Research in Transportation Economics最新文献

{"title":"Impacts of fuel taxation on modal choice, emissions and welfare","authors":"Misak Avetisyan,&nbsp;Ali Jaffri","doi":"10.1016/j.retrec.2026.101829","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.retrec.2026.101829","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study we explore the potential impacts of fuel taxation on transportation emissions within the major metropolitan cities in the United States. The application of fuel taxation is modeled as an exogenous economic shock that stimulates changes in the consumer and producer behavior. We focus on shifting to other transportation means, economic implications, and environmental gains. The results indicate that one unit increase in the U.S. gasoline price results in significant reduction in U.S. and global transport emissions by 0.66% and 0.12%, respectively, especially when shifts to less emission intensive transport modes are considered. Our findings show that fuel taxation is an efficient means aimed at mitigating U.S. and world greenhouse gas emissions by 0.16% and 0.02%, respectively. We also find that other countries exhibit disproportionate welfare effects with increased fuel taxes in the United States. This study provides policy makers evidence for employing market-based instruments to improve the environmental quality and it can be an important steppingstone for sustainable transportation planning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47810,"journal":{"name":"Research in Transportation Economics","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 101829"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149153527","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rule-of-a-half: Sixty years on","authors":"Paolo Delle Site","doi":"10.1016/j.retrec.2026.101812","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.retrec.2026.101812","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In cost-benefit analysis of transport projects and policies, the measurement of users’ benefits is a key component of the net value. The Rule-of-a-Half (RoH) provides a simplified method for such measurement which, since its introduction in the Sixties, has been widely used in applied practice. The paper contributes to fill the theoretical gaps of the existing literature. A fully fledged foundation of the RoH according to microeconomics is provided. In a setting of divisible goods with deterministic utility, the RoH approximates the value of the Marshallian surplus line integral of the representative consumer for both quasi-linear and homothetic preferences. Dependence of demand on the generalized cost of travel is introduced in the model. In a setting of discrete choice with random utility, the RoH approximates the value of the expectation of the random Hicksian compensating variation and equivalent variation for a model with additive random terms and income independent choices. In the conclusions, usefulness and extension to the case of a new travel alternative are discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47810,"journal":{"name":"Research in Transportation Economics","volume":"118 ","pages":"Article 101812"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148642334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Subsidy and contracting relationships in public transportation: Implications for Japan from a European perspective","authors":"Le He,&nbsp;Takeru Shibayama,&nbsp;Yiping Le","doi":"10.1016/j.retrec.2026.101814","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.retrec.2026.101814","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines how public transportation subsidies can be made more efficient and better aligned with policy objectives in Japan by drawing insights from European practices. While Europe and Japan both rely on government-private arrangements to sustain unprofitable services, their institutional histories differ: Europe transitioned from government monopolies to competitive contracting, whereas Japan introduced government support into privately operated services. Focusing on Austria as a representative case of European implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1370/2007, we analyze subsidy and contracting mechanisms using the Strategic–Tactical–Operational (STO) framework. We find that Austria's shift from deficit compensation to competitive public service contracts (PSC) enhanced transparency and cost control. In contrast, Japan's traditional deficit compensation system lacks clear policy objectives, competition, and efficiency safeguards. However, Japan is increasingly adopting PSCs with greater local government involvement, indicating a similar trajectory. The STO framework is used not for strict comparison, but to extract lessons for institutional design, emphasizing that public subsidies must balance social goals and efficiency under fiscal constraints.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47810,"journal":{"name":"Research in Transportation Economics","volume":"118 ","pages":"Article 101814"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148642335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ex post economic evaluation of open-access competition in high-speed rail: Welfare gains, financial sustainability and policy implications from Spain","authors":"Carlos Lérida-Navarro","doi":"10.1016/j.retrec.2026.101789","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.retrec.2026.101789","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper provides an ex post economic evaluation of the liberalisation of high-speed rail (HSR) passenger services in Spain, one of the largest open-access rail reforms implemented in Europe to date. Following the entry of multiple operators between 2020 and 2023, the Spanish HSR market experienced substantial changes in prices, demand, modal allocation and operator performance, offering a valuable setting to assess the economic consequences of competition in a capital-intensive transport network.</div><div>Using a reduced-form difference-in-differences framework and corridor-level data, we document changes in fares, passenger volumes and modal shares following the introduction of open-access competition. Average fares on liberalised corridors declined by approximately 30 per cent relative to pre-liberalisation levels, accompanied by a strong expansion in demand and significant diversion from air transport on medium- and long-distance routes.