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on Transport Economics |
| By: | Biljana Matic, Silvana Ilic (Railway College of Applied Sciences, Belgrade, Serbia, Megatrend University, Belgrade, Faculty for Management in Zajecar) |
| Abstract: | Duties of the public passenger transport are still present on the railways, although the railway had long lost its monopoly on the transport market, and their presence made it difficult for beginning the process of reform, transition and restructuring of railways in relation to other modes of transport. Those instrument has been replaced by the establishment of a new way of financing unprofitable transport through the introduction of the obligation of public transport including rail transporter obligation to transport passengers and goods at established prices and special conditions for a fee determined by the difference between the cost of the state and justified the full cost. Baseline this instrument gives its effect on the economy of business traffic (transporters). Losses in business could be compensated from the state budget, but budget was insufficient and it was impeded the orderly and proper maintenance of infrastructure. In such circumstances the exploitation parameters infrastructure are exacerbated, and that effects led to the further weakening the competitive position of the railway. So, in a situation where the state compensates the losses from operations of railways it also provides funds for simple reproduction of the infrastructure, so that the final result of the railroad and shall bear is the total amount of these costs. However, the causal circuit costs, prices, competition, transport volume, revenue, profit ,quality maintenance, a new reduction of competitiveness, are really important deteriorating market position of the railways. |
| Keywords: | public service obligations, unprofitable transport, cost of transport, the regulations of the European Union |
| JEL: | R40 R41 |
| Date: | 2015–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:esb:casctr:2014-424&r=tre |
| By: | Zhang, Yuanyuan; Proulx, Frank R.; Ragland, David R.; Schneider, Robert J.; Grembek, Offer |
| Abstract: | This project evaluates the feasibility of developing a pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure database and volume database for the California state highway system. While Caltrans currently maintains such data for motor vehicles in the Traffic Accident Surveillance and Analysis System - Transportation System Network (TASAS-TSN) database, the agency does not keep records on pedestrian or bicycle facilities. This information is crucial for improving the safety of these vulnerable road users. This project developed a proposed database structure and corresponding data collection methodology. It is recommended that the databases be linked to TASAS using the connection ID instead of incorporating them directly into the existing database. The volume and infrastructure databases will be constructed separately to accommodate different data collection procedures. In particular, volume data should be updated more regularly than infrastructure data. Volume data must be collected during field visits either manually or using automated collection methods, while infrastructure data can be collected remotely using mapping services or in the field during field visits. The research team tested the structure and collection methodology by populating the database for 100 miles of state highway across two districts. Parallel to testing the consistency and integrity of the database, the team also generated a time-cost estimate for data collection for different facilities across the state highway system. The research team estimates that collecting the data in the field for the entire state highway system will require approximately 9,000 hours, while remote (computer-based) data collection will require about 4,000 hours. |
| Keywords: | Engineering, pedestrian infrastructure, california, Caltrans |
| Date: | 2014–05–31 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt5sm444jz&r=tre |
| By: | Vincent A.C. van den Berg (VU University Amsterdam, the Netherlands); Erik T. Verhoef (VU University Amsterdam, the Netherlands) |
| Abstract: | ‘Robot cars’ are cars that allow for automated driving. They can drive closer together than human driven ‘normal cars’, and thereby raise road capacity. Obtaining a robot car instead of a normal car can also be expected to lower the user’s value of time losses (VOT), because travel time can be used for other activities than driving. With a mix of normal and robot car users, the VOT is therefore (more strongly) heterogeneous. We study the effect of robot cars on social welfare for a number of market organizations: private monopoly, perfect competition and public supply. Increasing the share of robot cars raises average capacity (especially if robot cars drive concentrated in time), but may hurt existing robot car users as the switchers’ lowered VOT will increase their bottleneck-congestion externality. When the capacity effect dominates, buying a robot imposes a net positive externality, but otherwise, it causes a net negative externality. Numerical analysis suggests that a net positive externality is more likely; nevertheless, for a small, but still plausible, capacity effect a net negative externality results. With a positive (negative) externality, marginal cost provision tends to lead to an undersupply of robot cars, and a public supplier needs to subsidise (tax) robot car purchase in order to maximise welfare. A monopolist supplier ignores the externality and tends to add a mark-up to its price. This almost always leads to a substantial undersupply. |
