nep-tre New Economics Papers
on Transport Economics
Issue of 2016‒02‒12
ten papers chosen by
Erik Teodoor Verhoef
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

  1. Editorial: Data-driven innovations in policy-oriented freight transport models and planning methods By Jesus Gonzalez Feliu; Anne Goodchild; David Guerrero
  2. Study of the variables that affected the behavior of the demand of the Integrated System of Massive Transportation (MIO) in Santiago de Cali in the period 2009 - 2013 By Maribel Castillo Caicedo; Sandra Balanta Cobo; Juan Carlos Orobio Quiñones; Maria Victoria Echeverry Moreno
  3. The Cost of Binge Drinking By Francesconi, Marco; James, Jonathan
  4. Feasibility Study of a Network of Consolidation Centres in Luxembourg By Jacques Leonardi; Laetitia Dablanc; Patrick Van Egmond; Cindy Guerlain
  5. “Tourism and high speed rail in Spain: Does the AVE increase local visitors?” By Daniel Albalate; Javier Campos; Juan Luis Jiménez
  6. A model of two-destination choice in trip chains with GPS data By Arthur (Yan) Huang; David Levinson
  7. Cars, carbon taxes and CO2 emissions By Julius J. Andersson
  8. Infrastructure, Incentives and Institutions By Nava Ashraf; Edward L. Glaeser; Giacomo A.M. Ponzetto
  9. Optimizing Urban Freight Deliveries: From Designing and Testing a Prototype System to Addressing Real Life Challenges By Thomas Baudel; Laetitia Dablanc; Penelope Aguiar-Melgarejo; Jean Ashton
  10. Logistics sprawl in North America: methodological issues and a case study in Toronto By Clarence Woudsma; Paul Jakubicek; Laetitia Dablanc

  1. By: Jesus Gonzalez Feliu (FAYOL-ENSMSE - Institut Henri Fayol - Mines Saint-Étienne MSE - École des Mines de Saint-Étienne - Institut Mines-Télécom); Anne Goodchild (University of Washington - University of Washington [Seattle]); David Guerrero (IFSTTAR/AME/SPLOTT - Systèmes Productifs, Logistique, Organisation des Transports et Travail - IFSTTAR - Institut Français des Sciences et Technologies des Transports, de l'Aménagement et des Réseaux - PRES Université Paris-Est)
    Abstract: Freight transport is a challenging economic sector, as it is essential for the functioning of production and distribution systems but and the same time is at the origin of many nuisances such as congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and noise. When responding to these issues, planners dispose nowadays of a growing body of freight data that can be used for the implementation of policies towards achieving smart mobility. Because contrary to current practice and dominant discourse, smart mobility is not just a matter of passengers: it also largely relies on more sustainable freight plays an transport. Policy makers see in those new sources of data an opportunity to increase their knowledge on freight transport as well as to have suitable decision support tools to the choices they need to make. In developed countries this trend is illustrated by the increasing requirement of data by recent legislation on freight transport. But these data are not always easily available, and when they are, they are not necessarily adapted to the needs of practitioners. This mismatch partly results in a lack of dialogue between researchers and practitioners, that this special issue intends to promote.
    Keywords: TRANSPORT DE MARCHANDISE,MODELISATION,PLANIFICATION,DONNEES,POLITIQUE DES TRANSPORTS
    Date: 2016–01–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01263695&r=tre
  2. By: Maribel Castillo Caicedo; Sandra Balanta Cobo; Juan Carlos Orobio Quiñones; Maria Victoria Echeverry Moreno (Faculty of Economics and Management, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali)
    Abstract: The transportation demand attended by the Mass Transit System of Santiago de Cali (MIO) is sensitive to different variables which affect its behavior. In this research work, the effect of several technical, operative, economic, and social variables on the MIO demand were analyzed through a multiple regression model. Results showed a strong relationship between the transportation demand growth and the service quality provided by the MIO system. The study showed an important effect of the passenger fare on the MIO demand trend. The MIO system competitors, as cabs, private vehicles, and unauthorized taxi-like services, also have significant effect on the demand trend. The multiple regression model allowed identification of ten demand elasticity factors to consider in establishing transportation public policies to improve performance of the MIO system and public mobility in the city.
    Keywords: Systems of public transportation, urban mobility, transportation demand, transportation fare, quality of transportation services, integrated transportation system, massive transportation, mulitple regression analysis, transportation sterilities.
    JEL: R40
    Date: 2016–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ddt:wpaper:17&r=tre
  3. By: Francesconi, Marco; James, Jonathan
    Abstract: We estimate the effect of binge drinking on accident and emergency attendances, road accidents, arrests and the number of police officers on duty using a variety of unique data from Britain and a two-sample minimum distance estimation procedure. Our estimates, which reveal sizeable effects of bingeing on all outcomes, are then used to monetize the short-term externalities of binge drinking. We find that these externalities are on average £4.9 billion per year ($7 billion), about £80 for each man, woman and child liing in the UK. The price that internailizes this externality is equivalent to an additional 9p per alcoholic unit, implying a 20% increase with respect to the current avarage prices.
