Air travel and rail transport were early examples of deregulation bringing huge benefits to consumers and industries. Yet automobility, air travel, and freight rail, are increasingly threatened with further regulation that will reduce their ability to transport goods and people. CEI opposes these attacks by arguing for greater freedom in mobility and opposing perverse transportation industry regulations.
Transportation Issue Areas
Featured Posts
Blog
Mandates before proven safety: How the Railway Safety Act ignores rail safety
The Washington Post’s recent piece on the Railway Safety Act underscores an essential point: safety legislation must be grounded in evidence, not fear or…
Blog
Pardon me boys, is this the Special Interest Express?
The Washington Post published a smart editorial on Monday on why the proposed Railway Safety Act is a bad idea. The legislation is…
News Release
White House wrong to push Railway Safety Act
The White House is reportedly urging lawmakers to include new restrictions on freight rail operations in upcoming infrastructure or transportation legislation. CEI policy experts…
Search Posts
News Release
Trump White House Transportation Budget Earns CEI Praise on Air Traffic Control Reform
The White House this morning released its 2018 budget blueprint, which features a 12.7 percent decrease in Department of Transportation spending and reforms to the…
Blog
California’s Proposed Autonomous Vehicle Rules Could Be Improved
The California Department of Motor Vehicles published its proposed testing and deployment rules for automated vehicles.
Blog
Right and Wrong on Air Traffic Control Reform
Objections to privatizing the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Air Traffic Organization contradict conservative principles or else have previously been debunked.
Blog
Improve Infrastructure Projects with Financing and Regulatory Reform
Financing and regulatory reform can help public and private investors get the most bang for their buck out of major new infrastructure projects.
Politico
What now for infrastructure?: Nope, he’s not done
Politico’s Morning Transportation highlights Marc Scribner’s comments on a passenger facility charge bill. On top of all that, DeFazio introduced a bill Wednesday…
Blog
Reps. DeFazio, Massie Introduce Smart Financing Legislation for Airports
New legislation from Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Peter DeFazio (D-OR) would improve the ability of airports to finance improvements to their facilities.
News Release
CEI Comments on President Trump’s Joint-Session Address to Congress
On February 28, 2017, President Donald J. Trump addressed a joint session of Congress. His speech reviewed the new administration’s recent initiatives and announced ways in which the White…
Washington Post
Last night, conservatives gave up on conservatism
The Washington Post discusses President Trump’s policy proposals from his address to a joint session of Congress with CEI President Kent Lassman. The…
Blog
Trump’s Address a Mixed Bag on Transportation and Infrastructure
President Trump's address to a joint session of Congress, delivering a speech outlining many of his administration’s policy priorities and presenting a mixed bag for…
Blog
Policy Background on Trump’s Joint-Session Address to Congress
Here are five areas where the administration has the opportunity to implement valuable and much-needed reforms for the American people.
Blog
EPA Urged to Reconsider Last-Minute Obama Mileage Rules
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers petitioned Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt this week to re-evaluate greenhouse gas emission standards for new cars that were…
Inside Unmanned Systems
Nevada Bill Calls for Legalization of Self-Driving Cars
Inside Unmanned Systems discusses with Marc Scribner a proposed bill in Nevada that updates existing state traffic laws that would spur driverless vehicle testing. …
The Hill
Groups revive debate over passenger fees for airport upgrades
The Hill discusses the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) with Marc Scribner. But funding offsets for infrastructure upgrades have long remained elusive. The PFC…
Reason.com
Bad News: The Government Wants to ‘Help’ Driverless Car Companies
Reason.com discusses with Marc Scribner the U.S. Department of Transportation’s proposed rules on vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Plus, as Competitive Enterprise Institute researcher Marc Scribner…
Blog
Five Regulatory Heartbreaks on Valentine’s Day
Tomorrow we celebrate our significant other by showering them with affection and chocolate—but is government regulation getting in the way of your date night?…
Bloomberg BNA
Regulatory Chill May Pivot Connected Vehicle Tech’s Course
Bloomberg BNA discusses Department of Transportation’s proposed rule on vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology with Marc Scribner. “It sounded a lot better 10, 15 years ago…
Blog
Responding to More Distortions of Air Traffic Control Reform
Free-market transportation researchers strongly support the air traffic control reform.
Blog
Trump Not Bound by Obama Volkswagen Settlement with EPA
The judicial settlement which was reached between Volkswagen and the U.S. Department of Justice last October infringes on President Trump’s Article II authority.
Blog
White House Should Revisit Volkswagen Settlement with EPA
A coalition of free-market groups ask President Trump to investigate the VW emissions settlement with the EPA.
Bloomberg BNA
Will Border Wall Bring Construction Jobs?
Bloomberg BNA discusses with Marc Scribner Trump’s executive order to construct a physical border. Trump signed an executive order indicating that it is…
Blog
Senate Democrats Cite Bogus Jobs Figures on ‘Infrastructure’ Plan
Senate Democrats unveiled a $1 trillion infrastructure blueprint, claiming the eventual legislation would create 15 million jobs over 10 years. The plan stretches the meaning…
News Release
Senate Democrats Offer High Cost, Low Value Spending Spree on Infrastructure
Competitive Enterprise Institute transportation expert Marc Scribner says the problem with the new Senate Democrat plan on infrastructure spending is that it’s focused on expensive…
Blog
Obama Highway Administration Released Troubling Vehicle Communications Guidance
Last Thursday, the outgoing Obama Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released its long-awaited guidance document on the deployment of vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications.
