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Randal O'Toole
Senior Fellow
Randal O'Toole is a Cato Institute Senior Fellow working on urban growth, public land, and transportation issues. O'Toole's research on national forest management, culminating in his 1988 book, Reforming the Forest Service, has had a major influence on Forest Service policy and on-the-ground management. His analysis of urban land-use and transportation issues, brought together in his 2001 book, The Vanishing Automobile and Other Urban Myths, has influenced decisions in cities across the country. In his book The Best-Laid Plans, O'Toole calls for repealing federal, state, and local planning laws and proposes reforms that can help solve social and environmental problems without heavy-handed government regulation. O'Toole's latest book is Gridlock: Why We're Stuck in Traffic and What to Do About It, in which he presents a wide range of innovative ideas and policy recommendations for creating an effective transportation system. O'Toole is the author of numerous Cato papers. He has also written for Regulation magazine as well as op-eds and articles for numerous other national journals and newspapers. O'Toole travels extensively and has spoken about free-market environmental issues in dozens of cities. An Oregon native, O'Toole was educated in forestry at Oregon State University and in economics at the University of Oregon.
Media Contact: 202-789-5200
To Book a Speaking Engagement: 202-789-5226
E-Mail: rotoole@cato.org
Books and Book Chapters
Gridlock: Why We're Stuck in Traffic and What to Do About It, (2010)
"Housing Policy," Chapter 22 of the Cato Handbook for Policymakers, 7th edition.
"Interior Department and Public Lands," Chapter 23 of the Cato Handbook for Policymakers, 7th edition.
"Surface Transportation Policy," Chapter 24 of the Cato Handbook for Policymakers, 7th edition.
Cato Studies
"Crony Capitalism and Social Engineering: The Case against Tax-Increment Financing," Policy Analysis no. 676, May 18, 2011.
"Fixing Transit: The Case for Privatization," Policy Analysis no. 670, November 10, 2010.
"Defining Success: The Case against Rail Transit," Policy Analysis no. 663, March 24, 2010.
"The Citizens' Guide to Transportation Reauthorization," Briefing Paper no. 116, December 10, 2009.
"The Myth of the Compact City: Why Compact Development Is Not the Way to Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions," Policy Analysis no. 653, November 18, 2009.
Articles and Newsletters
"Taking Illinoisans for a Ride," Illinois Policy Institute Brief, July 9, 2009.
"Why Government Planning Always Fails," Cato's Letter, vol. 6, no. 1, Winter 2008.
Opinion and Commentary
"The Great Train Con," The Michigan View, May 12, 2011
"High-Speed Pork," National Review (Online), February 14, 2011
"It's Time to End Amtrak Funding," Cato.org, February 6, 2011
"We Can't Afford the Luxury of High-speed Rail," USA Today, October 1, 2010
""Trannie Mae" and Special Interests," Washington Times, September 21, 2010
Events
"America's Transportation Future," April 15, 2011 [Capitol Hill Briefing]
"The Future of Public Transit: What Is the Role of the Federal Government?," November 10, 2010 [Capitol Hill Briefing]
"The Future of Public Transit: What Is the Role of the Federal Government?," November 10, 2010 [Policy Forum]
"When Does Rail Transit Make Sense?," April 9, 2010 [Capitol Hill Briefing]
"Driverless Cars: The Next Transportation Revolution," January 21, 2010 [Capitol Hill Briefing]
Speeches and Testimony
"Comments on Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking," July 15, 2010.
"On Transit and Climate," July 7, 2009.
"Why Government Planning Always Fails," September 29, 2007.
Multimedia
Randal O'Toole discusses the Obama administration and high-speed rail on WTIC's Mornings With Ray Dunaway (May 16, 2011) [Media Highlights - Radio, 05:53]
Randall O'Toole discusses high speed rail on WOR's The John Gambling Show (May 10, 2011) [Media Highlights - Radio, 09:41]
Randal O'Toole discussing the gas tax and the future of transportation (April 26, 2011) [Cato Video, 10:23]
America's Transportation Future with Brandon Arnold (April 15, 2011) [Events, 01:13:34]
Dashing Dreams for 'High-Speed' Rail (November 12, 2010) [Daily Podcast, 07:42]
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