Transportation Economics in the 21st Century - Research Projects

The initiative supports projects focused on four distinct topic areas: (1) Transportation and the Economy; (2) New Transportation Technologies and Initiatives; (3) Transportation and the Human Experience; and (4) Transportation Data and Research Infrastructure.

An initial call for research proposals was broadly disseminated in October 2019.  It resulted in more than 50 submissions, from which the investigators selected six projects for funding in the 2019-20 academic year. The selection process focused on the intrinsic quality and interest of the projects, and was carried out in consultation with staff members at the Department of Transportation. The funded projects, all of which relate to the Department’s current research needs, are:

Dynamic Transportation Markets in the Digital Economy: Matching Efficiency and the Value of Time
Investigators: Jakub Kastl, Princeton University and NBER; Nicholas Buchholz, Princeton University; Tobias Salz, MIT and NBER; Laura Doval, California Institute of Technology

Effects of Pavement Maintenance on Traffic Outcomes: Evidence from California
Investigator: Bradley Humphreys, West Virginia University

Traffic in the City: The Impact of Infrastructure Improvements in the Presence of Endogenous Traffic Congestion
Investigators: Treb Allen, Dartmouth and NBER and Costas Arkolakis, Yale and NBER

Mobility and Congestion in US Cities: Evidence from Google Maps
Investigators: Gilles Duranton, U. Pennsylvania and NBER; Adam Storeygard, Tufts and NBER; Victor Couture, University of California, Berkeley

Does the US Have an Infrastructure Cost Problem? Evidence from the Interstate Highway System
Investigators: Neil Mehrota, Brown University, and Matthew Turner, Brown University and NBER

How is Ride-Hailing Affecting Public Transportation?
Investigators: Marco Gonzalez-Navarro, University of California, Berkeley, and Jonathan Hall, University of Toronto

A second call for proposals was disseminated in October 2020.  From the 39 proposals that were received, the investigators selected five projects for funding, once again in consultation with DOT staff and focusing on topics related to the Department's research objectives.  The funded projects for the 2020-21 academic year are:

The Potential of Public Transit: Evidence from Mobile Phone Data
Investigators: Milena Almagro, University of Chicago; Juan Camilo Castillo, University of Pennsylvania; Tobias Salz, MIT and NBER

The Last Mile Problem: A Grand Transportation Challenge
Investigators: Peter Christensen, Lewis Lehe, and Adam Osman, University of Illinois

Procurement and Infrastructure Costs
Investigators: Zachary Liscow, Yale University and Cailin Slattery, Columbia University

Regulating Untaxable Externalities: Evidence from Vehicle Air Pollution and Exhaust Standards
Investigators: Mark Jacobsen, University of California, San Diego and NBER; James Sallee and Joseph Shapiro, University of California, Berkeley and NBER; Arthur van Benthem, University of Pennsylvania and NBER

Detour Ahead: Market Frictions and Path Dependence in Transportation Networks
Investigators:  Marta Santamaria, University of Warwick and Diana Van Patten, Princeton University