Working Paper: NBER ID: w18757
Authors: Michael L. Anderson
Abstract: Public transit accounts for only 1% of U.S. passenger miles traveled but nevertheless attracts strong public support. Using a simple choice model, we predict that transit riders are likely to be individuals who commute along routes with the most severe roadway delays. These individuals' choices thus have very high marginal impacts on congestion. We test this prediction with data from a sudden strike in 2003 by Los Angeles transit workers. Estimating a regression discontinuity design, we find that average highway delay increases 47% when transit service ceases. This effect is consistent with our model's predictions and many times larger than earlier estimates, which have generally concluded that public transit provides minimal congestion relief. We find that the net benefits of transit systems appear to be much larger than previously believed.
Keywords: No keywords provided
JEL Codes: R41; R42; R48
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| net benefits of operating the Los Angeles transit system (L91) | significant finding compared to previous literature (C90) |
| congestion levels among commuters (L91) | larger impacts predicted (F69) |
| cessation of transit services during the strike (L91) | increase in average highway delay (R48) |
| transit service (L91) | congestion (L91) |