Transportation

Foreshadowing the possibility of viable local regulation in a statewide regulation state, the COunty of San Francisco is tracking how many rides occur and for how many miles.

The average day for the 2 largest ride share comapnies in San Francisco: 570,000 miles and 170,000 trips per day.

On a Friday, the number of trips can soar to over 200,000 with 6500 cars on the road.

Government Technology | How many trips can Uber and Lyft make in San Francisco in one day?

State: Oregon

The fee offered by ride share: 50 cents per ride to fund expansion of electric vehicles

The quid pro quo: Ride Share pays 50 cents per ride fee to fund electric vehicle expansion in exchange for statewide ride share regulations

The fee tag line: Its a “green fee”

Willamette Weekly | Uber Offers Oregon Legislature a Deal: Get Portland Regulators Off Our Backs, and We’ll Help Fund Your Transportation Package

A California Assembly man passed statewide ride share regulations.

The same guy leveled the playing field for taxis to compete with ride share.

The guy did it all in the name of self driving cars. But why?

Synchronizing regulation. Taxis were regulated by the city, ride share by one state agency and self driving vehicles by another agency. But, the purpose of each is to make traffic more effcient by reducing congesgtion.

Los Angeles Times | Q&A Meet the man driving the future of Uber and Lyft in the California Legislature

The company: Apple

Its like airplane mode but for driving that will: 

• turn off the mobile phone screen
• silences notifications

ARS TECHNICA | A judge is ordering drunken drivers to install Uber, Lyft

The Judge: Municipal Court Judge Michael Cicconetti of Painesville, OH

Sentencing of driving under the influence in Painesville, OH includes:

• fines
• possible jail time
• the use of mobile technology to combat drunken drivers

ArsTechnica | A judge is ordering drunken drivers to install Uber, Lyft

Columbus CEO | Ohio judge orders DUI defendants to download Uber, Lyft apps

Add Georgia to the existing 7 states with space ports.

Which states have space ports?

• California has 2
• Florida has 2
• Texas has 2
• Oklahoma, Alaska, New Mexico and Virginia each have 1

What legislative parameters did Georgia put around its spaceport?

• risks must be dislcosed to any participants in writing, signed by the participant
• liability is limited except for intentional acts and gross negligence

What sparked Georgia to legislate?  Competition. The belief that Alabama muight move first on space ports and secure an economic advantage.

Legal News Line | States bet on spaceports, future economic benefits

Georgia HB 1, Space Flight Act (2017)

The re-authorization of TERP’s $2500 electric car rebate in Texas opens rulemaking to the following issues:

• which cars qualify?
• do cars purchased out of state qualify?
• are rules limited to cars purchased at Texas dealerships?
• when must cars be purchased to qualify?

The pre-2017 rebate program exlcuded Teslas.

Houston Chronicle | Abbott signs electric car rebates into law

Utility Dive | Texas revives $2,500 electric vehicle credit

Electrek.co | Texas brings back $2,500 electric vehicle incentive, but Tesla buyers could be blocked

On June 2nd, S6600/A8248, was filed in the New York Legsislature to expand the ability of Tesla to sell directly to New York Consumers/

What limiting language does this bill contain?

• Applies only to manufacturers of zero emissions vehicles

Does the bill have any location limits? 

• Yes, it permits 20 locations.

New York law Journal | Inside Tesla’s Lobbying Push to Expand NY Sales

The airport adding more fees for ride share: Baltimore BWI

The fee: $2.50 per-trip access fee that they will pass on to customers

What ride share gets from the airport: Designated ride share pick up locations.

Washington Post | Your Uber and Lyft to BWI is about to cost you more

The high speed rail project: California’s high speed rail project

The federal greenhouse gas funding: greenhouse gas emissions program funds held by the state

Did this go to court? Yes, The Transportation Solutions Defense and Education Fund sued the state saying the high speed rail would increase carbon emissions in its construction. The state argued the project would ultimately help CA meet its carbon reduction goals.

What did the court say? The funding stream is fine. The state did not abuse its discretion.

AP | Judge Allows California Bullet Train Greenhouse Gas Funding

The Airport: New Orleans International Airport

The city Council: Kenner City Council

The ride share requirements adopted on June 2nd:

• drivers must obtain an occupational license that trigger:
  • background checks
  • drug testing
• align ride share and taxi fees for airport service ($33 for up to 2 passanfgers, $15 for each additional passenger)

The aftermath: The Kenner City Council repealed the ordiance within 5 days.

Curbed New Orleans | Kenner City Council raises New Orleans airport rates for Uber and Lyft

New Orleans Advocate | Kenner council takes back controversial Uber/Lyft ordinance passed Thursday

 Who is promoting ride share for public education? U.S. Education Secretary DeVos

Are there local governmental entities embracing ride share for public education? Yes, Denver’s school district is providing transportation to underserved students attending both traditional public and charter schools

How do libertarian types want ride share for education to be funded? Educational Savings Accounts

Reason | Uber, But for School Buses

A new report by: Intel

Sets out 3 economic benefits of self driving vehicles:

• $7 Trillion industry by 2050
• $3.7 Trillion or 55% will be consumer
• $3.0 Trillion or 43% will be business to business use of self driving vehicles

New buzz phrase: Passenger Economy (passengers of self driving vehicles)

+ it saves lives: the conservative estimate of 585,000 lives can be saved by self driving cars

Intel | Accelerating the Future: The Economic Impact of the Emerging Passenger Economy 

City: San Francisco

The nuisance issues related to ride share: traffic congestion, blocking traffic lanes while picking up passengers, blocking bicylce lanes, double parking

NYTimes | San Francisco Investigating Whether Uber, Lyft Are Public Nuisances

The city pursuing fees on ride share vehicles at its airport: Juneau, Alaska

What fees are Juneau’s airport board proposing?

