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Can urban rail transit systems alleviate air pollution? Empirical evidence from Beijing

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  • Shihong Guo
  • Liqiang Chen

Abstract

Improving air quality across mainland China is an urgent policy challenge, while rapidly increasing use of vehicles poses a great menace to the urban population and air quality. Public transportation has received increasing attention as emissions‐ friendly transport options, but whether the urban rail transit system has a significant effect on curbing air pollution has been unclear, and there is a lack of explicit case studies in mainland China. Therefore, the effects of the opening of the Beijing Metro on air pollutants emissions in Beijing were quantified through a regression discontinuity design. Beijing has seen a brisk growth in its rail transit infrastructure and a downward trend of air pollution index since 2005. The regression results show that the operation of the rail transit system was observed to have a significant effect on reducing most of the air pollutants concentrations (PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, and CO) but had little effect on ozone pollution. The results obtained were highly robust across a variety of tests. This study contributes to empirical evidence on the air pollutants associated with the opening of rail transit and traffic‐related pollution control policy making in Beijing.

Suggested Citation

  • Shihong Guo & Liqiang Chen, 2019. "Can urban rail transit systems alleviate air pollution? Empirical evidence from Beijing," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(1), pages 130-144, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:growch:v:50:y:2019:i:1:p:130-144
    DOI: 10.1111/grow.12266
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    Cited by:

    1. Cropper, Maureen & Suri, Palak, 2024. "Measuring the air pollution benefits of public transport projects," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    2. Suchi Kapoor Malhotra & Howard White & Nina Ashley O. Dela Cruz & Ashrita Saran & John Eyers & Denny John & Ella Beveridge & Nina Blöndal, 2021. "Studies of the effectiveness of transport sector interventions in low‐ and middle‐income countries: An evidence and gap map," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(4), December.

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