Biden’s Not-Really-Necessary Plan
RANDAL O'TOOLE, CATO INSTITUTE
President Biden’s proposed infrastructure plan includes $621 billion for transportation. It would spend $115 billion on accelerated road and bridge repairs, $20 billion...
The Two Kinds of Public-Private Partnerships
RANDAL O'TOOLE, CATO INSTITUTE
Texas and other states are increasingly using public‐private partnerships (P3s) to fund transportation projects. However, not everyone understands that there are two different...
LA Metro’s Climate Strategy
RANDAL O'TOOLE, CATO INSTITUTE
An article in the Los Angeles Times last week frets that Los Angeles transit buses are “hemorrhaging riders,” which is supposedly “worsening traffic and...
Is This Infrastructure Really Needed?
RANDAL O'TOOLE, CATO INSTITUTE
The United States has “at least $232 billion in critical public transportation” needs, claims the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). Among the “critically needed”...
No, Passenger Trains Don’t Work in Europe & Asia Either
RANDAL O'TOOLE, CATO INSTITUTE
On January 23, the Wall Street Journal reviewed my recent book, Romance of the Rails, calling it an “exhaustively researched exploration of America’s passenger-rail story.”...
The Good and the Bad of Public-Private Partnerships
RANDAL O'TOOLE, CATO INSTITUTE
President Trump has reportedly expressed reservations about public-private partnerships, but White House economic advisor Gary Cohn is still enthusiastic about building the administration’s...
Trump’s Infrastructure Plan
RANDAL O'TOOLE, CATO INSTITUTE
Greater reliance on user fees, federal loans rather than grants, and corporatization are three keys to the Trump administration’s infrastructure initiative...