• $100/ year for rideshare companies  to operate on airport property
• $3 surcharge on each fare to and from the airport

What fees do taxis pay at Juneau’s airport? $150/ year per vehicles without any additional ride fee

St. Louis Post Dispatch | Juneau airport considering fees for Lyft, Uber rides

In repsonse to statewide rideshare regulations, Missouri’s Taxi Commission lowered these taxi regulations to provide parity:

• lowered the amount of liability insurance taxicabs must have from $400,000 to $125,000 per accident
• reduced annual fees paid by taxi companies and drivers
• removed the requirement of a human answering phones at all operation hours
• allows for 3rd party vendors to vehicle and meter inspections & background checks

St. Louis Business Journal | Taxi commission eases regulations to help cabs compete with Uber, Lyft

The business trend: WalMart is leveraging store worker commutes to make deliveries

Lege trend: Is the delivery during the commute within the scope of employment? Is the employee on the clock? What background checks should be required? 

WallStreet Journal | Wal-Mart Tries Using Store Workers to Deliver Online Orders

• How statutes assign liability for an accident involving a self driving?
• Are manufacturers liable or the software engineers or both?
• Do local governments need to cange stop lights and traffic movement for improved self driving car efficiency?
• If self driving cars improve transportation times, as science indicates they do, will the local and state economy benefit?

Findlaw | Technologist | Can One Driverless Car Change Auto Liability?

• Bills to stop high speed rail: No
• High Speed Rail Specific Bills:  2
  • ​ Require reimbursement to local law enforcement for high speed rail security
  •  No State Funding for high speed rail

Response to the legislative action from high speed rail opponents: 

• Even if no bill stopped high speed rail,
• The high speed rail porject does not have adewuate funding nor explicit eminent domain authority

Response to legislative action from high speed rail:

““As the Texas Legislature completes its regular session, work on the bullet train remains at high speed,” 

State: Nevada

The 2 ride share provisions that Nevada House has included in the state ride share bill:

• Increased insurance coverage
  • minimum of $300,000 in coverage when using the app
  • minimum of $1.5 million when providing rides to passengers
• Permit for drivers from the Nevada Transportation Authority

Las Vegas Review Journal | Bill could force Uber, Lyft out of Nevada

City:   San Fracnisco

The proposed fee: a fee on all ride share trips to help pay for congestion management efforts

 Is the per trip fee unique to San Francisco? No Massachusetts has a 20 cent per trip fee

Bay City News | San Francisco Patch | City May Impose Fee On Uber, Lyft For Traffic Congestion

State: Connecticut

What are the arguments supporting direct sales of vehicles in Connecticut?

• Opposing direct sales shows an opposition to technology and dissaudes tech start ups from 
• Denying Connecticut residents the ability to buy directly in Connecticut costs Connecticut jobs and revenue
• neighboring state Massachusetts is getting the sales and the revenue

What are the arguments opposing direct sales in Connecticut?

• job losses
• job loss argument is maintained by auto dealers and by business groups such as the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce & Connecticut River Valley Chamber of Commerce

A compromise offered: Allow existing dealers to sell these cars

Hartford Courant | Auto Dealers Fighting Tesla Pitch to Sell Cars Directly to Customers

State: Connecticut

Is the opposition uniform and bipartisan? yes

What triggered it? A federal subsidy to study a switch to mileage based taxation

What warning are some legislators offering? If there isn’t a transportation funding solution soon, the state moves closer to more tolls on highways

Connecticut Post | Senate votes to prohibit ‘mileage’ tax

Where is this happening? Michigan

What company is the private partner with Michigan? 3M

What’s the collaborative goal?  “To implement connected vehicle technology on a stretch of work zone on Interstate 75 that is more than 3 miles long”

What is 3M bringing to the table in this partnership?

♦  Advanced all-weather lane markings

♦  Retroreflective signs with smart sign technology

♦  Dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) devices for vehicle-to-infrastructure communications

♦  ANSI-compliant apparel for workers with 3M Scotchlite reflective material

Equipment World | Michigan DOT, 3M partner on connected work zone for I-75 modernization

State: Connecticut

Company: State Farm

What does the partnership entail?

• Renaming the agency’s Connecticut Highway Assistance Motorist Patrol (CHAMP) to the CTDOT State Farm Safety Patrol

Is this new for State Farm?  No, it has Partnerships in 15 other states, including:Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania

Benefit to the state: State can continue providing the same high-level of service, while actually reducing costs to the state’s taxpayers

Equipment World | State Farm sponsorship continues Conn. DOT’s roadside assistance, traffic control program

Where: Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) in the San Francisco Bay Area

The data privacy issue: Plaintiffs allege that BART captures riders unique mobile identification numbers and locations

What state law is in play? California’s advertising and privacy laws, plus the Cellular Communications Interception Act, which the state Legislature passed in 2015 to protect against unreasonable searches that could violate the Fourth Amendment

The Recorder | Privacy Lawyers Accuse BART of Snooping on Riders

SB 1524 creates this 5 point regulatory scheme:

• $6,000 annual fee for permits allowing heavier truck weights for containerized imports and exports, limited to designated corridors within 30 miles of a port
• 50% of the revenue  goes to the state highway funds
• 30% to counties with the routes
• 16% to municipalities
• 4% to the Texas Department of Transportation for administration.

informed:intel April 25, 2017:

SB 1524 allows for heavier loads on big trucks when:

• $5000 annual permit is purchased
• traveling on a dwsignated corridor
• within 30 miles of a port of entry/border

Supporters say:

• anticipated 500,000 TEU increase in annual containerized exports of plastic resin
• $100 Billion in new or expanded plant capacity along Texas coast
• the rise in plastic resin is due to cheap natural gas feedstock
• American Chemistry COuncil warned that without allowing for larger loads would harm the economic advantages of the Gulf Coast
• Other states on the gulf provide for the same 100,000 load limit

SB 1524 | Texas | 2017 

JOC | Container shipping and trade news and analysis| Texas moves to raise truck weight limits for resins, other cargo

Airport: SFO (San Francisco)

The fee placed on ride share at the airport: an airport fee of $3.80 paid by the rider

Total fees since late 2014: $39 million

What entity administers the fee? Its a 3 step process that works like this:

• The Board of Supervisors Budget and Finance Sub-Committee  in San Francisco on approved an extension of the contract between the airport and a nonprofit, the Airport Research and Development Foundation
• The Airport Research and Development Foundation assesses and collects fees from Uber and Lyft trips at the airport.
• The airport staff created a tracking system to monitor ride-hail trips to the airport, so the fees could be collected

San Francisco Examiner | SFO cashes in on ride-hails: Uber, Lyft pay $2M per month

Mercedes is parterning with Vivint Solar to provide battery storage at residences. 

