Escaping the Ogallala Trap (worksinprogress.co)

The article argues that widespread use of autonomous vehicles could recreate the “tragedy of the commons” seen with the Ogallala Aquifer: roads will be overused if they are effectively free at the point of use. It reviews how new technologies historically contributed to resource depletion, then proposes road pricing approaches that could become politically durable, such as charging only autonomous vehicles and pairing new fees with new infrastructure. The author says acting before AVs dominate is key to preventing gridlock.