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on Transport Economics |
| By: | Treb Allen; Woan Foong Wong; Simon Fuchs |
| Abstract: | How do we evaluate the welfare gains from transportation infrastructure investment? We present a quantitative spatial framework that integrates both traffic and economic responses to infrastructure investment and derive the elasticity of aggregate welfare to improvements in the transportation network. This approach extends the traditional "social savings" method to incorporate agglomeration and dispersion externalities and endogenous traffic congestion. We calibrate the model to the US freight transport network and assess the welfare impact of upgrading segments of the US Interstate Highway System, quantifying the marginal gains from improvements in specific corridors and highlighting where the returns to investment are highest. |
| Keywords: | transportation networks; infrastructure; social savings; quantitative spatial models |
| JEL: | H54 R12 R13 R41 R42 |
| Date: | 2025–10–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fedawp:101968 |
| By: | Scholl, Lynn; Arellana, Julián; Cantillo, Víctor; Ojeda-Diaz, Alfredo J.; Oviedo, Daniel; Sabogal-Cardona, Orlando |
| Abstract: | Microtransit, or app-based collective transport, is a passenger transport service typically offered in medium-capacity vehicles using mobile phone apps. This service provides the advantages of public transport, allowing for more efficient use of vehicles, offering new opportunities to improve informal transit systems and reduce urban inequalities in Latin America and the Caribbean. This research examines how the level of service attributes, socioeconomic characteristics, and latent constructs (technological affinity, environmental attitudes, and security concerns in public transport) influence the willingness to use these services through two case studies in Mexico City, Mexico, and Barranquilla, Colombia. Data for this study comes from stated preference and perception surveys, which are commonly used in a psychometric and econometric approach to estimate integrated choice and latent variable models. The results indicate a high sensitivity to the price of the service. Attributes such as walking distance to access the service, travel time, service frequency, and schedule adherence reliability were also significant. There are substantial income differences in willingness to use microtransit services. Fare sensitivity is much higher among poorer segments of the population, affecting the potential of microtransit to address equity and inclusion issues in the cities studied. Of the latent constructs, only safety concerns about public transport were significant in the willingness to use microtransit services in both cities. When compared to men, women reported higher safety concerns and, as result, women have higher preference for microtransit services. Considering the results obtained from the modelling, sevearl policy considerations and actions are suggested to encourage the use of microtransit in the region and take advantage of its potential as a sustainable transport mode. |
| JEL: | O14 R42 R58 Z18 |
| Date: | 2025–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:14310 |
| By: | Spiller, Beia (Resources for the Future); Zhang, Roulin; Stein, Elizabeth; Kontou, Eleftheria; Yoshizumi, Alexander |
| Abstract: | This paper employs an economics-engineering model to simulate the impact of various electric tariff structures and rate levels on the charging economics of six hypothetical medium- and heavy-duty vehicle fleets, including their total bills and peak demand without managed charging as well as their opportunity to save money and lower their peak demand by managing their charging. It uses real fleet data from a set of fossil-fueled fleets as the basis for modeling the duty cycle of hypothetical electric fleets; employs heuristics for how an operator would respond to a price signal; models charging behavior in the context of several thousand rates described in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Utility Rate Database; compares charging behavior depending on tariff features, including reliance on demand-based versus volumetric determinants, and the extent to which they are time-variant; and evaluates the potential for cost savings, peak demand mitigation, and the alignment between those outcomes. We find that managed charging can provide substantial cost savings for electric vehicle fleets while alleviating peak demand pressures on the grid. Among the tariff structures analyzed, those with time-of-use demand and volumetric components deliver the highest cost-saving opportunities compared with other tariffs, especially for fleets with adaptable charging schedules and significant daily mileage requirements. In contrast, tariffs with flat volumetric rates, or that do not include a demand component, may be straightforward but offer little incentive for cost optimization through load shifting. |
| Date: | 2025–10–22 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rff:dpaper:dp-25-22 |
| By: | Salomé Baslandze; Simon Fuchs |
| Abstract: | We study the role of supply chain disruptions in shaping consumer prices, focusing on both firms' own import shocks and strategic responses to competitors' disruptions. Using a newly constructed microlevel dataset that links transaction-level US import data from bills of lading with high-frequency consumer prices and sales from a consumer panel, we develop a novel approach to estimate the price effects of cost shocks and product availability. Motivated by a model of delivery delays, cost shocks, and firm pricing, we implement a shift-share identification strategy based on delivery shortfalls, port congestion, and freight and import costs. We find sizable pass-through elasticities: firms raise prices in response to higher import costs and delivery delays, especially when disruptions persist. We also identify strategic pricing: firms—including non-importers—increase prices in response to competitors' supply chain disruptions. Using our estimates and back-of-the-envelope calculations from the model, we show that strategic interactions significantly amplified the direct effects of supply chain shocks on consumer prices during the pandemic. |
| Keywords: | supply chains; inflation; delivery delays; strategic interactions; pass-through; inventory |
| JEL: | E31 F14 |
| Date: | 2025–09–24 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fedawp:101962 |