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Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Aug 25

🚨 We're hiring for 2 tenure track Economics positions at the University of Hawai'i🚨

☀️ 🏖️ 🌴 🤙

#econsky

1) www.aeaweb.org/joe/listing....

2) www.aeaweb.org/joe/listing....

American Economic Association: JOE Listings - August 1, 2025 - January 31, 2026

www.aeaweb.org

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Reposted by Justin Tyndall

Next City @nextcity.org · Jun 4

With nighttime pedestrian deaths on the rise, new research on the link between moonlight and pedestrian fatalities suggests that even minimal lighting interventions to dangerous roads can save lives.

nextcity.org/urbanist-new...

nextcity.org

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Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Mar 26

Non-paywalled version of the article can be found here: www.justintyndall.com/tyndall_moon... 🌔

www.justintyndall.com

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Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Mar 26

Moonlight and artificial light might offer different safety benefits. Streetlights provide ~30× more illumination than the brightest moon. My estimates probably understate the impact of full street lighting. Even very small increases in road illumination significantly improve pedestrian safety.

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Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Mar 26

If roads were always lit to at least the level of the brightest moon, 9% of all pedestrian deaths could be prevented. Investing in lighting along dangerous roads has huge returns—one Florida case shows an ROI of 4,000%.

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Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Mar 26

I find that pedestrian deaths fall 5% nationally when the moon is at its brightest. In areas without cloud cover, the effect is 17%. In rural areas with low artificial lighting, the effect is nearly 40%!

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Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Mar 26

I analyze 48 years of US crash data (287,023 pedestrian deaths). For every night, I calculate the number of pedestrians who died and the moon’s brightness. I compile satellite data on cloud conditions and artificial lighting to account for their influence.

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Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Mar 26

The moon’s brightness changes nightly due to its phase, distance, and other factors. Our calendar is not set by the moon’s phase, so across years the moon’s brightness is changing randomly with respect to the day of the year or week. I use this as a natural experiment.

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Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Mar 26

To test lighting’s impact, we’d need a randomized experiment. But turning streetlights on/off for research would be unethical. However… nature changes road illumination every night via THE MOON.

a group of people are gathered in front of a spirit sign

ALT: a group of people are gathered in front of a spirit sign

media.tenor.com

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Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Mar 26

The night is more dangerous for pedestrians because visibility is low, but also due to driver fatigue, worse weather conditions, more drunk driving, etc. So how much does lighting matter?

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Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Mar 26

Nighttime pedestrian deaths have DOUBLED since 2009. Understanding the causes of nighttime pedestrian deaths has become increasingly important.

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Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Mar 26

My paper, Road Illumination and Nighttime Pedestrian Deaths: Evidence from Moonlight, is now published at Economics of Transportation. authors.elsevier.com/a/1kptw_oIvi...

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Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Mar 26

I analyze 48 years of US crash data (287,023 pedestrian deaths). For every night, I calculate the number of pedestrians who died and the moon’s brightness. I compile satellite data on cloud conditions and artificial lighting to account for their influence.

Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Mar 26

The moon’s brightness changes nightly due to its phase, distance, and other factors. Our calendar is not set by the moon’s phase, so across years the moon’s brightness is changing randomly with respect to the day of the year or week. I use this as a natural experiment.

1

Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Mar 26

To test lighting’s impact, we’d need a randomized experiment. But turning streetlights on/off for research would be unethical. However… nature changes road illumination every night via THE MOON.

a group of people are gathered in front of a spirit sign

ALT: a group of people are gathered in front of a spirit sign

media.tenor.com

1

Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Mar 26

The night is more dangerous for pedestrians because visibility is low, but also due to driver fatigue, worse weather conditions, more drunk driving, etc. So how much does lighting matter?

1

Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Mar 26

Nighttime pedestrian deaths have DOUBLED since 2009. Understanding the causes of nighttime pedestrian deaths has become increasingly important.

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Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Dec 2

Editorial: It is time for ‘empty homes tax’ | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Honolulu has major housing problems, on two fronts: affordability and availability. Action is required in multiple ways to address these issues and make housing accessible to local residents — particu...

www.staradvertiser.com

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Reposted by Justin Tyndall

Nick Grube @nickgrube.bsky.social · Nov 27

Our latest investigation with @propublica.org found that FEMA sidestepped its own policies when setting up a housing program for Maui wildfire survivors. As a result, some people were pushed out of their homes by landlords seeking higher rents. www.civilbeat.org/2024/11/maui...

FEMA’s Plan For Maui Wildfire Survivors Lacked Safeguards For Residents

FEMA’s Plan for Maui Wildfire Survivors Lacked Safeguards for Residents

www.civilbeat.org

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Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Nov 25

Honolulu is considering an Empty Homes Tax. 🏘️
I crunched some numbers on the possible impacts on available local housing and county revenue.
There's significant uncertainty, but the potential benefits are large.
uhero.hawaii.edu/a-honolulu-e...

A Honolulu Empty Homes Tax: Impacts on Housing Supply and County Revenue - UHERO

By Justin Tyndall Honolulu faces an acute housing shortage, yet tens of thousands of homes sit empty. Bill 46 would create a new property tax that applies to empty homes. The policy aims to achieve tw...

uhero.hawaii.edu

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Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Mar 22

🫡

www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...

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Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Mar 6

Excellent summary of my paper by a Canadian motorsports company ⬇️

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpuX...

The Grille Trend that Kills 509 People per Year

Like Airbnb...but for motorcycles. Rent a motorcycle affordably on your travels or make passive income renting yours out through Riders Share : https://www.r...

www.youtube.com

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Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Jan 22

A non-paywalled version is available here: www.justintyndall.com/uploads/2/8/...

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Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Jan 22

I estimate how many pedestrians would be saved if front-end vehicle heights were capped at 125 cm (about the height of a new Honda CRV). I estimate 500 fewer pedestrians would die each year if taller front-ends could be lowered to 125 cm.

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Justin Tyndall @justintyndall.bsky.social · Jan 22

I show the effect of tall vehicles is more pronounced among women, children, and seniors. The front-end effect on death probability is 4x as strong for crashes involving children.

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