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Highways

A photo of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, Maryland, taken from shore | Jerry Jackson/TNS/Newscom

Congress

Taxpayers Outside Maryland Shouldn't Pay To Rebuild a Toll Bridge Inside Maryland

Part of the 1,500-page spending bill Congress is expected to pass this week would obligate federal taxpayers to fund the Key Bridge replacement.

Eric Boehm | 12.18.2024 2:30 PM

Chicken crossing the road | Lonny Garris/Dreamstime.com

Food

New Virginia Law Will Let Anyone Harvest Roadkill Anytime of Year

Previously you had to hit the animal yourself during hunting season to claim the carcass.

Christian Britschgi | 6.21.2024 4:40 PM

Firefighter stands in burnt out building | M Natalie Byers/U.S. Navy/ZUMA Press/Newscom

Property Rights

Californians Are Discovering Why Government Is a Terrible Landlord

When everyone owns something, no one does.

Steven Greenhut | 12.1.2023 7:30 AM

Gov. Josh Shapiro and President Joe Biden | Ricky Fitchett/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom

Roads

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.

Christian Britschgi | 6.23.2023 4:50 PM

A Tesla sits in traffic, with a front-facing license plate that says "ZERO EMISSIONS" | Adrian825 | Dreamstime.com

Electric cars

Should Drivers Have To Pay More To Register Electric Vehicles?

Texas's $200 annual E.V. fees seem like a lot of money but is largely in line with what owners would likely pay in gas taxes.

Joe Lancaster | 5.25.2023 8:00 AM

Cars on an interstate highway, with green signs in the distance. | Barry Blackburn | Dreamstime.com

Brickbats

Brickbat: Highway Robbery

Charles Oliver | 5.5.2023 4:00 AM

reason-highway

Infrastructure

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.

Christian Britschgi | 4.20.2023 12:05 PM

Driver pumps gas into car. | Ishtygashev/Dreamstime.com

Transportation Policy

The Gas Tax Makes Sense. Biden Considers Canceling It.

Road maintenance and construction don't suddenly become free because gas hits $5 a gallon.

Christian Britschgi | 6.21.2022 2:00 PM

spnphotosten607978 | Gilbert Dembo / SplashNews/Newscom

Roads

The Traffic Death 'Crisis' Isn't What Bureaucrats Claim

Politicians overstate the situation, and to the extent there is a problem, it’s their doing.

J.D. Tuccille | 5.20.2022 7:00 AM

erik-mclean-w85wCFelnmw-unsplash | Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

Gas Taxes

There Are Many Problems With Democrats' Plan for a Federal Gas Tax Holiday

A federal gasoline tax holiday would undermine the user fee system for funding highways and could worsen inflation.

Eric Boehm | 2.16.2022 2:40 PM

Pete-Buttigieg-11-15-21-Newscom | Oliver Contreras/Sipa USA/Newscom

Safety

Last Year's 'Staggering Increase in Traffic Fatalities' Reflects Increased Driving After a Pandemic-Related Drop

While the fatality rate rose substantially in 2020, it remained essentially the same in 2021.

Jacob Sullum | 2.2.2022 3:40 PM

dreamstime_xxl_157705400-3 | Photo 157705400 © Photovs | Dreamstime.com

Property Rights

Private Property Rights Made the First Thanksgiving Possible

Something to be grateful for.

John Stossel | 11.24.2021 4:26 PM

reason-highway6 |  Palms/Dreamstime.com

Highways

The $1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Spends a Lot More Money on the Same Old Highway Programs

Virginia spends around $35,000 per mile of state-controlled road. In New Jersey, it's $1.1 million. Both states are about to get a lot more federal funding.

Christian Britschgi | 11.18.2021 5:25 PM

reason-highway5 |  Radila Radilova/Dreamstime.com

Highways

It's Not Always a Bad Idea to Expand a Highway

Critics of adding road capacity ignore its benefits while proposing solutions that won't fix traffic congestion.

Christian Britschgi | 10.26.2021 3:15 PM

reason-highway4 |  Sean Pavone/Dreamstime.com

Infrastructure

The One Silver Lining in the Deficit-Funded, Red-Tape-Filled Infrastructure Bill

The bill working its way through Congress would create a national pilot program to study replacing the gas tax with a mileage-based user fee.

Christian Britschgi | 8.9.2021 4:15 PM

dreamstime_m_190322482 | ID 190322482 © Maksym Velishchuk | Dreamstime.com

Infrastructure

Highways and Bridges Are Not Crumbling

Washington isn’t helping, so let states take the lead.

