nep-tre New Economics Papers
on Transport Economics
Issue of 2019‒04‒29
twenty papers chosen by
Erik Teodoor Verhoef
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

  1. The State of Electric Vehicle Markets, 2017: Growth Faces an Attention Gap By Kurani, Kenneth S.
  2. Understanding the Impact of Reoccurring and Non-Financial Incentives on Plug-in Electric Vehicle Adoption – A Review By Hardman, Scott
  3. Is It OK to Get in a Car with a Stranger? Risks and Benefits of Ride-pooling in Shared Automated Vehicles By Sanguinetti, Angela; Kurani, Ken; Ferguson, Beth
  4. What Does an Electric Vehicle Replace? By Jianwei Xing; Benjamin Leard; Shanjun Li
  5. Electrifying Ride-Sharing: Transitioning to a Cleaner Future By Jenn, Alan
  6. Exploring the Relationships Among Travel Multimodality, Driving Behavior, Use of Ridehailing and Energy Consumption By Circella, Giovanni; Lee, Yongsung; Alemi, Farzad
  7. The Effects of Ride-Hailing Services on Greenhouse Gas Emissions By Rodier, Caroline; Michaels, Julia
  8. Exploring the Role of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles in Electrifying Passenger Transportation By Hardman, Scott; Plotz, Patrick; Tal, Gil; Axsen, Jonn; Figenbaum, Erik; Karlsson, Sten; Refa, Nazir; Sprei, Frances; Williams, Brett; Whitehead, Jake; Witkamp, Bert
  9. Field Experiment of Variable Speed Advisory (VSA) Final Report By Lu, Xiao-Yun; Spring, John; Wu, Cheng-Ju; Nelson, David; Kan, Yuheng
  10. Evaluating the Transport-Mode-Specific Trade Effects of Different Transport Infrastructure Types By Jan Wessel
  11. Panel Study of Emerging Transportation Technologies and Trends in California: Phase 2 Data Collection By Circella, Giovanni; Matson, Grant; Alemi, Farzad; Handy, Susan
  12. Do Bus Rapid Transit Systems Improve Accessibility to Jobs?: The Case of Lima, Peru By Scholl, Lynn; Oviedo, Daniel; Innao, Marco; Pedraza, Lauramaría
  13. Average Impact and Key Features of Onboard Eco-driving Feedback By Sanguinetti, Angela
  14. Understanding the Impact of Local Policies and Initiatives on Plug-In Electric Vehicle Adoption - An In-Depth Study of the Sacramento Region By Hardman, Scott PhD; Jang, Nora; Garas, Dahlia
  15. A Rapid Road to Employment?: The Impacts of a Bus Rapid Transit System in Lima By Scholl, Lynn; Martínez, Daniel; Mitnik, Oscar A.; Oviedo, Daniel; Yáñez-Pagans, Patricia
  16. Investment in EV charging spots for parking By Brendan Badia; Randall Berry; Ermin Wei
  17. The Producer Surplus Associated with Gasolne Fuel Use in the United States By Sun, Yongling; Delucchi, Mark A.; Lawell, C.-Y. Cynthia L.; Ogden, Joan M.
  18. Electromobility 2035: Economic and labour market effects through the electrification of powertrains in passenger cars By Mönnig, Anke; Schneemann, Christian; Weber, Enzo; Zika, Gerd; Helmrich, Robert
  19. Vermont Agency of Transportation Employee Retention and Knowledge Management Study By McRae, Glenn; Vallett, Carol; Jewiss, Jennifer
  20. Congestion-Responsive On-Ramp Metering: Recommendations toward a Statewide Policy By Lu, Xiao-Yun; Amini, Zahra; Mauch, Michael; Skabardonis, Alexander

  1. By: Kurani, Kenneth S.
    Abstract: Ambitious global goals to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions are motivating a shift to electric vehicles (EVs), which include battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and fuel cell electric vehicles. In 2018, the governor of California called for five million EVs to be on California’s roads by 2030. The International Energy Agency projects a global increase in EVs from 2 million today to 280 million by 2040. Creating sustained market growth to meet such goals presents numerous challenges to all EV stakeholders, including governments, the automobile industry, electricity suppliers, non-governmental organizations, and consumers. This policy brief summarizes the latest in a series of recurring surveys of consumers regarding their awareness and consideration of EVs. Two surveys of the population of car-owning households in California were conducted in February and June of 2017; sample sizes were 1,681 and 1,706, respectively. Several survey questions have been repeated over multiple years in similar samples, allowing comparison to earlier results.
