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on Transport Economics |
| By: | Guy Meunier; Jean-Pierre Ponssard (X - École polytechnique) |
| Abstract: | Summary: Hydrogen is a possible alternative to the internal combustion engine, alongside battery-powered vehicles, in the context of reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with transport activities. The costs associated with hydrogen vehicles are currently high, even when considering the greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants avoided by their use. Efforts to reduce these costs, which will determine the social and environmental desirability of hydrogen vehicles, face two challenges : the high cost of refueling, linked to the crucial problem of coordination between development of the vehicle fleet and refueling infrastructure; and high purchase prices, which may decrease when sufficient quantities generate experience effects. This policy brief argues that each of these two handicaps calls for a specific policy design : at a local level for coordination between actors, and at a European level to generate sufficient volumes. The example of hydrogen-powered urban buses offers a telling illustration of these issues.. Key points: The growing importance of the hydrogen sector has been encouraged by various initiatives in France. These initiatives are based on the idea of a regional ecosystem : around a city, a network of local communities, or even a department or a region. The example of hydrogen buses shows that the abatement costs induced by this technology are still too high. The problem lies both in the price of the vehicles and the supply of fuel. Reducing the costs associated with the supply of fuel requires the resolution of coordination problems linked to network effects, which calls for a response at the local level. Achieving vehicle purchase prices low enough to be competitive requires a European approach, which alone makes it possible to reach significant volumes. |
| Date: | 2020–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:ipppap:halshs-03019425&r=all |
| By: | Bottasso, Anna; Conti, Maurizio; Robbiano, Simone; Santagata, Marta |
| Abstract: | In this study we leverage on the ancient Roman roads network as a source of exogenous variation in order to identify the causal effect of the modern highways network on innovation using Italian NUTS-3 regional data. Our results suggest that a 10 percent increase in the highways stock in a region causes an increase in the number of patents of about 2-3 percent over a five years period. We document that this positive effect on innovation might in part be explained by a reduction in travel costs that foster collaborations between inventors living in different regions. We also find that the innovation enhancing effect of highways declines over time, possibly because of the introduction of ICT, or the increasing congestion over the Italian network. Finally, we find also evidence of important heterogeneous treatment effects associated to region population density and we cannot rule out the existence of negative spillovers across regions, suggesting possible reorganization of innovative activity across space. |
| Keywords: | transport infrastructure; innovation; regional growth; policy evaluation |
| JEL: | L91 O33 O47 R11 R41 |
| Date: | 2020–12–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:104735&r=all |
| By: | Helena Mitwallyová (University of Economics) |
| Abstract: | In post-communist countries, generally, the railway used to be neglected way of transportation, despite the railway network is very dense. This paper compares the value of investment into railway infrastructure in selected regions of post communist countries. Using data 1995-2016 the analysis confirms the impact of continuous value of investment in the railway infrastructure and maintenance on the region´s economic prosperity. The article points out the consequences that have arisen due to underestimated investments into the railway infrastructure in recent years deriving from the economic development of these economies. It highlights the necessity to consider the investment into the railway infrastructure from a long-term perspective and analyses the consequences of infrastructure destruction or sudden investment failures that have an immediate negative impact on the economy of the whole country. |
| Keywords: | railway network, investment, economic prosperity |
| JEL: | L92 H54 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:10912803&r=all |
| By: | Green, Colin P. (Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)); Krehic, Lana (Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)) |
| Abstract: | Driving under the influence of alcohol is a major cause of fatalities worldwide. There have been a range of legislative and policy interventions that aim to address this. Bar closing hours is one policy with clear implications for drink driving. Existing evidence, largely drawn from one-off policy changes in urban settings, reports mixed evidence that is difficult to generalise. We return to this issue using a setting, Norway, that is advantageous due to large temporal and regional variation in closing times, frequent changes in closing hours, and a lack of other confounding policy changes. We demonstrate an average zero effect of closing hours on traffic accidents that masks large variations in effects, especially in terms of population density, accident severity, and direction of change in closing hours. Our results suggest that estimates from single policy changes may be difficult to generalise, while demonstrating that closing hours have the potential to generate large effects on traffic accidents. |
