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on Transport Economics |
| By: | Hardman, Scott PhD |
| Abstract: | Public direct current (DC) fast charging infrastructure is expanding across California and remains supported by public funding. Many charging stations face challenges becoming financially sustainable, and some are located in areas that lack the amenities drivers want while they wait for their vehicles to charge. As California continues to invest in charging infrastructure to support electric vehicle (EV) adoption, understanding what drivers do while at fast chargers, and whether they visit and spend money in nearby businesses, can help inform decisions about infrastructure deployment and could improve the business case for DCFC. To better understand EV drivers’ activities at DC fast chargers, we surveyed 3, 350 EV drivers in California. The survey examined what drivers do while charging, what they spend money on during charging sessions and how much, which amenities they prefer to have nearby, and how they describe their overall charging experience. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2026–04–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt0pg9215q |
| By: | Tiwari, Sapan (RMIT University); Jafari, Afshin; Pemberton, Steve; Ziemke, Dominik |
| Abstract: | Cycling network evaluation and agent-based transport simulations commonly rely on shortest-path routing, implicitly assuming that cyclists minimise travel distance. However, empirical evidence shows that cycling route choice reflects trade-offs between safety, comfort, infrastructure quality, and topography. This study develops a behaviourally informed cycling routing framework that integrates public participation GIS (PPGIS) based route-choice modelling with agent-based simulation. Marginal utilities estimated using a Path Size Logit (PSL) model are transformed into link-level impedance factors and embedded within the agent-based transport simulation model MATSim, enabling cyclists’ behavioural preferences to directly influence network-wide route assignment while holding travel demand constant. The framework is evaluated against both shortest-path routing and observed cycling routes using the same origin-destination pairs. Results show that impedance-based routing more closely reproduces observed route characteristics, particularly in terms of exposure to low-stress links, speed environments, and cycling infrastructure use. At the network level, behaviourally informed routing increases low-stress exposure by 31.4% and reduces high-stress exposure by 41.5%, while the use of off-road and protected cycling facilities increases by 118.5%. Average exposure to higher-speed traffic environments decreases by 21.3%, accompanied by a modest 3.9% increase in trip length. Embedding behavioural impedance within the agent-based model also substantially alters the emergent exposure of cyclists to motorised traffic, reducing total network-wide exposure by up to 43.5% relative to shortest-path assignment and redistributing cycling flows away from high-speed arterial corridors toward lower-stress alternatives. These findings demonstrate that conventional shortest-path routing in agent-based models can systematically misrepresent cyclist exposure and infrastructure utilisation. The proposed framework provides a practical method for integrating behavioural evidence into agent-based cycling routing, enabling more realistic evaluation of cycling networks, safety outcomes, and infrastructure investments. |
| Date: | 2026–04–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:kt94s_v1 |
| By: | Wang, Weijing; Barajas, Jesus M. PhD; Hardman, Scott J. PhD |
| Abstract: | Residents of disadvantaged, low-income, rural, and tribal communities—collectively referred to as underserved communities—often face transportation barriers resulting from decades of car-oriented planning. This has left lower-cost modes such as public transit, walking, and cycling unsafe or unavailable, resulting in widespread travel difficulties and unmet mobility needs that are challenging to measure. To understand how people are navigating these challenges, we surveyed 2, 892 residents from underserved communities in California. Centering the experiences of people often underrepresented in travel behavior surveys, this study provides insights into the main factors linked to difficult or unmet travel, how people adapt to these challenges, and the barriers they face. Our findings provide evidence to inform the design of equitable transportation solutions that can improve mobility and access for California’s Priority Populations—groups that are State priorities for investments in improving health, air quality, and access to economic opportunities. |
| Keywords: | Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Date: | 2026–05–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt05m98123 |
| By: | Fiona Burlig; James Bushnell; David Rapson |
| Abstract: | Despite the importance of program participation for policy, treatment effects are often measured on self-selected samples. We study electric vehicle (EV) managed charging, intended to reduce electric grid strain by optimally allocating charging across EVs. Prior work finds large impacts of managed charging among households who volunteer for an RCT. In contrast, we test managed charging with an experiment including all EVs within a California utility. Enrollment is low even with high incentives, and we can reject even modest intent-to-treat effects on electricity consumption. Managed charging is less effective than previously thought, underscoring the value of population-wide experiments. |
