Using panel data of MLB team attendance from 1950 to 2002, we determined that the attendance “honeymoon” effect of a new stadium—after separating quality-of-play effects—increases attendance by 32% to 37% the opening year of a new stadium. Attendance remains above baseline levels for only two seasons for multipurpose stadiums built during 1960 to 1974 but for 6 to 10 seasons at newer ballparks. Contrary to expectations, there is no systematic interaction between new venues and team performance on attendance or stadium revenues. This noncomplementarity implies that a profit-maximizing team owner would not use a new stadium’s revenue stream to increase team quality of play.

Introduction: This study describes the characteristics of, services received by, and labor market outcomes of applicants with visual impairments to three state vocational rehabilitation programs. Our objective is to both document cross-state variation in vocational rehabilitation clientele and services and provide new insights on the longitudinal labor market outcomes of clients with visual impairments (i.e., blindness or low vision). This analysis is a first step in assessing the returns to vocational rehabilitation services for this population. Methods: We first created a unique longitudinal data set by matching administrative records on applicants who are visually impaired in state fiscal year 2007 from three vocational rehabilitation agencies to 8 years of employment data from state Unemployment Insurance programs. Using these data, we examined cross-state variation in the descriptive statistics for important client explanatory variables and vocational rehabilitation service categories. We then compared the long-term labor market outcomes of clients receiving services (treated) to untreated individuals. Results: We documented two important findings. First, there were substantial differences in client characteristics, services provided, and costs across the three states. Second, the long-run labor market analysis was consistent with vocational rehabilitation services having no employment effect but a positive earnings effect. Discussion: Labor market results indicate vocational rehabilitation services provided persistent earnings benefits. Yet the substantial cross-state heterogeneity suggests these labor market results might not be generalizable and should be interpreted with caution. We explain what was missing from this analysis and why the results should not be thought of as causal. Implications for Practitioners: This article gives practitioners a sense of a unique new data set on vocational rehabilitation and labor market variables for applicants with visual impairments. We highlight the importance of cross-state variation and linking vocational rehabilitation data to long-term employment measures. The question of how best to inform the efficacy of different vocational rehabilitation strategies for clients with visual impairments is left for future researchers to consider.

No abstract

Policymakers have been slow to implement price-based congestion policies due in part to how little is known about the effects of policies that influence more than simply an individual's commuting method. An individual can also alter her commute by choosing to travel from a different location. I develop a discrete choice structural model of the joint decisions of family residence and individual commuting modes, given the characteristics of the housing market and commuting options. I use rich individual-level data that allow me to include numerous unobserved heterogeneity terms; this strengthens the validity of my results relative to more aggregate analyses that are often undertaken. I am in the process of using model estimates to simulate the full set of effects of transportation policies that alter the financial and time costs of commuting. These policies include congestion pricing schemes, fuel or carbon taxes, and increased parking fees.

No abstract