00249 - Transport Economics

Learning outcomes

The aim of this course is to provide students with instruments concerning the 'dynamics' of transport networks, and its role/impact within the complex economic and spatial systems. In particular, the students will be able to carry out: – analyses and forecast studies with reference to transport demand and supply – evaluation studies with reference to project choices concerning transport infrastructures – impact analyses to guide public and private actors in their operational choices, both in a static and dynamic framework transport.

Course contents

This course of Transport Economics aims to analyse the role of transport networks within the complex economic and spatial systems. In particular, methods and models able to guide public and private actors in their operational choices, essentially in a static framework, will be identified and presented. Particular attention will be paid to the analysis of behavioural choices at both aggregate and disaggregated scale level. Finally, empirical examples – by means of specific software – will be carried out, with reference to transport and telecommunication networks.

Contents:

- Transport and economic policy: introductory concepts. Transport policy in a historical perspective. The ‘White Paper' on transport. Logistics.

- Evolution of transport networks. Comparative analyses between Europe and United States.

- The evaluation of economic and transport projects for the various modes. Multicriteria analysis.

-  Sustainability of transport networks. The Kuznets' curve.

- Transport network modelling. Spatial scale levels and temporal dimensions. Linear and non-linear models. Potential and drawbacks.

- Demand and supply in transport. Calibration of the Origin/Destination matrix. The cost function.

- Simulating behavioural choices at aggregate level: spatial interaction theory. Generation and distribution models.

- Simulating behavioural choices at aggregate level: micro-economic theory of random utility models. Logit and nested logit models for the mode and route choice.

- The accessibility function and the related deterrence functional forms.

- The value of time. Transport security.

 

Readings/Bibliography

Main References

- J. De Dios Ortuzar, L. G. Willumsen, Pianificazione dei sistemi di trasporto, Hoepli, Milano, 2001.
- M. Del Viscovo, Economia dei trasporti, UTET, Torino, 1990.
- E. Cascetta, Teoria e metodi dell'ingegneria dei sistemi di trasporto, UTET, Torino, 1998.
- D. Banister, Unsustainable Transport: City Transport in the 21st Century, Routledge, London, 2005.

Additional references (in English) will be offered during the lectures.

Teaching methods

Lectures and laboratory: in parallel to the theoretical lectures, empirical applications and scenarios/simulation experiments will be carried out, with reference to the mentioned issues.

Assessment methods

Knowledge and competences acquired will be assessed through an essay, and associated oral exam. At the end of the course, students are expected to hold the following competences:

• knowledge of the evolution of transport systems and related literature;
• ability to apply methods and tools presented during the course;
• ability to design “Research Questions” concerning the use of the adopted instruments to analyse transport systems;
• ability to discuss the emerging findings, in order to interpret the phenomenon under analysis in the light of recent literature and current transport policy strategies .

Teaching tools

Reading materials will be made available online, at the end of each lecture.

In the laboratory of informatics, specific software, with reference to transport economic topics which can be faced by means of multicriteria analysis, will be utilized.

Office hours

See the website of Aura Reggiani