A (Free) Ticket to Ride: Experimental Evidence on the Effects of Means-Tested Public Transportation Subsidies

Last registered on July 10, 2023
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
A (Free) Ticket to Ride: Experimental Evidence on the Effects of Means-Tested Public Transportation Subsidies
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0005538
Initial registration date
March 06, 2020

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
March 06, 2020, 3:02 PM EST

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

Last updated
July 10, 2023, 9:16 AM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Country
United States of America
Region
King County, Washington

Primary Investigator

Name
Rebecca Brough
Affiliation
University of Notre Dame
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
David Phillips
PI Affiliation
Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities at the University of Notre Dame
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Matthew Freedman
PI Affiliation
University of California -- Irvine
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
Completed
Start date
2019-03-13
End date
2022-10-31
Keywords
Labor, Welfare
Additional Keywords
public transportation, transit subsidies, reduced fares, randomized controlled trial
JEL code(s)
R4, R5, H7
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Reduced transit fare programs targeted at low-income people are increasingly prevalent. This study employs a randomized-controlled trial to select a group of low-income residents in King County, Washington to receive up to six months of free public transit. This experiment will study the effect of fully-subsidized public transportation on travel habits, employment, and a series of secondary outcomes, including the use of public benefits, health, residential mobility, criminal justice, and well-being.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Brough, Rebecca, Matthew Freedman and David Phillips. 2023. "A (Free) Ticket to Ride: Experimental Evidence on the Effects of Means-Tested Public Transportation Subsidies." AEA RCT Registry. July 10. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.5538-2.0
Sponsors & Partners

Sponsors

Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2019-03-13
Intervention End Date
2020-06-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Primary outcomes include:
1.) Travel habits and use of public transportation
2.) Employment
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary outcomes include:
1.) Use of public benefits
2.) Health
3.) Residential mobility
4.) Criminal justice
5.) Well-being
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The King County Executive Office, King County Metro Transit, the Department of Social and Human Services (DSHS), UC- Irvine, and the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO) at the University of Notre Dame have partnered to implement a randomized-controlled trial that will study the effect of fully-subsidized public transportation on travel habits, employment, and a series of secondary outcomes for low-income residents in King County. Participants can enroll in this study at one of ten DSHS offices throughout King County; enrollment often occurs in conjunction with public benefits’ enrollment and re-certification appointments. Clients not already enrolled in the ORCA LIFT program and who have income at or below 200% of the federal poverty are eligible to partake in the study. Upon enrollment, clients are randomly assigned one of two metro cards: a “passport” card that provides up to 6 months’ worth of free transportation, or a regular ORCA LIFT card pre-loaded with $10 worth of transit.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Participants are randomized using a random number generator built-in to the intake survey. This random number generator is a uniform distribution function that generates a number between 0 and 1.

Prior to Feb 17, 2020, individuals enrolling in the study were placed in the control group if they received a random number greater than 1/3; otherwise, individuals were placed in the treatment group.

After Feb 17. 2020, individuals enrolling in the study were placed in the control group if they received a random number greater than 1/2; otherwise, individuals were placed in the treatment group.
Randomization Unit
Randomization occurs at the individual level.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
NA
Sample size: planned number of observations
This study is expected to conclude enrollment with 2,012 individuals.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Enrollment is expected to conclude with a sample size of 2,012; 41% of the study sample (819 participants) will be in the treatment group, and 59% of the study sample (1,193 participants) will be in the control group.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Notre Dame Research Compliance
IRB Approval Date
2019-02-22
IRB Approval Number
18-08-4821
Analysis Plan

Analysis Plan Documents

Pre+Analysis+Plan+Low-Income+Fares.pdf

MD5: e91e94164126b15d5172b138cf56b32f

SHA1: c82ea71444425e8782a94e6ecc88f6c01b13a8cc

Uploaded At: March 06, 2020

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
Yes
Intervention Completion Date
December 31, 2020, 12:00 +00:00
Data Collection Complete
Yes
Data Collection Completion Date
October 04, 2022, 12:00 +00:00
Final Sample Size: Number of Clusters (Unit of Randomization)
1,797
Was attrition correlated with treatment status?
No
Final Sample Size: Total Number of Observations
Varies with data source. 1,598 for primary outcomes in state administrative records.
Final Sample Size (or Number of Clusters) by Treatment Arms
Treatment = 621; Control = 977
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
No
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials