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School runs and urban traffic congestion: Evidence from China

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  • Sun, Weizeng
  • Guo, Dongmei
  • Li, Qiang
  • Fang, Haidong

Abstract

It is widely believed that school runs generate urban traffic congestion. In this paper, we present credible evidence for this causal link using unique panel data that monitor traffic conditions in Beijing from 2015 to 2016. We adopt a triple difference strategy that utilizes three variations in traffic flows on the roads by school days and school holidays, by roads near and further away from schools, and by hours of school runs and other hours. We find that school runs increase the probability of road congestion by 4.5 percentage points. The impact is larger in the morning than that in the afternoon. Moreover, traffic congestion is more severe around schools that are larger, better, public rather than private, in more expensive neighborhoods, or with no student accommodation. Further analyses reveal that staggered school hours and provision of school buses can reduce congestion and improve social welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Sun, Weizeng & Guo, Dongmei & Li, Qiang & Fang, Haidong, 2021. "School runs and urban traffic congestion: Evidence from China," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:regeco:v:86:y:2021:i:c:s016604622030291x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2020.103606
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhikang Bao & Yifu Ou & Shuangzhou Chen & Ting Wang, 2022. "Land Use Impacts on Traffic Congestion Patterns: A Tale of a Northwestern Chinese City," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Dias, Charitha & Abdullah, Muhammad & Lovreglio, Ruggiero & Sachchithanantham, Sumana & Rekatheeban, Markkandu & Sathyaprasad, I.M.S., 2022. "Exploring home-to-school trip mode choices in Kandy, Sri Lanka," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    3. Pengxiang Ding & Suwei Feng, 2022. "How School Travel Affects Children’s Psychological Well-Being and Academic Achievement in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-13, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Road congestion; Primary schools; Urban spatial structure; China;
    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
    • R53 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Public Facility Location Analysis; Public Investment and Capital Stock
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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