| Keywords: | robot cars; heterogeneity; bottleneck model; autonomous cars; self-driving cars; market structure |
| JEL: | D42 D62 H23 L12 L51 R41 R48 |
| Date: | 2015–05–22 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tin:wpaper:20150062&r=tre |
| By: | Argote-Cabanero, Juan; Daganzo, Carlos F; Lynn, Jacob W |
| Abstract: | This paper proposes a dynamic control method to overcome bunching and improve the regularity of fixed-route transit systems. The method uses a combination of dynamic holding and en-route driver guidance to achieve its objectives. It applies to systems with a mix of headway-based and schedule-based lines but it is evaluated for scheduled systems as this is the more challenging application. Improved schedule adherence is the goal. The method’s calculation complexity per piece of advice does not increase with system size. As a result, the method is scalable and can be used with large multiline systems, no matter how complex. When controled, each vehicle is mostly affected by exogenous disturbances (e.g. traffic) and very little by other vehicles. As a result, disruptions to a vehicle or group of vehicles caused by inattentive drivers or control equipment failures remain confined to the vehicles experiencing the problems. The control method effectively quarantines “diseaseâ€. The method is evaluated analytically and with simulations over a broad range of conditions, including schedules with zero slack. The method was also evaluated by observing the performance of a real world multi-line system that uses inexpensive on-board tablets to apply the control. The evaluation addresses driver compliance and equipment malfunction issues. It is found that the method is resilient and improves reliability considerably even under challenging conditions. |
| Keywords: | Engineering, transit reliability, real world operation, human factors, bus bunching, adaptive control, dynamic holding, multi-line control, resiliency |
| Date: | 2015–04–30 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt6j16889k&r=tre |
| By: | Biljana Matiæ, Silvana Iliæ (Railway College of Applied Sciences, Belgrade, Serbia, Faculty for Management in Zajecar, Megatrend University, Belgrade, Serbia) |
| Abstract: | The nature of the international traffic demanded uniting of the rules by which it is being executed. This process is performed by unification aiming to create uniform rules and harmonization/adjustment of rules that were not identical but had a common goal - the opening of the European railway market. The international organizations of the railway infrastructure management play an important role in opening of the railway market and the globalization of the transport market in Europe. When defining the basic questions of the railway infrastructure distribution, European legislation established certain principles and procedures how to determine the cost of the railway infrastructure, by fully respecting the various national development and specific characteristics of national markets. National railway administration has been left in charge of determining individually for each state, the system of cost evaluation and distribution capacity, in compliance with the general principles of the legislation at the EU level. Today the system of distribution of the railway infrastructure functions in a unique space of different railway networks, with increasing role of international organizations of associated management of the railway infrastructure. A special place in the distribution of railway infrastructure capacity belongs to the so-called "tools" of Internet software. |
| Keywords: | globalization, infrastructure managers, European railway market |
| JEL: | R40 R41 |
| Date: | 2014–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:esb:castrc:2014-315&r=tre |
| By: | Ferrir, Richard |
| Abstract: | The most significant value added by Euro 2012 is undoubtedly the infrastructural changes. The event became a catalyst for the execution of more than two hundred projects for an amount of ca. PLN 100 billion. This paper focuses on the key projects, including above all the road construction projects, as well as those connected to road and rail infrastructure. Considering such significant outlays, the funding the preparation, particularly in a division into private and public sources, becomes an especially important issue. It is the predominant commitment of public funds that creates the need to justify their allocation, chiefly in the case of the sports venues, usually utilised by private sports clubs after the end of the event. Euro 2012 has been compared in this respect with other events of this rank, staged in Europe since the beginning of the 21st century. |
| Keywords: | Euro 2012, Infrastructural investments, public goods |
| JEL: | H44 |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:64685&r=tre |
| By: | Grembek, Offer; Bosman, Crakg; Bigham, John M.; Fine, Sara; Griswold, Julia B.; Medury, Aditya; Sanders, Rebecca L.; Schneider, Robert J.; Yavari, Afsaneh; Zhang, Yuanyuan; Ragland, David R. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2014–03–31 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt2c85n5xt&r=tre |
| By: | Elbert, R.; Walter, F. |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dar:wpaper:73703&r=tre |
| By: | Ryus, Paul; Ferguson, Erin; Laustsen, Kelly M.; Schneider, Robert J.; Proulx, Frank R.; Hull, Tony; Miranda-Moreno, Luis |