Autoblog | Mercedes-Benz partners with Vivint to sell solar energy storage

SB 2205 in the stealth like manner of an electric vehicle is on Saturday’s General State House Calendar. So, let’s take a peak at this legislative trend as it moves in Texas:

SB 2205 will:

• allow for no humans in an operating self driving car
• it loops in commerical self driving cars- bonjour garden center delivery services
• the owner is considered the operator whether or not the owner is in the vehicle
• if its operating on a highway it needs:
  • insurance
  • to comply with federal guidelines
  • a functioning recording device

The freight share: Uber Frieght

How does it work? Pairs up trucking companies, including independent operators, with loads that need to be hauled from one place to another

Tech Crunch | Uber Freight launches to connect truck drivers with available shipments

State: Georgia

The legal claim giving rise to the lawsuit: taxi drivers claimed that the medallions they must purchase are diminished in value by the statewide ride share statute

The Georgia Supreme Court: “taxicab drivers do not have a constitutionally protected “exclusive right to provide rides originating in the city limits which charged fares based on time and mileage.”

WABE Atlanta NPR | Georgia Supreme Court Upholds Law Allowing Uber, Lyft Services

City: San Francisco

The municipal ordinance’s purpose: traffic safety & congestion

The traffic woes the ordinance wants to cure:

• double parked ride share cars
• swarms of ride share cars tackling urban streets to the detriment of other drivers

The muncipal ordinance proposal to begin as a pilot program icnluding:

• data sharing by ride share
• agreements on pick up and drop off procedures
• possible curb designations for ride share stops

San Francisco Examiner | Mayor Lee to tackle Uber, Lyft traffic congestion through pilot program

Dallas and Ft. Worth are moving forward with a high speed rail line connecting the two cities. This is how they’re doing it:

• Creating a  local government corporation with Dallas, an entity that would govern inter-city passenger rail service
• The local government corporation would own and manage the rail line​
• The Local government corporation would then control creation, funding and actual construction of the line

The North Central Texas Council of Governments is coordinating the project.

It is expected to be up and running by 2023 or 2024 and travel time would be 15 to 20 minutes.

Mass Transit | TX: Fort Worth Takes Big Step Toward HSR Link with Dallas

The states that are moving to a fee based transportation funding system:

• California fee on electric and hybrid cars
• Tennessee fee on electric or hybrid cars
• South Carolina fee on electric and hybrid cars
• Oregon shifting to a road use fee

States considering a fee on electric, hybrid cars to offset gas tax reductions:

• Maine, Alabama, Arizona, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, and Massachusetts

States that increased registration fees on electric or hybrid cars:

• Colorado, Georgia (which charges $200, more than any other state), Idaho, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

Governing | As Gas Tax Revenues Decline, Fees on Fuel-Efficient Cars Pop Up

The Court: The European Union’s highest court

The issue- is ride share a platform or a transportation company? Legal pundits expect the court to rule that ride share companies are transportation companies.

What will be the impact? Stricter regulations apply to transportation companies

Why are pundits now paying attention to this? “An influential advisor to the court, Advocate General Maciej Szpunar, has published his opinion on the case” and that opinion is not good for ride share.

Tech Crunch | Europe’s top court leaning towards dealing Uber a big regulatory blow

 A legal fight between Texas Central Rail and Grimes County has created an injuntion to ” permanently enjoin [Texas Central Rail]  from performing surveys or other studies which damage, alter or impair county maintained rights of way,”

What Grimes County says it does: prevents Texas Central Rail from exercising precondemantion surveys  & Texas Central Rail does not have eminent domain authority

What Texas Central Rail says it does: Surveys will continue, as they have, and no damage will be incurred by the county

Navasota Examiner News | Judges rules in favor of county, against TCP

State: Colorado

The 2 competing transportation funding mechanisms:

• Senate Bill 267
  • creates  20-year bond program, $1.8 billion towards critical infrastructure
• Senate Bill 303
  • uses existing taxes and a $3.5 billion bond program to pay for roads and highways

The Compromise:

• require that at least 25%of the bond funds go toward projects in rural Colorado, with county populations of 50,000 or less
• add in $30 million allocated to rural districts over three years.
• School funding increase is funded by aising marijuana taxes.

Colorado Springs Gazette | Compromise bill to boost Colorado transportation funding appears headed for finish line

State: California

What’s an Idaho stop for a bicycle? Its what the rest of the world calls a California stop. A bicylce can roll through a red light, treating the stop or red light as a yield.

Have other states allowed for an Idaho stop? yes, Idaho

What support is there for allowing the roll through stop for bicycles?

• bicycle injuries in Idaho declined by 14.5% the year after the law took effect
• no evidence of an increase over time
• increases bicycle traffic efficiency

California’s Assembly Bill 1103 (2017)

Sacramento Bee | Should California allow bicyclists to roll through stop signs?

The trend bester:  Self driving car garages for mechanics, not parking

The partnership opportunities abound.

Tech Crunch | Intel’s new Silicon Valley Autonomous Driving Garage is primed for partnerships

The state: California

The proposed rules to tax space income:  

California is revising its driverless car regulations. Read the proposed regulations. 

