Transportation

Please join ITIF for a panel on Capitol Hill with top experts who will explore the technological feasibility and legislative pathway for how a commercial trucking RUC can serve as the foundation for a sustainable, long-term solution to America’s transportation funding crisis.

As part of its deregulation efforts, the administration should clarify Bayh-Dole march-in rights; rescind NIH Access Planning Policy; rescind FRA two-person train crew requirements; clarify requirements for manually operated driving controls; protect America’s innovative clean-energy technologies; and streamline regulatory permitting for semiconductors.

Populists argue mergers reduced robust competition that travelers previously enjoyed, allowing the remaining “Big Four” carriers to cut capacity, decrease service quality and raise prices. But that narrative could not be more wrong.

From safer roads and efficient railways to streamlined air and sea travel, technology-driven modernization can transform the nation’s infrastructure—if the administration overcomes regulatory roadblocks and special interest opposition.

With the gradual shift from internal combustion to electric vehicles, it is only a matter of time before the nation will have to replace gas taxes with a vehicle miles traveled system to pay for road maintenance. The most sensible way to start would be with heavy trucks.

Amidst the burgeoning advancements in autonomous vehicles, striking a balance between expectation and reality emerges as a challenge.

Despite later investigations finding automatic train operations (ATO) was not to blame for a 2009 accident—and decades of operation without problems—officials have yet to reinstate the technology in the rail system, leaving it and the region’s many commuters reliant on human workers operating trains manually.

Autonomous vehicles stand out as they offer the potential to reduce accidents & improve urban mobility. Policy decisions need to encourage this potential, rather than being swayed by emotional reactions to isolated events.

Daniel Castro speaks about autonomous vehicle adoption at an event hosted by U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Congress should include support for autonomous track geometry measurement system in the Railways Safety Act to prevent future accidents. By investing in the development and testing of innovative technologies, Congress can help ensure that the nation’s rail system is safe and reliable.