Chiara M. Travisi, Group of Regional Economics, Dept. of Management Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico of Milano, Milano, Italy, Paulo A.L.D. Nunes, School for Advanced Studies in Venice Foundation, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
AND
Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, Venice, Italy
Using Choice Experiments to Value Alternative Train Noise Mitigation Programmes (assigned to theme
The railway noise abatement has today an important priority in the European environmental policy agenda. This reflects inter alia the fact that in the recent years policy makers have been promoting the use of this means of transport over road transport so as to reduce a set of negative externalities, including air pollution, traffic congestion and risk of road accidents. The implementation of noise abatement measures involves a significant financial cost that are associated either to an investment in the train technology, including wagons and railway tracks, or to an investment in noise barriers (or a combination of both). The effectiveness of the noise abatement will depend on the type of policy intervention adopted, i.e. on the type of noise abatement instrument adopted. In addition, alternative noise mitigation policies will also have different effects in terms landscape-aesthetics and cost. As these factors need to be addressed in the discussion regarding the choice and evaluation of alternative policy actions, this paper explores the role of a choice experiment survey so as to assess the economic value of alternative policy interventions, and respective instruments. The choice experiment survey has been held in Trento, Italy, in order to assess the marginal WTP for noise reduction, aesthetics and environmental attributes of with respect to alternative railway noise reduction plans. In addition, the present paper provides an original contribution in the valuation literature since we explore the measure and test the marginal WTP estimates exploring its econometric robustness with respect to the introduction of a new regional tax and two possible tax reallocation schemes.
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