    Keywords: Social and Behavioral Sciences, Automobile ownership, Consumers, Electric vehicles, Market penetration, Market surveys, Plug-in hybrid vehicles, Policy analysis, Zero emission vehicles
    Date: 2019–04–26
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt9435h15r&r=all
  2. By: Hardman, Scott
    Abstract: The market introduction of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) is being partially driven by policy interventions. One type of intervention is reoccurring and non-financial incentives, these differ from financial purchase incentives which are a one-time financial incentive associated with the purchase of a PEV. Reoccurring and non-financial incentives include special lane access for PEVs (e.g. HOV/carpool lanes, bus lanes), parking incentives, charging infrastructure development, road toll fee waivers, and licensing incentives. They also include disincentives such as gasoline tax or annual vehicle taxes. The impact of these incentives differs between regions partially due to differences in traffic conditions, travel patterns, consumer preferences, and other local variations. Due to these differences, it is challenging to rank the importance of these incentives, however existing research shows that they all can have a positive impact on PEV adoption. Policymakers wishing to promote the introduction of PEVs will need to consider local travel patterns, the regulatory environment, and consumer preferences to determine the most viable policy interventions for their region.
    Keywords: Social and Behavioral Sciences
    Date: 2019–01–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt7v13w987&r=all
  3. By: Sanguinetti, Angela; Kurani, Ken; Ferguson, Beth
    Abstract: We currently know little about what to expect regarding ride-pooling in shared automated vehicles (SAVs). Who will be willing to share rides, with whom, and under what conditions? This report details the efforts and results funded by two seed grants that converged on these questions. A broad-based literature review and review of automated vehicle (AV designs) leads to the articulation of potential risks and benefits of the pooled SAV experience and potential design solutions and supports, respectively. Risks could be related to compromised personal space, security, control, and convenience. Design features that might mitigate these risks include large windows to afford a high degree of visibility into and out of the vehicle, spacious seating and legroom (relative to larger shared vehicles like buses, trains, and planes), access to a remote human administrator who can observe inside the vehicle at all times, easy means to program private stops that are nearby one’s ultimate origins and destinations (to maintain privacy), and options for large groups or associations to “own†a particular vehicle (e.g., a female only SAV). Benefits of pooled SAVs could be related to restoration and social capital. Design features that could support these benefits include themed interiors; quizzes, games and ambient entertainment; augmented reality windshields; flexible seating allowing riders to face each other; accommodations for food and drink; ensuring broad access; and making SAVs a canvas for local art. The reports ends with a proposed research agenda highlighting the importance of qualitative engagement with consumers to understand the issues related to: switching to pooled SAVs from various dominant travel modes (e.g., private cars, ride-hailing, public transit); leveraging analogous modes (e.g., pooled ride-hailing) to study the potential of pooled SAVs; and conducting experiments to understand the influence of various features of the pooled SAV experience that will impact consumer adoption. This report can inform SAV designers, policy-makers, private transit service providers, and other stakeholders about behavioral and design factors that will impact uptake of pooled SAVs.
    Keywords: Engineering, Intelligent vehicles, vehicle sharing, risk analysis, policy analysis, safety and security, passengers, behavior
    Date: 2019–02–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt1cb6n6r9&r=all
  4. By: Jianwei Xing; Benjamin Leard; Shanjun Li
    Abstract: The emissions reductions from the adoption of a new transportation technology depend on the emissions from the new technology relative to those from the displaced technology. We evaluate the emissions reductions from electric vehicles (EVs) by identifying which vehicles would have been purchased had EVs not been available. We do so by estimating a random coefficients discrete choice model of new vehicle demand and simulating counterfactual sales with EVs no longer subsidized or removed from the new vehicle market. Our results suggest that vehicles that EVs replace are relatively fuel-efficient: EVs replace gasoline vehicles with an average fuel economy of 4.2 mpg above the fleet-wide average and 12 percent of them replace hybrid vehicles. Federal income tax credits resulted in a 29 percent increase in EV sales, but 70 percent of the credits were obtained by households that would have bought an EV without the credits. By simulating alternative subsidy designs, we demonstrate the distributional and efficiency outcomes across different policy alternatives.
