Traffic Congestion and Infant Health: Evidence from E-ZPass

Janet Currie and Reed Walker

American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2011, vol. 3, issue 1, 65-90

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 2 kilometers (km) of a toll plaza by 10.8 percent and 11.8 percent, respectively, relative to mothers 2-10 km 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 I12, J13, Q51, Q53, R41)

JEL-codes: I12 J13 Q51 Q53 R41 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
Note: DOI: 10.1257/app.3.1.65
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (382)

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Working Paper: Traffic Congestion and Infant Health: Evidence from E-ZPass (2009)
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