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on Transport Economics |
| By: | Kurzhanskiy, Alex |
| Abstract: | California’s transition to electric vehicles (EVs) requires more than additional charger counts. Public charging must be accessible, affordable, and reliable where people actually live and travel. This report presents a geospatial dashboard and time-series toolkit for the nine Bay Area counties that maps public charging stations, tracks price and charging-port status at 10-minute intervals, and identifies disadvantaged community (DAC) census tracts using the joint U.S. Department of Energy/U.S. Department of Transportation/National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (DOE/DOT/NEVI) framework. The tool reports charger availability, utilization, pricing, reliability, and average session cost, and supports equity metrics such as ports per 1, 000 residents or renters, travel time to a direct-current fast charger, and tract-levelcomparisons between DAC and non-DAC areas. It also supports early screening of sites for Level-3 fast chargers by identifying locations that appear feasible from the grid standpoint. The result is a practical planning tool that allows agencies to monitor conditions continuously without field surveys and to target investments toward areas of greatest need. |
| Keywords: | Engineering, Electric vehicle charging, Pricing, Reliability, Transportation equity, Underserved communities |
| Date: | 2026–05–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt2jp4n9dj |
| By: | Harold, Brian; Rodier, Caroline PhD |
| Abstract: | Transportation access is a significant issue in low-income, rural, and otherwise underserved communities in the US, with few affordable and reliable alternatives to car ownership. Carsharing is one promising alternative to improve access among these communities. This study examined the implementation and outcomes of an electric vehicle carsharing service launched in Richmond, California by Míocar. The findings are based on surveys with members, an interview with senior Míocar staff, and an analysis of service utilization data provided by Míocar. The Richmond service experienced a variety of implementation problems related to limited space for vehicles and chargers, vandalism of vehicles and hubs, and transitions between funding sources that required the service to re-launch new vehicle hubs and interrupted the continuity of service. However, utilization of the service was strong (700 reservation hours, 4, 000 reservation miles) given its availability. Outcomes related to transportation equity and mode shifts, such as the value of carshare in improving mobility and reducing personal vehicle miles traveled were similar to those in Stockton and Tulare and Kern counties. |
| Keywords: | Social and Behavioral Sciences, Electric vehicles, Vehicle sharing, Underserved communities, Transportation equity, Travel behavior, Surveys, Customer satisfaction |
| Date: | 2026–05–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt6ff446dm |
| By: | Shaheen, Susan; Wolfe, Brooke; Cowan, Greer; Cohen, Adam; California Resilient and Innovative Mobility Initiative; University of California, Institute of Transportation Studies |
| Abstract: | The Mobility 10x Summit convened more than 200 leaders from state agencies, regional governments, academia, and industry to accelerate California’s transition toward a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable transportation system. As the capstone event of the Resilient and Innovative Mobility Initiative (RIMI)—a four‐year UC ITS research effort launched in 2021—the summit synthesized extensive research and practitioner insights across ten priority transportation topics, ranging from public transit to automation and carbon-neutraltransportation to equity, safety, and resilience.Across the opening and closing plenary discussions and nine breakout sessions, participants examined the structural challenges facing California’s transportation system: declining gas tax revenues, climate‐driven infrastructure damage, uneven public transit ridership recovery, inequitable access to mobility options, and rapid technological change. These challenges are converging at a moment when California must simultaneously meet ambitious climate goals, modernize its transportation funding model, and ensure that mobility systems work for all communities. |
| Keywords: | Engineering, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Date: | 2026–02–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt95f869cp |
| By: | Omar Martin Fieles-Ahmad , Victor Libet; Michael Kvasnica (Faculty of Economics and Management, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg); Victor Libet |