    JEL: Q4 Q48 Q55
    Date: 2019–04
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:25771&r=all
  5. By: Jenn, Alan
    Abstract: Incentives for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are typically designed to encourage broad consumer adoption of the new technology. However, maximizing the emissions benefits from electrifying the transportation sector also requires incentives targeted at stakeholders with high travel intensity, i.e., those with particularly high passenger occupancy and/or vehicle-miles traveled (VMT). This policy brief focuses on one such class of stakeholders: transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft. It examines empirical data of electric vehicle use in TNCs and discusses research findings on the potential impacts of electrifying TNCs. It also raises important considerations for the development of future policy. View the NCST Project Webpage
    Keywords: Engineering, Social and Behavioral Sciences, electric vehicles, vehicle miles traveled, incentives, plug-in electric vehicles, transportation network companies, ridesharing
    Date: 2019–01–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt12s554kd&r=all
  6. By: Circella, Giovanni; Lee, Yongsung; Alemi, Farzad
    Abstract: In the last decade, advances in information and communication technologies and the introduction of the shared economy engendered new forms of transportation options and, in particular, shared mobility. Shared mobility services such as carsharing (e.g., Zipcar and Car2go), dynamic ridesharing (e.g., Carma), ridehailing (e.g., Uber and Lyft), and bike/scooter sharing (e.g., CitiBike, Jump Bike, Bird, and Lime) have gained growing popularity especially among subgroups in the population including college-educated or urban-oriented young adults (e.g., millennials). These emerging transportation services have evolved at an unprecedented pace, and new business models and smartphone applications are frequently introduced to the market. However, their fast-changing nature and lack of relevant data have placed difficulties on research projects that aim to gain a better understanding of the adoption/use patterns of such emerging services, not to mention their impacts on various components of travel behavior and transportation policy and planning, and their related environmental impacts. This report builds on an on-going research effort that investigates emerging mobility patterns and the adoption of new mobility services. In this report, the authors focus on the environmental impacts of various modality styles and the frequency of ridehailing use among a sample of millennials (i.e., born from 1981 to 1997) and members of the preceding Generation X (i.e., born from 1965 to 1980). The total sample for the analysis included in this report includes 1,785 individuals who participated in a survey administered in Fall 2015 in California. In this study, the researchers focus on the vehicle miles traveled, the energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for transportation purposes of various groups of travelers. They identify four latent classes in the sample based on the respondents’ reported use of various travel modes: drivers, active travelers, transit riders, and car passengers. They further divide each latent class into three groups based on their reported frequency of ridehailing use: non-users, occasional users (who use ridehailing less than once a month), and regular users (who use it at least once a month). The energy consumption and GHG emissions associated with driving a personal vehicle and using ridehailing services are computed for the individuals in each of these groups (12 subgroups), and the authors discuss sociodemographics and economic characteristics, and travel-related and residential choices, of the individuals in each subgroup. View the NCST Project Webpage
    Keywords: Social and Behavioral Sciences, Demographics, Energy consumption, Greenhouse gases, Mobility, Mode choice, Travel behavior, Travel surveys, Vehicle sharing
    Date: 2019–01–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt31v7z2vf&r=all
  7. By: Rodier, Caroline; Michaels, Julia
    Abstract: Ride-hailing services, which allow consumers to order and pay for rides through smart phone applications, have grown to a substantial proportion of the transportation market. Today, an estimated 15% of adults across the U.S. and 21% living in major U.S. cities have used ride-hailing services. The growth of ride-hailing services has raised questions about their overall effects on the transportation system. While they clearly offer a new form of mobility, there is concern they may increase congestion and air pollutant emissions. A limited number of studies have attempted to quanitfy changes associated with the increased use of ride hailing services. UC Davis researchers examined how ride-hailing affects the total amount of driving (measured in vehicle miles traveled, VMT) as well as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The researchers developed a framework of categories for analyzing the multiple aspects of transportation that may be affected by ride-hailing. These categories are: automobile ownership; number of vehicle trips generated; choice of mode of travel; empty (passenger-less) travel between drop-off and pick-up points, known as “network travel†; and destination choice and land use. Thirteen (13) studies were analyzed using this new framework: 8 used surveys of riders or recorded data on rider and driver activity; and 5 used simulated (“modeled†) travel in and around cities by automated taxis. By compiling multiple studies in the framework, stronger and more certain conclusions could be reached. View the NCST Project Webpage