| Keywords: | closing hours, alcohol policy, traffic accidents |
| JEL: | I18 R41 |
| Date: | 2020–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp13976&r=all |
| By: | Saboori, Arash |
| Abstract: | The main goal of this dissertation was to develop frameworks, quantitative models, and databases needed to support data-driven, informed, and integrated decision-making in managing the vast transportation infrastructure in California. Such a management system was envisioned to consider both costs and environmental impacts of management decisions, based on full life cycles of the infrastructure, and using reliable, high quality data that well represent local conditions in terms of materials and energy sources, production technologies, design methods, construction practices, and other critical parameters. This PhD research consisted of three parts: 1) development of a comprehensive life cycle inventory (LCI) database for implementation of life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology in transportation infrastructure management in California. 2) Evaluation of current and potential sustainability actions at the state and local government levels through the development of frameworks, models, and datasets needed for objective and accurate quantification of the impacts of management decisions. 3) Assessment of recycling practices available for pavements at their end of life to quantify changes in environmental impacts compared to conventional methods, considering the effects of recycling through the use stage. |
| Keywords: | Engineering, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Infrastructure Management, Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Cost Analysis, Policy Analysis, Predictive Models, Sustainable Transportation |
| Date: | 2020–11–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt8hx398vv&r=all |
| By: | Reich, Michael |
| Abstract: | Uber and Lyft currently treat their California drivers as independent contractors, despite state employment law giving the drivers employee status. The companies claim that drivers are already well-paid and that employee status would bring the industry to its knees. Driver advocates claim that drivers are low-paid and do not receive basic benefits and protections, such as unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation, and that the companies should treat the drivers as employees and adhere to California employment law. I examine here the economic and financial consequences of switching the drivers to employee status. In particular, I examine the effects on pay and employment of the drivers, the effects on passengers, and the profitability of the industry. I find that: most drivers are paid much less than the current minimum wage and that overall compensation of drivers would increase 30 percent; that driver schedule flexibility would not be affected; passenger demand would fall by 1 or 2 percent; and profits of the companies would increase. |
| Keywords: | Social and Behavioral Sciences, gig economy, rideshare, independent contractors, transportation network companies, Uber, Lyft |
| Date: | 2020–10–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:indrel:qt86s4249x&r=all |
| By: | Shaheen, Susan PhD; Wong, Stephen |
| Abstract: | In 2020, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic enveloped the world, leading to a public health crisis that profoundly changed allaspects of society, especially multiple sectors in transportation such as public transit and shared mobility. With so much uncertaintyabout the future of travel, the transportation sector needs to move rapidly to shape the nature of public transit and shared mobilityservices during the COVID-19 recovery period. Consequently, the University of California Institute of Transportation Studies (UC ITS) and the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) Executive Committee launched a scenario planning exercise from June to September 2020 involving 36 transportation experts. The exercise resulted in a series of policy options and research directions across three timeframes (i.e., within 12 months, one to three years, four to six years) that could guide the recovery of the public transit and shared mobility industries. This report offers several key takeaways. First, external forces beyond COVID-19 (e.g., economy, political will, etc.) will significantly drive the future of public transit and shared mobility and determine the effectiveness and feasibility of any policy strategies. Second, while public transit and shared mobility face a dire future in the short run, steps can be taken immediately to reduce the effects of the current crisis, while also laying the groundwork for more sustainable transportation in the future beyond COVID-19. Actions taken to only address the current crisis will not prepare public transit and shared mobility for the future. Finally, future policies and actions will not be effective without in-depth analysis and development. Research and lessons learned from demonstration and pilot projects will be critical for crafting policies, identifying all positive and negative outcomes, and shaping actions toward a future transportation system that is more resilient, socially equitable, and environmentally friendly. |
| Keywords: | Engineering, COVID-19, public transit, shared mobility, forecasting, sustainable transportation, transportation policy, travel behavior, travel demand management, social equity |
| Date: | 2021–01–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt15t657r2&r=all |
