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Commuting to Work in Cities: Bus, Car, or Train?

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  • Batabyal, Amitrajeet
  • Beladi, Hamid

Abstract

In this paper, we study the commuting behavior of citizens living in or near a city who must decide how to get to work. Such citizens can always use their own car and drive to work. However, they can also take public transport to work. The two public transport options we consider involve taking either a bus or a train to work. In this setting, we perform two broad tasks. First, we analyze the car versus train choice. We compute the deadweight loss from the negative externality generated by car travel, i.e., the traffic congestion, and then discuss how a toll can achieve the efficient allocation of commuters between the car and the train modes of transport. Second, we analyze the car versus bus choice. Once again, we calculate the deadweight loss from the traffic congestion resulting from car travel and then discuss how a toll can achieve the efficient allocation of commuters between the car and the bus modes of transport that would be beneficial for all commuters.

Suggested Citation

  • Batabyal, Amitrajeet & Beladi, Hamid, 2021. "Commuting to Work in Cities: Bus, Car, or Train?," MPRA Paper 112135, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 31 Jan 2022.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:112135
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bus; Car; Toll; Traffic Congestion; Train; Travel Time;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities
    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise

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