    Keywords: Engineering, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Automobile ownership, Greenhouse gases, Mode choice, Travel behavior, Trip generation, Vehicle miles of travel
    Date: 2019–02–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt4vz52416&r=all
  8. By: Hardman, Scott; Plotz, Patrick; Tal, Gil; Axsen, Jonn; Figenbaum, Erik; Karlsson, Sten; Refa, Nazir; Sprei, Frances; Williams, Brett; Whitehead, Jake; Witkamp, Bert
    Abstract: Key Takeaways 1. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have an important role in the electrifi cation of passenger transportation. Long-range PHEVs not only are a transitional technology. They also are an enabling technology that can encourage more consumers to adopt electric vehicles. 2. The electric range of PHEVs has a signifi cant impact on electric vehicle miles traveled. PHEVs with electric range of at least 60km (37 miles (EPA Range)) have a similar ability to electrify travel as short-range battery electric vehicles (BEVs). 3. Assuming the goal of policymakers is to increase electric vehicle miles traveled, policy support should correspond directly to electric driving range of both PHEVs and BEVs. Short-range PHEVs should receive less policy support; long-range PHEVs and BEVs should receive more policy support. 4. Consumer research in several countries shows that mainstream consumers tend to be more attracted to PHEVs than to BEVs, however many consumers are unaware of how a PHEV diff ers from a BEV. Consumers and car dealerships need to be educated about PHEVs, their benefi ts, and the importance of charging the vehicles.
    Keywords: Social and Behavioral Sciences, electric vehicles, policy, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles
    Date: 2019–04–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt3w53q2h9&r=all
  9. By: Lu, Xiao-Yun; Spring, John; Wu, Cheng-Ju; Nelson, David; Kan, Yuheng
    Abstract: This report documents the field test of Variable Speed Advisory (VSA) which is an Active Traffic Management strategy. The test site for the VSA is on State Route 78 Eastbound (SR-78E) from Vista Village Drive (in the City of Vista) to the freeway interchange point of SR-78E and U.S. Route 15 (in the city of Escondido). This test segment is a three-lane freeway with a posted speed limit of 65 mph and it has 10 on-ramps and 10 off-ramps. The project was funded by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Division of Research Innovation and System Information (DRISI) under Contract Number 65A0587. Real-time traffic detector data including flow, speed, and occupancy from pre-existing loop detectors in the field test site, were transmitted via the internet by engineers at Caltrans District 11 (D11) Transportation Management Center (TMC) to a server located in the offices of California Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology (PATH). This data was then aggregated with real time speed data, captured every 30s [seconds] by radar equipment installed along with solar panel powered LED display equipment, for the display of a VSA, at 7 different sites along a 10.8 mile section of SR 78E. These two sources of data were then processed for the estimation of the overall traffic state along the corridor, which was in-turn used to calculate the VSA for each section in order to maximize overall traffic throughput through recurrent bottlenecks on SR-78E. Calculated VSA values were then rounded to multiples of 5 mph and displayed on the VSA signs. Public outreach was conducted by Caltrans D11 Public Information Office (PIO) to educate the public about the VSA test, and encourage their compliance with posted speed advisories. A publicly accessible website was also developed for the real-time display of Google Traffic, traffic state, and VSAs displayed in the field. This site was used extensively by Caltrans management, the project team, and by the public drivers. After different stages of the system development, integration, and installation process were completed, a progressive test procedure was executed to mitigate any potential negative impacts on traffic operation. This procedure included dry-runs (saving data for analysis without roadside display), error detection, system tuning, preliminary testing, and extensive tests for data collection for four weeks. The results of the performance analysis, conducted with an independent PeMS data set, illustrated an improvement in three performance measures for the AM (6-9AM) peak hours: Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) increased by 2.72%; Vehicle Hours Traveled (VHT) decreased by 6.28%, and the average speed over the road segment or Q=VMT/VHT increased by 8.71%. In PM peak hours (2-7PM), two of the three performance measures improved: VMT did not have noticeable improvement; VHT decreased by 1.47% on average; and Q increased by 2.80% on average.