| By: | Isiaq O. Oseni (Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria); Ibrahim A. Adekunle (Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria); Ayomide O. Ogunade (Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, Nigeria) |
| Abstract: | In spite of the massive revenue emanating from oil wealth, the successive government of Nigeria failed to give to its citizenry the dividend of democracy owing in large part to their inability to establish a market clearing situation because of inadequate linkage between the sources and the markets (transport infrastructures). An enquiry into the cause and potential solutions to the problems of transport infrastructure development in Nigeria informed the need to regress indices of fiscal vulnerability on the indicator of transport infrastructure development in Nigeria from 1986 through 2017 using the dynamic ordinary least squares regression technique. Results show that high-levelfiscal vulnerability deters optimal government expenditure on transport infrastructure development in Nigeria. Based on the findings of the study, itis recommended that government should do more to block all leakages of fiscal revenues and subsequently ensure that more allocation is channelled into transporting infrastructure development because of its forward and backward linkages. |
| Keywords: | Fiscal Vulnerability; Transport Infrastructure Development; Nigeria |
| JEL: | H5 E44 H12 R4 |
| Date: | 2020–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:abh:wpaper:20/051&r=all |
| By: | Khan, Sakib Mahmud PhD; Fournier, Nicholas PhD; Mauch, Michael PhD; Patire, Anthony D PhD; Skabardonis, Alex PhD |
| Abstract: | This report investigates how Caltrans may incorporate third-party vendor data into its established system for performance measurement to improve accuracy of vehicle hours of delay (VHD) estimates and to enable smarter deployment of point-based sensors, such as loops. Methods are evaluated to project data from multiple sources, including multiple vendors and internal data feeds, onto the same domain of analysis so as to compute performance metrics with high fidelity. The recommended VHD estimation method depends on the infrastructure type and the data available. Overall a hybrid approach provides the best estimates of performance measures. A roadmap is proposed to begin using hybrid traffic data and to create opportunities to modify existing usage strategies of point-based sensors. |
| Keywords: | Engineering, Hybrid Data, Probe Data, Data Quality, Vehicle Hours of Delay, Performance Measurement System, PeMS |
| Date: | 2020–12–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt32b6s0fk&r=all |
| By: | Lara-Pulido, José Alberto (Universidad Iberoamericana, Centro Transdisciplinar Universitario para la Sustentabilidad (CENTRUS)); Martinez-Cruz, Adan (CERE - the Center for Environmental and Resource Economics) |
| Abstract: | Teleworking from home during the COVID-19 pandemic has faced challenges specific to cities of emerging economies -e.g. lack of access to internet. This paper points out that these challenges may be overcome if teleworking is performed from a shared office located within reasonable commuting time from a worker's home. In November and December 2019, a sample of office workers in Mexico City was presented to a discrete choice experiment (DCE) describing alternatives under which they may choose teleworking two days a week from a shared office. Commuting time to shared offices is an attribute taking four values -within 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or 60 minutes walking distance from a worker's home. Availability of spaces to park bikes is another attribute. The price attribute is described as the amount that would be cut from worker's monthly paycheck. Based on random parameter logit specifications, willingness to pay (WTP) for teleworking from a shared office two days a week is estimated at (2019) MXP 1,460 (USD 76.68) on a monthly basis. Average value of one-hour of commuting time is estimated at MXP 73.75 (USD 3.87). Average WTP for bike parking is MXP 280 (USD 14.07) on a monthly basis. |
| Keywords: | Teleworking; near-home shared office; value of commuting time; value of bike parking; discrete choice experiment; Mexico City. |
| JEL: | R39 R41 |
| Date: | 2021–01–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:slucer:2021_002&r=all |
| By: | Gimenez-Nadal, J. Ignacio (University of Zaragoza); Molina, José Alberto (University of Zaragoza); Velilla, Jorge (University of La Rioja) |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the mobility patterns of elder workers in the United States, with a focus on mobility to and from work (e.g., commuting) across metropolitan areas and metropolitan population sizes. Using detailed time diaries from the American Time Use Survey for the years 2003-2018, estimates reveal a positive correlation between the time spent commuting and residing in metropolitan areas, which is also driven by longer commutes in more populated metropolitan areas. Furthermore, elder workers in metropolitan areas of more than 2.5 million inhabitants use more public transports in their commuting trips than similar workers in less-populated or non-metropolitan areas. The analysis presented here may allow policy makers to identify which elder workers may be more affected by the negative consequences of commuting, and also which groups of elder workers have more limitations in their commuting behaviors. |
| Keywords: | commuting time, elder workers, metropolitan areas, population size, American Time Use Survey |
| JEL: | R40 J14 |
| Date: | 2020–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp13949&r=all |