Replication data for: Paging Inspector Sands: The Costs of Public Information

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) Sacha Kapoor; Arvind Magesan

Version:  View help for Version V1

Name File Type Size Last Modified
  Data-and-Programs 10/26/2021 11:57:AM
LICENSE.txt text/plain 14.6 KB 10/13/2019 03:54:AM

Project Citation: 

Kapoor, Sacha, and Magesan, Arvind. Replication data for: Paging Inspector Sands: The Costs of Public Information. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2014. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2019-10-13. https://doi.org/10.3886/E114854V1

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary We exploit the introduction of pedestrian countdown signals—timers that indicate when traffic lights will change—to evaluate a policy that improves the information of all market participants. We find that although countdown signals reduce the number of pedestrians struck by automobiles, they increase the number of collisions between automobiles. They also cause more collisions overall, implying that welfare gains can be attained by hiding the information from drivers. Whereas most empirical studies on the role of information in markets suggest that asymmetric information reduces welfare, we conclude that asymmetric information can, in fact, improve it.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms:  View help for Subject Terms Information Economics
JEL Classification:  View help for JEL Classification
      D82 Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
      D83 Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
      R41 Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise
Geographic Coverage:  View help for Geographic Coverage Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Time Period(s):  View help for Time Period(s) 2004 – 2008
Data Type(s):  View help for Data Type(s) event/transaction data; observational data
Collection Notes:  View help for Collection Notes Data was obtained from the University of Toronto Library.

Methodology

Data Source:  View help for Data Source Transportation Services Division of Toronto.
Unit(s) of Observation:  View help for Unit(s) of Observation automobile intersections by month,

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V1 [2019-10-13]

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