    Keywords: Engineering, traffic detection, traffic speed, congestion, freeway traffic management, field operational test, bottleneck, Variable Speed Advisory (VSA), driver compliance, VSA performance analysis, VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled), VHT (Vehicle Hours Traveled)
    Date: 2019–03–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt5zd5h82k&r=all
  10. By: Jan Wessel (Institute of Transport Economics, Muenster)
    Abstract: Both qualitative and quantitative improvements for five different transport infrastructure types are evaluated with respect to their transport-mode-specific trade effects. Strong trade increases are found for survey-based quality indicators of airport and railroad infrastructure. For road trade, the road density is more important than the quality of road infrastructure. Additionally, the infrastructure quality of transit countries is an important trade flow driver of the land transport modes road and railroad. For the analysis of these effects, I use a gravity equation model with European trade flows that are disaggregated over five different transport modes. In combination with the quality and quantity indicators for each corresponding type of transport infrastructure, it is possible to directly estimate the unique trade effects for each infrastructure type. Moreover, a novel cross-mode analysis is conducted to estimate interdependencies and cross-effects that exist between different transport infrastructure types and different transport modes.
    Keywords: Transport Infrastructure, Bilateral Trade, Gravity Equations.
    JEL: F14 F17 R40 O18
    Date: 2019–02
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mut:wpaper:27&r=all
  11. By: Circella, Giovanni; Matson, Grant; Alemi, Farzad; Handy, Susan
    Abstract: Individual travel options are quickly shifting due to changes in sociodemographics, individual lifestyles, the increased availability of modern communication devices (smartphones, in particular) and the adoption of emerging transportation technologies and shared-mobility services. These changes are transforming travel-related decision-making in the population at large, and especially among specific groups such as young adults (e.g., “millennials†) and the residents of urban areas. This panel study improves the understanding of the impacts of emerging technologies and transportation trends through the application of a unique longitudinal approach. The authors build on the research efforts that led to the collection of the 2015 California Millennials Dataset and complement them with a second wave of data collection carried out during 2018, generating a longitudinal study of emerging transportation trends with a rotating panel structure. The use of longitudinal data allows researchers to better assess the impacts of lifecycle, periods and generational effects on travel-related choices, and analyze components of travel behavior such as the use of shared mobility services among various segments of the population and its impact on vehicle ownership over time. Further, it helps researchers evaluate causal relationships between variables, thus supporting the development of better-informed policies to promote transportation sustainability. View the NCST Project Webpage
    Keywords: Social and Behavioral Sciences, Intelligent vehicles, Mobility, Mode choice, Surveys, Technological innovations, Travel behavior, Travel surveys, Vehicle sharing
    Date: 2019–01–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt35x894mg&r=all
  12. By: Scholl, Lynn; Oviedo, Daniel; Innao, Marco; Pedraza, Lauramaría
    Abstract: Investments in public transit infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean often aim to reduce spatial and social inequalities by improving accessibility to jobs and other opportunities. The Metropolitano, Lima’s BRT project at inception, had, as one of its central goals, to connect low income populations living in the peripheries to jobs in the city center. We examine the contribution of Lima’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system to accessibility to employment in the city, particularly for low-income public transit users. We build on secondary datasets of employment, household socio-demographics and Origin-Destination surveys before and after the BRT began operations to assess its effects on potential accessibility to employment. Findings suggest that the BRT line reduced travel times to reach jobs, in comparison with traditional public transport in the city, amongst populations living within walking distance of the system. However, we also find that the coverage of the BRT is minimal in areas with high concentrations of poor and extreme poor populations, limiting the equitability of the accessibility improvements. We present a reflection on the distributional effects of BRT infrastructure and services, discussing policy avenues that can improve the prospects for BRT system investments to include the poor in their mobility benefits.
