Robert M. Poole

3 weeks ago | reason.org | Robert M. Poole

Surrounded by airline CEOs and other aviation executives, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently announced his plan to bring about a new air traffic control system over the next three to four years. Secretary Duffy is asking Congress to provide billions of taxpayer dollars, though he didn’t specify the total amount, to pay for it. America’s air traffic control system needs repairing. Most of the technology listed in Mr. Duffy’s plan should be replaced.

1 month ago | reason.org | Robert M. Poole

IntroductionOver the past three decades, governments worldwide have increasingly turned to the private sector to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain infrastructure, including electric, gas, and water utilities; airports, seaports, and toll roads; and pipelines and telecommunications facilities. Existing infrastructure entities needing reconstruction or modernization have been “privatized” via either outright sale or long-term leases.

1 month ago | reason.org | Robert M. Poole

In this issue:Duffy’s plan will not produce a “a new ATC system”Advancing remote towers in the United StatesHow small-airport subsidies harm other airportsCould privatization fix Honolulu’s broken airport? Will the FAA administrator nominee be defeated by misinformation? News NotesQuotable QuotesDuffy Plan Will Not Produce a “New Air Traffic Control System”I have a number of concerns about the ambitious air traffic proposal unveiled on May 8 by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

1 month ago | reason.org | Robert M. Poole

In this issue:Can U.S. DOT terminate New York’s cordon pricing? New report reviews U.S. transit and climate changeRethinking the energy transitionHow state highway systems measure upCentral planning a new shipbuilding industry? Federal AV policy reinventedNews NotesQuotable QuotesCan U.S. DOT Terminate New York’s Cordon Pricing Program? When I first read Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s Feb.

1 month ago | reason.org | Robert M. Poole

The federal government’s fiscal situation continues to go from bad to worse. Neither the White House nor Congress has proposed any measures toward a balanced annual budget or reducing the $36 trillion debt, increasing concerns about our government’s fiscal solvency. A few recent warnings of what could be ahead caught my attention:In December 2024, David Walker, former Comptroller General of the United States from 1998 to 2008, told Congress he sees a 70% chance of a severe debt crisis by 2030.