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CEI Releases ‘Authorizing Automated Vehicle Platooning, 2018 Edition’
CEI has released my third annual report on state barriers to vehicle platooning, Authorizing Automated Vehicle Platooning: A Guide for State Legislators, 2018 Edition.
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Last Chance for the 115th: Senate Should Pass AV START Act
Back when CEI published “Free to Prosper: A Pro-Growth Agenda for the 115th Congress” at the end of 2016, we wrote that “[t]o…
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Debunking the Dilatory Objections to the AV START Act
In September 2017, the House of Representatives passed the SELF DRIVE Act by unanimous voice vote. The bill would for the first time establish…
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Clearing a Regulatory Path for Automated Trucks and Trains
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is the national safety regulator of heavy trucks and buses, or commercial motor vehicles. It was created in 2000…
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Even without Air Traffic Control Reform, House FAA Bill Improvement to Status Quo
Last week, House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) introduced his updated Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill, eliminating the air traffic control reform title, and making…
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Cracking Down on Automated Vehicles Would Mean More Death and Destruction
Real-life road testing is the best way to continue improving the performance of automated driving systems, thanks in part to the gathering of real-time road…
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Human Achievement: The Shipping Container
One of the most underappreciated drivers of the modern global economy is the humble shipping container. Widely adopted internationally in the second half of the…
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CEI Submits Comments to Federal Vehicle Regulator on Automated Driving Systems
The process for modernizing federal motor vehicle safety standards needs to be improved, thereby allowing for more rapid deployment of vehicles equipped with new self-driving technology…
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Trump’s Recent Trade Decisions Could Spell Doom for the Economy
With President Trump’s announcement on steel and aluminum tariffs and his continued wrong-headed approach to trade policy, there are reasons to be concerned that a…
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Skepticism of Driverless Car Hype Is Warranted But Shouldn’t Sacrifice Innovation and Safety
Applying the precautionary principle to the regulation of self-driving cars could mean more highway fatalities, by delaying the introduction of new, lifesaving technologies. …
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Rep. Dave Brat’s Pro-Competitive Free to Fly Act Is a First Step in the Right Direction
The Free to Fly Act would eliminate a generations-old anti-competitive federal law governing domestic airline ownership.
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Trump’s Infrastructure Plan: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
This morning, the White House released its long-anticipated, 53-page infrastructure proposal. It is an expansion of the leaked six-page summary that I commented…
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Uber Wants to Make It Illegal to Operate Your Own Self-Driving Car in Cities
Beleaguered ridesourcing giant Uber has been criticized for a wide variety of sins, both real and imagined. But their biggest sin yet may be what…
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More Misguided Conservative Criticism of the Passenger Facility Charge
Congress should free the hand of airports to finance improvements with user fees rather than relying on federal tax revenue.
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#SOTU2018: All Eyes on Infrastructure
Despite the Trump administration’s misguided call for additional federal spending on infrastructure, there are some bright spots for free marketers in the administration's plan.
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Congress Should Repeal ‘Sore Loser’ Trade Law
Supporters of free trade ought to pressure Congress to repeal executive authority to unilaterally impose protectionist trade sanctions. …
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Where Are the President’s Surface Transportation Board Nominees?
Three seats currently sit empty on the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and the White House should move quickly to nominate cautious and judicious rail experts…
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Congress Must Help Modernize Outdated Auto Safety Regulations
Congress should encourage safety regulators to more rapidly adopt modern standards developed by private professional organizations. …
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Is There a Drone under Your Tree? Here’s the Current Status of Federal Regulation
No longer just the stuff of modern warfare, small drone aircraft are increasingly used in real estate, agriculture, infrastructure inspection, and search and rescue, to…
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Two Cheers for Virginia’s I-66 Express Lanes
Virginia’s limited foray into uncapped variable tolling represents a fairer and more efficient way to manage traffic congestion and pay for surface transportation.
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CEI Submits Comments on New Automated Driving System Federal Guidance
Today, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, joined by the R Street Institute, submitted comments to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in response to the…
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How to Update Federal Auto Safety Rules to Conform to the Latest Technical Standards
Motor vehicle safety regulations in the United States frequently fail to incorporate the latest voluntary consensus standards developed by automotive technical experts.
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Did Congress Stumble on a New Way to Modernize Auto Safety Rules?
The federal government has long recognized the virtues of adhering to consensus industry standards when regulating industrial activities, rather than attempting to invent technical standards…
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V2V Mandate Nixed: DOT Ends Second Most Costly U.S. Regulatory Proposal
the U.S. Department of Transportation will not promulgate a costly new regulation, setting the stage for withdrawal of its notice of proposed rulemaking mandating new…
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House Members Repeat False Claims about Passenger Facility Charges
The current Senate Transportation and Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill is a step forward on modernizing airport financing and governance in the U.S.
