Surface transportation, the movement of people or goods in cars, trucks, trains, buses, and subways, is in need of reform. The corresponding greenhouse gas emissions, local air pollution, traffic congestion, and traffic collisions from cars and trucks generate billions of dollars in economic harm every year.
Guided by economic principles, this report outlines several options for reforming U.S. surface transportation that account for technological, institutional, and political realities. It also highlights the unequal burden of market failures in the transportation sector and discusses policy solutions that can help lead to more just outcomes.