The effect of subway policies on gasoline consumption: Subway expansion versus fare changes
基于中国一家大型汽油零售商的数据，比较了地铁网络扩张和票价调整对汽油消费的短期影响，发现地铁扩张效果更大且更持久，成本效益也更高。
Investments in urban light rail are meant to replace driving and alleviate emissions from road transportation, but little research has documented the direct link between alternative subway policies and gasoline consumption, leaving it unclear which subway policies are more efficient. Based on a unique dataset from a major gasoline retailer in China, this paper compares the effect of expanding the subway network with that of revising the fare. We find that both subway expansion and the fare change significantly impact gasoline consumption in the short run, but the effect of expanding the subway network is larger and more durable. A cost–benefit calculation also finds that subway network expansion is more cost-effective in reducing driving than changing the fare.