Publications

Crimes on the Move: The Effect of Ridesharing Services on Crime

Published in Working paper, 2024

Abstract: This study examines the impact of the introduction of ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft on crime rates across U.S. cities, leveraging a natural experiment created by their staggered rollout. Using a Two-way Fixed Effects (TWFE) Difference-in-Differences (DID) model, I find significant reductions in violent crimes, property crimes, and burglary following the entry of these services, while finding no substantial effects on larceny, motor vehicle theft, or arson. The study also investigates the heterogeneity of these effects across different demographic groups, indicating that ridesharing services may influence crime through mechanisms such as employment and demographic changes. This research adds to the limited literature on the relationship between ridesharing services and crime, providing new insights into the potential mechanisms behind these effects.

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Ride or Die: Did Ridesharing Services Kill Active and Public Transit? (Joint with Casey Wichman)

Published in Working Paper, 2024

Abstract: This study examines the impact of ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft on city-level transportation patterns across the United States. By utilizing data from the National Tran- sit Database and the American Community Survey, we ana- lyze changes in ridership and modes of transportation following the introduction of these services. Employing event-study and difference-in-differences methodologies, including traditional two- way fixed effect difference-in-differences (TWFE DID) models and new staggered estimators, we find that cities with earlier rideshar- ing launches experience a notable decline in yearly ridership—1.27 times lower compared to cities introduced to these services later. Our findings consistently demonstrate a significant decrease in the number of bus and rail trips following the launch of Uber and Lyft, indicating that these services do not act as complements to other transportation modes

Silencing the Rails: A Study of the Noise-Safety Trade-off in Railway Quiet Zones, 2023

Published in Working Paper, 2023

Asbtract: I examine quiet zones-established to alleviate noise pollution at railroad-highway crossings while ensuring public safety—in this study as a natural experiment to assess their impact on accident frequency in the United States. Utilizing highway-rail crossing accident data from the Federal Railroad Administration between 1994 and 2023 and employing various estimators suitable for difference-in-differences designs with staggered treatment, I find that the establishment of quiet zones is linked to an increased number of accidents. Although no significant effect is observed on the cost of damaged vehicles, the establishment of quiet zones increases fatalities and injuries. This study underscores policy implications, probing the safety standards and cost-effectiveness of quiet zones, and highlights the potential of emerging vehicle safety technology to mitigate grade crossing accidents.

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Impact of An Infrastructure Failure on Cognitive Performance, 2023

Published in Working paper, 2023

Abstract: Natural and human-made disasters can have far-reaching impacts on health and human capital for affected individuals. The 2007 collapse of the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, led to a substantial disruption of the learning environment for students in affected communities. The collapse resulted in numerous fatalities and injuries; notably, a school bus carrying 63 students was on the bridge during the collapse, and traffic patterns were disrupted for a year. Using a two-way fixed effects and synthetic difference-in-differences approach, I find that the bridge collapse leads to lower standardized test scores for affected schools relative to similar unaffected schools. Furthermore, I provide evidence that improvements in air quality due to reduced traffic do not outweigh the trauma-induced psychological stress impacts of the disaster.

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Crime is in the water: Impact of water pollution on crime (Works in Progress)

Published in Working Paper, 2023

Abstract: In this study, I investigate the relationship between water pollution, particularly waterborne lead exposure, and criminal activities, using major water crises like Flint, Michigan, as natural experiments. I utilize agency-level daily crime data from 2010 to 2019 and adopt difference-in-differences and synthetic DID methodologies to analyze the effects of water contamination on crimes against persons, property, and society. My findings reveal a statistically significant but heterogeneous impact, with avoidance behavior emerging as a dominant factor. I also detect spillover effects in adjacent areas, highlighting spatial dynamics. While this research provides valuable insights into the interaction between environmental crises and crime, I propose further robustness checks and exploration of additional water crises to enhance external validity. This study contributes to the understanding of the socio-economic repercussions of water pollution on urban crime patterns.

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Fighting Fire with Fire: A Study on the Effectiveness of Prescribed Burns in Mitigating Future Wildfires (Works in Progress)

Published in Working Paper, 2023

Abstract: Wildfires are a growing concern, especially in the U.S., where climate change and urban expansion into wildfire-prone areas have exacerbated their frequency and severity. This project, Fighting Fire with Fire, investigates the effectiveness of prescribed burns—controlled fires intentionally set to reduce the amount of combustible vegetation—in mitigating the future occurrence and severity of wildfires. Despite the increasing attention wildfires have received, to my knowledge, no environmental economics paper has examined the effectiveness of prescribed burns in the U.S. context. My research aims to fill this gap by providing rigorous, policy-relevant insights into the role of prescribed burns in wildfire management.

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Beware of Dog: Impact of Air Pollution on Dog Bites

Published in Working Paper, 2023

Abstract: As air pollution has been shown to affect the physical health of both human and animal, the natural question is whether air pollution has the same effects on the aggressive behavior of dogs as it has on humans. In this paper, I estimate the effect of air pollution on dog bite incidence by employing a Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood (PPML) method on the dog bites data from seven US cities: New York, Dallas, Baltimore, Houston, Louisville, Chicago and Baton Rouge. To mitigate the possible endogeneity problem, I also use wind direction as an instrument for air pollution. Air pollution is found not to have a statistically significant effect on dog bites, animal bites, and animal aggression. However, weather conditions, especially maximum temperature, are identified as significant factors, showing a positive association with the number of dog bites.

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