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on Transport Economics |
| By: | van der Hurk, E.; Koutsopoulos, H.N.; Wilson, N.; Kroon, L.G.; Maroti, G. |
| Abstract: | Urban Public Transport systems must periodically close certain links for main- tenance, which can have significant effects on the service provided to passengers. In practice, the effects of closures are mitigated by replacing the link with a simple shuttle service. However, alternative shuttle services could reduce inconvenience at lower op- erating cost. This paper proposes a model to select shuttle lines and frequencies under budget constraints. A new formulation is proposed that allows a minimal frequency restriction on any line that is operated, and minimizes passenger inconvenience cost, including transfers and frequency-dependent waiting time. This model is applied to a shuttle design problem based on a real world case study of the MBTA network of Boston (USA). The results show that additional shuttle routes can reduce passenger delay in comparison to the standard industry practice, while also distributing delay more equally over passengers, at the same operating budget. The results are robust under different assumptions about passenger route choice behavior. Computational experiments show that the proposed formulation, coupled with a preprocessing step, can be solved faster than prior formulations. |
| Date: | 2014–08–25 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ems:eureri:51756&r=tre |
| By: | Schneider, M.; Stenger, A.; Hof, J. |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dar:wpaper:63500&r=tre |
| By: | Richard Arnott (Department of Economics, University of California, Riverside); Eren Inci (Department of Economics, Sabanci University); John Rowse (Department of Economics, University of Calgary) |
| Abstract: | In downtown areas, what proportion of curbside should be allocated to parking? In contrast to most previous work on the economics of parking, this paper focuses on optimal curbside parking capacity in both first-best (where pricing is efficient) and second-best (where pricing is inefficient) environments. It considers first the situation where there is only curbside parking, and then the situation where there may be both curbside and private garage parking. For each situation, it examines the short run in which curbside parking capacity is fixed and the long run in which it is a policy variable. Creation-Date: 2013-4 |
| Keywords: | Parking, curbside parking, parking capacity, garage parking, traffic congestion, cruising for parking |
| JEL: | D04 L91 R41 R48 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ucr:wpaper:201303&r=tre |
| By: | Lynn, Peter |
| Abstract: | This study empirically identifies dimensions of behaviour that are distinct in terms of the extent to which people act pro-environmentally. Three dimensions are identified, relating to at-home, transport-related and purchasing behaviour. The correlation between behaviour in each dimension is explored and the characteristics and attitudes associated with the extent to which behaviour is pro-environmental in each dimension are compared. The correlates of pro-environmental behaviour are found to differ between the dimensions. Attitudes towards the environment are more strongly associated with at-home or purchasing behaviours than with transport-related behaviours. The findings have implications for the design of policies intended to influence behaviours with environmental impact and for marketing of pro-environmental behaviours. |
| Date: | 2014–04–29 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ese:iserwp:2014-19&r=tre |
| By: | Andres, Luis; Biller, Dan; Dappe, Matias Herrera |
| Abstract: | If the South Asia region hopes to meet its development goals and not risk slowing down or even halting growth, poverty alleviation, and shared prosperity, it is essential to make closing its huge infrastructure gap a priority. Identifying and addressing gaps in the data on expenditure, access, and quality are crucial to ensuring that governments make efficient, practical, and effective infrastructure development choices. This study addresses this knowledge gap by focusing on the current status of infrastructure sectors and geographical disparities, real levels of investment and private sector participation, deficits and proper targets for the future, and bottlenecks to expansion. The findings show that the South Asia region needs to invest between US$1.7 trillion and US$2.5 trillion (at current prices) to close its infrastructure gap. If investments are spread evenly over the years until 2020, the region needs to invest between 6.6 and 9.9 percent of 2010 gross domestic product per year, an estimated increase of up to 3 percentage points from the 6.9 percent of gross domestic product invested in infrastructure by countries in the region in 2009. Given the enormous size of the region's infrastructure deficiencies, it will need a mix of investment in infrastructure stock and supportive reforms to close its infrastructure gap. One major challenge will be prioritizing investment needs. Another will be choosing optimal forms of service provision, including the private sector's role, and the decentralization of administrative functions and powers. |
| Keywords: | Transport Economics Policy&Planning,Infrastructure Economics,Public Sector Economics,Non Bank Financial Institutions,Economic Theory&Research |
| Date: | 2014–09–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:7032&r=tre |
| By: | Wim BENOOT; Stef PROOST |
| Abstract: | The paper analyses the strategic environmental policy choices of governments for the car market. We consider two countries that each have a small number of car producers who sell cars at home and abroad, there are cross border pollution externalities and cross border R&D externalities. Each government can set a fuel tax and a fuel emission standard but tariffs are not allowed. We show that the symmetric cooperative equilibrium will have a fuel tax lower than global environmental damage and the fuel standard may not be needed as instrument. The symmetric non-cooperative fuel tax equals the local environmental damage. Non-cooperative governments always prefer to use a fuel tax rather than a fuel efficiency standard as the fuel tax allows to tax foreign profits. When car manufacturing is concentrated in only one country, the car importing country will opt for a higher fuel tax. The role of the fuel efficiency standard is enhanced when there is only a small number of producers, when there is a higher spill over rate and when crude oil prices are lower. The results are illustrated with a simple numerical model for the car market. |