| Abstract: | We study whether the sharp rise in petrol prices following the bombing of Iran on 28 February 2026 affected the short-run demand for battery electric vehicles in EU-27 countries. Using monthly vehicle-registration data and fixed-effects panel regressions, we show that the petrolprice shock increased battery electric-vehicle adoption, in particular in countries with better charging infrastructure and lower charging costs. Our findings suggest that higher fossil-fuel prices can accelerate the transition towards electric mobility. |
| Keywords: | War, oil price shock, fossil fuel prices, electric cars, mobility transition, EU 27 |
| JEL: | D12 Q42 L91 R40 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mag:wpaper:26012 |
| By: | Dennis Gaus; Heike Link |
| Abstract: | This paper provides a systematic analysis of German car drivers’ refuelling behaviour. A dataset combining population-representative individual-level GPS-tracking and survey information with data on fuel prices is used to identify 922 refuelling stops between April and December 2023. Besides a discussion of the conducted data processing and cleaning steps, the paper provides insights into German fuel price developments and the competition situation of gas stations. The analysis of the identified refuelling trips shows that drivers most often refuel during shopping trips or on the way home and during times that are known for relatively low prices. The choice between available gas stations is predominantly based on proximity to the direct route, as drivers avoid detours even at the expense of higher costs. In the context of competition policy and market regulation, the findings suggest that the catchment area of gas stations is smaller than often assumed when defining the competition among gas stations. Nevertheless, the high density of gas stations in Germany provides consumers with a considerable choice set and gas stations with a competitive environment even in small geographic areas. |
| Keywords: | Gasoline markets, Refuelling, Consumer choice |
| JEL: | D12 R41 R48 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp2166 |
| By: | Hebbar, Anish (World Maritime University, Malmö, Sweden); Tugume, Clever (World Maritime University, Malmö, Sweden); Schröder-Hinrichs, Jens-Uwe (World Maritime University, Malmö, Sweden); Vierth, Inge (Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI)) |
| Abstract: | Ship collisions remain a persistent safety concern in high-density and geographically constrained maritime regions such as the Baltic Sea. This study examines collision risk in Swedish waters using multiple sources, integrating accident data from Transportstyrelsen with the operational activity data that the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute VTI calculated based on HELCOM’s AIS-data and supplementary environmental and economic datasets. A total of 525 collision occurrences (2011–2023) were analysed, with a harmonised subset of 429 collisions subjected to exposure normalised assessment. Collision frequencies were normalised against three measures of activity which include distance sailed, operational time and number of unique ships to provide strong interpretation of risk beyond absolute accident counts. The results show that collision occurrence is primarily driven by operational exposure and navigational context, with passenger ships exhibiting the highest collision rates due to intensive operations in confined and high traffic density environments. Dry cargo ships display more stable and proportional risk patterns, while tanker collisions are characterised by low frequency but high variability, limiting trend-based interpretation. Scenario analysis identifies three dominant risk structures such as high-frequency, low-severity operational collisions, interaction driven collisions with higher severity potential and low-frequency, high consequence events, especially involving tankers. Although most collisions result in minor consequences, the study highlights that overall risk is shaped by rare but high-consequence events, especially in environmentally sensitive areas of Baltic Sea. The findings demonstrate the importance of integrating exposure, consequence severity and operational context in maritime risk assessment and support the refinement of risk-based safety management and policy development in Swedish waters. |
| Keywords: | Keywords Collision; maritime accident analysis; risk management; risk analysis; risk assessment; maritime safety; exposure-normalised risk; consequence assessment; Baltic Sea |
| JEL: | R41 |
| Date: | 2026–05–29 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:vtiwps:2026_007 |
| By: | Hebbar, Anish (World Maritime University, Malmö, Sweden); Tugume, Clever (World Maritime University, Malmö, Sweden); Schröder-Hinrichs, Jens-Uwe (World Maritime University, Malmö, Sweden); Vierth, Inge (Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI)) |
