10-Point Plan To Devalue Oil

10-Point Plan To Devalue Oil
SustainableBusiness.com News


A bipartisan alliance called Mobility Choice Coalition last week released a 10-point plan for a free market-oriented approach to expanding competition among US transportation modes.

The stated purpose of the Blueprint for Mobility Choice is to reduce oil's strategic value, and it is backed by several significant figures in US politics including Anne Korin, co-director of the Institute for Analysis of Global Security (IAGS); R. James Woolsey, former CIA director; Robert C. McFarlane, former National Security Advisor; and Cliff May, president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

The Blueprint for Mobility Choice lays out four guiding principles on how to move to a competitive transportation market in America. Following these principles, Mobility Choice proposes 10 transportation policies that will remove barriers to competition not only amongst transportation fuels but also among transportation modes.

According to the Coalition, current U.S. transportation policies suppress competition and promote inefficiency in oil use and the following 10 policies can help America move to a competitive market.

1.Ensure the price of fuel better reflects oil's security impact. In order to show consumers the real cost of oil, an oil security fee should be charged per barrel or at the pump.

2.Deploy “HOT” lanes and congestion pricing. New highway, bridge and tunnel infrastructure should be moved to user fees comprised of tolls and include congestion pricing where necessary.

3.Allocate transit dollars to optimize oil savings. Taxpayer dollars should be spent in a more cost-effective way on capital improvements that would improve service on highway routes and new routes that are expected to be constantly busy.

4.Increase insurance choice. Legislation should revoke state regulations that prevent insurance companies from offering consumers the option of pay-as-you-drive insurance.

5.Transit vouchers: mobility choice for low-income households. To promote competition, subsidies, such as transit vouchers, should be given to low-income families.

6.Unburden the trip not taken. Government should promote telecommuting and compressed workweeks as well as provide tax incentives for telecommuting setup. In addition, interactions with the government should be handled online.

7.Return gas tax revenue to areas with the most traffic and oil savings potential. Metropolitan areas should be qualified to acquire a large amount of federal gas tax receipts through a brand-new program or through the existing Surface Transportation Program in order to increase efficient and transparent use of funds.

8.Liberalize local land-development rules. Currently, regulatory barriers inhibit neighborhood design that allows little driving. Eligibility of municipalities for certain federal transportation funds should be constructed liberally.

9.Deploy smart traffic management. Roads and transit lines should be equipped with the latest and best technology to improve traffic.

10.Deploy electric rail if justified by cost efficiency and oil displacement potential. Transit agencies should be required to evaluate cost efficiency and oil savings in order to justify federal funding for new rails under the right circumstances.
“America's dependence on oil not only undermines our economy, it also poses serious risks to our national security. We must act now to strip oil of its status as a strategic commodity by eliminating government regulations that stifle competition and promote inefficiencies in our transportation system,” said Anne Korin.


Website: mobilitychoice.org