Carsten Gertz

Telecommuting, residential location, and commute-distance traveled: evidence from State of California employees

This study analyzes retrospective data on telecommuting and residential and job location changes over a ten-year period, from 218 employees (62 current telecommuters, 35 former telecommuters, and 121 people who had never telecommuted) of six California state government agencies which had actively participated in the well-known pilot program of 1988–90. We compare estimates of the total commute person-miles traveled by telecommuters with those of nontelecommuters, on a quarterly basis. Key findings include the following. One-way commute distances were higher for telecommuters than for nontelecommuters, consistent with prior empirical evidence and with expectation. Average telecommuting frequency declined over time; several explanations are proposed, but cannot be properly tested with these data. The first two findings notwithstanding, the average quarterly per capita total commute distances were generally lower for telecommuters than for nontelecommuters, indicating that they telecommute often enough to more than compensate for their longer one-way commutes. We cannot say from these results whether the ability to telecommute is itself prompting individuals to move farther away, or whether telecommuting is simply more attractive to people who already live farther from work for other reasons. Even if the first is true, however, and telecommuting is the ‘problem’, it also appears to be the solution: that is, it enables people to achieve a desired but more distant residential location without a net increase in commute travel.

Tolling Heavy Goods Vehicles: Overview of European Practice and Lessons from German Experience

Growing road network needs, rapidly increasing truck traffic, and the shortfall of traditional funding sources have contributed to two important trends in Europe: increased reliance on user fees and involvement of private capital in transport infrastructure through public–private partnerships. Since 1995 more than 20 European countries have instituted tolls on heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) using national roadways. The motivations are several: expanding sources of revenue beyond the gas tax, managing demand for road space, encouraging efficient operations, leveling the tax burden on haulers registered in different countries, and reducing CO2 emissions. This paper first provides a brief overview of various toll systems in use, then focuses on the German experience as a potential model for the United States. The innovative German system combines a Global Positioning System onboard unit with mobile communications technology. In its launch year, 2005, Germany collected €2.87 billion for 23.9 billion vehicle kilometers (35% by foreign trucks) tolled an average of €.12/km for autobahn use. Support of the German trucking industry was achieved through measures to increase competitiveness with foreign shippers. The toll systems first 2 years of operation indicate that avoidance traffic is a minor issue, that potential for modal shift to rail has yet to be realized, and that subsidies for clean vehicle purchase have helped reduce the pollution of the German HGV fleet.

Model Event History of Car and License Availability: How Accessibility Shapes Acquisition and Disposal of Cars

Sound forecasts of car and drivers license availability are crucial for accurate estimates of future mobility trends and the development of planning strategies. Often these forecasts ignore dynamic trends and spatial influences. Cross-sectional analysis reveals that in areas with good accessibility by alternative modes, many households live with no or only one car even if they can afford a vehicle. This study focuses on that dynamic perspective by analyzing changes in car and license availability by event history models. It uses data from the German socioeconomic panel that observes the same households for up to 25 years to estimate the hazard rates of changes between different states of license and car availability. The results show a detailed picture of socioeconomic factors such as age, sex, household characteristics, and income. In addition, the impacts of accessibility on the probability of acquiring or disposing of a car are presented.

Personen- und Güterverkehr

Im Jahr 2010 war in Deutschland der Verkehrssektor fur fast 20 % der energiebedingten Treibhausgase verantwortlich. Das Klima hat sich bereits so weit verandert, dass zur Sicherung der Funktion der Verkehrssysteme auch Anpassungsmasnahmen notwendig sind. Diese Masnahmen mussen durch verkehrsreduzierende bzw. ‑beeinflussende Masnahmen erganzt werden. Ausgehend von den Emissionen im Verkehrssektor und moglichen Minderungen schlagt das Kapitel den Bogen zu Optionen der Anpassung an den Klimawandel, die ausfuhrlich und konkret dargestellt werden. Besonders betrachtet werden die mannigfaltigen Gefahren der Ruckkopplung sowie die vielfaltigen Wechselwirungen mit anderen Themengebieten und Sektoren.