    Date: 2019–02
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:9451&r=all
  13. By: Sanguinetti, Angela
    Abstract: Driver behavior has a significant impact on vehicle fuel economy and emissions. Eco-driving refers to anything a driver can do to improve on-road fuel economy. The most common strategy used to promote eco-driving is an in-vehicle display that provides the driver with feedback about their fuel efficiency, typically in real-time. This policy brief summarizes findings from an extensive review and analysis of many studies of eco-driving feedback conducted to determine the average impact of feedback on fuel economy and improve understanding of what types of feedback are most effective. The study provides the most accurate estimate to-date of the average impact of in-vehicle feedback on fuel economy and summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding characteristics of eco-driving feedback interventions that determine effectiveness. View the NCST Project Webpage
    Keywords: Social and Behavioral Sciences, Behavior, Ecodriving, Exhaust gases, Feedback control, Fuel consumption, Graphical user interfaces, Instrument panels, Vehicle design
    Date: 2019–02–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt8f881319&r=all
  14. By: Hardman, Scott PhD; Jang, Nora; Garas, Dahlia
    Abstract: The survey project described here is intended to be the beginning of a multi-year project on the effectiveness of various activities in growing consumer interest in purchasing BEVs in the Sacramento region. This survey in Sacramento shows that engagement in PEVs is moderate, based on the following results: 50% of respondents had seen some PEV-related advertising, mostly on television or in print media; 47% were aware of the California Clean Vehicle Rebate, and 46% aware of the federal tax credit; 40% could correctly name a PHEV, and 50% a BEV; 25% had sought out information on PEVs, mostly through the internet or speaking to car salespeople, friends, or family. Compared to respondents to a 2014 state-wide survey, a higher percentage of respondents to this 2018 Sacramento survey had seen charging stations, and a similar percentage, 3.3%, had actively shopped for a BEV. Ordinal logistic regression modelling indicated that the following factors were associated with having considered purchasing a BEV: being enthusiastic about PEVs, knowing someone by name who owns a PEV, having sought out information on PEVs, knowing how to refuel a PEV, and being familiar with the vehicles. Considering a BEV purchase was not associated with: having seen advertising, being aware of ride-and-drive events, having been in a PEV, having seen chargers, awareness of incentives, or the density of PEVs or charging stations near the respondent’s home. Results suggest that respondents who are interested in BEVs are a self-selecting group whose interest is not the result of promotional activities. Existing efforts to engage the general population not yet had a significant impact on respondents thinking about purchasing a BEV. Future follow-up surveys will be able to track changes in respondent awareness, the impact of various advertising and awareness campaigns, and growing consumer engagement in PEVs over time.
    Keywords: Engineering, Plug-in hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, surveys, incentives, automobile ownership, policy analysis
    Date: 2019–03–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt2zc5c6hn&r=all
  15. By: Scholl, Lynn; Martínez, Daniel; Mitnik, Oscar A.; Oviedo, Daniel; Yáñez-Pagans, Patricia
    Abstract: Despite the growing interest in and proliferation of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems around the world, their causal impacts on labor market outcomes remain unexplored. Reduced travel times for those who live near BRT stations or near feeder lines, may increase access to a wider array of job opportunities, potentially leading to increased rates of employment, access to higher quality (or formal) jobs, and increased labor hours and earnings. This paper assesses the effects of the Metropolitano, a BRT system in Lima (Peru), on individual-level job market outcomes. We rely on a difference-in-differences empirical strategy, based on comparing individuals who live close to the BRT system with a comparison group that lives farther from the system, before and after the system started to operate. We find large impacts on employment, hours worked and labor earnings for those individuals close to the BRT stations, but not for those who live close to the feeder lines. Despite the potential to connect poor populations, we find no evidence of impacts for populations living in lower income areas.
    Date: 2019–02
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:9452&r=all
  16. By: Brendan Badia; Randall Berry; Ermin Wei
    Abstract: As demand for electric vehicles (EVs) is expanding, meeting the need for charging infrastructure, especially in urban areas, has become a critical issue. One method of adding charging stations is to install them at parking spots. This increases the value of these spots to EV drivers needing to charge their vehicles. However, there is a cost to constructing these spots and such spots may preclude drivers not needing to charge from using them, reducing the parking options for such drivers\color{black}. We look at two models for how decisions surrounding investment in charging stations on existing parking spots may be undertaken. First, we analyze two firms who compete over installing stations under government set mandates or subsidies. Given the cost of constructing spots and the competitiveness of the markets, we find it is ambiguous whether setting higher mandates or higher subsidies for spot construction leads to better aggregate outcomes. Second, we look at a system operator who faces uncertainty on the size of the EV market. If they are risk neutral, we find a relatively small change in the uncertainty of the EV market can lead to large changes in the optimal charging capacity.