| Date: | 2014–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ete:ceswps:ces14.23&r=tre |
| By: | Hideki MURAKAMI (Graduate School of Business Administration, Kobe University); Yukari MATSUSE (Graduate School of Business Administration, Kobe University); Koji MUKAIGAWA (Graduate School of Business Administration, Kobe University); Yushi TSUNODA (Graduate School of Business Administration, Kobe University) |
| Abstract: | Here we test the hypothesis that commodities at their peak valuation are transported by air and those at their birth and maturity are shipped by sea, and that shippers would choose air for transporting high-valued commodities. We empirically investigated how the product lifecycle of commodities is reflected by shippers' choices of air transportation rather than seaborne transportation. We also assumed that the commodities that achieved substantial innovation in their lifecycles would be moved by air transportation so that these commodities could reach the targeted markets as quickly as possible to avoid the opportunity costs that might be generated by missed business chances. We constructed two unbalanced panel data of 18 commodities (the case of import) and 14 commodities (the case of export) for 24 years from Japan' s custom, demographic, and international statistics. By estimating structural equation systems that consisted of commodity-specific import/export and import/export air ratio functions, we found that the product lifecycle of cargo outgoing from Japan exactly matched the upward and downward move of the air ratio, whereas since incoming commodities are raw materials that have little to do with product lifecycle or matured phase in their lifecycle stage, the peak of commodities' valuations and the use of air transportation were not necessarily synchronized. |
| Keywords: | product lifecycle, modal choice, structural equations |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kbb:dpaper:2013-28&r=tre |
| By: | Joseph DeSalvo (Department of Economics, University of South Florida); Qing Su (Department of Marketing, Economics and Sports Business, Northern Kentucky University) |
| Abstract: | This paper applies a simultaneous equation model to examine the impact of a variety of factors on four dimensions of urban sprawl: spatial size, sprawl index, and daily vehicle miles traveled per capita. The regression results indicate that the transportation cost has a negative impact on urban sprawl in terms of spatial size, land consumption per capita and daily VMT. The impact of household income on spatial size, land consumption per capita and daily vehicle miles traveled per capita are U-shaped. The impact of number of household is mixed: it has a positive impact on spatial size and daily VMT, but a negative impact on land consumption per capita. Urban growth boundary has a negative and statistically significant impact while minimum lot size has a positive impact on two dimensions of urban sprawl (spatial size and land consumption per capita). Regression results also indicate that among the variables that capture the political, social and geographic characteristics of an area, the amount of intergovernmental transfers as a percentage of local revenue has a positive and statistically impact on all four dimensions of urban sprawl while the percentage of urban fringe area overlying aquifers has such an impact on three dimensions (spatial size of an area, sprawl index, and land consumption per capita). The violent crime rate in the central cities has a positive and statistically significant impact on two dimensions of urban sprawl (spatial size and land consumption per capita). |
| Keywords: | multi-dimensional urban sprawl; simultaneous equation model; urban growth boundary; minimum lot size; violent urban crime rate in central city |
| JEL: | R10 |
| Date: | 2013–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:usf:wpaper:1813&r=tre |
| By: | Manish K. Singh (University of Barcelona); S. Ramann (Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research) |
| Abstract: | Bank-led infrastructure financing in India has subsided in a reflection of the micro-prudential risks faced by banks. Bond-based financing is constrained by an incomplete bond market. Foreign borrowing is particularly inappropriate as it forces currency mismatch upon infrastructure projects. In the search for innovative methods of infrastructure financing this paper introduces the possibility of "User right" as one component of infrastructure financing. The key insight is to harness users, from amongst the universe of investors, as financiers with a high yield tradeable debt instrument that derives its value from a rebate on user charges. Liquidity would come about through trading at exchanges, which would yield a liquidity premium. Users as bond-holders would have the incentive to perform monitoring functions, which would enhance accountability. Public interest vested in public infrastructure may improve existing institutional mechanism. |
| Keywords: | Financial instruments, institutional accountability, investment analysis |
| JEL: | G12 G23 H54 O22 R42 |
| Date: | 2014–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ind:igiwpp:2014-027&r=tre |
| By: | D’Haultfoeuille, Xavier; Durrmeyer, Isis; Février, Philippe |
| Abstract: | This paper deals with the estimation of structural models of demand and supply with incomplete information on prices. When the seller is able to price discriminate, or the buyer to bargain, individuals pay different prices that are usually not collected in the data. This paper explores a method to estimate the supply and demand models jointly when only posted prices are observed. We consider that heterogenous transaction prices occur due to price discrimination by firms on observable characteristics of consumers. Within this framework, the identification is secured by (i) supposing that at least one group of individuals does pay the posted prices and (ii) assuming that the marginal costs of producing and selling the goods does not depend on the characteristics of the buyers. This methodology is applied to estimate the demand in the new automobile market in France. Results suggest that discounting arising from price discrimination is important. The average discount is estimated to be 5.2%, with large variation according to the buyers’ characteristics. Our results are in line with discounts generally observed in European and American automobile markets. |
| Date: | 2014–09–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:trf:wpaper:477&r=tre |