Evaluating the Effectiveness of Sustainable Transport Alternatives in Reducing Car Use: A Large-Scale Field Test

Last registered on May 12, 2023
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Sustainable Transport Alternatives in Reducing Car Use: A Large-Scale Field Test
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0011348
Initial registration date
April 30, 2023

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
May 12, 2023, 5:15 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Mark A. Andor
Affiliation
RWI - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Jana Eßer
PI Affiliation
RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research
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PI Name
Viola Helmers
PI Affiliation
RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research
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PI Name
Christian Hoenow
PI Affiliation
RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research
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PI Name
Lukas Tomberg
PI Affiliation
RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research
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Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2022-11-01
End date
2024-12-31
Keywords
Behavior, Environment & Energy, Welfare
Additional Keywords
Field Experiments, Bike, Public Transport, Commuting, Mobility, Willingness to pay, Welfare
JEL code(s)
C93, D90, L92, R41, R48
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
The aim of this field experiment is to estimate the effects of offering alternative means of transport on car use. Specifically, the alternative means of transport are electric bicycles (e-bikes) and tickets for nationwide access to local and regional public transport, both for a period of 6 months and free of charge.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Andor, Mark A. et al. 2023. "Evaluating the Effectiveness of Sustainable Transport Alternatives in Reducing Car Use: A Large-Scale Field Test." AEA RCT Registry. May 12. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.11348-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Provision of alternative means of transport free of charge for 6 months.
Intervention Start Date
2023-05-01
Intervention End Date
2023-10-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Measures of the participants’ car use, their use of the provided alternative means of transport, and their willingness to pay for the alternatives means of transport.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
(I) The average distance (in km) traveled by car based on monthly elicited odometer readings of the participants’ used cars,
(II) the average use of the provided alternative means of transport as measured by self-reported trips made and kilometers traveled in the previous week (elicited in the monthly surveys),
(III) the willingness to pay for the alternative means of transport (elicited at various points in the study, including the baseline phase and also in the control group, as the willingness to pay to be provided with the alternative means of transport for a specified period of time after the completion of the study).

See attached PAP for more information.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Alternative operationalizations of the primary outcomes to account for possible spillover effects of the intervention within the participants’ households, purposes of mode use (commuting or other trips), and well-being during travel.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
In our secondary analyses, we look at alternative operationalizations of primary outcome (I), namely on (I.a) odometer readings of the participants’ used cars accounting for the self-reported share of kilometers traveled by other household members, (I.b) odometer readings of participants whose self-reported share of kilometers is 100% over the whole study period, (I.c) odometer readings of participants living in single households, and (I.d) self-reported car use in the previous week (elicited in the monthly surveys). Furthermore, we investigate the effect of our treatment on (IV) purposes of mode use (commuting or other trips) as well as on (V) well-being during travel, e.g., whether traveling is perceived as comfortable or stressful.

See attached PAP for more information.

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Randomized controlled trial with a baseline period, an intervention period, and a post-intervention period.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in the office by a computer.
Randomization Unit
Individuals
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
674 individuals
Sample size: planned number of observations
674 individuals
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Control group: 314 / Treatment group: 360
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
7-8% (see attached PAP for more information)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB Approval Date
IRB Approval Number
Analysis Plan

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