|
on Transport Economics |
| By: | Christopher R. Knittel; Gilbert E. Metcalf; Shereein Saraf |
| Abstract: | With the increase in fuel economy of the personal transportation fleet along with the increased penetration of hybrid and electric vehicles, federal motor vehicle fuel excise tax revenue has been steadily declining. This has led to calls for finding a replacement for this tax. One option is to replace the gas tax with a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax. To investigate the impact of such a tax swap, we combine data from the 2017 National Household Transportation Survey (NHTS) and the American Community Survey (ACS). Using machine learning techniques, we generate estimates of VMT and gasoline tax collections at the census tract level. This allows us to explore the distributional implications of this tax swap at a geographically disaggregated level. We find, as have previous researchers, that this tax swap is modestly progressive. Our more granular geographic analysis highlights striking disparities not previously reported. We find that rural areas and census tracts in the center of the country generally benefit from this tax swap, while urban and bicoastal areas generally experience higher taxation. Additionally, Republican-leaning districts, which overlap significantly with rural areas, see marked gains compared to Democratic districts. |
| JEL: | H22 H23 Q48 R48 |
| Date: | 2025–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:33894 |
| By: | Elena Lutz; Sam Heroy; David Kaufmann; Neave O'Clery |
| Abstract: | Transport infrastructure is vital to the functioning of cities. However, assessing the impact of transport policies on urban mobility and behaviour is often costly and time-consuming, particularly in low-data environments. We demonstrate how GPS location data derived from smartphones, available at high spatial granularity and in near real time, can be used to conduct causal impact evaluation, capturing broad mobility and interaction patterns beyond the scope of traditional sources such as surveys or administrative data. We illustrate this approach by assessing the impact of a 2018 cable car system connecting a peripheral low-income neighbourhood in Bogota to the bus rapid transit (BRT) system. Using a difference-in-differences event study design, we compare people living near the new cable car line to people living in similar areas near planned stations of a future line. We find that the cable car increased mobility by approximately 6.5 trips per person per month, with most trips within the local neighbourhood and to the city centre. However, we find limited evidence of increased encounters between the low income cable car residents and other socioeconomic groups, suggesting that while the cable car improved access to urban amenities and quality of life, its impact on everyday socioeconomic mixing was more modest. Our study highlights the potential of mobile phone data to capture previously hard-to-measure outcomes of transport policies, such as socioeconomic mixing. |
| Date: | 2025–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2506.09311 |
| By: | Boarnet, Marlon G; Comandon, Andre |
| Abstract: | This project reviews and summarizes empirical evidence for a selection of transportation and land use policies, infrastructure investments, demand management programs, and pricing policies for reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The project explicitly considers social equity (fairness that accounts for differences in opportunity) and justice (equity of social systems) for the strategies and their outcomes. Each brief identifies the best available evidence in the peer-reviewed academic literature and has detailed discussions of study selection and methodological issues. |
| Keywords: | Engineering, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Date: | 2025–04–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt4xz587jc |
| By: | Daniel Björkegren; Alice Duhaut; Geetika Nagpal; Nick Tsivanidis |
| Abstract: | Private minibuses dominate transport in many developing country cities. They serve 62% of trips in Lagos, the largest city in sub-Saharan Africa. We collect panel data to measure how private minibuses respond to the rollout of a new public bus network. When the government enters a route, minibuses depart less frequently, driver profits fall, and drivers switch to connected routes, reducing prices. We develop a custom app to estimate how commuters trade off prices and wait times in an RCT. The private response harms commuters on treated routes, who wait longer, but benefits those on connected routes, who face only lower prices. Overall, 10% of the commuter welfare gains of building the public transit system arise from the response of private transit. Drivers lose welfare equal to half of the commuter gains. |
| JEL: | O1 R0 |
| Date: | 2025–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:33899 |
| By: | Echeverría, Lucía; Gimenez-Nadal, J. Ignacio; Molina, José Alberto |
| Abstract: | Prior studies show men commute longer than women, often due to household responsibilities. However, research on commuting differences within couples is limited. This study examines gender gaps in commuting times and mode choices among dual-earner couples in Spain, Italy, South Korea, and the UK. Using Ordinary Least Squares regressions, we find that the presence of children significantly increases gender gaps in commuting times in Italy and the UK, supporting the household responsibility hypothesis. Conversely, no significant link between children and gender gaps is observed in Spain and Korea. Additionally, children's presence affects commuting mode choices in Italy across all modes, and in Korea for public transit only, with Italian women showing the most changes in commuting mode when children are present. |
| Keywords: | Commuting; Usos del Tiempo; Brecha de Género; España; Italia; Corea del Sur; Reino Unido; |