</div><div>The paper combines these observed price and demand changes with standard valuation parameters from the transport economics literature to conduct a comprehensive accounting of the welfare implications of the reform. The empirical analysis is embedded within a theoretical framework of vertically related markets, linking downstream price competition to upstream access pricing and infrastructure cost recovery. Consumer surplus gains and external benefits from modal shift appear to outweigh the financial losses incurred by operators and the increase in delay-related costs, suggesting positive net social welfare effects, with scenario-based estimates in the order of €360–410 million per year.</div><div>The findings highlight both the potential welfare benefits and the economic trade-offs associated with open-access competition in high-speed rail. They underline the importance of infrastructure capacity management, access charging and long-run cost recovery mechanisms for ensuring the financial sustainability of liberalised rail markets. The Spanish experience provides policy-relevant insights for countries considering similar reforms in high-speed and conventional rail services.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47810,"journal":{"name":"Research in Transportation Economics","volume":"117 ","pages":"Article 101789"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148178157","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nonlinear effects of income and inequality on electric motorcycle adoption in urbanizing economies","authors":"Teik Hua Law","doi":"10.1016/j.retrec.2026.101791","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.retrec.2026.101791","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Income growth, income inequality, urbanization, and EMCs are investigated in this study as having nonlinear relationships using panel data of 37 countries over 2010-2024. The results using fixed-effects negative binomial regression indicate an inverted U-shaped relationship between income and EMCs, in which income and EMCs are positively related in less developed economies and negatively related in developed economies as income increases, as people switch to passenger cars in developed economies. The results also indicate a U-shaped relationship between income inequality and EMCs, in which income inequality and EMCs are negatively related in medium inequality countries as there are fewer people in the middle class, and income inequality and EMCs are positively related in high inequality countries as EMCs are affordable in low-income classes in high inequality countries. The results indicate urbanization as an important moderator in both relationships in which urbanization reduces the negative impact of income in developed economies and income inequality in medium inequality countries. The findings indicate that there is a need for policies in EMC markets in accordance with economies and urbanization, in which policies should focus on making EMCs affordable in developing countries and developing infrastructure in developed countries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47810,"journal":{"name":"Research in Transportation Economics","volume":"117 ","pages":"Article 101791"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148178159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transportation carbon emission reduction channel: The role of new energy vehicle promoting application policies in urban energy structure substitution","authors":"Hengshuo Zhang ,&nbsp;Enhao Yu ,&nbsp;Fengxue Yin","doi":"10.1016/j.retrec.2026.101793","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.retrec.2026.101793","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The promotion of new energy vehicles (NEVs) is expected to facilitate the development of a low-carbon urban transportation system and accelerate the transformation of regional energy structures. Based on panel data from 278 cities in China, this study is the first to empirically examine regional and urban energy structure substitution (ESS) effects and underlying mechanisms, using the New Energy Vehicle Promotion Policy (NEVP) as a quasi-natural experiment. The results indicate that NEVP significantly promotes ESS, with an average effect of 5.7%. This policy impact operates through several potential channels, including the reinforcing role of green technological innovation, the constraining effect of resource dependence, and the scale effect of industrial development. After accounting for the interactive effects of subsidy reductions, the energy transition exhibits noticeable short-term fluctuations, while its substitution effect on fossil energy remains prominent in the long run. Furthermore, heterogeneous analysis reveals that NEVP is more effective in promoting the green transformation of energy structures in northern cities, non-old industrial base cities, cities with high transportation pressure, and cities with lower levels of attention to energy transition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47810,"journal":{"name":"Research in Transportation Economics","volume":"117 ","pages":"Article 101793"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148178158","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The cost implications of upgauging in the U.S. airline industry","authors":"Fecri Karanki ,&nbsp;Chunyan Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.retrec.2026.101790","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.retrec.2026.101790","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The cost impact of upgauging is often attributed to economies of density, yet production theory emphasizes that cost savings depend on how intensively available capacity is utilized. This implies a potentially nonlinear relationship between aircraft seat capacity and short-run variable costs. Accordingly, a critical question arises for the airline industry: is there still room for further upgauging, or have airlines already reached the limit of its cost-saving potential? Using an unbalanced panel of U.S. airlines from 2000 to 2024, we estimate translog variable cost functions by business model to examine the cost implications of upgauging, measured by seats per departure. The results provide evidence consistent with a U-shaped relationship between upgauging and variable costs: moderate increases in seat capacity are associated with lower variable costs, while further increases eventually correspond to higher costs, potentially reflecting operational frictions and utilization constraints. In addition, the results provide strong evidence that low-cost carriers operate below cost-minimizing aircraft size, while the evidence for full-service airlines is less conclusive, suggesting potential scope for further upgauging. Robustness checks across pre- and post-crisis subsamples yield qualitatively similar patterns. Collectively, these findings challenge the view that the benefits of upgauging have been fully realized.