Blog
Wasteful Spending, Minimum Wage Hike Fuel California Budget Deficit
California’s projected budget deficit is rising, but that could have been avoided by curtailing wasteful spending.
Blog
Transportation Inspector General: FAA Not Prepared for Major Airspace Disruptions
The Federal Aviation Administration’s airspace modernization efforts, known as NextGen, are woefully lacking.
News Release
CEI Supports Trump Transportation Secretary Nominee Elaine Chao
Today, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a nomination hearing for President-elect Donald Trump’s Secretary of the Department of Transportation nominee, Elaine…
DC Velocity
For Elaine Chao, the easy part begins and ends tomorrow
DC Velocity discusses Elaine Chao’s nomination for Department of Transportation Secretary with Marc Scribner. Cost-benefit analysis will be the order of the day…
Real Clear Policy
Don’t Re-Regulate the Railroads
Real Clear Policy discusses policy on the railroad industry with Marc Scribner. Marc Scribner of the Competitive Enterprise Institute neatly summarized the implications…
Blog
115th Congress Should Halt Government Assault on Freight Rail
Forced reciprocal switching has been a goal for coal, petrochemical, and agriculture shippers for decades, but regulators have generally made it extremely difficult.
Blog
TSA Deserves a Lump of Coal
The TSA’s widely unpopular body scanners lead many would-be air travelers to take to the much more dangerous highways instead, where some number of them…
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: City Extortion and Cities’ Heroine
In this episode of RealClear Radio Hour, Brian Hodges discusses West Hollywood’s extortion of local developers and Robert Kanigel shares stories of Great American Cities…
One News Now
Trump’s transportation pick in for a ride
One News Now discusses President-elect Trump’s pick for secretary of transportation with Marc Scribner. “No one really knows where that money is going…
Cato At Liberty
The Feds Want to Track Your Car
Cato At Liberty highlights a quote by Marc Scribner on regulating vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology. While the risks of mandatory V2V systems are significant,…
Wall Street Journal
Uber’s Clash With Regulators Moves to Self-Driving Cars
The Wall Street Journal discusses Uber’s use of self-driving cars in San Fransisco with Marc Scribner. “This is right out of the playbook…
New York Times
Friendlier Skies? (Letter to the Editor)
A Feb. 3 front-page article announced the welcome news that more airline competition is coming to Eastern markets, spurred by the entry of Southwest…
Blog
Can Congress Veto EPA’s Fuel Economy Rush Job?
The Environmental Protection Agency’s recent proposal to keep in place the agency’s model year greenhouse gas emission standards for new motor vehicles is the epitome…
Blog
How Ridesharing Platforms Help the Economy
We have been saying for a while that ridesharing platforms like Lyft are different from traditional transportation firms, not just in the technology they use,…
Ars Technica
Vehicle-to-vehicle communication rule finally proposed by the government
Ars Technica discusses the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's proposed rule on vehicle-to-vehicle communication with Marc Scribner. But not everyone is as enamored.
New York Times
Cars Talking to One Another? They Could Under Proposed Safety Rules
The New York Times discusses the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's proposed rule on vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology with Marc Scribner. The conservative Competitive…
Washington Post
Blind man sets out alone in Google’s driverless car
The Washington Post discusses the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's proposed rule on connected vehicle technology with Marc Scribner. The Competitive Enterprise Institute,…
The Hill
Feds unveil rule requiring cars to ‘talk’ to each other
The Hill discusses the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's proposed rule on connected vehicle technology with Marc Scribner. “It is extremely disappointing to…
Blog
Congress, Trump Administration Must Prioritize Air Traffic Control Reform
Earlier this year, an effort to usher in badly needed air traffic control reform spearheaded by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster died…
Politico
At long last, DOT proposes rule on in-flight calls
Politico's Morning Transportation highlights CEI's transportation policy proposals for the 115th Congress. The Competitive Enterprise Institute released its “agenda” for the next Congress…
Blog
A Pro-Growth Agenda for the 115th Congress
At CEI, we believe a clear agenda is necessary to move America toward economic growth, prosperity, and liberty for individuals to chart their own paths…
Blog
EPA Rushes to Lock in Obama Administration Fuel Economy Standards
The Environmental Protection Agency last Wednesday released its proposed Mid-Term Evaluation (MET) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for model year (MY) 2022-2025 passenger vehicles.
Products
Free to Prosper: Transportation
View the full chapter on Transportation here Mobility is one of our most important needs, one we often take for granted until it is…
Blog
Drain the Swamp: Sunset the Renewable Fuel Standard
“Draining the swamp” includes abolishing the RFS.
FastCompany Co.Design
The Privatized City Where Everything Is Tolled
Marc Scribner is quoted by Fast Company Co.Design on potential problems with a new infrastructure investment plan: "The most extreme thing Congress could…
Blog
Coalition Submits Comments on Federal Automated Vehicles Policy
Today, CEI was joined by R Street Institute and TechFreedom in comments submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on the recently released…
Comment
CEI Comments to NHTSA on Automated Vehicles Policy
View Document as PDF On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (“CEI”), the R Street Institute (“R Street”), and TechFreedom, we respectfully…