| Abstract: | The study examines grounding risk in Swedish waters using a multi-source, exposure-based analytical framework integrating accident data from Transportstyrelsen with operational activity data that the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, VTI calculated based on HELCOM’s AIS data and supplementary environmental and economic datasets. The analysis is based on 292 grounding incidents involving passenger ships, dry cargo ships and tankers over the period 2011-2023. Grounding frequency, exposure-normalised rates and consequence profiles are assessed to identify underlying risk patterns and representative scenarios. Results show that grounding incidents are concentrated in coastal and archipelagic areas and are dominated by passenger ships, which show consistently higher grounding rates relative to distance travelled, operational time and fleet size. Dry cargo ships display lower and more stable rates, indicating grounding occurrence proportional to operational exposure. While most incidents result in minor consequences, insurance data reveal increasing claim severity over time. Tanker groundings, although rare, represent the highest potential for severe environmental and economic impact. The findings demonstrate a difference between grounding frequency and consequence severity, highlighting the limitations of relying only on absolute accident counts. By integrating exposure-based metrics with consequence analysis, the study provides a strong assessment of grounding risk. The results support the need for differentiated risk management strategies targeting high-frequency operational risks in coastal waters and preparedness for low-probability, high-impact events in environmentally sensitive regions. |
| Keywords: | ship grounding; maritime safety; risk assessment; risk management; risk analysis; exposure-normalised risk; Baltic Sea |
| JEL: | R41 |
| Date: | 2026–05–29 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:vtiwps:2026_006 |
| By: | Timothy J. Hatton |
| Abstract: | Late nineteenth-century globalisation was fostered by falling transport costs in ocean shipping as average freight rates fell by about half. The literature has emphasised the importance of progress in steamship technology in explaining this trend. Passenger fares did not share this long run decline even though passenger ships incorporated the same technological advances as those carrying goods. For passenger shipping, increasing space per passenger and improving quality of service absorbed much of the gains from technological progress. From the late 1880s cartels set minimum fares and established market sharing pools, which encouraged the shipping lines to compete on quality. |
| Keywords: | Steamships; passenger fares; freight rates |
| JEL: | F22 F55 N73 O33 |
| Date: | 2026–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:auu:hpaper:138 |
| By: | Bontems, Philippe; Calmette, Marie-Françoise; Martimort, David |
| Abstract: | This paper studies access pricing in a vertically separated railway sector where the in-frastructure manager sets access charges and chooses network quality, while downstream operators choose transport services. The model characterizes the inefficiencies of unregula-ted vertical separation and then derives optimal regulation with and without public transfers. When transfers are constrained, access charges follow a Ramsey logic modified by downs-tream market power and by cross-effects among long-distance operators. Under asymmetric information, the relevant access cost is no longer the physical marginal cost but a virtual cost that incorporates the information rents of the infrastructure manager and the traffic consequences of incentive constraints. |
| Keywords: | Access pricing ; railroad regulation ; vertical separation ; infrastructure quality ; asymmetric information ; mechanism design ; information rents |
| JEL: | D82 L51 L92 L43 H21 |
| Date: | 2026–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tse:wpaper:131798 |
| By: | Filip Premik; Dan Yu |
| Abstract: | We study how heterogeneity in capital inputs affects firm performance. Drawing on detailed data on municipal bus fleets in Poland, we exploit plausibly exogenous variation generated by public procurement and nationally coordinated sales behavior of bus manufacturers to identify the causal effects of variety in fleet composition across brands and other technical dimensions. More heterogeneous fleets exhibit lower vehicle utilization and, for a fixed level of output, require more units of capital and generate higher costs. Our results emphasize that the pro- ductive capacity of capital depends on its internal structure, not only on its aggregate quantity or value. |
| Keywords: | Heterogeneous capital, capital utilization, productivity, fleet composition, orga- nization of production |
| JEL: | D24 L23 L62 |
| Date: | 2026–02–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mos:moswps:paper_1773881272298_419 |
| By: | Alam, Maaz; Siddiqui, Danish Ahmed |