| Date: | 2024–09–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nmp:nuland:4334 |
| By: | Bluhm, Richard; Dreher, Axel; Fuchs, Andreas; Parks, Bradley C.; Strange, Austin M.; Tierney, Michael J. |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the causal effect of transport infrastructure on the spatial distribution of economic activity within subnational regions across a large number of developing countries. To do so, we introduce a new global dataset of geolocated Chinese grant- and loan-financed development projects from 2000 to 2014 and combine it with measures of spatial concentration based on remotely sensed data. We find that Chinese financed transportation projects decentralize economic activity within regions, as measured by a spatial Gini coefficient, by 2.2 percentage points. The treatment effects are particularly strong in regions that are less developed, more urbanized, and located closer to cities. |
| Keywords: | Development finance, Transport costsInfrastructure, Foreign aid, Spatial concentration, China |
| JEL: | F35 R11 R12 P33 O18 O19 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:ifwkie:318203 |
| By: | Bruno T. Rocha; Patrícia C. Melo; Rui Colaço; João de Abreu e Silva; Nuno Afonso |
| Abstract: | As urban land increased in mainland Portugal by 55.9% between 1990 and 2012 and the country developed an extensive motorway network between the 1980s and the early 2010s, we set out to investigate the effect of motorways on urban sprawl across mainland municipalities. We document the evolution of urban sprawl for these 275 municipalities across several dimensions, including the population density of urban land, its degree of fragmentation and shape irregularity (which we combine in a summary “total interface” indicator), and the differences between the central urban unit and the remaining “peripheral” urban land. Given that the spatial distribution of motorways is likely to be endogenous, we use road itineraries from the 18th century as an instrumental variable. Our results suggest that motorways contributed to the fragmentation of urban land into numerous urban patches. Also, we identify important within-municipality heterogenous effects, in that motorways did not cause the contiguous growth of the central urban unit (typically the largest urban unit in each municipality) but, conversely, appeared to contribute in a significant manner to the development of peripheral urban land. There is also some evidence that motorways contributed to an increase in the shape irregularity of urban areas. Finally, we show that motorways caused a decrease in urban population density, but only in the relatively small group of more urbanised municipalities. |
| Keywords: | Urban sprawl; urban land; urban fragmentation; motorways; transport accessibility; instrumental variables; Portugal. |
| Date: | 2025–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ise:remwps:wp03802025 |
| By: | Yves Jégourel |
| Abstract: | Lithium prices have plummeted over the past two years, while demand is set to rise sharply to fuel the planned boom in electric vehicles and "clean tech". Is this a paradox, or is it typical of global commodity markets where instability is the rule and geostrategy plays a key role? An analysis of the mechanisms at work in the market for this strategic resource is needed to understand the shape this market may take over the next few years. |
| Date: | 2025–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ocp:pbcoen:pb015_25_2 |
| By: | Lee, Seungjin; Mazarei Saadabadi, Kasra; Martinez-Morales, Alfredo A. |
| Abstract: | This white paper evaluates the feasibility of solar-powered bike paths in California, integrating renewable energy generation with sustainable transportation. Drawing on global case studies—including Germany’s solar cycle path roofing project, the Netherlands’ SolaRoad, and South Korea’s solar-integrated bike path—the study highlights the environmental, economic, and technical benefits of these systems. A conceptual case study along the Santa Ana River Trail in Riverside, California, modeled a 1 megawatt solar bike path capable of producing 2, 022, 041 kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually and offsetting 734 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The analysis used advanced tools like PVWatts (a solar energy output estimation tool), System Advisor Model (SAM), and Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) to assess energy production, financial viability, and job creation. The Riverside project demonstrated a levelized cost of energy of 12.64 cents per kWh and job creation of 20.4 construction jobs and 0.2 operational jobs, confirming financial feasibility for pilot-scale projects. However, challenges such as high upfront costs, maintenance demands, and regulatory complexities must be addressedthrough modular designs and streamlined permitting processes. Key recommendations include leveraging public-private partnerships, prioritizing equity in project siting to benefit underserved communities, and initiating pilot projects in high-visibility areas to demonstrate feasibility and catalyze adoption. Solar bike paths represent a scalable solution to advance California’s climate goals, integrating renewable energy with urban infrastructure to create a cleaner, more equitable future. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Engineering, GIS, solar bike paths, geospatial analysis, ArcGIS, System Advisor Model, JEDI model, PVWatts, renewable energy analysis |
| Date: | 2025–06–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt97k9r1f0 |
| By: | Garlick, Robert (Duke University); Field, Erica (Duke University); Vyborny, Kate (World Bank) |
