Subways, Strikes, and Slowdowns: The Impacts of Public Transit on Traffic Congestion

Michael Anderson

No 18757, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

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.

JEL-codes: R41 R42 R48 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-tre and nep-ure
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Published as Michael L. Anderson, 2014. "Subways, Strikes, and Slowdowns: The Impacts of Public Transit on Traffic Congestion," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(9), pages 2763-96, September.

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Journal Article: Subways, Strikes, and Slowdowns: The Impacts of Public Transit on Traffic Congestion (2014)
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