The effect of diesel tax rates on the daily commuting of US workers: An effective instrument to promote sustainable mobility?

In this paper, we analyze whether diesel fuel taxes can be an effective tool to boost the daily commuting of US workers towards the use of green modes of transport. To that end, we use data from the American Time Use Survey 2003-2019 and explore the factors influencing commuting time and the proportion of commute using alternative modes of transport, including walking and cycling. Our results indicate that diesel fuel taxes are linked to a reduction in the total time devoted to commuting, and to the proportion of commuting by private car, and to an increase in the proportion of commuting done by green modes of transport such as public transport and walking. This relationship is not homogeneous in the urban dimension, as the effects on total commuting time and the percentage of commuting by public transport is present in urban areas only. In a context where many countries are implementing policies aimed at increasing the use of sustainable modes of personal mobility, our results indicate that taxing fuels used for personal mobility may be an efficient way to decrease the use of more polluting modes of transport and encourage more eco-friendly alternatives while commuting.

本文旨在探讨柴油燃料税能否作为有效工具，推动美国劳动者日常通勤转向绿色交通方式。为此，我们采用2003-2019年美国时间使用调查（American Time Use Survey）的数据，探究影响通勤时长及步行、骑行等替代交通方式通勤占比的各类因素。研究结果显示，柴油燃料税与通勤总时长、私家车通勤占比呈负相关，同时可提升公共交通、步行等绿色交通方式的通勤占比。该关联在城市维度上并不均衡，仅在城市区域才会对通勤总时长及公共交通通勤占比产生影响。在当前多国均出台政策推动个人出行采用可持续交通方式的背景下，本研究结果表明，对个人出行所用燃料征税，可有效减少高污染交通方式的使用，并鼓励通勤者选择更环保的出行替代方案。