How Biden Hobbled His Own Infrastructure Push
At nearly every turn, the infrastructure package opted for policies that limited supplies, hiked prices, added paperwork, and grew government.
Transportation Policy
This Company Is Running a High-Speed Train in Florida—Without Subsidies
Brightline is the first privately funded intercity rail line in the U.S. in over 100 years.
Why We Need To Quit More in Politics, Work, and Life
Poker player Annie Duke says grit is overrated and walking away from bad choices is an underappreciated virtue.
America Is Taking a High-Speed Train to Bankruptcy
Every dollar wasted on political pork, fraud, and poorly considered infrastructure makes the country’s fiscal situation even worse.
New York Will Charge Drivers $15 To Enter Lower Manhattan
The new tolls are part of a congestion pricing scheme that's been years in the making.
Gas Tax Revenues Decline as Cars Get More Efficient. How Will Government Pay for Roads?
Lawmakers should consider a user-fee system designed to charge drivers by the mile.
Want To Challenge Your Speed Camera Ticket? That'll Be $100.
Only 536 people live in this Ohio town that issues 1,800 speeding tickets per month.
Florida vs. California
Plus: Send your questions for the editors to roundtable@reason.com ahead of this week’s special webathon episode!
Both Republicans and Democrats Want 'Buy American' Provisions for E.V. Chargers
When the Biden administration temporarily suspended its own protectionist policies, Senate Republicans voted to reinstate them.
Biden Threatens To Veto GOP Spending Bill That Would 'Cut' Amtrak Funding to Double Pre-Pandemic Levels
Amtrak has historically received $2 billion in federal subsidies each year. Under Republicans' "draconian" cuts, they'd receive over $5 billion next year.
Lawmakers and Unions Defend Burdensome Airline Regulations With Bogus Statistics
The world's largest union of pilots says this requirement is necessary for safety and not unduly burdensome, but its data are misleadingly cherry-picked.
Kansas City Made a Barbie-Themed Streetcar. It Cost Taxpayers $25,000.
Officials say that the "Dream Streetcar" is intended to boost ridership, even though the streetcar is free.
How Florida Beat California to High-Speed Rail
One company is betting that it can run a commercially viable passenger rail service without massive federal subsidies.
Politicians Say They Want To Fight Climate Change. So Why Are They Fighting China on Electric Vehicles?
Rather than posing a national security threat, the growth of China's E.V. industry is an opportunity for global innovation.
New Jersey Files Environmental Lawsuit To Delay Manhattan Congestion Tolls
New York officials have primarily pitched congestion tolls as an easy cash grab for the city's subway system. New Jersey drivers and politicians aren't happy about that.
Buy Your Own Damn E-Bike
The popularity of e-bike subsidies doesn't mean these programs are creating more e-bike riders.
Taxpayers Pony Up for Transit Systems They'll Never Use
The median resident of Southern California takes zero transit trips annually, and only 2 percent of the region's population frequently uses mass transit.
Government Ruins Yet Another Holiday Travel Weekend
Phantom thunderstorms scotch thousands of flights, because the FAA sucks.
Transit Agencies Demand Taxpayer Subsidies To Stave Off 'Death Spirals.' There's a Better Way.
Service cuts that reflect falling demand and zoning reforms that bring more fare-paying residents back to cities could shore up transit agencies' budgets.
Oregon Partially Repeals Ban on Adults Fueling Their Own Cars
After many failed efforts at reform, the Oregon Legislature has passed a bill allowing gas stations to designate up to half their pumps as self-service.
Atlanta Plans To Blow $230 Million on 2-Mile Extension of Useless Streetcar
That's more than $21,000 per foot. And the tab doesn't include operating costs, which taxpayers will also heavily subsidize.
The Absence of a 'Carmageddon' After the Philadelphia Bridge Collapse Doesn't Prove Highways Are Useless
The closure of I-95 is a teachable moment. But highway critics are learning the wrong lesson from it.
Senate Democrats Say Modernizing Airline Pilot Training Requirements Will Kill People
If a proposal to let pilots do more of their training on flight simulators passes, supporters will have "blood on your hands," says Sen. Tammy Duckworth.
The Rail Safety Act Is About Union Handouts, Not Safety
The legislation—which was introduced in response to the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio—pushes pet projects and would worsen the status quo.