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47810,"journal":{"name":"Research in Transportation Economics","volume":"117 ","pages":"Article 101790"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148178261","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The panel data analysis of the port-city GDP and spatial effects of the China-Europe railway express","authors":"Yan Li,&nbsp;Cong Wang,&nbsp;Xinxin Xia,&nbsp;Qingbo Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.retrec.2026.101781","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.retrec.2026.101781","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The opening of the China–Europe Railway Express (CRE) has not only reshaped China's pattern of external openness, but also facilitated the transformation of some coastal port cities from traditional maritime nodes into land–sea intermodal hubs, thereby generating new momentum for urban economic growth. Using panel data for 281 prefecture-level cities in China over the period 2008–2022, this study focuses on coastal port cities and employs a multi-period Triple-Differences (DDD) model to identify the impact of CRE openings on local GDP. Spatial econometric models are further introduced to examine spatial spillover effects and their distance-related heterogeneity.</div><div>The results yield four main findings. First, the CRE significantly promotes GDP growth in coastal port cities on average, and this result remains robust after controlling for the COVID-19 shock, port size, and province-by-year fixed effects. Second, the heterogeneity analysis shows that the growth effect is strongest in city-driven port cities, followed by mixed-type port cities, and weakest in port-driven port cities. Third, the mechanism analysis indicates that the effect mainly operates through trade expansion, while the role of maritime transport is characterized more by complementarity and coordination than by simple transport substitution. Fourth, the spatial econometric results reveal a distinct distance-decay pattern: positive synergetic effects are observed within 0–200 km, whereas competitive siphoning effects emerge within 300–400 km. The spatial analysis of above-scale industrial enterprises further confirms the siphoning effect, suggesting that industries tend to agglomerate toward core nodes.</div><div>This study deepens the understanding of how international overland transport corridors affect the economic performance of coastal port cities, and provides empirical evidence for promoting land–sea coordination, optimizing corridor layouts, and advancing the high-quality development of port cities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47810,"journal":{"name":"Research in Transportation Economics","volume":"117 ","pages":"Article 101781"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148178260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Asymmetric responses of air travel demand to geopolitical risk: Evidence from Korea","authors":"Dooyeon Cho ,&nbsp;Joo Yeon Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.retrec.2026.101788","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.retrec.2026.101788","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Korea is recognized for its exposure to substantial and unpredictable swings in geopolitical conditions. This paper investigates the relationship between geopolitical risk and inbound air travel demand in Korea over the past decades. Our analysis documents significant and asymmetric responses of air travel demand to geopolitical risk. Increases in geopolitical risk are followed by a delayed decline in air travel demand, with the negative response materializing after approximately two quarters rather than immediately. This implies that travelers are inclined to be more cautious or conservative, possibly adjusting their travel decisions more significantly in response to perceived threats or uncertainties. In contrast, decreases in geopolitical risk are associated with a gradual positive adjustment in air travel demand. Overall, our findings suggest that while individuals demonstrate risk-averse tendencies in the face of heightened geopolitical risk, they subsequently adapt their travel plans, reflecting gradual adjustment in travel behavior following periods of heightened geopolitical uncertainty.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47810,"journal":{"name":"Research in Transportation Economics","volume":"117 ","pages":"Article 101788"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148178259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Did transportation electrification help to reduce transportation sector CO2 emissions? A study considering the dynamic electricity carbon emission factor","authors":"Guiwen Liu,&nbsp;Jia Wang,&nbsp;Pengpeng Xu,&nbsp;Rundong Chen,&nbsp;Haona Yao","doi":"10.1016/j.retrec.2025.101698","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.retrec.2025.101698","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Transportation electrification is a key strategy for achieving carbon neutrality goals. However, the contributions of transportation electrification to carbon emissions (CRE) depend on the degree of power grid decarbonization. This study employed the Kaya Identity, the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) model, and Moran's Index to examine CRE and its spatial clustering characteristics across China's seven power grid regions from 2004 to 2022, covering 30 provinces. Results indicated that the transportation electrification rate (EE) remained stable in the early years but increased gradually after 2016, reaching 12.35 % by 2022. Transportation electrification primarily impacts carbon emissions through three aspects: electricity substitution, electricity decarbonization, and energy efficiency improvement. Transportation electrification resulted in an additional 9.94 Mt of carbon emissions from 2004 to 2022, with the electricity substitution effect being the primary contributing factor. Most provinces have not achieved carbon reductions through transportation electrification. This outcome is mainly because these provinces have placed greater emphasis on the quantity of transportation electrification (rapid EE increase) rather than its quality (lagging grid decarbonization). Furthermore, regarding spatial distribution, CRE exhibits a clear pattern of “high in the north and low in the south”, indicating spatial clustering. This study provides valuable insights for advancing transportation electrification strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47810,"journal":{"name":"Research in Transportation Economics","volume":"115 ","pages":"Article 101698"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145840227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}