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Shirley Ybarra
Shirley Ybarra
Senior Transportation Policy Analyst
Senior Transportation Policy Analyst
Reason Foundation
shirley.ybarra@reason.org
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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.
Contributions | Out of Control Blog Posts
- Reason Foundation, Bipartisan Policy Center, Building America's Future and Others Urge Congress to Give State and Local Governments More Transportation Flexibility
Fix the highway bill so state and local governments have flexibility to use pricing, private capital and other needed funding sources
Shirley Ybarra
May 16, 2012 - Tunnel Project Needs to Move Ahead
Improvements are vital to mobility, port commerce and regional economy
Shirley Ybarra and Leonard Gilroy
April 13, 2012 - Congress Passes Short-Term Transportation Bill
How Congress struggled with the bill’s tolling provisions
Shirley Ybarra
March 30, 2012 - Virginia's High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes Changed to 'Express Lanes'
An in-depth look at the highway project
Shirley Ybarra
February 1, 2012 - Comparison of the Essential Air Service Program to Alternative Coach Bus Service
Keeping small communities connected cost-effectively
Shirley Ybarra
September 13, 2011 - Taxpayer-Friendly Solutions to America's Transportation Challenges
Seven cost-effective transportation strategies
Samuel Staley, Shirley Ybarra, Erich W. Zimmerman and Nick Donohue
May 16, 2011 - Privatization and Public-Private Partnership Trends in State Government
State Government Privatization Chapter of Annual Privatization Report 2010
Leonard Gilroy, Harris Kenny, Shirley Ybarra and Tyler Millhouse
February 18, 2011 - The Role for Public-Private Partnerships in Modernizing and Expanding Nebraska's Transportation System
Platte Institute for Economic Research/Reason Foundation Policy Study
Shirley Ybarra and Leonard Gilroy
December 8, 2009 - Telecommuting Can Add to Our Mobility
As telecommuting share grows, so do the benefits
Shirley Ybarra
October 1, 2009 - Seattle's Toll Lanes Aren't Lexus Lanes
HOT lanes are reducing congestion and helping all commuters
Shirley Ybarra
August 24, 2009 - Converting Carpool Lanes to Toll Lanes Will Reduce Congestion in DC and Virginia
Tolls will also help generate revenue to pay for much-needed projects that won't be built otherwise
Robert Poole and Shirley Ybarra
August 12, 2009 - Port Privatization Trend Growing
More ports looking to public-private partnerships to fund improvements and expansion
Shirley Ybarra
April 23, 2009 - Even During the Recession Private Companies Are Investing In Ports
Private sector is driving modernization efforts
Shirley Ybarra
March 19, 2009 - Transportation Spending Won't Stimulate Economy
Infrastructure projects aren't really ready-to-go and using private sector financing could save taxpayers hundreds of billions
Shirley Ybarra and Anthony Randazzo
January 27, 2009 - HOT Lanes Will Bring Congestion Relief to Northern Virginia
Toll lanes will mean more opportunities for carpooling and slugs
Shirley Ybarra
December 23, 2008 - Temporary Fix for Transportation Trust Fund
States should look to private sector for help building, maintaining infrastructure
Shirley Ybarra
October 1, 2008 - Sustainable Mobility in American Cities
Road pricing, transit and private sector funding should all play a role
Shirley Ybarra and Samuel Staley
September 8, 2008 - CalPERS Funds Could Reduce California's Congestion Crisis
State's massive infrastructure needs could get big boost
Shirley Ybarra
August 27, 2008 - Public-Private Partnerships in Transportation
Testimony to the Pennsylvania House Transportation Committee
Shirley Ybarra
July 28, 2008 - No New Taxes and Building Roads in Virginia
State should put private capital to work solving our transportation problems
Shirley Ybarra
July 23, 2008 - Tax Increases Are Wrong Fix for Virginia's Congestion Woes
State needs to turn to innovative solutions, not tax increases
Shirley Ybarra
June 4, 2008 - Virginia Saving Money With Fixed-Price Interstate Maintenance Deal
Florida and international community have demonstrated there are significant savings to be had
Shirley Ybarra
May 8, 2008 - Feds Don't Need Bigger Role in Public-Private Partnerships
States can best determine what works for their own road projects
Shirley Ybarra
April 1, 2008 - Spend Transportation Dollars on Transportation
Virginia continues to raid funds intended for infrastructure
Shirley Ybarra
January 26, 2008
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