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Self-Financing Roads

Author

Listed:
  • Erik T. Verhoef

    (VU University, Amsterdam)

  • Herbert Mohring

    (University of Minnesota)

Abstract

Mohring and Harwitz (1962) showed that, under certain conditions, an optimally designed and priced road would generate user toll revenues just sufficient to cover its capital costs. Several scholars subsequently explored the robustness of that finding. This paper briefly summarizes further research on the relationship between congestion-toll revenues and road costs. Despite its transparency, the self-financing theorem can lead to erroneous interpretations. The paper’s second part discusses three such possible fallacies. It uses a simple numerical model to investigate them. The model shows that the naïve interpretation of the Mohring-Harwitz rule may lead to substantial welfare losses. These losses are particularly prominent when the difference between capital and investment cost is confused and when balanced-budget constraints are imposed under second-best network conditions. In contrast, losses from imposing a balanced-budget constraint when economies or diseconomies of scale exist are surprisingly small.

Suggested Citation

  • Erik T. Verhoef & Herbert Mohring, 2007. "Self-Financing Roads," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 07-068/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20070068
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    File URL: https://papers.tinbergen.nl/07068.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    5. Erik T. Verhoef & Jan Rouwendal, 2004. "Pricing, Capacity Choice, and Financing in Transportation Networks," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(3), pages 405-435, August.
    6. Pines,David & Sadka,Efraim & Zilcha,Itzhak (ed.), 1998. "Topics in Public Economics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521561365.
    7. Verhoef, Erik T., 2007. "Second-best road pricing through highway franchising," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 337-361, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. André Palma & Stef Proost & Saskia Loo, 2012. "Network Development Under a Strict Self-Financing Constraint," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 109-127, March.
    2. André de Palma & Mogens Fosgerau, 2011. "Dynamic Traffic Modeling," Chapters, in: André de Palma & Robin Lindsey & Emile Quinet & Roger Vickerman (ed.), A Handbook of Transport Economics, chapter 9, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Verhoef, Erik T. & Koh, Andrew & Shepherd, Simon, 2010. "Pricing, capacity and long-run cost functions for first-best and second-best network problems," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 44(7), pages 870-885, August.
    4. André de Palma & Mogens Fosgerau, 2010. "Dynamic and Static congestion models: A review," Working Papers hal-00539166, HAL.
    5. Meng, Qiang & Lu, Zhaoyang, 2017. "Quantitative analyses of highway franchising under build-operate-transfer scheme: Critical review and future research directions," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 105-123.
    6. Guo, Qianwen & Sun, Yanshuo & Li, Zhi-Chun & Li, Zhongfei, 2017. "An integrated model for road capacity choice and cordon toll pricing," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 68-79.
    7. Pavón, Nicolás & Rizzi, Luis Ignacio, 2019. "Road infrastructure and public bus transport service provision under different funding schemes: A simulation analysis," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 89-105.
    8. Vanoutrive, Thomas & Cooper, Erin, 2019. "How just is transportation justice theory? The issues of paternalism and production," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 112-119.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Traffic congestion; Road pricing; Road capacity choice; Road financing;
    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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