| Abstract: | NCHRP Report 797: Guidebook on Pedestrian and Bicycle Volume Data Collection is directed to practitioners involved in collecting non-motorized count data. The Guidebook (1) describes methods and technologies for counting pedestrians and bicyclists, (2) offers guidance on developing a non-motorized count program, (3) gives suggestions on selecting appropriate counting methods and technologies, and (4) provides examples of how organizations have used non-motorized count data to better fulfill their missions. The research behind the Guidebook can be found on the TRB website as NCHRP Web-Only Document 205: Methods and Technologies for Pedestrian and Bicycle Volume Data Collection (NWOD 205). NWOD 205 includes the results of the testing and evaluation of a range of automated count technologies that capture pedestrian and bicycle volume data. |
| Keywords: | Engineering, NCHRP, pedestrian, bicycle |
| Date: | 2014–01–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt11q5p33w&r=tre |
| By: | Elbert, R.; Walter, F. |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dar:wpaper:73702&r=tre |
| By: | Phedon Nicolaides; Nadir Preziosi (European Economic Studies Department, College of Europe) |
| Abstract: | This paper reviews several cases where the Commission presumed that competitively selected operators of large infrastructure projects derived an undue advantage from state aid. The aid was granted to the owners of the infrastructure to supported investment in construction or upgrading. The practice of the Commission is not consistent or clear. The paper also shows that under reasonable assumptions,competitive selection of operators is indeed capable of eliminating any advantage above market rates of return or market rates of cost of capital. The paper demonstrates, both theoretically and with the use of numerical examples, that concession fees take into account any aid that is granted to the owners of infrastructure for its construction or upgrading. |
| Keywords: | State Aid, Competitive Selection, Auction Theory, Concession Fees, Funding Gap |
| JEL: | H71 H72 D44 D73 L38 |
| Date: | 2015–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:coe:wpbeer:33&r=tre |
| By: | Vincent Viguié (CIRED) |
| Abstract: | Long term strategies, relying on city planning and travel demand management, are essential if deep GHG reduction ambitions are to be achieved in urban transport sector. However, how to precisely design such strategies remains unclear. Indeed, whereas there is a broad consensus that urban spatial structure is a key determinant in explaining travel pattern generation, the mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Especially, the interplay between commuting and localization choices leading to cross commuting in a polycentric city remains an open question, and cannot be easily explained using existing urban economics frameworks. In this study, we introduce a novel urban economic framework, fully micro-economic based, which describes land prices, population distribution and commuting travel choices in a polycentric city, with jobs locations exogenously given. It relies on the modeling of moving costs and market imperfections, especially housing-search imperfections. Using Paris as a case study, we show how this model, when adequately calibrated, reproduces available data on the internal structure of the city (rents, population densities, travel choices). A validation over the 1900-2010 period also shows that the model captures the main determinants of city shape evolution over this time. This suggests that this tool can be used to inform policy decisions. |
| Keywords: | urban economics, cross-commuting, urban planning, climate change mitigation |
| JEL: | Q5 R14 R4 |
| Date: | 2015–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fae:wpaper:2015.09&r=tre |
| By: | Philipp Breidenbach |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes whether the expansion of regional airports in Germany caused positive spillover effects on the surrounding economies, exploiting the deregulation of the European aviation market as a quasi-experiment. Such potential spillovers are often used as an argument for the substantial annual subsidies to airports. Previous evaluations often suffer from the problem of reverse causality, since investment decisions are based on the economic conditions of the region. By contrast, the aviation deregulation under the Single European Market-initiative provides an exogenous incentive for investing in the expansion of existing regional airports. A difference-in-differences approach is used to estimate the causal effects of this expansion on regional growth. The results are sobering, though, as there is no evidence for any positive spillover effects. |
| Keywords: | Banking union; currency union; default; shock absorber; two-tier reinsurance system |
| JEL: | E42 E50 F3 G21 |
| Date: | 2015–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rwi:repape:0549&r=tre |
| By: | Lavesson, Niclas (CIRCLE, Lund University) |
| Abstract: | Urban areas tend to grow in population and employment while most rural areas face decline. Earlier research suggests that well-growing rural areas benefit from urban proximity and more specifically from rural-to-urban commuting. Studies on local labor markets suggest that highly educated individuals earn more than other commuters and that they tend to travel over longer distances to work. This suggests that the impacts on growth differ for different parts of commuting labor. The aim of this paper is to combine these literatures and explore how rural employment growth is influenced by commuting and how far across space these effects reach. |
| Keywords: | Urban spread effects; rural-urban integration; commuting |
| JEL: | R00 |
| Date: | 2015–05–29 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:lucirc:2015_020&r=tre |