    Date: 2015
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:esx:essedp:12766&r=tre
  4. By: Jacques Leonardi (UOW - University of Westminster - University of Westminster); Laetitia Dablanc (IFSTTAR/AME/SPLOTT - Systèmes Productifs, Logistique, Organisation des Transports et Travail - IFSTTAR - Institut Français des Sciences et Technologies des Transports, de l'Aménagement et des Réseaux - PRES Université Paris-Est); Patrick Van Egmond (Luxmobility - parent); Cindy Guerlain (LIST - parent)
    Abstract: The concept of a multi-actor network of Urban Consolidation Centres (UCCs) was tested in Luxembourg. The authors of this paper developed a feasibility study together with the Luxembourg's Ministry of Transport. The methods used are encompassing data collection and data analysis, ex-ante scenario development and impact assessment of different options, interviews, workshops, and consultation with key operators in the public and private sectors. The market size appears to be sufficient. Clean technology is available and the willingness to use it is given. The management structure can rely upon constructive partnerships, a draft Charter for Urban Logistics and regulatory changes.
    Keywords: URBAN CONSOLIDATION CENTRE,CITY LOGISTIC MANAGEMENT MODEL,CLEAN VEHICLE,EX-ANTE IMPACT ASSESSMENT,FAISABILITE,ETUDE D'IMPACT
    Date: 2015–06–17
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01255357&r=tre
  5. By: Daniel Albalate (Faculty of Economics, University of Barcelona); Javier Campos (Faculty of Economics, University of Palmas de Gran Canaria); Juan Luis Jiménez (Faculty of Economics, University of Palmas de Gran Canaria)
    Abstract: This paper analyses from an empirical point of view the relationship between the provision of high-speed rail services (HSR) and the evolution of tourism at the local level in Spain. We have built a database of 124 municipalities during the 2005-2012 period to study the effects of the introduction of new HSR corridors on the number of visitors and their total and average stay at several end-line and intermediate cities as compared to similar counterparts not having such an infrastructure. We combine both difference-in-difference and panel data techniques to find that these effects are, in general, extremely weak or just restricted to larger cities, once other determining factors are controlled for.
    Keywords: High speed rail, local tourism, difference y difference, panel data. JEL classification:R42; R53;L83
    Date: 2015–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ira:wpaper:201527&r=tre
  6. By: Arthur (Yan) Huang; David Levinson (Nexus (Networks, Economics, and Urban Systems) Research Group, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota)
    Abstract: Abstract Studying trip chaining behavior has been a challenging endeavor which requires the support of microscopic travel data. New insights can be gained given real-time GPS travel data. This research introduces a framework that considers two-destination choice in the context of home-based trip chains. We propose and empirically compare three alternatives of building choice sets where we consider various relationships of the two destinations (such as major-minor destinations, selecting one first, and select- ing two concurrently). Our choice set formation alternatives use survival models to determine the selection probability of a destination. Our results reveal that trip chaining behavior is shaped by the features of retail clusters, spatial patterns of clusters, transportation networks, and the axis of travel. This research supports our hypothesis that not only the spatial relationship but also the land use relationship of the destinations in a trip chain affect the decision making process. Keywords: GPS data, trip chaining, axis of travel, destination choice
    JEL: R14 R41 R42
    Date: 2016
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nex:wpaper:multidestinationchoice&r=tre
  7. By: Julius J. Andersson
    Abstract: Is a carbon tax effective in reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, and thereby mitigating climate change? I estimate the reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the transport sector in Sweden during the years 1990 to 2005 as a result of the introduction of a carbon tax and a value added tax (VAT) on transport fuel in the years 1990-1991. To capture the causal effect on emissions I construct a synthetic Sweden, the counterfactual Sweden that does not receive the ‘treatment’ in 1990-1991, using the synthetic control method. The results show a reduction in emissions of 10.9% during the post-treatment period of 1990-2005, equivalent to 2.5 million metric tons of CO2 in the annual total. Looking at the effect of the carbon tax in isolation I estimate a post-treatment reduction of 4.9%, equivalent to 1.1 million metric tons of CO2 in an average year. The results are robust to a series of placebo tests, both in-time and in-space. Taken together, my findings show that a carbon tax can be an efficient tool to mitigate climate change.