California’s proposed driverless car regulations prompted the following concerns:

• elimination of language that holds the driverless car manufacturer liable for any crash its vehicle causes on a public road.
• allow paying riders in test cars
• rules should also cover the testing of freight trucks
• rules should be expanded with protections for proprietary information
• remove a requirement that data recorders collect information for at least five seconds after a collision with another vehicle or until the driverless car comes to a complete stop
• authorize the testing of “heavy” vehicles that might carry freight or shuttle passengers
• insurers question updated language that shifts the responsibility for vehicle software updates from the manufacturer to the owner.

The Recorder | What Tech, Insurers Told Calif. About Driverless Rules

A loophole in New York’s statewide ride share law allows Level 1 sex offenders to be ride share drivers.

The loophole is triggered by this statutory reference: U.S. Department of Justice National Sex Offender Public Website. Any person listed on this website cannot serve as a driver. However, this list does not include level 1 sex offenders.

A bill has been filed to close this loophole.

News 12 Long Island | Loophole could allow sex offenders to work for Uber, Lyft

Are there data security regulations on cars?  Not so much

Is there any group proposing regulations? Yes, National Institute of Standards and Technology, a nonregulatory agency under the Department of Commerce

The Hill | Cyber official: Feds, companies need better dialogue on security of self-driving cars

The litany of regulatory questions for regulating flying cars:

• Who can operate one?
• How many passengers are allowed inside?
• Can flying cars fly over roads?
• What kinds of safety measures must be included, and critically, can the vehicles be manufactured for commercial use? 
• Are they treated like drones?
• Are they ultralight aircrafts?
• What are the safety standards?
• Can they be used commercially?

It is a new frontier with no regulations.

The Recorder | Who Will Regulate Flying Cars?

The Vermont Senate added amendments to a ride share bill that turned a ride share cindustry bill into a bill that is opposed by ride share. 

What amendments were added to derail ride share?

• Triple insurance liability requirements between rides
• increased backgroudn checks
• Annual registration requirements
• 5 year grandfather protection for Burlington’s ride share ordinance

AP via Witchita Eagle | Uber, Lyft opposing Vermont bill

Burlington Free Press | Uber tries to sink Vt. bill about insurance, background checks

Vermont | H 143 | 2017

SB 1524 allows for heavier loads on big trucks when:

• $5000 annual permit is purchased
• traveling on a dwsignated corridor
• within 30 miles of a port of entry/border

Supporters say:

• anticipated 500,000 TEU increase in annual containerized exports of plastic resin
• $100 Billion in new or expanded plant capacity along Texas coast
• the rise in plastic resin is due to cheap natural gas feedstock
• American Chemistry COuncil warned that without allowing for larger loads would harm the economic advantages of the Gulf Coast
• Other states on the gulf provide for the same 100,000 load limit

SB 1524 | Texas | 2017 

JOC | Container shipping and trade news and analysis| Texas moves to raise truck weight limits for resins, other cargo

State: New York

How did New York manage to legalize self driving cars in a budget:

• waives the prohibition on driverless cars
• allows a 1 year testing program of self-driving and self-parking vehicles
• requires direct supervision of the New York State Police
• minimum of $5 million in insurance coverage
• state motor vehicle commissioner to submit a study by June 1, 2018, focusing on:
  • safety
  • traffic control
  • traffic enforcement
  • other impacts of autonomous vehicle testing

The Governor supports the self driving car testing in New York to:

• compliment the high-tech, college-based research centers in NY
• work on autonomous vehicles could lead to viable commercial development in NY

The Recorder | Autonomous Vehicle Testing Gets Green Light in NY

• Portland launched an inititiative to bring self driving cars to its fine city
• The mayor says it will lower traffic fatalities and improve congrestion
• Local streets must be regulated by local agencies that know the streets best.

Portland Bureau of Transportation | Portland Launches Smart Autonomous Vehicles Initiative (SAVI)

KATU | Portland launches self-driving car initiative, wants pilot program by end of year

SB 2205 by Hancock Business & Comerce took public testimony on April 19, 2017.

HB 3475 by Geren has been referred to Transportation.

City: St. Louis

Public Private Partnership Proposal: to lease its airport to a qualified airport manager backed by private infrastructure funds

Benefits of the P3 for Airports:

• Cities can produce resources without adverse budget or ratepayer impact
• Allows a broader allocation of resources when cities are starved for infrastructure investment

Governing | A Way to Unlock the Value of an Airport

State: Missouri

The audit provision of the statewide ride share bill: Permits the state’s two largest cities to audit ride share companies up to twice a year

Topeka Capital Journal | Missouri lawmakers pass statewide rules for Uber, Lyft

The City: New York

The ordinance: would be a rule to require Uber and similar services to enable tipping in their apps.

What was the impetus? Drivers formed a formal organization, Independent Drivers Guild, to support a measure

CNN Tech | NYC Uber drivers could soon start getting tips

Company: Uber

 Business Trend: Sharing economy meets car rentals. Uber will be offering $5/hr car rentals from designated pick up sposts around San Francisco.

How do regulatory and statutory issues factor into $5/hr rentals? $5/ hr covers insurance, gas and unlimited miles

Tech Crunch | Uber and Getaround to offer $5 hourly short-term car rentals for drivers

• Population growth requires that innovative transportation be accommodated
• High Speed Rail proposal is privately funded
• Private companies exercise eminent domain all the time in Texas with no gross mismangement
• Private rail has exercised eminent domain for more than 100 years
• Texas has property owner protections

Dallas Morning News | Why it’s perfectly appropriate to allow a private railroad to use eminent domain

State: Wisconsin

What are the 2 Republican Factions? Gov. Scott Walker v.s Legislative leadership

What does Gov. Walker transportation funding plan look like? Delay or cancel road work

What do legislative leaders want? To consider increased fees or taxes to cover the cost of necessary road work. 

