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Drawing on a panel of German survey data spanning 1999–2013, this paper identifies the correlates of non-recreational bicycling, focusing specifically on the roles of bicycle paths and fuel prices. Our approach conceptualizes ridership as a two-stage decision process comprising the discrete choice of whether to use the bike (i.e. the intensive margin) and the continuous choice of how far to ride (i.e. the extensive margin). To the extent that these two choices are related and, moreover, potentially influenced by factors unobservable to the researcher, we explore alternative estimators using two-stage censored regression techniques to assess whether the results are subject to biases from sample selectivity. A key finding is that while higher fuel costs are associated with an increased probability of undertaking non-recreational bike trips, this effect is of a significantly higher magnitude among those residing in an urbanized region. We also find evidence for a positive association with the extent of bike paths, both in increasing the probability of non-recreational bike travel, as well as the distance traveled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The voluntary nature of programs that pay landowners for conservation measures raises the question of what factors favor participation in such programs. This article focuses on the controversial issue of the impact of information on the participation decision. We develop a straightforward model to analyze how information affects this decision, and empirically estimate the impact of information, as well as other factors, on participation in a conservation program in Saxony, Germany. We find in our theoretical analysis that information measures may affect program participation either in a positive or negative way, whereas our estimation results indicate that the influence of the diverse information measures that have been relevant in our empirical analysis is weak. We argue, however, that information measures may nonetheless be warranted, as they allow for better informed participation decisions, thus contributing to a more optimal selection of program participants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As part of its efforts to reach the targets of the Kyoto Protocol, in April 2009 the European Commission enacted new legislation to reduce the per-kilometer CO2 emissions of newly registered automobiles. This paper critically assesses this legislation with respect to its economic and technological underpinnings. First, we argue that the reliance on targets based on per-kilometer emissions not only conceals the true cost of compliance and thereby stifles informed public discourse, but is also less cost-effective than alternative measures such as emissions trading. Second, the emission targets stipulated in this legislation are based on linear-regression methods that we demonstrate to be poorly justified and misleading. Using instead stochastic-frontier analysis, which is argued to more accurately reflect the industry’s technological status quo, alternative targets are consequently proposed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Focusing on adult members of German households, this paper investigates the determinants of public transit ridership with the aim of quantifying the effects of fuel prices, fares, person-level attributes, and characteristics of the transit system on transport counts over a five-day week. The reliance on individual data raises several conceptual and empirical issues, the most fundamental of which is the large proportion of zero values in transit counts. To accommodate this feature of the data, we employ modeling procedures referred to as zero-inflated models (ZIMs), which order observations into two latent regimes defined by whether the individual never uses public transport. Our estimates reveal fuel prices to have a positive and substantial influence on transit ridership, though there is no evidence for a statistically significant impact of the fare. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]