Cycling on the extensive and intensive margin: The role of paths and prices

Manuel Frondel and Colin Vance

Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 2017, vol. 104, issue C, 21-31

Abstract: Drawing on a panel of German survey data spanning 1999–2013, this paper identifies the correlates of non-recreational bicycling, focusing specifically on the roles of bicycle paths and fuel prices. Our approach conceptualizes ridership as a two-stage decision process comprising the discrete choice of whether to use the bike (i.e. the intensive margin) and the continuous choice of how far to ride (i.e. the extensive margin). To the extent that these two choices are related and, moreover, potentially influenced by factors unobservable to the researcher, we explore alternative estimators using two-stage censored regression techniques to assess whether the results are subject to biases from sample selectivity. A key finding is that while higher fuel costs are associated with an increased probability of undertaking non-recreational bike trips, this effect is of a significantly higher magnitude among those residing in an urbanized region. We also find evidence for a positive association with the extent of bike paths, both in increasing the probability of non-recreational bike travel, as well as the distance traveled.

Keywords: Bicycle paths; Fuel prices; Non-recreational cycling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D13 Q41 Q58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856416309387
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:transa:v:104:y:2017:i:c:p:21-31

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/supportfaq.cws_home/regional
https://shop.elsevie ... _01_ooc_1&version=01

DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2017.06.018

Access Statistics for this article

Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice is currently edited by John (J.M.) Rose

More articles in Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().