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
National Review
J. D. Vance’s One-Track Mind for Railroad Regulation
Ohio senator and GOP vice-presidential nominee J. D. Vance has something of a soft spot for unions, as evidenced by his co-sponsorship of the…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Paying for mass transit with Marc Scribner
In this week’s episode we cover California’s minimum wage for fast-food workers, overturning the FCC’s universal service fee, and pushing back on…
Capitol Matters
East Palestine Report: Congress Should Rethink Its Reaction
In almost a decade working for the British Department for Transport, no officials impressed me as much as the accident investigators. They were dedicated experts who…
Search Posts
Blog
Too Clever by Half – EPA’s De-Facto Electric Vehicle Mandate
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced new, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles. The standards would increase in…
Fox News
Biden unveils toughest-ever car emissions rules in bid to force electric vehicle purchases
Fox News cites Director for the Center for Energy and Environment Myron Ebell on electric vehicles: “The Biden administration is trying…
Testimony
Testimony of Ben Lieberman Before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Chair Cantwell, Ranking Member Cruz, and members of this Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Ben Lieberman and I…
Letters
Coalition Letter on TPA BEAD funding oversight
The Honorable John Thune Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation United States Senate 511 Dirksen Senate Office…
Inside Sources
East Palestine Derailment Reveals a Lot of What Is Wrong With Our Politics
The derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous material in East Palestine, Ohio, is a social and environmental disaster that can potentially ruin lives…
Letters
Coalition Letter Opposing Railway Safety Act of 2023
We write you to urge your opposition to the Railway Safety Act of 2023. Introduced following the horrible accident in East Palestine, Ohio, the legislation…
Issues and Insights
Customers, Not Regulators, Should Hold Southwest Accountable
Southwest Airlines’ scheduling meltdown over the holiday weekend has prompted Capitol Hill lawmakers to propose hearings and federal regulators like Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to promise a…
Blog
Customers, Not Regulators, Should Hold Southwest Accountable
Southwest Airlines’ scheduling meltdown over the holiday weekend has prompted Capitol Hill lawmakers to propose hearings and federal regulators like Transportation Secretary Pete…
National Review
Southwest’s Debacle Should Cost It Dearly
It is by now clear that the airline chaos of the past week, which started during the punishing winter storm shortly before Christmas, is largely…
News Release
CEI Releases Pro-Growth Regulatory Reform Agenda for the 118th Congress
Today the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) offered a set of important policy reforms for the 118th Congress to consider when it convenes in…
Products
Free to Prosper: Transportation
Mobility for both people and goods is one of a modern economy’s most important needs. The COVID-19 pandemic changed our transportation patterns considerably and put…
News Release
House Premature on Rail Strike Intervention: CEI Analysis
The House today voted today on a resolution aimed at averting an impending strike by freight rail workers on December 9 – over a…
Blog
New Whole-of-Government Initiative on Junk Fees Comes with Unintended Consequences
Today the Biden administration announced a new whole-of-government initiative on junk fees from airlines and other industries. The news comes on the same day…
News Release
Amid Hurricane Power Outages, Biden Administration Waives Senseless Jones Act Shipping Restrictions: CEI Statement
Competitive Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Ryan Young praised the Biden administration for temporarily waiving shipping restrictions imposed by the 1920s era Jones Act. “The…
Blog
Why Railway Unions Oppose the Deal Biden Helped Arrange
The Chamber of Commerce today urged Congress to step in and impose a settlement should talks between the rail industry and the its…
Blog
CEI Leads Coalition Opposing Increased Government Interference in Rail Operations
CEI and 21 other organizations and individuals have signed a letter opposing the misleadingly named Freight Rail Shipping Fair Market Act, which would…
Letters
Coalition Letter Opposing Freight Rail Shipping Fair Market Act
Dear Member of Congress: We, the undersigned individuals and organizations, oppose the inaccurately named Freight Rail Shipping Fair Market Act. It will cause significant harm…
Comment
Comments to the Federal Trade Commission Regarding the Motor Vehicle Dealers Trade Regulation Rule
Comment Submitted: September 12, 2022 Docket No. FTC-2022-0046-0001 On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), I respectfully submit the following comments in response to…
Blog
Dead Man’s Switch: Biden Administration Fights Railroad Automation
Of all modes of transportation, one would think that railways would be at the leading edge of automation. After all, they don’t use public roads,…
News Release
Mandating Reciprocal Switching Would Trample Property Rights and Raise Costs for Consumers
The Surface Transportation Board will hold a hearing on March 15 and 16 to consider a proposal to mandate reciprocal switching for freight railroads.