Robert Krol | 8.5.2021 12:00 PM

reason-highway3

Infrastructure

Republicans and Democrats Endorse Concept, but Gloss Over Details, of Funding Infrastructure With User Fees

A federal mileage-based user fee is still years away, and there's very little political support for a federal gas tax hike.

Christian Britschgi | 5.14.2021 2:50 PM

dreamstime_xxl_71528573 | Photo <a href="https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-close-up-hispanic-female-driver-drinking-coffee-car-image71528573">71528573</a> © <a href="https://www.dreamstime.com/monkeybusinessimages_info" itemprop="author">Monkey Business Images</a> - <a href="https://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/drinking-coffee-car.html">Dreamstime.com</a>

Transportation Policy

Why Can't You Buy a Starbucks on the Interstate?

In 1960, Congress forbid service plazas on the new Interstate highways. It’s time for that to change.

Robert Poole | 4.9.2021 5:38 PM

reason-Roadbiden | (Illustration: Lex Villena) Mirko Vitali/Dreamstime.com, Gage Skidmore

Highways

Biden Administration Deploys the Civil Rights Act To Stop a $7 Billion Highway Project in Houston

The Federal Highway Administration is asking Texas officials to hit pause on a massive highway widening project while it examines whether it violates Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Christian Britschgi | 4.6.2021 1:00 PM

reason-road4 | Softlightaa/Dreamstime.com

Infrastructure

The Incoming Biden Administration Raises the Possibility of More Infrastructure Weeks and More Infrastructure Spending

More spending doesn't necessarily mean better results.

Christian Britschgi | 11.19.2020 3:00 PM

reason-road3 | Emmanouil Pavlis/Dreamstime.com

Gas Taxes

In the Middle of a Severe Recession, California Prepares To Raise Its Gas Tax to 50 Cents a Gallon

The Golden State has the highest gas tax in the nation, and one of its worst-performing highway systems.

Christian Britschgi | 6.15.2020 1:15 PM

reason-defazio | Michael Brochstein/Polaris/Newscom

Transportation Policy

House Democrats' $500 Billion Transportation Overhaul Would Require Doubling the Federal Gas Tax

Senate Republicans have proposed a far more modest reauthorization of federal surface transportation spending programs that are set to expire in September.

Christian Britschgi | 6.9.2020 8:00 AM

reason-cars3 | Alexandre Fagundes De Fagundes/Dreamstime.com

Coronavirus

Did Subway Riders or Motorists Do More To Spread COVID-19 in New York City?

Transit wonks are debating which mode of transportation was most responsible for the country's worst COVID-19 outbreak.

Christian Britschgi | 4.22.2020 2:15 PM

reason-road2 | Juan Enrique Del Barrio Arribas/Dreamstime.com

Infrastructure

House Democrats' $760 Billion Infrastructure Proposal Has Lots of Funding Proposals, Few Proposed Funding Sources

The "Moving Forward Framework" includes some sensible reforms alongside expensive, dubious policy proposals.

Christian Britschgi | 1.29.2020 3:15 PM

Large image on homepages | Hxdylzj/Dreamstime.com

Transportation Policy

Would Building Speed-Limit-Free Highway Lanes Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

One California legislator wants to combat global warming with more roadways.

Christian Britschgi | 2.25.2019 2:05 PM

Large image on homepages | Lev Kropotov/Dreamstime.com

Infrastructure

Rural America Needs Road Infrastructure Investment the Least

But Trump's infrastructure plan will give it to them anyway.

Christian Britschgi | 2.8.2018 3:35 PM

Large image on homepages | Bingram/Dreamstime.com

Infrastructure

Leaked Copy of Trump's Infrastructure Plan Reveals Emphasis on Private Investment

The document gives us the most detailed take yet on the administration's $1 trillion infrastructure plan.

Christian Britschgi | 1.23.2018 11:30 AM

Large image on homepages | Library of Congress

Highways

Ku Klux Klan Can Go Forward with Free Speech Lawsuit, Says Georgia Supreme Court

The group's application to participate in an "Adopt-A-Highway" program was initially denied.

Alex Thomas | 7.6.2016 2:46 PM

Large image on homepages

Self-driving vehicles

Government Roadblock: Feds Should Just Get Out of the Way of Self-Driving Vehicles

"All government needs to do for the next transportation revolution [is to] get out of the road."

Ronald Bailey | 1.20.2016 9:15 AM

Large image on homepages

Policy

How to Fix Southern California's Traffic Problems

The Reason Foundation releases its Southern California mobility plan.

Matt Welch and Justin Monticello | 11.20.2015 9:30 AM

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