Wisconsin Public Radio | GOP Lawmakers Ditch Walker’s Transportation Funding Plan, Will Start From Scratch

• “any substantial increase in that trade could add billions to the state economy”
  • In 2015, $204 billion in international trade passed through Texas seaports
• Greater efficiencies of Neo-Panamax ships could lower shipping cost by 30%
• Lower costs can add 10% increase in Asian container traffic 
• Capital Improvements. $48 billion on capital improvements during the next five years in Texas Ports to accomodate Neo-Panamax ships
• New Development. $335 million marine terminal along the Houston Ship Channel in Pasadena

Fiscal Notes | Will an Expanded Panama Canal Increase Texas Trade?

State: Indiana

The eminent domain legislation: 

• heightens the public use standard
• puts into state law a federal appraisal standard
• limits the amount of land that can be taken, tying all the land to the public use

Northwest Indiana Times | Rail eminent domain changes win legislative approval

Indiana House Bill 1260 (2017)

• All emergency care facilities do not provide the same services
• If a patient ride shares to the emergency room, and the patient needs a different hospital, then the person will be put in an ambulence
• The extra 30 minutes of additional transportation can be a matter of life or death

WTOL 11 | More people are choosing Uber and Lyft for trips to emergency room

KTRK | ABC 13 Hou| GROWING NUMBER OF MEDICAL PATIENTS USING UBER OR LYFT FOR TRIPS TO THE ER

• A lawsuit from 78 year old property owner and a countersuit by Texas High Speed Rail had a hearing this week
• What put them into court was whether the rail could have pre-condemantion access to the property to survey it
• What kept them in court, when Texas Central Rail, had dropped other similar lawsuits, was that this lawsuit wanted Texas Central Rail to admit that it did not have eminent domain authority

No ruling yet from the Court. 

KBTX | Leon County landowner meets high speed rail company in court

The finished hyperloop test track:  DeveLop test track, the 1,640-foot long full-scale testing site

The proposed Texas route: Colorado and Texas will be brought together with a Cheyenne to Houston route 

The Texas business benefit: The route will be useful for the military, industrial and aerospace industries

Tech Crunch | Hyperloop One completes Vegas test track tube, reveals 11 proposed U.S. routes

Company: Einride, a Swedish start up

The product:  ‘T-Pod’ , an electric vehicle with self-driving capabilities that can carry 15 pallets of goods 124 miles while producing zero emissions.

What would be th eimpact to roads?  T Pod total weight of 20 tons when loaded down fully with cargo, which is smaller than most transport trucks

Tech Crunch | Einride’s electric self-driving T-pod is a new kind of freight transport vehicle

Opponent to Texas Central rail are seeking disclosure of Texas Central Railway’s feasibility study held by TXDOT.

What arguments do the opponents make for disclosure?

• Disclosure should occur because the rail is using eminent domain
• Disclosure should occur because the rail is going after taxpayer dollars

What are the arguments to protect the information from disclosure?

Texas Central Rail shouldbe granted the same privacy protections that a business would be granted.

KBTX | Texans Against High Speed Rail suing state agencies for release of documents

An alderman in Chicago wants to impose the following requirements on ride share in the Windy City:

•  illuminated signs “visible from 50 feet away” for each driver/vehicle
• pick-up only from side streets instead of major thoroughfares, just like taxis do

The policy reasons: to make it easier for police to identify ride sahre drivers

The cost of illuminated signs: $80

Chicago Sun Times | Alderman wants Uber, Lyft vehicles to have illuminated signs

• The statement from police said the car’s view was blocked. 
  • Don’t self driving cars use sensors? Can you block the radar or sonor or whatever it might use?
  • How do rules and laws address blind spots in self driving cars?
• The intersection was one of “the hardest decision making” for self driving cars
  • a witness said the self driving car sped up to beat the light
  • how can rules or laws handle these hard driving decisions?

Wallstreet Journal | Uber Self-Driving Car Crash Detailed in Police Report

2 Ways Hawaii is keeping Uber and Lyft out of its airports:

• By requiring that only commercial vehicles that have transportation-charter party permits can provide rides
• Requiring all cars to have transponders to track how many vehicles are available at airports 

Pacific Business Journal | Commercial vehicle protocols keeping Uber and Lyft from operating at Hawaii’s airports

The companies: American Medical Response & Lyft

How many states are included in the non-emergency ride share program: 42

Can medical providers initiate riders too? Yes, hospitals, clinics and health plans can request and pay for rides for patients

healthcare dive | AMR teams up with Lyft for nonemergency patient rides

Envision health care | American Medical Response and Lyft Announce Partnership

Why does California need all self driving cars to be zero emissions?  California must cut greenhouse gases 40% by 2030

A handy side effect of a bill like this? to help the zero emmission car industry, whose sales have flatlined at 3% of market share in California 

Is this just  a California thing? No, Massachusettes is proposing the same

The Recorder | Calif. Lawmaker Pushes Zero-Emission Driverless Vehicles

Caliornia SB 802 (2017)

Examples of cities solving transportation woes with tech:

• France’s cities are using smart trains
• Los Angeles is using smart meters
• Toronto is also turning to Internet of Things (IoT) technology to ease its traffic congestion 
• New Delhi is  partnering with Google India’s transit unit to “provide free train schedule and route information to commuters through mobile devices with Google Maps

What concerns are there with selling a connected car? 

• The car may still contain your data that is accessible for the new owner
• The previous owners may be able to access the car

USA Today | Used connected cars may still be accessible by past owners

What data is necessary for insurance rates for driverless cars? testimony from State Farm to the California Senate Insurnace Committee: Carriers need “data that shows driverless-car technology “actually does what it advertises it’s doing.”

What entities oppose the release of driverless car data?  car manufacturers that fear the release, potentially through a hack, of trade secrets

The Recorder | Insurance Carriers Say Driverless Car Data Is Key to Rates

Where do you need to go to study the best intersections for bikes and pedestrians? The Netherlands

What’s different about these intersections?

• Cars top further back
• Pedestrians and bikes are more in view for drivers
• Bicyclists make left turns after fully crossing the intersection

Will this encrouage bicyclists in Texas to follow the rules of the road? ….