| Keywords: | electric vehicles; managed EV charging; demand response; program take-up; field experiment; time-of-use pricing; electricity demand; load shifting |
| JEL: | Q41 Q48 C93 D12 |
| Date: | 2026–04–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:feddwp:103079 |
| By: | Jevgenijs Steinbuks; Peer Schouten; Mathilde Lebrand; Hannes Mueller |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the effect of road rehabilitation on violent conflict using a novel, rich dataset of road rehabilitation projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The country received massive external investments in transport infrastructure rehabilitation under conditions of endemic conflict, often with the explicit objective of supporting peacebuilding objectives. The paper finds that investments in road rehabilitation deter violence, which decreases significantly by around 5 to 10 percentage points after the completion of road rehabilitation. However, another significant finding, based on large-scale machine learning analysis of remote sensing data of road quality over time, is that the peace dividend of infrastructure investments is perish- able: violence increases again as roads progressively deteriorate. Improved durability and systematic maintenance of roads are thus necessary to extend the "peace dividend" of road investments. |
| Keywords: | DRC, mining, remote sensing, road infrastructure, violence |
| JEL: | O18 O19 O55 Q34 |
| Date: | 2026–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bge:wpaper:1574 |
| By: | Pérez-Lechuga, Gilberto; Venegas-Martínez, Francisco |
| Abstract: | Background: The vehicle routing problem (VRP) is of great importance in the Industry 4.0 era because enabling technologies such as the internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and geographic information systems (GISs) allows for real-time solutions to versions of the problem, adapting to changing conditions such as traffic or fluctuating demand. Methods: In this paper, we model and optimize a classic multi-link distribution network topology, including randomness in travel times, vehicle availability times, and product demands, using a hybrid approach of nested linear stochastic programming and Monte Carlo simulation under a time-window scheme. The proposed solution is compared with cutting-edge metaheuristics such as Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), Tabu Search (TS), and Simulated Annealing (SA). Results: The results suggest that the proposed method is computationally efficient and scalable to large models, although convergence and accuracy are strongly influenced by the probability distributions used. Conclusions: The developed proposal constitutes a viable alternative for solving real-world, large-scale modeling cases for transportation management in the supply chain. |
| Keywords: | vehicle routing problem; stochastic modeling; Monte Carlo simulation; supply chain management; metaheuristics; logistics optimization |
| JEL: | L60 |
| Date: | 2026–01–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:128859 |
| By: | Pina-Sánchez, Jose (University of Leeds); Trinidad, Alexander (University of Cologne); Loader, Ian |
| Abstract: | This registered report investigates whether involvement in road traffic collisions meaningfully shapes pedestrians’ and cyclists’ perceptions of safety. Drawing on criminological insights - particularly the fear‑victimisation paradox - the study explores the common policy assumption that reducing collisions alone improves subjective safety. Using ESRA2 survey data from 24 European countries, the analysis estimates both average and conditional treatment effects of collision experience on perceived safety, accounting for vulnerability (age, gender) and exposure (active travel frequency). The study employs equivalence testing and counterfactual modelling to assess whether victims’ perceptions differ from non‑victims’. Findings will clarify whether collision reduction strategies are sufficient to encourage active travel or whether broader interventions addressing vulnerability and environmental cues are required. |
| Date: | 2026–04–24 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:4dnrc_v1 |
| By: | Bloom, Nicholas (Stanford University); Dahl, Gordon (University of California, San Diego); Rooth, Dan-Olof (Stockholm University) |
| Abstract: | There has been a dramatic rise in disability employment since the pandemic. At the same time, work from home (WFH) has risen four-fold. This paper asks whether the two are causally related. Controlling for compositional changes and labor market tightness, a 1 percentage point increase in WFH increases full-time employment by 1.0% for individuals with a physical disability. The postpandemic increase in working from home explains 68%-85% of the rise in full-time employment. Wage data suggests that WFH increased the supply of workers with a physical disability, likely by reducing commuting costs and enabling better control of working conditions. |
| Keywords: | work from home, disability employment |
| JEL: | J14 J42 |
| Date: | 2026–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18555 |
| By: | Pittman, Russell |
