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Second-best Congestion Pricing Schemes in the Monocentric City

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  • Erik Verhoef

Abstract

This paper considers second-best congestion pricing in the monocentric city, with endogenous residential density and endogenous labour supply. A spatial general equilibrium model is developed that allows consideration of the three-way interactions between urban density, traffic congestion and labour supply. Congestion pricing schemes are analyzed that are second best ‘by design’ (and not because distortions exist elsewhere in the spatial economy), like cordon charging and flat kilometre charges. Both for Cobb-Douglas utility and for CES utility, the analyses suggest that the relative welfare losses from second-best pricing, compared to first-best pricing, are surprisingly small. *Affiliated to the Tinbergen Institute, Roetersstraat 31, 1018 WB Amsterdam. Key words: Traffic congestion, second-best pricing, urban structure, spatial general equilibrium JEL codes: R41, R48, D62

Suggested Citation

  • Erik Verhoef, 2004. "Second-best Congestion Pricing Schemes in the Monocentric City," ERSA conference papers ersa04p408, European Regional Science Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p408
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Anas, Alex & Xu, Rong, 1999. "Congestion, Land Use, and Job Dispersion: A General Equilibrium Model," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 451-473, May.
    2. Verhoef, Erik T. & Nijkamp, Peter, 2002. "Externalities in urban sustainability: Environmental versus localization-type agglomeration externalities in a general spatial equilibrium model of a single-sector monocentric industrial city," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 157-179, February.
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    4. Sullivan, Arthur M., 1983. "A general equilibrium model with external scale economies in production," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 235-255, March.
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    7. Mun, Se-il & Konishi, Ko-ji & Yoshikawa, Kazuhiro, 2003. "Optimal cordon pricing," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 21-38, July.
    8. Anas, Alex & Kim, Ikki, 1996. "General Equilibrium Models of Polycentric Urban Land Use with Endogenous Congestion and Job Agglomeration," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 232-256, September.
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    13. repec:bla:scandj:v:103:y:2001:i:4:p:645-71 is not listed on IDEAS
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    traffic congestion; second-best pricing; urban structure; spatial general equilibrium jel codes: r41; r48; d62;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise
    • R48 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Government Pricing and Policy
    • D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities

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