KUT | Texas A&M Showcases Dutch Bike Safety Lanes

TAMU TTI | Senate Committee Focuses on Right-Angle Intersection Crashes, TTI Testimony on Countermeasures

State :  Alaska

Legislation: Senate Bill 14 and House Bill 132

What do these bills do?

• exempt drivers from state workers comp laws
• state regulation, with no local regulation, for ride share
• insurance while drivers are driving ride share passengers
• require zero tolerance policies for drigs and alcohol for drivers
• liability insurance requirements
• local and national criminal background check for drivers

Who are the supporters, besides ride share?

• American insurance association
• National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies
• Property Casualty Insurers Association of America
• Alaska Chamber
• Aspen Hotels of Alaska

ADN | Alaska is one of few states without Uber or Lyft. New bills could change that.

State: Ohio

The gas tax amendment: Full repeal of the 28 cent gas tax with an annual $140 license plate fee

The current annual license plate fee in Ohio: $34 
 

Equipment World | Ohio lawmaker proposes replacing fuel taxes with higher license plate fee

Taxi Drivers in Colorado Springs want ride share comapnies and their drivers to do the following:

• Driver license fee of $97
• background check
• subject ride share to the same working hour restrictions as taxi drivers
• same physical examinations that cab drivers have to undergo to drive
• same geographic limitations for each (currently taxis have limitations but ride share does not)

Why do the taxi drivers want these 5 items? Taxi drivers say it is for parity. That they have to do these things and so should ride share. 

Colorado Springs Gazette | Colorado Springs taxi drivers seeking level playing field with ridesharing services

State: Colorado

The transportation funding gap: 

The proposed funding mechanism: Asking for voter approval for a sales tax to fund $3.5 billion for transportation bond funding via an increase of 0.62%

The activists: Americans for Prosperity 

The activist target: 4 Republican legislators

The Response from the Denver Editorial Board: Sen. Kevin Grantham is a statesman for standing up for Colorado transportation

Colorado Statesman | Americans for Prosperity targets four GOP senators over transportation funding legislation

State: California

Newly posted rules are business friendly. Consumer advocates not as pleased. Here’s what the new rules would do:

• Removes provision that companies  test autonomous vehicles for 1 year to fully deploy
• Eases accident and autonomous vehicle-disengagement reporting requirements
• No requirement for city approval for testing
• Cities will have to be notified and companies will have to coordinate with cities

California’s March 2017 Autonomous Vehicle Rules Proposal

The Recorder | California Opens Door to Fully Autonomous Vehicle Testing

State: Nevada

What does the bill do?

• quarterly reporting of the number of independent contractor drivers
• $200 state business registration for their drivers
• makes the ride share companies enforce the driver business registration requirement

Nevada Senate Bill 226 (2017)

Las Vegas Review Journal | Nevada Legislature pushing rideshare companies to ensure compliance with state law

• HCR 108 by Zerwas triggers a provision in Proposition 7 that allows the Legislature to cut Prop. 7 funding to TXDOT by 50%
• HCR 108 would require 2/3 vote in each chamber

Austin American Statesman | Legislation would cut TxDOT funding by more than $2 billion

Waco Tribune | House proposal could claw back billions for Texas road work

• Its a misconception that fingerprinting makes the taxi industry safer
  • its like all all sqaures are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares
• Academic research doesn’t show an increase in crime since ride share become a thing
• There’s data that indicates that crime went down among taxi drivers once ride share began.
  • the competition cleaned up the taxi drivers
• Ride share drivers and passengers are tracked by GPS, that makes for one dumb criminal
• The federal background check system is “notoriuously unreliable”

The Hill | R Street Contributor | Legislators should stop mandating how Uber conducts background checks

State: Georgia

The proposed tax on ride share: 4 cent state sales tax on ride share + local governments can add their own sales tax

WTOC 11 | Proposed tax could bring changes ride-sharing apps like Uber, Lyft

Chicago will soon release recommendations from a special commission that will not recommend federal fingerprint checks of ride share drivers. 

Chicago Business Journal | Uber, Lyft drivers won’t be fingerprinted, alderman says

The state legislature that may be 1st to amend their auto insurance code: New York

A group pooling auto insurance for car sahring:  Getaround

What types of legislation are states considering on car sharing?b

• tax car sharing
• incentivize car-sharing through tax credits
• creating car-sharing partnerships

Albany Times Union | Getaround boosts car-sharing insurance bill

the State: Rhode Island

the Status of statewide ride share laws: Statewide laws passed in 2016

The impetus for the added statewide requirement for fingerprinting:

• Its from the brain of the State Attorney General
• The Attorney General wants nationwide criminal background checks that include fingerprinting for all drivers- ride share and taxis alike 
• Taxis support the requirement
• Ride Share Company Uber does not

Rhode Island via San Louis Obispo Tribune | Attorney general wants Uber, Lyft drivers fingerprinted

• In 2008, voters approved $10 billion in bonds
• On March 3, 2017 the California Finance Department approved the sale of bonds to spend $2.6 billion on rail work in the Central Valley.

El Paso Inc | California high-speed rail ready to lay some track

A millennial writing in the Daily Texan has this to say about SB 113, statewide ride share laws:

• takes away power from the city government
• overturns existing city regulations
• overturns “common-sensical safety regulations”
• this is about helping the big companies at the expense of small ride share companies
• “favor degradingly lower cuts” for ride share drivers

Daily Texan | SB 113 ignores public to make way for Uber and Lyft

Texas SB 113 (2017)

State: Montana

Legislative proposal to increase the gas tax by: 8 cents

Last time Montana increased the gas tax? 23 years ago

The pitch: Out of state drivers would pay between 25 and 40% of the new gas tax revenue

Montana HB 473 (2017)

Equipment World | Montana lawmaker introduces bill for 8-cent gas tax increase

City: Jacksonville, FL

The decline in crash and arrest statistics noticeable decrease in alcohol crimes:

• DWI arrests decined by 25%
• Alcohol related crashes declined by 14%

Are there other reasons for the decline? Maybe. There’s no way to determine what is the cause of the decline nor is there a way to determine that ride share didn’t cause the decline.