| Abstract: | Purpose: The study examined the effect of information sharing, external enablers, and internal enablers on sustainable freight transportation with the moderating role of green information systems and SC ambidexterity in the manufacturing sector of Pakistan. Methodology: The study has gathered data from the SC professionals and executives of the manufacturing firms operating in Karachi city of Pakistan.327 responses were collected using a self-administrated five-point questionnaire and survey method. The non-probability purposive sampling technique has been used to select respondents from the sample population. The study has used PLS-SEM for data analysis, including a measurement model for data quality assessment and a structural model for hypothesis testing. Findings: The study concluded that EE insignificantly affects SFT. Similarly, IE also insignificantly affects SFT. Whereas IS significantly affects SFT. The finding showed that GIS significantly moderates the effect of EE on SFT, or GIS also significantly moderates the effect of IS on SFT. However, GIS insignificantly moderates the effect of IE on SFT. Moreover, the study found that SCA insignificantly moderates the effect of EE on SFT. Also, SCA significantly moderates the effect of IS and IE on SFT. Likewise, SSODC significantly moderates the moderating effect of SCA between EE and SFT. In a similar vein, SSODC also significantly moderates the moderating effect of GIS between IE and SFT. Lastly, findings showed that SSODC insignificantly moderates the moderating effect of SCA between IS and SFT. Implications: The findings of this study could be used to enhance management practices and offer guidance for GSCM techniques. Companies should acquire the capacities and competencies necessary to integrate creative, sustainable business practices in specific manufacturing techniques, features, functionalities, or evolution processes. Companies should reduce transportation emissions since doing so can lead to obtaining supplies from suppliers in the area, reducing pollution from logistics and fulfillment. |
| Keywords: | Information Sharing, External and Internal Enablers, Sustainable Freight Transportation, Manufacturing Sector, Pakistan |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esprep:341042 |
| By: | Parra López, Carlos |
| Abstract: | The appropriateness of using Cost-Benefit Analysis as a decision-making criterion in transport infrastructure planning has been widely questioned due to systematic deviations from appraisal estimates—primarily in investment costs, delivery times, and demand forecasts—and a persistent optimism bias among evaluators that leads to projects with negative social returns, commonly referred to as white elephants. However, there remains relatively little empirical evidence on the extent to which social profitability is affected by these deviations, largely because ex-post evaluations are seldom conducted. In this study, we construct a dataset of infrastructure projects evaluated and financed by Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and find that deviations remain modest relative to other studies and evaluators. Most indicators suggest that project profitability is unbiased and that only a relatively small proportion of projects yield negative social returns. We argue that this outcome may be attributed to the MDBs’ internal appraisal policies, particularly regarding project governance (with the banks acting as both evaluators and financiers, and applicant countries serving as project sponsors and executioners) and the mandatory implementation of ex-post evaluations, suggesting that the optimism bias phenomenon is more related to strategic misrepresentation than to a cognitive bias. |
| Keywords: | Optimism bias, strategic misrepresentation, Cost-Benefit Analysis, project appraisal, ex-post revisions. |
| JEL: | R42 |
| Date: | 2026–04–24 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:128847 |
| By: | Yamauchi, Futoshi; Balana, Bedru B.; Bawa, Dauda; Edeh, Hyacinth; Shi, Weilun |
| Abstract: | Food loss is a significant source of economic inefficiency in value chains. In many developing countries, including Nigeria, a majority of fruits, vegetables, and other perishable foods are lost after harvest, due in large part to inadequate postharvest handling or low adoption of post-harvest management technologies, particularly cooling technologies such as temperature-controlled transportation and cold storage. To examine the economic impacts of cool transportation connecting vegetable-producing states in northeast Nigeria to large demand centers in Nigeria’s southern regions, we introduced a randomized controlled trial. Cool transportation was found to have a large and statistically significant impact: sales price, revenues, and profits increased substantially for the origin-state marketers. A larger portion of sales price increase at the destination market is attributed to refrigeration, that is, quality preservation through cooling. About 66 percent of this increase comes from cooling, with an additional 34 percent from transportation. An information experiment further showed that improved quality information through labelling that identifies the origin of the produce creates price premiums at the destination market. This implies that significant economic gains can be generated not only from narrowing supply–demand gaps in different markets but also, potentially, through mitigating spatial asymmetric information. |
