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

News Release
EPA’s decision to allow California to ban new gas-powered cars by 2035 reversed after President Trump signs CRA resolution
California’s green light from the Environmental Protection Agency to ban new gas-powered cars by 2035 was revoked after Congress passed a Congressional Review Act (CRA)…

Blog
Clearing the tracks: CEI’s three-point blueprint to DOT deregulation
Background The Trump administration has made good on some of its promises of deregulation – namely with two executive orders from the beginning of this…

Blog
Senate pulls plug on California’s gas car ban
The US Senate on Thursday voted 51-46 for H.J. Res.88, a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval to repeal the Environmental Protection…
Search Posts
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…
The Hill
Industry weighs in on driverless car guidelines
The Hill reports on a letter CEI joined which flagged problems with regulators' guidance for automated vehicles. Meanwhile, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI),…
USA Today
Let the Market Take Care of Infrastructure
As the dust continues to settle from President-elect Donald Trump’s surprising victory, one idea is quickly gaining bipartisan currency in Washington: more infrastructure investment. House…
Inman
What does Donald Trump’s infrastructure plan mean for real estate?
Inman cites Marc Scribner on the latest call for more infrastructure investment. Not everyone agrees, however. “Instead of promoting expensive infrastructure…
Politico
Conservatives vs. Trump’s infrastructure plan
Politico quotes Marc Scribner on growing skepticism of new infrastructure spending. Trump’s proposal even drew flak from the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a conservative…
Blog
The Great Infrastructure Myth
President-elect Donald Trump has promised to boost infrastructure investment by $1 trillion because there is supposedly an “infrastructure crisis.”…
The Hill
Conservative groups pressure Trump on infrastructure plan
The Hill cites Marc Scribner on potential federal infrastructure legislation. Other groups flatly reject the notion of using infrastructure to stimulate economic growth,…
Breitbart
Transportation Regulators Are off the Rails, Again
Breitbard discusses railroad deregulation under the Staggers Act with Marc Scribner. Moreover, as Marc Scribner, transportation analyst at the free market Competitive Enterprise…
InsideSources
Industry and Labor Unite Against Major Railway Reg
InsideSources reports on a coalition letter CEI lead to express concerns over a proposed rule by railroad regulators. Industry groups, free-market advocates and…
Blog
CEI-Led Coalition Urges Congress to Defend Railroad Deregulation
Today, a coalition of free market groups led by CEI sent letters to Senate Commerce Committee and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leaders urging them…
Politico
TSA hits the brakes on PreCheck expansion search
Politico's Morning Transportation discusses a CEI led coalition letter asking Congress to look into railroad regulators' proposed price controls. A coalition of free-market…
Letters
CEI Leads Coalition Opposing Reciprocal Switching Regulation in House
View Full Document as PDF Dear Chairmen Shuster and Denham and Ranking Members DeFazio and Capuano: We write today to strongly oppose…
Letters
CEI Leads Coalition Opposing Reciprocal Switching Regulation in Senate
View Full Document as PDF Dear Chairman Thune, Chair Fischer, and Ranking Members Nelson and Booker: We write today to strongly oppose…
The Hill
How driverless cars can reduce pollution
The Hill highlights Marc Scribner's report on state laws that would restrict platooning technology for automated vehicles. Autonomous vehicles also have the potential to…
Blog
Self-Driving Car Developers Blast Dangerous Draft California Regulations
Today, the California Department of Motor Vehicles held a public workshop on its latest draft deployment regulations for autonomous vehicles.