Touted in the Jacksonville, FL article: Florida’s SB 340 establishing a statewide regulatory structure for ride share

First Coast News ABC | On Your Side: Uber’s effect on Jax drunk driving

Neiman Marcus

• private investment: $5 million
• new jobs based on the $5 million investment: 0
• requested tax rebates: $1 million

Dallas to Houston High Speed Rail

• private investment: $12 billion
• new jobs: 10,000 jobs during construction & 750 during operation
• requested tax rebates: $0
• tax revenue contributed by 2040: $3 billion

Dallas Morning News | With private funding and no public incentives, how can we oppose the Texas bullet train?

State: Hawaii

Taxi industry is pushing for legislation to require: ride shar edrivers to display the excise tax certificate that Taxis must display.

What’s behind this excise tax certificate push? Taxis claim ride share companies do not pay the state’s excise tax like they do

Other issues at play: Whether drivers pay the excise tax

Hawaii Now | Taxi companies accuse Uber, Lyft of not paying millions in excise taxes

Highlights from Texas Central Rail repsonse to the high speed rail bill package:

• ” a slate of discriminatory bills”
• it is the “use the power of the state government to single out and kill a free market project”
• 10,000 jobs are represented by high speed rail project
• Billions of dollars will be invested in the Texas economy
• Collaborating with landowners 
• “a majority of Texans have been clamoring for” this project

WTAW Brazos Valley | Texas Central Partners Reaction To State Legislation Regarding High Speed Passenger Trains

informed:intel on February 21, 2017:

Which members joined forces to file bills to impede high speed rail?

• Senators Birdwell, Creighton,  Kolkhorst, Perry, & Schwertner
• Representatives Ashby, Bell, Cook, Schubert, and Wray 

The hot issues in the press release announcement:

• big bad evil #1 : foreign investments (remember Trans Texas Corridor & Cintra, anyone?)
• big bad evil #2: it will hurt family farms and private property rights
• big bad evil #3: this is going to be expensive, more expensive than they are saying
• big bad evil #4: security concerns raised by a 9/11 survivor 

Which bills are in this package. Its 9 bills + companions?

• SB 973 by Creighton/HB 2168 by Bell (Railroad Determination Before Surveys) – prohibits a high-speed rail entity from entering private property to conduct a survey unless the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) first determines that the surveying entity is, in fact, a railroad.

• SB 974 by Creighton/HB 2181 by Cook (Option Contract Protection) – voids any high-speed rail option contracts held by a high-speed rail entity upon a bankruptcy initiated by or against the entity. 

• SB 975 by Birdwell/HB 2169 by Schubert (Security Requirements) – provides a framework of minimum security requirements to be followed during the construction and operation of a private high-speed rail line. Requires the high-speed rail authority to coordinate security efforts with state and local law enforcement, as well as disaster response agencies.

• SB 977 by Schwertner/HB 2172 by Ashby (No Taxpayer Bailout) – prohibits the legislature from appropriating new funds, or allowing state agencies to utilize existing funds, to pay any costs related to a the construction, maintenance, or operation of a private high-speed rail in Texas.

• SB 978 by Schwertner/HB 2104 Bell (Property Restoration Bond) – requires a private high-speed rail entity to file a bond with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) sufficient to restore property used for the rail service to the property’s original conditions if the service ceases operation.

• SB 979 by Schwertner/HB 2179 by Cook (Right of Repurchase for Non-HSR Use) – prohibits an entity that operates or plans to operate a high-speed rail from using property acquired for purposes other than high-speed rail. If the high-speed rail authority doesn’t use the property for that specific purpose, the original landowner must be given opportunity to repurchase the land.

• SB 980 by Schwertner/HB 2167 by Schubert (Put Texas First) – prohibits any state money from being used for any purpose related to a privately owned high-speed rail, unless the state acquires and maintains a lien in order to secure the repayment of state funds. Requires that the state’s lien be superior to all other liens, effectively making Texas a priority creditor.

• SB 981 by Kolkhorst/HB 2162 by Wray (Interoperability) – requires an entity constructing a high-speed rail line in Texas to demonstrate compatibility with more than one type of train technology. 

• SB 982 by Perry/HB 2173 by Ashby (High-Speed Rail Feasibility Study) – upon request of a legislator, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) must generate a feasibility study of a proposed high-speed rail project. The study must indicate whether the project is for a public use, whether it will be financially viable, and what impact of the project will have on local communities.

Press Release | Lawmakers Take Action to Derail Bullet Train between Dallas and Houston

Houston Chronicle | Texas lawmakers move to stymie high-speed rail project
 

KHOU | Texas lawmakers lobby to derail proposed high-speed train

Ft. Worth Star Telegram | Bill package shapes fight on high-speed rail

Tyler Morning Telegraph editorial opposing Texas Centrail Rail raises these 3 points:

• This isn’t a rural-urban issue. This is a property rights issue.
• You can’t say this is a private enterprise, promoting free market when you use eminent domain, because eminent domain is the opposite of free market.
• This is crony capitalism with the government  “thumb on the scale”

Tyler Morning Telegraph | Editorial: Texas bullet train an example of crony capitalism

Considering implementing an electric vehicle fee in 2017 are:

• Indiana 
• South Carolina
• Kansas
• Tennessee
• New Hampshire
• Montana

How does this compare to the current electric vehicle fees? 10 states have electric vehcile fees which range from $50 to $300

Utility Dive | Report: Six states propose new electric vehicle fees

Sierra Club | Flurry of State Bills Introduced, Likely Backed by Oil Industry, to Penalize Electric Car Drivers

Indiana is increasing transportion funding tis year by:

• 10 cent increase in the gas tax
  • adds an annual indexing through 2024, with a cap at 1 cent per year
• $150 annual fee on electric cars
•  $15 transportation infrastructure improvement fee applied to all motor vehicles
  • excepted from the $15 fee are vehicles over 26,000 lbs

Equipement World | Indiana House approves 10-cent gas tax increase, electric vehicle fees

Indiana House Bill 1002 (2017)

Massachusetts is using technology to fix potholes: MassDOT Potholes Dashboard

Can the public participate? Yes

Benefits of the public input technology:

•  quicker response and repair times
•  safer, more efficient travel
• helps the Department of Transportation to make capital investments that focus resources on roads and “areas that require consistent pothole repair”
• helps the Department of Transportation to manage its assets in a “cost-effective manner that prevents emergency pothole repairs.”

