Green Infrastructure: The Effects of Urban Rail Transit on Air Quality

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Chen, Yihsu; Whalley, Alexander
• 署名单位: University of California System; University of California Merced; National Bureau of Economic Research
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-ECONOMIC POLICY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1945-7731
• DOI: 10.1257/pol.4.1.58
• 发表日期: 2012
• 页码: 58-97
• 关键词: avoidance-behavior; infant health; UNITED-STATES; pollution; mortality; transport; congestion; cities; ozone; communities

摘要

The transportation sector is a major source of air pollution worldwide, yet little is known about the effects of transportation infrastructure on air quality. This paper quantifies the effects of one major type of transportation infrastructure-urban rail transit-on air quality using the sharp discontinuity in ridership on opening day of a new rail transit system in Taipei. We find that the opening of the Metro reduced air pollution from one key tailpipe pollutant, carbon monoxide, by 5 to 15 percent. Little evidence that the opening of the Metro affected ground level ozone pollution is found however. (JEL L92, Q53, R41, R53)