Reason Foundation
Search Reason
Policy Study Authors
Shirley Ybarra
Shirley Ybarra
Senior Transportation Policy Analyst
Senior Transportation Policy Analyst
Reason Foundation
shirley.ybarra@reason.org
Click Here for a High-Resolution Photo
Bio
Shirley Ybarra is a senior transportation policy analyst at Reason Foundation, a nonprofit think tank advancing free minds and free markets.
Ms. Ybarra served as Secretary of Transportation for the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1998 to 2002, overseeing a budget of $3.2 billion and a staff of 13,000 people. Between 1994 and 1998, Ybarra was Virginia's Deputy Secretary of Transportation.
Ybarra also served as senior policy advisor and special assistant for policy for U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole from 1983 to 1987. In that role, Ybarra managed the transfer and privatization of Dulles and National Airports to the Washington Metropolitan Airport Authority.
Ybarra authored Virginia's Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995, considered the model public-private partnership legislation in the United States.
In 2001, Ybarra received the American Road and Transportation Builders Association's "Public-Private Ventures Entrepreneur of the Year Award" for her leadership in designing innovative infrastructure financing.
She holds a Master's degree in Economics and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
AllStudiesBlog PostsOp-Eds
- Transportation Research Board Publishes Report on Airport Privatization
Shirley Ybarra
May 29, 2012, 11:55am - Virginia Needs to be Cautious and Not Ruin Its Public-Private Partnership Track Record
Robert Poole and Shirley Ybarra
February 2, 2012, 10:50am - The Most for Our Money: Taxpayer Friendly Solutions for the Nations Transportation Solutions
Shirley Ybarra
May 17, 2011, 10:43am - Putting High Speed Rail into Perspective
Shirley Ybarra
March 15, 2011, 10:23pm - “Orphaned Transportation Earmarks” Part II
Shirley Ybarra
February 2, 2011, 10:52am - It is Time for Public-Private Partnerships in New York
Shirley Ybarra
January 21, 2011, 12:19am - "Orphaned Transportation Earmarks" Total in the Billions
Shirley Ybarra
January 4, 2011, 10:40pm - Virginia Department of Transportation Abandons the Public-Private Partnership Proposals for the Port
Shirley Ybarra
September 17, 2010, 12:00pm - More Environmental “Thumping” This Time Internationally
Shirley Ybarra
September 2, 2010, 12:24am - Government Unlearning How to Build Big Projects
Shirley Ybarra
August 18, 2010, 10:47am - Nighttime Delivery Looks so Obvious
Shirley Ybarra
July 6, 2010, 1:15am - Electric Vehicles Infrastructure but What about the Roads and Bridges?
Shirley Ybarra
July 6, 2010, 12:36am - Infrastructure Investor Southeast: Public-Private Partnerships Alive and Well
Shirley Ybarra
June 12, 2010, 10:57am - What is the Right Question about Electric Cars?
Shirley Ybarra
June 10, 2010, 10:01pm - Report Released on International Experience with Road Pricing Schemes
Shirley Ybarra
June 9, 2010, 11:16am - Reason’s Len Gilroy Appointed to Arizona’s Commission on Privatization and Efficiency
Shirley Ybarra
May 29, 2010, 10:41am - Virginia’s First Report on Streamlining the Public-Private Partnership Process
Shirley Ybarra
May 27, 2010, 10:32am - Tale of Two High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lane Projects in Virginia
Shirley Ybarra
May 10, 2010, 10:31am - Cash For Clunkers: Government Accountability Office Weighs In
Shirley Ybarra
May 4, 2010, 3:45pm - Update on Ports: Looking for Private Partners and a New Perspective
Shirley Ybarra
April 13, 2010, 5:25pm - "The Trouble With Tolls" Gets It Completely Wrong
Shirley Ybarra
April 7, 2010, 2:45pm - Time is Money Particularly on Highway Projects
Shirley Ybarra
March 31, 2010, 11:05pm - NexGen Air Traffic Contol, Will we Ever Move Forward?
Shirley Ybarra
March 24, 2010, 10:43am - Highway Trust Fund Solvent for Another Nine Months
Shirley Ybarra
March 21, 2010, 11:01am - Budget Buster Express: High-Speed Rail, Amtrak or Frustrated Children?
Shirley Ybarra
February 10, 2010, 11:39am - Missouri's Road Director Wins Two Prestigious Awards
Shirley Ybarra
February 1, 2010, 11:44am - “Single Best Investment” (High Speed Rail) ....I Doubt It
Shirley Ybarra
February 1, 2010, 10:15am - Is This the Oversight for Security We Need? 88 is the Same Number as Piano Keys
Shirley Ybarra
January 9, 2010, 10:54pm - Long Term Transportation Funding… ”Let’s Wait” … Best Bet
Shirley Ybarra
January 8, 2010, 11:00am - More on (NOT) Unionizing Airport Security
Shirley Ybarra
January 6, 2010, 10:57am - Public-Private Partnerships Flourish Internationally
Shirley Ybarra
December 16, 2009, 5:41pm - Limping Along on Aviation Funding Authorization
Shirley Ybarra
December 10, 2009, 10:19am - Bob Poole (Quoted by Steve Forbes) Has It Right: Airline Deregulation is not to Blame
Shirley Ybarra
November 11, 2009, 11:00am - Airport Security (Lack Thereof) or the Right Methods?
Shirley Ybarra
November 9, 2009, 10:46am - Florida High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes Win 2009 Award
Shirley Ybarra
October 26, 2009, 10:43am - New Zealand's Guidance for Public Private Partnerships
Shirley Ybarra
October 20, 2009, 11:17am - (Preliminary) National Rail Plan from Federal Railroad Administration
Shirley Ybarra
October 20, 2009, 10:15am - Governor Rendell (PA) says "Help Me Kill the Office of Public Benefit"
Shirley Ybarra
October 4, 2009, 12:09am - Transportation Funding at a Standstill, Rescission Looms and Then What?
Shirley Ybarra
September 27, 2009, 12:31pm - The House Passes 3-month Transportation Funding Extension----Action Moves to the Senate
Shirley Ybarra
September 23, 2009, 9:23pm - Surface and Aviation Funding on a Three Month Fix?
Shirley Ybarra
September 21, 2009, 12:49pm - World Car Free Day Tomorrow---Buy Your Bread and Milk Now
Shirley Ybarra
September 21, 2009, 10:54am - Doing Business A New Report about Regulatory Reforms Worldwide
Shirley Ybarra
September 14, 2009, 10:14am - Highway Funding Still in Limbo
Shirley Ybarra
September 11, 2009, 12:13pm - Another Blow to the Highway Planning and Funding
Shirley Ybarra
August 31, 2009, 7:59am - Drivers Of All Incomes Using Washington State's Toll Lanes
Shirley Ybarra
August 24, 2009, 5:00am - Another Potential Delay for Northern Virginia High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes Project
Shirley Ybarra
August 23, 2009, 9:15am - Virginia Delays High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes Project
Shirley Ybarra
August 18, 2009, 11:11am - Details on the Competing Public-Private Partnership Proposals for the Virginia Port Authority
Shirley Ybarra
August 13, 2009, 3:52pm - Airport Projects Funded by Stimulus Package Questioned
Shirley Ybarra
August 12, 2009, 1:20pm