Equipment World | Mass. DOT plans to expand digital pothole tracking program

Which members joined forces to file bills to impede high speed rail?

• Senators Birdwell, Creighton,  Kolkhorst, Perry, & Schwertner
• Representatives Ashby, Bell, Cook, Schubert, and Wray 

The hot issues in the press release announcement:

• big bad evil #1 : foreign investments (remember Trans Texas Corridor & Cintra, anyone?)
• big bad evil #2: it will hurt family farms and private property rights
• big bad evil #3: this is going to be expensive, more expensive than they are saying
• big bad evil #4: security concerns raised by a 9/11 survivor 

Which bills are in this package. Its 9 bills + companions?

• SB 973 by Creighton/HB 2168 by Bell (Railroad Determination Before Surveys) – prohibits a high-speed rail entity from entering private property to conduct a survey unless the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) first determines that the surveying entity is, in fact, a railroad.

• SB 974 by Creighton/HB 2181 by Cook (Option Contract Protection) – voids any high-speed rail option contracts held by a high-speed rail entity upon a bankruptcy initiated by or against the entity. 

• SB 975 by Birdwell/HB 2169 by Schubert (Security Requirements) – provides a framework of minimum security requirements to be followed during the construction and operation of a private high-speed rail line. Requires the high-speed rail authority to coordinate security efforts with state and local law enforcement, as well as disaster response agencies.

• SB 977 by Schwertner/HB 2172 by Ashby (No Taxpayer Bailout) – prohibits the legislature from appropriating new funds, or allowing state agencies to utilize existing funds, to pay any costs related to a the construction, maintenance, or operation of a private high-speed rail in Texas.

• SB 978 by Schwertner/HB 2104 Bell (Property Restoration Bond) – requires a private high-speed rail entity to file a bond with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) sufficient to restore property used for the rail service to the property’s original conditions if the service ceases operation.

• SB 979 by Schwertner/HB 2179 by Cook (Right of Repurchase for Non-HSR Use) – prohibits an entity that operates or plans to operate a high-speed rail from using property acquired for purposes other than high-speed rail. If the high-speed rail authority doesn’t use the property for that specific purpose, the original landowner must be given opportunity to repurchase the land.

• SB 980 by Schwertner/HB 2167 by Schubert (Put Texas First) – prohibits any state money from being used for any purpose related to a privately owned high-speed rail, unless the state acquires and maintains a lien in order to secure the repayment of state funds. Requires that the state’s lien be superior to all other liens, effectively making Texas a priority creditor.

• SB 981 by Kolkhorst/HB 2162 by Wray (Interoperability) – requires an entity constructing a high-speed rail line in Texas to demonstrate compatibility with more than one type of train technology. 

• SB 982 by Perry/HB 2173 by Ashby (High-Speed Rail Feasibility Study) – upon request of a legislator, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) must generate a feasibility study of a proposed high-speed rail project. The study must indicate whether the project is for a public use, whether it will be financially viable, and what impact of the project will have on local communities.

Press Release | Lawmakers Take Action to Derail Bullet Train between Dallas and Houston

Houston Chronicle | Texas lawmakers move to stymie high-speed rail project
 

KHOU | Texas lawmakers lobby to derail proposed high-speed train

Ft. Worth Star Telegram | Bill package shapes fight on high-speed rail

the State:  Washington

The move toward high speed rail: The Governor calling on $1 million in the Transportation budget to study high speed rail between Seattle and Vancouver

What specifics will the study include:

• Does the short ditance make rail as competitive as air travel
• Can high speed rail work with existing rail
• Proposed station sites
• Environmental impact
• Latest high-tech options
• Projected ridership demand

Construction Dive | WA governor allocates $1M for high-speed rail study

The 36th state to pass statewide ride share regulations: New Jersey

The statewide ride share regulations in New Jersey:

• insurance coverage standards of $1.5 million in commercial insurance per ride
• mandatory background checks by the ride share company with disclosures and approval by to the state attorney general
• To balance the needs of the limoisine industry it cut insurance requirements when no passanger is present and expempting rides from the sales tax
• $25,000 permit fee for companies

​GOVERNING | Christie Signs Uber, Lyft Regulations for New Jersey

NORTH JERSEY RECORD | Christie signs law regulating ride-hailing services

NJ.com | Uber, Lyft drivers must pass background checks after Christie OKs new law

New Jersey A3695 (2017)

What is FASTR? The Future of Automotive Security Technology Research

What are FASTR’s goals? 

• deliver precompetitive technological building blocks
• to assist automotive manufactures across their supply chains
• to offer multilayered security throughout vehicles to preserve data confidentiality, system integrity and system availability

What companies are members of FASTR?

• Uber
• Intel
•  internet of things (IoT) provider Aeris
• Rambus
• Karamba Security

FASTR.org

SC Media | Uber, Intel and IoT firms join coalition to secure connected cars

The State: Michigan

The contract concerning drone inspections of bridges: Beginning with a study to support the goals of saving state funds and getting more through safety inspections.

The benefits of using drones to inspect bridges:

• see the bridge in real time
• detect temperature changes in the concrete
• the ability to inspect portions of bridges that are difficult to access

The cost of traditional machinery bridge inspections: $675,000 + traffic problems

The cost of a drone bridge inspection: $40,000 + no traffic backups

Equipment World | Minnesota DOT testing drones for bridge inspections