In Debate Over Railway Safety Bill, J.D. Vance and Donald Trump Are Leaning to the Left
In 2019, the Trump administration blocked a costly and ineffective mandate for two-man railroad crews long sought by unions. Now, the former president wholeheartedly supports it.
Blame the Feds for Your Canceled Flight This Memorial Day
Staffing shortages and laughably out-of-date technology in the federal government's air traffic control system are leading to a lot more flight delays.
L.A. Spent $7,500 on a Prototype Bus Shade That Doesn't Shade Anything
When the state won't shade you, buy a hat.
As Rail Riders Disappear, the Feds Want To Spend $8.8 Billion Expanding a Rail Station
The rail lines servicing Washington, D.C.'s Union Station are carrying as little as a quarter of their pre-pandemic ridership. Officials still want to triple the station's capacity.
You Are Not Free to Move About the Country
For better air travel in the U.S., it’s time for Congress to open the skies to international competition.
Vernon Smith: Adam Smith's Relevance, Jimmy Carter's Deregulation, and the Fed's Biggest Mistake
"The greatest thing that ever happened to me was to be born in a free country of modest means and to have opportunities," says the Nobel Prize–winning economist.
A 'Congestion' Charge on Just Ubers and Lyfts Won't Improve Congestion
A proposal to charge rideshare vehicles $2 to enter D.C.'s downtown during the day will probably reduce Uber and Lyft rides. But we shouldn't expect it to reduce overall traffic volumes.
'It's Like Stockholm Syndrome': Gloria Álvarez Is Trying To Save Latin America From Socialism
"If there is freedom, private property, rule of law, then Latin Americans thrive," says the social media star.
Problems With Mass Transit Won't Be Solved With More Money
The transit systems we're supposed to hop aboard ultimately operate as jobs programs for government workers.
Inflation Means We're Spending More Money on Less Highway
A new report from Reason Foundation shows that in 2020, highway quality improved while spending stayed flat. Inflation is now wrecking that progress.
New York Lawmakers Want To Use a 'Netflix Tax' To Pay for the Subway
From delivery fees to streaming taxes, New York can’t stomach having MTA users actually pay for the system themselves.
After the East Palestine Derailment, Congress Is Trying To Force Unrelated, Costly Regulations on Railroads
A bipartisan bill backed by J.D. Vance and Sherrod Brown would include a two-member crew mandate that unions have long sought—and that wouldn't have prevented the Ohio disaster.
Blame America's Air Traffic Control System for Your Flight Delay
In countries that privatized, there are fewer delays and costs are lower. But labor unions and the private plane lobby stand in the way.
Ride-Share and Delivery Drivers Are Independent Contractors, Says Court
Plus: College says abortion art runs afoul of state law, the politics of Silicon Valley Bank's collapse, and more...
How the Media Got the Vinyl Chloride Risk All Wrong
The Ohio train accident was frightening enough. Spreading inaccurate information won’t help the citizens of East Palestine.
How To Save American Mass Transit
For transit to continue to serve a valuable role in the few places where it can compete, policy makers will need to rethink how service is provided.
New NTSB Report Highlights Useless, Premature Regulatory Push After East Palestine Derailment
Plus: Ex-felons and the right to vote, Gavin Newsom's plan to cap oil company profits collides with reality, and more...
Biden's 'Buy American' Promise Is a Lot More Complicated and Bureaucratic Than It Seems
An escalator in a subway station is considered a "component" but a fire suppression system in the same station is considered a "finished product." Why? Because the bureaucrats say so.
Ohio Train Derailment Is Another Excuse for Mudslinging and Conspiracy Theorizing
Plus: Did the Pentagon shoot down a hobby radio balloon?, Kentucky abortion ban can be enforced, and more...
Biden Promises To Stop Waiving His Own Terrible 'Buy American' Mandates
The president's State of the Union address re-upped a tired, old promise to spend more tax dollars on less infrastructure.
Washington, D.C., Banned Bird E-Scooters: 'Arbitrary and Capricious,' Says Company
The company scored 445 points on the city's checklist—one fewer point than a company that did receive a permit.
Southwest Is Already Paying Billions for Screwing Up Your Travel. What About the FAA?
The airline will either clean up its act or go out of business. Meanwhile, the government plods along.