    Date: 2015–10
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lsg:lsgwps:wp212&r=tre
  8. By: Nava Ashraf; Edward L. Glaeser; Giacomo A.M. Ponzetto
    Abstract: Cities generate negative, as well as positive, externalities; addressing those externalities requires both infrastructure and institutions. Providing clean water and removing refuse requires water and sewer pipes, but the urban poor are often unwilling to pay for the costs of that piping. Standard welfare economics teaches us that either subsidies or Pigouvian fines can solve that problem, but both solution are problematic when institutions are weak. Subsidies lead to waste and corruption; fines lead to extortion of the innocent. Zambia has attempted to solve its problem with subsidies alone, but the subsidies have been too small to solve the “last-mile problem” and so most poor households remain unconnected to the water and sewer system. In nineteenth-century New York, subsidies also proved insufficient and were largely replaced by a penalty-based system. We present a model that illustrates the complementarity between infrastructure and institutions and provides conditions for whether fines, subsidies or a combination of both are the optimal response. One point of the model is that the optimal fine is often not a draconian penalty, but a mild charge that is small enough to avoid extortion.
    Keywords: public health, infrastructure, institutions, subsidies, fines, last-mile problem
    JEL: O18 R53 O21 H41 I18 N91
    Date: 2016–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bge:wpaper:872&r=tre
  9. By: Thomas Baudel (IBM); Laetitia Dablanc (IFSTTAR/AME/SPLOTT - Systèmes Productifs, Logistique, Organisation des Transports et Travail - IFSTTAR - Institut Français des Sciences et Technologies des Transports, de l'Aménagement et des Réseaux - PRES Université Paris-Est); Penelope Aguiar-Melgarejo (INSA Lyon - Institut National des Sciences Appliquées Lyon); Jean Ashton (Ecole Polytechnique)
    Abstract: In this article, we present efforts towards building a city-wide freight delivery rounds optimization system aimed at leveraging city traffic information to optimize professional vehicle rounds. This project, called SmartDeliveries, has been developed as part of the OptimodLyon project. We present the system's architecture and general objective. Then we present early evaluations which have led us to identify three main technical challenges to address, but also to quantify the potential productivity gains for its users: 18% in distance savings and 11% in time. This could lead, if the system were to be generalized at the scale of the city, to a reduction in as much as 5% in traffic, and to corresponding savings in emissions, which are the primary motivation of the project leaders. Finally we discuss the remaining challenges to address, from a technical as well as an organizational standpoint, to introduce real life implementation of the system.
    Keywords: ROUND OPTIMIZATION,CITY-WIDE OPTIMIZATION,CITY LOGISTIC,SYSTEME DE TRANSPORT INTELLIGENT,LOGISTIQUE,ZONE URBAINE,LIVRAISON,OPTIMUM
    Date: 2015–06–17
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01255153&r=tre
  10. By: Clarence Woudsma (University of Waterloo [Waterloo]); Paul Jakubicek (Freight Transport Research Institute - parent); Laetitia Dablanc (IFSTTAR/AME/SPLOTT - Systèmes Productifs, Logistique, Organisation des Transports et Travail - IFSTTAR - Institut Français des Sciences et Technologies des Transports, de l'Aménagement et des Réseaux - PRES Université Paris-Est)
    Abstract: This paper focuses on the spatial patterns of freight and logistics activities in North America. The recent interest in logistics and warehousing and its impact on the urban environment has prompted research investigating the 'sprawling' nature of these firms. Logistics sprawl, i.e. the spatial deconcentration of logistics facilities and distribution centers in metropolitan areas has been examined for several metropolitan areas (Dablanc and Ross 2012; Dablanc 2014; Dablanc et al., 2014), yielding contrasting results: Atlanta and Los Angeles have experienced strong logistics sprawl between 1998 and 2008 while Seattle has not. The objective in this paper is two-fold. An additional case study (Toronto) is investigated to expand the current understanding of North American logistics sprawl and methodological issues, particularly related to facility identification and location data are discussed. An updated method for analyzing spatial patterns of logistics activity in North American cities is subsequently proposed. This updated method may then be used in the future to re-examine former case studies (Los Angeles, Atlanta, Seattle) as well as to investigate new ones.
    Keywords: LOCATIONAL PATTERN,LOGISTIC SPRAWL,NAICS AND SIC,CANADA,ZONE URBAINE,TRANSPORT DE MARCHANDISES,LOGISTIQUE,ENTREPOT,TRANSPORT DE MARCHANDISE
    Date: 2015–06–17
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01254415&r=tre

This nep-tre issue is ©2016 by Erik Teodoor Verhoef. It is provided as is without any express or implied warranty. It may be freely redistributed in whole or in part for any purpose. If distributed in part, please include this notice.
General information on the NEP project can be found at http://nep.repec.org. For comments please write to the director of NEP, Marco Novarese at <director@nep.repec.org>. Put “NEP” in the subject, otherwise your mail may be rejected.
NEP’s infrastructure is sponsored by the School of Economics and Finance of Massey University in New Zealand.