    Date: 2019–04
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:1904.09967&r=all
  17. By: Sun, Yongling; Delucchi, Mark A.; Lawell, C.-Y. Cynthia L.; Ogden, Joan M.
    Abstract: Estimating the producer surplus – the revenue above the average long-run cost – is an important part of social cost-benefit analyses of changes in petroleum use. This paper estimates the producer surplus associated with changes in gasoline fuel use in the United States, and then applies the estimates of producer surplus to two kinds of social cost-benefit analyses related to petroleum use: (1) estimating the wealth transfer from consumers to producers as a result of policies that affect oil use and oil imports to the US, and (2) comparing the actual average cost of gasoline with the average cost of environmentally superior alternatives to gasoline, such as hydrogen. Our results show that a 50% reduction in gasoline use in the US in 2004 would have saved the US $72 billion in producer surplus payments to foreign oil producers. Applying our estimates to the comparison of the social lifetime cost of hydrogen vehicles versus gasoline vehicles, we find that inconsistently counting producer surplus from a US national perspective while counting climate change damages from a global perspective can overstate the present value lifetime costs of gasoline vehicles by $2,200 to $9,800 per vehicle.
    Keywords: Social and Behavioral Sciences, oil, marginal costs, producer surplus, gasoline, wealth transfer, drilling costs, exploratory wells, development wells
    Date: 2019–01–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt0591r5x3&r=all
  18. By: Mönnig, Anke; Schneemann, Christian (Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany]); Weber, Enzo (Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany]); Zika, Gerd (Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany]); Helmrich, Robert
    Abstract: "This study focuses on the economic effects of the phenomenon of the electrification of powertrains in passenger cars (e-mobility). The automotive industry is one of the leading sectors in Germany and the country is one of the world's leading car producers. Therefore the economic impact could be extensive. Using the scenario technique, a number of assumptions have been made and integrated into the QINFORGE analytical tool. At the beginning of the scenario, the underlying assumptions have a positive effect on the economic development. However, in the long run they lead to a lower GDP and level of employment. The change in technology will lead to 114,000 job cuts by the end of 2035. The economy as a whole will lose nearly 20 billion euros (0.6 % of the GDP). In the scenario, we assumed a share of only 23 percent of electric cars as compared to all new registered cars in 2035. The electrification of powertrains will have negative effects especially on skilled workers. The demand for specialist and expert activities will also decrease with a time delay. A much higher market penetration could lead to stronger economic effects. Furthermore, a higher market share of domestically produced cars and traction batteries could generate more positive economic effects." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
    JEL: E17 E23 E24 E27
    Date: 2019–04–15
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iab:iabdpa:201908&r=all
  19. By: McRae, Glenn; Vallett, Carol; Jewiss, Jennifer
    Abstract: Employee retention is a critical issue for organizations of all types. Public sector groups such as the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) are no exception. Not only can the costs of recruitment, training, and orientation approach 100% of the annual salary for the position being filled, but work disruption and loss of organizational memory can impact organization performance. Vermont is not alone in facing a transportation workforce challenge. A recent publication from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program for state departments of transportation stresses the importance of knowledge management (KM) in these organizations and provides guidelines for enhancing retention and talent management, two key issues to an effective workforce. As the report acknowledges, the constraints of retirements, departing mid-career employees, and the changing workplace expectations of the millennial generation all play into an organization that may face a steady decline in resilience, unless a clear plan is in place to address retention and implement KM practices. Recognizing these critical issues, VTrans leaders embraced an applied research project intended to assess the state of both retention and KM at the agency and develop pilot projects to address both areas. This policy brief summarizes the findings of that study. View the NCST Project Webpage
    Keywords: Social and Behavioral Sciences, Employees, Knowledge management, Labor force, Strategic planning
    Date: 2019–01–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt81b5c065&r=all
  20. By: Lu, Xiao-Yun; Amini, Zahra; Mauch, Michael; Skabardonis, Alexander
    Abstract: The objective of this project was to develop recommendations toward a statewide policy of congestion responsive freeway ramp metering (CRRM) operation. The research has been performed in the following approaches: First an empirical “before†and “after†freeway corridor performance evaluation was performed on a selected set of California’s freeway corridors that had implemented congestion responsive ramp metering. Next, other important policy and operational factors that impact the effectiveness of extended hours ramp metering were evaluated: traffic detector health and data quality and their potential impact on CRRM operation, immediate operation hours, ramp metering (RM) light setting to “Green-Ball†or “Black†, on-ramp storage capacity effects and some alternative solutions to reduce/avoid queue-override, and properly handling institutional relevant issues to gain support from local jurisdictions. The corresponding recommendations are included in this report.
    Keywords: Engineering
    Date: 2019–01–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt57w7f6zd&r=all

This nep-tre issue is ©2019 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.