| Keywords: | food losses; food waste; food preservation; fruits; vegetables; solar energy; evaporative cooling; cooling; cold storage; randomized controlled trials; Nigeria; Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Western Africa |
| Date: | 2026–04–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:182475 |
| By: | Hong Lee (Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade); Sung Wook Hong (Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade) |
| Abstract: | This study examines worsening instability in the oil industry’s supply chain due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has placed severe upward pressure on international oil prices. Prices of petroleum-based products in South Korea have risen rapidly, increasing the burden on consumers and fueling inflation concerns. Rising international oil prices are highly likely to feed through to the real economy through increased transportation, logistics, and manufacturing costs. Skyrocketing prices for Dubai crude (up 49.8 percent) and domestic gasoline prices (up 12.7 percent) since the US and Israel began their campaign against Iran have exceeded the initial increases seen when Russia invaded Ukraine. In response, the Korean government implemented a price cap system to mitigate market anxiety and the spread of inflation expectations. This system, which sets a cap on the prices that oil refiners are allowed to sell at every two weeks, has been in effect since March 13, 2026. Following its implementation, national average gasoline and diesel prices fell by KRW 70 to KRW 120 from their peaks, showing a stabilizing trend. The government is also considering a packaged response that combines price caps with other policy instruments, such as fuel tax cuts and direct subsidies to consumers. This package of policies could temporarily suppress rapid price surges and ease the burden on consumers, but it also risks exacerbating non-price rationing and long-term supply shortages. <p> Ceilings on prices prevent the price signal from constraining demand, which during a supply shock can worsen shortages, lead to long lines at the pump, and eliminate price competition among retailers. Therefore, price caps on petroleum need to be utilized with great care as a short-term market stabilization tool, rather than as a permanent feature. <p> Future policy responses should take a package approach that combines various policy instruments, including fuel tax cuts, direct support, the utilization of strategic petroleum reserves, and diversification of import sources. Given that fuel dependency and cost structures vary by industry, a differentiated policy response considering industry-specific characteristics is necessary, rather than a uniform price regulation. Industries such as logistics, freight, fisheries, agriculture, and public transportation are particularly exposed to fuel costs, meaning oil price shocks are highly likely to be passed through to production and transportation costs. Thus, the government should design targeted support or fuel-cost subsidies. For the oil refining, petrochemical, and energy-intensive manufacturing sectors, a policy approach considering supply stability and cost buffering is needed so that medium- to long-term security of supply and investment incentives are not adversely affected |
| Keywords: | energy; energy supply and demand; energy pricing; price ceilings; price caps; energy policy; energy markets; oil prices; US-Iran war; Hormuz |
| JEL: | Q41 Q43 Q48 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:kietia:022568 |
| By: | Stephan Maurer; Luke Milsom; Ferdinand Rauch |
| Abstract: | We use a parsimonious gravity framework to simulate and compare five potential shocks to the global shipping system: closures of the Panama Canal, the Suez Canal, and the Strait of Malacca, and openings of the Northwest Passage and a hypothetical Kra Canal. Applying a single, consistent methodology across all five scenarios allows relative comparisons. Using carefully measured seaborne distances between ports under each hypothetical geography, we find that a Panama closure would be the most consequential shock, reducing global trade by nearly 3% compared to a default gravity prediction, followed by Suez (2.5%), Malacca, (1.7%), a Kra opening (+0.7%), and the Northwest Passage (+0.6%). Aggregate GDP and welfare effects are more muted, but show sizable heterogeneity across countries. For example, Panama loses over 9% of GDP from a Panama closure, Egypt and Sudan over 5% from Suez, and Malaysia over 4% from Malacca. |
| Keywords: | Gravity, Panama, Suez, Kra, Malacca, Northwest Passage |
| Date: | 2026–05–27 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp2186 |