban path dependence in developing countries. Railroad construction incolonialKenyaprovidesanaturalexperimenttostudytheemer- gence and persistence of this spatial equilibrium. Using new data ataï¬nespatialleveloveronecenturyshowsthatcolonialrailroads causally determined the location of European settlers, which in turn decided the location of the main cities of the country at inde- pendence. Railroads declined and settlers left after independence, yet cities persisted. Their early emergence served as a mechanism to coordinate investments in the post-independence period, yield- ing evidence for how path dependence influences development. |
| Keywords: | Path Dependence; Urbanisation; Transportation; Colonialism |
| JEL: | R11 R12 R40 O18 O33 N97 |
| Date: | 2014–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gwi:wpaper:2014-02&r=tre |
| By: | Tagscherer, Ulrike; Frietsch, Rainer |
| Abstract: | China is the fastest growing car market in the world. Both, government and industry alike have high hopes for the paradigm shift in mobility towards electric cars. China's industry might be able to catch up or leap-frog, once electric cars have hit the roads. Taking the question if and how paradigm shifts occur as a starting point, this paper describes and assesses the current policies in electro mobility in China and puts them in relation to China's scientific and technological capabilities. The results show that a huge amount of public funding is involved, though spread over many programs and too many provinces. Though the scientific capabilities seem to be very promising, the tech-nological capabilities - applying science to real-world issues - seem to lag behind. These findings let us conclude that the leap-frogging in mobility might not occur in the way the most optimistic spectators might want to see. -- |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:fisidp:40&r=tre |
| By: | Fu, Shihe; Viard, Brian |
| Abstract: | Whether, and how much, increased commute costs decrease labor supply is important for transport policy, city growth, and business strategies. Yet empirical estimates are limited and biased downward due to endogenous choices of residences, workplaces, commute modes, and wages. We use the transition of undergraduate teaching from a Chinese university’s urban to suburban campus and ten years of complete course schedule data to test how teachers’ labor supply responds to a longer commute. Exogeneity is ensured because few faculty change residences, nearly all faculty ride a free shuttle bus, and we control for wage changes. Employing a regression discontinuity design, the 1.0 to 1.5-hour (40-kilometer) increase in round-trip commute time reduces annual undergraduate teaching by 56 hours or 23%. Consistent with higher per-day commute costs annual teaching days decrease by 27 while daily teaching hours increase by 0.49. Difference-in-difference estimates using faculty-specific changes in commute time corroborate these results ruling out aggregate confounders. Faculty substitute toward graduate teaching but decrease research output. The university accommodated the reduced teaching time primarily by increasing class sizes implying that education quality declined. |
| Keywords: | commuting; commute costs; labor supply; satellite campus |
| JEL: | I23 I25 J22 R23 R41 |
| Date: | 2014–02–17 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:53740&r=tre |
| By: | Cyrille Piatecki (LEO - Laboratoire d'économie d'Orleans - CNRS : UMR6221 - Université d'Orléans) |
| Abstract: | Le blocus routier que doivent subir régulièrement les usagers des routes françaises est considéré comme une nuisance insupportable par tous les particuliers et toutes les entreprises européennes. Cependant, dans un contexte de concurrence forte sur les prix, il semble extrèmement difficile que l'État français intervienne sans déroger aux règlements de la Communauté Européenne. Cet article étudie la possibilité d'intervenir de la manière la plus légère possible de telle sorte que ces conflits récurrents cessent dans le cadre d'un jeu évolutionnaire dans lequel les entreprises de transport peuvent choisir d'afficher des salaires bas et donc des prix faibles ou des salaires élevés et donc des prix forts. Nous montrons qu'une simple prime versée aux entreprises à salaire élevé en cas de non attribution des contrats potentiels parce qu'elles ont été appariée avec une -- ou plusieurs -- entreprises à salaire faible, peut leur permettre de se maintenir sur le marché. Cependant si les entreprises adoptent leurs stratégies avec un délai de réaction, il est possible que la population des entreprises soit sujette à de très fortes fluctuations. |
| Keywords: | jeux évolutionnaires ; économie des trtansports |
| Date: | 2014–02–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-00945544&r=tre |