| Abstract: | We study whether commuting barriers constrain women’s labor supply in urban Pakistan. We randomize offers of gender-segregated or mixed-gender commuting services at varying prices. Women-only transport more than doubles job application rates, while mixed-gender transport has minimal effects on men’s and women’s application rates. Women value the women-only service more than large price discounts for the mixed-gender service. Results are similar for baseline labor force participants and non-participants, suggesting there are many “latent jobseekers” close to the margin of participation. These findings highlight the importance of safety and propriety concerns in women’s labor decisions. |
| Keywords: | gender, mobility, transport, female labor force participation |
| JEL: | J16 J22 J28 L91 |
| Date: | 2025–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17883 |
| By: | Cèlia Estruch-Garcia (Universitat de Barcelona & IEB); Albert Solé-Ollé (Universitat de Barcelona & IEB); Filippo Tassinari (Universitat Pompeu Fabra & BSE & IEB); Elisabet Viladecans-Marsal (Universitat de Barcelona & IEB & CEPR) |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the electoral effects of Barcelona's Superblocks pedestrianization policy, a green initiative designed to reduce car traffic and enhance urban environments. Using census tract-level data from the 2023 local elections, we assess the policy's impact on support for the incumbent mayor. Our findings reveal a positive and statistically significant increase in votes in areas directly affected by the policy, with benefits also extending to neighboring districts. Importantly, there is no evidence that the intervention led to traffic displacement, which suggests that such disruptions did not provoke electoral backlash. Further analysis indicates that the policy's effects are not driven by concerns over gentrification or mobility disruptions. Instead, the effects are stronger in more educated neighborhoods, pointing to the role of environmental attitudes in shaping political support. These results contribute to the literature on the political economy of green policies, underscoring the importance of localized impacts in shaping electoral outcomes and sustaining públic support for urban climate initiatives. |
| Keywords: | Green policies, Cities, Elections |
| JEL: | D72 Q58 R53 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ieb:wpaper:doc2025-01 |
| By: | Soukhov, Anastasia; Pereira, Rafael H. M.; Higgins, Christopher D.; Paez, Antonio |
| Abstract: | Transportation planning has long prioritized the efficiency of movement, or mobility. However, the concept of accessibility represents a more comprehensive evolution, shifting focus from mere movement to the potential to reach (i.e., spatially interact) with desired destinations. Despite growing recognition of accessibility-based planning approaches, the concept remains fragmented, with inconsistent definitions and unclear interpretations. This work's aim is to clarify and unify the concept of accessibility by connecting it into spatial interaction modeling. We demonstrate that widely used mobility and accessibility models, such as gravity-based accessibility and spatial interaction models, share common theoretical roots. From this foundation, this paper offers three contributions: (A) we introduce a family of accessibility measures within the principles of spatial interaction, and (B) formally define four members of the family, namely the 'unconstrained' measure (i.e., Hansen-type accessibility), the 'total constrained' measure (i.e., a constrained version of the Hansen-type accessibility), the 'singly constrained' measure (i.e., related to the popular two step floating catchment approach - 2SFCA), and the 'doubly constrained' measure representing realized interactions or 'access', effectively equal to the doubly constrained spatial interaction model; and (C) we demonstrate the interpretability advantages of the family, as these constrained accessibility measures yield values in units of the number of potential "opportunities for spatial interaction" or "population for spatial interaction" for each zone and zonal flow. The family of accessibility measures proposed here clarifies the concept of 'potential' in accessibility, demonstrates theoretical and formulaic linkages across popular accessibility and spatial interaction models, and reintroduces measurement units into accessibility measures. By doing so, we believe this family of measures can unlock a clearer, more interpretable, and cohesive foundation for accessibility analysis. |
| Date: | 2025–05–23 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:a9dxb_v1 |
| By: | Manabu Nose (Faculty of Economics, Keio University.); Yasuyuki Sawada (Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo); Tung Nguyen (Graduate School of Economics, Hitotsubashi University.) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the nonlinear effects of a large-scale highway construction project in the Greater Mekong Subregion, which connects the historically conflict-affected borderlands of northern Vietnam to the country’s industrial core. Employing a market access framework with geo-coded highway network and firm-level panel data, we estimate the causal impact of improved interregional connectivity, while accounting for spillovers via production input-output linkages. To address endogeneity issues arising from non-random route placements, we construct least-cost path spanning tree networks. Our instrumental variable estimates reveal that enhanced market access spurred manufacturing firm agglomeration and employment growth, particularly in peripheral rural areas. We further explore the underlying sources of polycentric development patterns, finding pronounced effects in second-tier cities characterized by less intense competition and better access to national road networks. Our findings are robust to controls for industrial zones, underscoring the pivotal role of the upgraded highway connectivity in transforming previously marginalized regions and supporting economy-wide industrialization over the past decade. |
| Date: | 2025–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tky:fseres:2025cf1251 |