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 received his undergraduate degree with a major in Political Science and a minor in History.
Prior to joining Reason, Derr began his career at the Pelican Institute for Public Policy.
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Louisiana’s Calcasieu River Bridge public-private partnership project should be approved
The proposed P3 replacement of the Calcasieu Bridge on I-10 near Lake Charles is a wise financial decision for drivers and taxpayers.
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Mississippi River is dangerously low and outdated federal law is blocking solutions
The 1906 Foreign Dredge Act forces the U.S. to use smaller, older, and less efficient dredges than Europe is using.
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A public-private partnership is needed to replace Louisiana’s I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge
It's a project expected to cost billions of dollars that the state hasn't set aside.
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Florida needs more research on phosphogypsum’s use in road construction
The state should establish some test scenarios for demonstration and submit them for EPA approval.
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Collection costs are a major barrier to mileage-based user fee implementation
Mileage-based user fees face implementation challenges due to their expected increased collection costs compared to gas taxes.
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Biden administration’s proposed changes would make it easier for agencies to justify regulations
Federal agencies wouldn't have to adequately address the fiscal consequences of most regulations.
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We can’t design and regulate away all risks of roads
Safer streets are a laudable goal worth pursuing, but engineers are not designing streets with the intention of them being unsafe.
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Ridership struggles in cities like Dallas and Chicago highlight the transit challenges ahead
Buses, demand-response services, and other flexible innovations are going to be needed as major cities adapt to changing work and commuting patterns.
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The urgent need for more truck parking spaces
The best congressional option would be a repeal of the ban on commercial services at Interstate rest areas.
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The Jones Act contributes to New England’s energy woes
Repealing the Jones Act is the best solution to bolstering energy-insecure New England’s grid during crises in lieu of pipeline infrastructure.
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Fixed-cost contracts save NASA and taxpayers money
By taking some of the red tape out of space exploration and development, NASA has helped open a promising new frontier.
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Biden administration grants Puerto Rico a waiver, but the Jones Act should be repealed
The Jones Act’s worst impacts are after a disaster, but even during the best of times this law has Puerto Ricans paying more.
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How to reform harbor funding
Ensuring that U.S. harbors have sustainable funding sources is crucial to a stable supply chain.
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Users, not taxpayers, should pay for the inland waterways system
The current waterway funding system is unstable and costs taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
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Vision Zero programs are not an effective way to reduce traffic fatalities in U.S. cities
The superior and more cost effective approach for lower traffic fatalities lies in data-gathering, local partnerships, community education, and re-engineering when necessary.
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Amtrak’s Gulf Coast line proposal would make taxpayers prop up a financially unsustainable service
Policymakers should look to rail alternatives that require no (or smaller) per-passenger subsidies and less interference with freight rail.