Comment
Comments on Application Of The National Railroad Passenger Corporation Under 49 U.S.C. § 24308(E)
On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), I respectfully submit this comment letter for the Board’s consideration in the FD 36496 proceeding. Founded in…
News Release
CEI Files Court Petition Challenging EPA Vehicle Emissions Rule
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) today filed a petition for review with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of itself, four…
National Review
Video Explains Why New Freight-Rail Regulation Is a Bad Idea
National Review cites CEI’s video on reciprocal switching, featuring Vice President for Strategy Iain Murray: A new video from the Competitive…
Blog
Reciprocal Switching Is a Bad Idea at a Bad Time
The Surface Transportation Board has resurrected a bad idea it considered in 2012 and 2016—mandated reciprocal switching for freight railroads. For background, you can’t do…
Letters
CEI Leads Coalition Opposing Freight Rail Reciprocal Switching
Dear Honorable Board Members, We, the undersigned, maintain a deep interest in free markets and the benefits they provide to the American consumer. We write…
The Hill
5G Debacle Shows How Poor Governance Threatens Aviation Innovation
The U.S. aviation industry almost came to a halt earlier this month over the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) and airlines’ last-minute objection to…
News Release
President Biden to Discuss Tax Breaks for Wealthy Americans with Car Manufacturers
President Joe Biden plans to meet with the CEOs of General Motors and Ford to discuss proposals to subsidize electric vehicle purchases that were included…
Blog
Deregulate to Stimulate: 15 Republican Governors Launch ‘Operation Open Roads’ to Unclog Supply Chains
Some cheery holiday news reported in the Epoch Times: Fifteen Republican governors, led by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, have launched “Operation…
Blog
Not Always an Antitrust Issue: Airline Edition
The Justice Department is gearing up to file an antitrust case against JetBlue and American Airlines over an alliance they recently formed. The Wall…
National Review
INVEST in America Act Is a Bad Investment
The House of Representatives will soon vote on the “Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America (INVEST in America) Act”…
Comment
Docket No. NHTSA-2021-0030 Marlo Lewis CEI free market groups 6-11-2021
View Full Document as PDF Comments of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, American Energy Alliance, Americans for Tax Reform, Freedom Works, Caesar Rodney Institute,…
Blog
Railway Unions Want Minimum Crew Numbers
Cars are learning to drive themselves on U.S. highways. Unmanned aerial drones are fueling the expansion of e-commerce. Railways have been trying to…
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Keep Driving Fees Flat No Matter the Vehicle
It’s plain that the federal gas tax is past its sell-by date. Originally introduced as a fair way for automobile drivers to pay for the…
The Washington Examiner
Polling Shows Slight Majority Support For Mileage Tax
The Washington Examiner cites CEI’s coalition letter in support of mileage-based user fees: The VMT tax is an idea that has seized…
National Review
Biden’s ‘Infrastructure’ Plan: If You Build It, You Will Pay
You and I come by road or rail. Economists travel on infrastructure,” Margaret Thatcher once told an audience — pillorying economists’ love of jargon…
Letters
CEI Leads Highway Coalition Letter in Support of Mileage-Based User Fees
View Full Document as PDF Dear Member of Congress, As Congress considers surface transportation reauthorization, its top priority should be restoring the longstanding…
Blog
Secretary Pete Scores an Own Goal
It should have been an open goal. Everyone agrees that the nation’s highways need more funding. Everyone agrees that the gas tax has passed its…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter on Sami’s Law
View Full Document as PDF Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader McCarthy, Leader Hoyer, and Whip Scalise: On behalf of the undersigned organizations, representing millions…
The Free-Lance Star
Electric Vehicles are Not a Panacea
The Free-Lance Star cites CEI’s study on electric vehicles: A 2020 study by the Competitive Enterprise Institute concluded that “manufacturing an EV…
The Washington Times
Biden’s Climate Agenda Likely To Push Gas Prices Even Higher
The Washington Times cites Director for th Center for Energy and Environment Myron Ebell on gas prices: “People are more sensitive to…
The Post-Journal
Why So Many Subsidies For Electric Vehicles?
If electric vehicles (EVs) are as fantastic as claimed, why do they need so many government handouts? Proponents of EVs are increasingly using the “I Word” —…
Blog
UK Court Ruling on Uber will Mean Fewer, More Expensive Rides, and Fewer Jobs
Today, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled on an important question as to whether certain drivers who work with Uber are entitled to…
News Release
UK Court Ruling Against Uber Will Mean Fewer Drivers
The UK’s Supreme Court has ruled that Uber drivers must be treated as workers instead of self-employed, which could put Uber on the hook…
Citizens Journal
Electric Vehicle Shock Treatment
Citizens Journal cites CEI’s report by Senior Fellow Ben Lieberman. Mining and processing ores, and manufacturing batteries, would also require enormous amounts…
News Release
Report Urges Reforming Surface Transportation for Long-Term Sustainability
The president and Congress opted to extend the multiyear surface transportation authorization for another year through Sept. 2021, due to pandemic uncertainties and ongoing lack…
Study
Reforming Surface Transportation for Long-Term Sustainability
View Full Document as PDF EXECUTIVE SUMMARY When policy makers are asked to assess the condition of highway infrastructure, their responses tend to break…
News Release
New CEI Paper Asks: Would More Electric Vehicles be Good for the Environment?
The environmental benefits of “zero emission” electric vehicles are often touted, but rarely discussed are the many environmental downsides associated with creating and powering EVs.
Study
Would More Electric Vehicles Be Good for the Environment?
Executive Summary The environmental advantages of electric vehicles (EVs) over internal combustion engine-powered vehicles are as obvious as the lack of a tailpipe emitting air…
Blog
Forty Years of Freedom: Rail Deregulation Worked
Forty years ago today, President Carter signed the Staggers Act, which deregulated the American freight rail industry. As CEI has long maintained, this…
Blog
Regulatory Waiver Clears the Sky for Private Partnership, Innovation, and Competition
Three months have passed since the Federal Aviation Administration granted a special waiver to the drone delivery company Zipline International. Early last week, Walmart announced…