Robert Poole
Director of Transportation Policy, Reason Foundation
Robert Poole is director of transportation policy and Searle Freedom Trust Transportation Fellow at Reason Foundation.
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Reforming environmental litigation
There is growing bipartisan support that the NEPA process, as it has evolved since the legislation’s enactment in 1970, has gone too far, placing obstacles and delays in the way of needed energy and transportation infrastructure projects.
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Louisiana needs to transition from per-gallon gas taxes to per-mile user fees
With a mid-level shift to electric vehicles, Louisiana could anticipate annual fuel tax revenue would be reduced by $250 million by 2040 and over $325 million by 2050.
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A public-private partnership is the best way to rebuild Louisiana’s Calcasieu Bridge
Financial risks are transferred from taxpayers to private investors, including responsibility for cost overruns, late completion, failure to meet traffic forecasts, and toll revenue shortfalls.
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Air traffic control as a public utility
The case for changing the way air traffic control is provided in the United States.
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Recommendations for the FAA reauthorization bill
Congress should encourage the adoption of space-based ADS-B in air traffic control, the deployment of remote air traffic control towers, and more.
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Using DBFOM public-private partnerships benefits drivers, states and transportation contractors
Strategic use of design-build-finance-operate-maintain public-private partnerships for major transportation projects considerably expands the total money available for transportation infrastructure.
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Tolling value proposition for trucking and state departments of transportation
The question addressed in this paper is whether toll-financed interstate highway modernization could overcome the long-standing objections of the trucking industry, as well as concerns of state DOTs about the coming decline in fuel tax revenues.
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How express toll lanes benefit drivers
Today, 60 express toll lane projects across the country are providing commuters with faster and more reliable alternative to congested highway lanes.
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HOV lanes have failed to reduce traffic congestion or emissions
Carpooling plummeted from 19.7% of commuters in 1980 to only 8.9% in 2019.
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Replacing Michigan’s gas tax with mileage-based user fees
A transition from per-gallon fuel taxes to a mileage-based user fee system should be considered as a strategy to ensure adequate road funding for Michigan’s future.
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What is a revenue-risk public-private partnership?
And when is revenue risk the better financing choice for the state and taxpayers?
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A guide to customer-friendly tolling policies to help states rebuild highways and bridges
How states can implement customer-friendly tolling policies that address worries like double taxation and create genuine value for drivers and truckers.
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Fuel tax rebates for newly tolled Interstates: A quantitative assessment
The purpose of this policy study is to assess the feasibility of providing fuel tax rebates for miles driven on reconstructed Interstates financed by toll revenues.
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Frequently asked questions about long-term airport leases
Why would taxpayers and passengers support the long-term lease of an airport?
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Study: Leasing 31 U.S. airports would generate $131 billion to fund other infrastructure and pay debt
This study estimates the market value of 31 large and medium U.S. airports as $131 billion in total, including Los Angeles International ($17.8 billion), San Francisco International ($11.9 billion), and Dallas/Ft. Worth International ($11.9 billion).
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Rethinking Interstate Rest Areas
This policy brief suggests that a 21st-century Interstate system should have state-of-the-art service plazas in addition to new pavement, improved bridges, and redesigned and rebuilt interchanges in many urban areas.
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Transportation and COVID-19: A State Guide to Policy and Priorities
What states can do amidst today's uncertainty, with a policy focus on mitigating risks to public-sector transportation operations and infrastructure investments.