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A Good START for Automated Vehicle Technology that Should Extend to Trucking
Last week, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) and Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced the American Vision for Safer Transportation Through Advancement of Revolutionary…
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No Reason for Denying Puerto Rico a Jones Act Waiver
The Trump administration should immediately grant a Jones Act waiver to Puerto Rico and Congress should fully repeal the maritime cabotage prohibition.
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CEI Offers Recommendations to Improve Senate’s AV START Act
The draft legislation is another welcome early step from the federal government on self-driving vehicles.
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NHTSA Releases Improved Federal Automated Driving System Guidance
The Department of Transportation is putting its money where its mouth is in preventing overregulation of automated driving systems.
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American Conservative Union Statement Wrong on Air Traffic Control Reform
Spinning off air traffic control responsibilities into a nongovernmental nonprofit will save taxpayers more than $10 billion per year.
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CEI Leads Coalition Urging Senators to Preserve Railroad Deregulation
The Senate Commerce Committee leadership should respect the indisputable gains of deregulation.
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SELF DRIVE Act to Face House Floor Vote
Congress needs to move forward on self-driving cars.
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Conservative Air Traffic Control Reform Opponents Continue Campaign of Falsehoods
Recently, I noted how corporate jet lobby National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) had attempted to trot out “Hero of the Hudson” Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger…
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Will Politicians Let Unsubsidized Bike Share Compete?
The problem with monopoly bike-share contracts is that they are designed to benefit everyone except consumers and taxpayers.
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More on ‘Sully’ and Private Jet Air Traffic Control Subsidies
Despite his status in public life, Sully does not represent the interests of American air travelers and is out of step with current airline pilots,…
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What Is the Future of Surface Transportation Finance and Governance?
The fuel tax is becoming an increasingly unstable source of dedicated user revenue.
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‘Sully’ Wrong on Air Traffic Control Reform
We urge Sully to do his homework and to critically assess the false, anti-consumer claims he is parroting on behalf of the corporate jet lobby.
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House Energy & Commerce Committee Considers Self-Driving Vehicle Legislation
This bill improves on the definition of “automated driving system” in a manner that likely ensures its constitutionality.
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Senate Appropriations Committee to Consider Airport Fee Increase
The Senate Appropriations Committee will consider a provision that would increase the airport passenger facility charge cap from $4.50 to $8.
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Does the Car of the Future Require a “Talking Car” Mandate?
The Competitive Enterprise Institute is hosting an event later today where a proposal to require all new cars in the United States come outfitted…
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Reform State Vehicle Codes to Enable Automated Vehicle Platooning
In the future, automated platooning will allow roadway capacity enhancements without costly physical roadway expansions.
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Congress Should Embrace Airport Financing Reforms
Today, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a markup on its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill. The Senate Commerce Committee is considering…
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Reforming Air Traffic Control with the 21st Century AIRR Act
To aid in the public understanding of this important but complex reform proposal, CEI has released two policy briefs on the 21st Century AIRR Act.
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Vox.com Snookered by Debunked 2016 CBO Score of Air Traffic Control Reform
The Trump administration released its “legislative principles” for reforming U.S. air traffic control, which closely mirror a reform proposal introduced in 2016 by House Transportation…
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Canada’s Air Traffic Provider Announces Lowered Fees; U.S. Should Embrace Same Model
Since the Canadian government decided 20 years ago to spin off air traffic control from the nation’s transportation department, Nav Canada has seen its inflation-adjusted…
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Rep. Meadows Introduces Transportation Performance-based Regulatory Reform Bill
Today, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) introduced the Revamping American Infrastructure Act of 2017 (H.R. 2714), which aims to “facilitate the use of outcome-based performance…
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Drone Hobbyist Defeats FAA’s Illegal Model Aircraft Registration Rule
Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled in favor of Maryland attorney John Taylor, a drone hobbyist who challenged the…
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CEI Leads Coalition Supporting DeFazio-Massie PFC Uncap Bill
Today, a coalition of free market groups sent a joint letter to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leadership urging them to support the “Investing…
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California’s Proposed Automated Vehicle Regulations under Fire
Unless they cease attempting to involve their state in matters of federal responsibility, California’s politicians and bureaucrats will have blood on their hands.
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CEI Submits Comments on Proposed Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communications Mandate
Last week, CEI and a coalition of free-market organizations sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao asking her to temporarily suspend the current…