| Abstract: | Reform and restructuring of state-owned monopoly freight railways have generally followed one of two strategies. Each has had some success, but the European model of competing train operating companies over a monopoly track has suffered from a lack of reliable infrastructure funding, while the Americas model of competition among vertically integrated railways has suffered from the difficulty of protecting “captive” shippers. This paper proposes a third option that arguably addresses the weaknesses of both models: the “competitive rules joint venture” already observed in US, Canadian, and Mexican port and belt railroads. |
| Keywords: | Freight railways; restructuring; competition; infrastructure financing |
| JEL: | L51 L92 R42 |
| Date: | 2026–04–21 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:128816 |
| By: | Hitoshi Shigeoka; Mika Akesaka |
| Abstract: | Seasonal allergies affect over 400 million people globally, yet the broader economic consequences of pollen exposure remain understudied. Evidence from Japan's ambulance records suggests that high-pollen days are associated with increases in accidents, including traffic accidents and work-related injuries, which may reflect impaired cognitive performance. Retail scanner data and cellphone mobility records indicate that individuals already engage in avoidance behaviors, such as purchasing allergy products and limiting outdoor activities on weekends. This suggests that relying on individual self-protection may be insufficient to offset these risks, and thus greater government intervention may be warranted to mitigate pollen-related harm. |
| Keywords: | Seasonal allergies, pollen, accidents, cognition, avoidance behaviors, climate change |
| JEL: | I12 J24 Q51 Q53 Q54 |
| Date: | 2026–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:crm:wpaper:26007 |
| By: | Yesiltepe, Demet; Fotios, Steve; Balela, Maan; Uttley, Jim |
| Abstract: | In this work we use Odds Ratios (ORs) to establish the impact of darkness on the number of cyclists across 117 locations in five cities (Arlington (VA, USA), Bergen (Norway), Berlin (Germany), Birmingham and Leeds (UK)) using data from automated counters. We considered four reasons to explain the variance in ORs between counter locations: lighting condition (whether lit or unlit), the proportion of recreational journeys, distance from the city centre and the number of cyclists. The results suggest that lighting condition had the greatest influence, followed by the proportion of recreational journeys and the number of cyclists. The model developed to predict ORs explained 65% of the variance. |
| Date: | 2026–04–22 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:jfkhc_v1 |
| By: | Brigitte Daudet (Métis Lab EM Normandie - EM Normandie - École de Management de Normandie = EM Normandie Business School); Yann Alix; Arnaud Serry (IDEES - Identité et Différenciation de l’Espace, de l’Environnement et des Sociétés - UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - ULH - Université Le Havre Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - UNIROUEN - Université de Rouen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - IRIHS - Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire Homme et Société - UNIROUEN - Université de Rouen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université); Lilian Loubet (IDEES - Identité et Différenciation de l’Espace, de l’Environnement et des Sociétés - UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - ULH - Université Le Havre Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - UNIROUEN - Université de Rouen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - IRIHS - Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire Homme et Société - UNIROUEN - Université de Rouen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université) |
| Abstract: | This research analyses port governance by examining the extent to which the concept of compromise can shape a renewed and operational approach to governance that serves port stakeholders and decision-makers. Based on a qualitative study comprising twenty-five semi-structured interviews with stakeholders at the Port of Le Havre (France) and the Port of Abidjan (Ivory Coast), the study proposes an operationalisation approach structured around compromise as a tool for regulation, coordination and legitimisation. By drawing jointly on Social Regulation Theory and Pragmatic Sociology, this research highlights two contrasting logics of compromise – institutional and procedural at the Port of Le Havre, relational and pragmatic at the Port of Abidjan – whilst emphasising their shared contribution to the stabilisation of port governance. |
| Abstract: | Cette recherche analyse la gouvernance portuaire en examinant dans quelle mesure le concept de compromis peut façonner une pratique renouvelée et opérationnelle de la gouvernance au service des acteurs et décideurs portuaires. À partir d'une enquête qualitative fondée sur vingt-cinq entretiens semi-directifs menés auprès des parties prenantes du port du Havre (France) et du port d'Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire), l'étude propose une démarche d'opérationnalisation structurée autour du compromis comme outil de régulation, de coordination et de légitimation. En mobilisant conjointement la Théorie de la Régulation Sociale et la Sociologie Pragmatique, cette recherche met en évidence deux logiques contrastées de compromisinstitutionnelle et procédurale au port du Havre, relationnelle et pragmatique au port d'Abidjan -tout en soulignant leur contribution commune à la stabilisation de la gouvernance portuaire. |
| Keywords: | Governance, Management, Prospective, Compromise, Port, Gestion, Compromis, Gouvernance |
| Date: | 2026–04–16 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05593789 |