Working Paper: NBER ID: w30462
Authors: Panle Jia Barwick; Dave Donaldson; Shanjun Li; Yatang Lin; Deyu Rao
Abstract: Can the enhanced mobility created by transportation infrastructure investments help people to avoid environmental extremes? We use transaction records from China’s card payment system to measure experienced pollution exposure (EPE)—that is, exposure based on the pollution levels at travelers’ actual locations—and evaluate how EPE was affected by the country’s high-speed railway network, even while holding pollution itself constant. Our estimates imply a reduction in EPE that corresponds to a mortality benefit of 21.3 million life-years saved, primarily due to travelers changing their destinations towards locations with predictably cleaner air.
Keywords: Transportation Networks; Adaptation; Pollution; Temperature Extremes
JEL Codes: O18; Q53; Q54; R41
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| High-Speed Rail (HSR) access (L92) | reduction in travelers' exposure to extreme air pollution (R41) |
| High-Speed Rail (HSR) access (L92) | reduction in travelers' exposure to temperature extremes (L93) |
| High-Speed Rail (HSR) access (L92) | travelers are 128% less likely to experience detrimental pollution conditions (R41) |
| High-Speed Rail (HSR) access (L92) | travelers are 277% less likely to encounter temperature extremes (L93) |
| Longer travel distances due to HSR expansion (R49) | reduction in pollution exposure (Q52) |
| Longer travel distances due to HSR expansion (R49) | reduction in temperature exposure (Y60) |
| Travelers choosing destinations with better environmental conditions (F64) | reduction in pollution exposure (Q52) |
| Travelers choosing destinations with better environmental conditions (F64) | reduction in temperature exposure (Y60) |
| Long-term adaptations in travel patterns post-HSR access (R41) | reduction in extreme pollution exposure (Q53) |
| Long-term adaptations in travel patterns post-HSR access (R41) | reduction in extreme temperatures (Q54) |
| High-Speed Rail (HSR) expansion (R42) | health benefits (I12) |