Authored by Diana Furchtgott-Roth, this section of "Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise" discusses the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), focusing on transportation policies and their impact on American infrastructure, safety, and innovation.
Key Points & Topics Discussed
Mission Statement:
Essential Role of Transportation: The document emphasizes the necessity of more abundant, affordable, dignified, accessible, and family-friendly transportation in America, highlighting transportation's critical role in national prosperity and connectivity.
Overview of Transportation Agencies:
Scope and Authority: The chapter covers the DOT's extensive functions, which include policy frameworks for transportation safety, rulemaking, and regulation, and details its evolution into a significant grantmaking and lending organization.
Historical and Political Context:
Evolution of Transportation Infrastructure: From Adam Smith's recognition of connections as society's bedrock to America's development through ports, canals, and railroads, transportation has been crucial to the nation’s growth.
Criticisms and Recommendations:
Reassess the Role of DOT in Project Funding:
Current Grantmaking Role: The document critiques DOT's role as a primary funding source, suggesting that state and local officials should instead ensure investments are worthwhile.
Build America Bureau:
Project Financing: The BAB should maintain underwriting discipline, ensure loans do not become grants, and require project sponsors to guarantee repayment and demonstrate positive economic value.
Public-Private Partnerships (P3s):
Advantages and Risks: P3s provide access to top talent, incentivize innovation, and transfer risk to the private sector. However, P3s should be transparently managed to avoid imposing high future costs on users.
Emerging Technologies:
Facilitating Innovation: DOT should support the safe integration of automated vehicles and other emerging technologies while avoiding government overreach in picking technological winners and losers.
Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards:
Realistic Standards: DOT should set achievable fuel economy standards for internal-combustion engine vehicles, countering the Biden Administration’s push for higher standards that drive up costs and reduce safety.
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA):
Refocusing Mission: The FHWA should concentrate on maintaining and improving the highway system, reducing federal involvement in local infrastructure projects, and eliminating impractical regulations.
Aviation:
Enhancing Competition and Safety: Policies should support joint ventures among smaller carriers, review foreign ownership limitations, and streamline the approval process for new carriers to make air travel more affordable and safe.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA):
Organizational Reform: The FAA should separate its Air Traffic Organization (ATO) from regulatory functions, modernize its funding structure, and adopt advanced technologies to regain global leadership in aviation.
Federal Transit Policy:
Modernizing Public Transit: DOT should redefine public transit to include all transit provided for the public and encourage efficiency and flexibility in transportation options, moving away from outdated subsidies.
Federal Railroad Policy:
Focus on Safety and Efficiency: The FRA should base decisions on objective evidence, adopt modern inspection programs, and ensure research dollars improve safety and efficiency rather than supporting specific facilities.
Maritime Policy:
Realignment with Homeland Security: MARAD should be transferred to DHS or DoD to align with the U.S. Coast Guard, considering repealing or reforming the Jones Act to reduce economic costs and improve shipping capacity.
Implications
Shifts in Transportation Policies
Focus on Efficiency and Local Control:
Emphasizing state and local control over transportation funding could lead to more tailored and effective infrastructure projects.
Potential issues include disparities in project quality and resource allocation due to varying local governance capabilities.
Impact on Federal Funding and Innovation
Reduction in Federal Grants:
Moving away from federal grantmaking could incentivize private investment and innovation in transportation infrastructure.
Potential issues might involve reduced funding for critical projects in less economically robust regions, leading to inequalities in infrastructure development.
Changes in Regulatory Approaches
Streamlined Regulations:
Reforming regulatory approaches and focusing on safety and efficiency could enhance the effectiveness of transportation policies and support technological advancements.
Potential issues could include ensuring that deregulation does not compromise safety standards or lead to environmental degradation.
Conclusion
This section presents a vision for transportation policy that prioritizes efficiency, local control, and private sector involvement. It advocates for reducing federal grantmaking, modernizing regulatory frameworks, and supporting emerging technologies. The proposed changes aim to enhance transportation infrastructure, promote innovation, and address the varied needs of all Americans more effectively.
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