Jay Derr
Transportation Policy Analyst, Reason Foundation
Jay Derr is a transportation policy analyst at the Reason Foundation.
A Louisiana native, Derr attended Louisiana State University, where he earned his undergraduate degree with a major in political science and a minor in history.
Before joining Reason, Derr worked at the Pelican Institute for Public Policy.
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A chance to unlock the full potential of public-private partnerships in water infrastructure
Congress should use the 2026 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) reauthorization to enable more public-private partnerships.
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The Army Corps of Engineers is failing to disburse port funding
Congress should allocate the funds that ports have planned for and were promised rather than allowing the Army Corps of Engineers to circumvent congressional intent.
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Trump’s unchecked tariff power is undermining U.S. economy and freight stability
The easiest solution to this problem is for Congress to reassert its authority on trade, though it seems unwilling to do so—so far.
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Louisiana passes public-private partnership bill for toll road project to Port of New Orleans
A well-executed St. Bernard road corridor public-private partnership offers faster timelines, stronger budget safeguards, and measurable performance guarantees.
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Navigating port funding: Alternatives for reforming the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund
By addressing the existing inequities and compliance challenges, the U.S. can move toward a more equitable and effective funding mechanism for seaports.
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Analyzing the Trump administration’s tariff policies and goals
The Trump administration’s tariff gambit has proven itself far more reversible than resolute.
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Louisiana House Bill 687 could improve shipping and boost regional economy
Public-private partnerships offer a pathway for delivering major infrastructure on time, with less public-sector risk, and with the potential for long-term savings.
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Annual Surface Transportation Infrastructure Report 2025
It was a strong year for global public-private partnership activity with 43 surface transportation project closings worth $11.9 billion.
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The federal ban on New York’s cordon pricing experiment is bad policy
Innovation in urban policy is a necessary step toward more efficient cities and freer-flowing traffic.
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Hawaiian company challenges the constitutionality of the Jones Act
A new lawsuit argues the Jones Act raises costs, reduces competition and hurts consumers and businesses in Hawaii.
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28th Annual Highway Report: Executive summary of findings and state rankings
The Annual Highway Report examines every state's road pavement and bridge conditions, traffic fatalities, congestion delays, spending per mile, administrative costs, and more.
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Port of Portland turning operations at Terminal 6 over to a private company is a positive step
The deal is a significant step towards revitalizing Oregon's only international container terminal.
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Transit systems can use parking apps to help attract riders
Parking apps can play a role in improving transit ridership and reliability.
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NASA should consider switching to SpaceX Starship for future missions
The reusability of Starship would be a key factor in reducing launch costs, making space more accessible and allowing for more frequent missions.
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The US needs to reform harbor fees to encourage more equitable trading
A user fee based on tonnage appears to be the most promising solution.
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Vision Zero and Complete Streets: Do they make roads safer?
In the wake of rising traffic fatalities, municipalities have been looking for a comprehensive solution to reduce or eliminate traffic fatalities.
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Airlines should learn from CrowdStrike outage
After cancelling thousands of flights due to CrowdStrike’s outage, airlines ought to focus on IT system resilience efforts.
