Handbook of research methods and applications in transport economics and policy

Transport economics and policy analysis is a field which has seen major advances in methodology in recent decades. The transport sector has many unique characteristics - non-storability, economies of scale and scope, indivisibilities and the extensive production of positive and negative externalities - that need careful consideration in any analysis. The aim of this Handbook is to provide an overview of the essential research methods with illustrations of how they are applied in practice. The book is divided into six sections - transport costs, externalities, transport demand, pricing and investment, deregulation and privatisation, and transport policy impacts. Each section comprises several chapters, divided by mode of transport or other relevant factor. Some of the unique features include: a comprehensive overview of methods used in transport economics and policy analysis from leading researchers in the field; up-to-date methodology for analysing transport costs and demand; examples of how to value the full range of externalities of transport, including both costs and benefits; guidance on how to assess the impact of privatisation and (de)regulation, with examples from local public transport, rail and air; identification of the relevant factors involved in transport pricing, including roads, public transport, ports and airports; an analysis of the neglected topic of equity in transport. This illustrative overview of research methods will be essential to researchers, students and practitioners in academia, government and business