Traffic Congestion and Infant Health: Evidence from E-ZPass

Janet Currie and W. Reed Walker

No 15413, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: We exploit the introduction of electronic toll collection, (E-ZPass), which greatly reduced both traffic congestion and vehicle emissions near highway toll plazas. We show that the introduction of E-ZPass reduced prematurity and low birth weight among mothers within 2km of a toll plaza by 10.8% and 11.8% respectively relative to mothers 2-10km from a toll plaza. There were no immediate changes in the characteristics of mothers or in housing prices near toll plazas that could explain these changes. The results are robust to many changes in specification and suggest that traffic congestion contributes significantly to poor health among infants.

JEL-codes: I12 Q51 Q53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-ure
Note: CH EEE EH PE
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

Published as Janet Currie & Reed Walker, 2011. "Traffic Congestion and Infant Health: Evidence from E-ZPass," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 3(1), pages 65-90, January.

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Journal Article: Traffic Congestion and Infant Health: Evidence from E-ZPass (2011)
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