Monthly Archives: May 2016

TREND. High Speed Rail Delay in the West. Follow the Funding in 4 Intel Pieces.

How long will California’s high speed rail be delayed? An additional 4 years

The reason for the delay? Federal funding was contringent on a portion of the high speed rail being completed by 2017.That portion is not finished. The original deadline was set in 2009.

Does the delay impact federal funding? No, federal funding keeps flowing. The project was originally funded through the Recovery and Reinvestment funds. 

What other funding sources fund high speed rail in California?

  • $500…

INTERIM. Sharing Economy + Self Driving Cars. Tesloop.

What comapny is offering ride share of self-driving cars? Tesla

How does long range ride share work? 

  • Instead of ride share drivers, Tesloop uses “pilots”
  • Las Vegas to Los Angeles is less than $100 each way

Where is tesloop operating? Southern California, Southern Nevada and Arizona

Tech Crunch | Tesloop offers city-to-city autonomous travel in a Tesla

High Speed Rail by the Numbers in Texas. A Conservative View.

One conservative voice describes Texas Central Rail high speed rail from Dallas to Houston like this:

  • 10,000 jobs created, mostly in Japan
  • 9 of the 11 counties oppose it 
  • 49 U.S.C § 10901 may allow Texas Central Rail to be exempt from Texas eminent domain laws
  • May 10, 2016, 12+ Texas state Senators and Representatives write the Chairman of the Surface Transportation Board opposing an exemption to state eminent domain laws

The Hill | Texas high speed train project takes land from…

INTERIM. How Ride Share Wins at a Western State Capitol.

4 ways Uber and Lyft are winning at the California Capitol:

  • Power in Numbers. They can rally drivers, riders, and have lots of hired consultants and lobbyists
  • Both parties like Ride Share.
    • ​California Democrats like the innovation
    • Texas Conservatives like the free market business aspect
  • Neither State nor Cities want to regulate ride share. Power struggle is to the state’s advantage
  • Delay is good for Ride Share. Ride share market share grows during times of delay and the taxi…

TRENDING. Port. Trucker Classification.

What’s the issue about Ports and trucking companies? Whether drivers of trucks at ports are employees of the trucking companies or independent contractors

What’s the big deal whether truckers at ports are employees or not? 

  • It is a legal issue that has wrapped up ride share companies & FEDEX
  • Uber paid more than $100 M to settle claims
  • FedEx settled at $228 Million on a driver classification suit

Where is this issue hitting the cost of goods at ports & trucking costs? 

  • Ports of Long…

Comptroller Highlights Road Funding. The Intel:

The May issue of Fiscal Notes from the Office of the Comptroller concerning greater transportation infrastructure by the numbers:

  • 38% of Texas  major roads are poor or fair condition 
  • 800 million daily vehicle miles by 2040
    • 455 million daily vehicle miles in 2014
  • 19% of Texas bridges are deemed “structurally deficient” or “functionally obsolete” in 2015
  • $2.5 billion of net revenue from the sales tax will be moved to the State Highway Fund beginning in Fiscal Year 2018 (Prop. 7)
  • …

+1 County in Opposition Column. High Speed Rail.

Which County Commissioners voted to oppose Texas Central Rail high speed rail plan? Navarro County Commissioners 

The number of counties staking claim to official opposition: 7

The basis for the opposition in Navarro County? Oppose the granting of eminent domain authority to the private high speed rail

County Judge names legislators who support the County Commissioner opposition resulation: Representative Byron Cook and Senator Brian Birdwell

Corsicana Daily Sun | County…

INTERIM. Sharing Economy. Austin Ride Share Prop. The Numbers Only.

The Winning Side (No on the Austin Proposition):

  • 56% of the vote
  • 17% voter turnout
  • $125,000 Spent
  • $40 cost of finger print background check

 

The Losing Side (Yes on the Austin Ride Share Proposition):

  • 44% of the vote
  • 17% voter turnout
  • $8 Million Spent
  • $223.15 per vote
  • 05/09/2016 the date Uber and Lyft may stop service in Austin

KUT | Proposition 1 Ride-hailing Measure is Soundly Defeated

Statesman | Prop 1 goes down as activist proclaims: ‘Austin made Uber an example’

…

Support for High Speed Rail. +1 City. +1 Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Which local governmetns voted to support Texas Central Rail high speed rail project between Dallas & Houston?

  • Waco City Council
  • Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization

On what is the Waco support based?

  • high speed rail project will be an p​economic catalyst
  • high speed rail is an efficient way to reduce traffic congestion

Waco High Speed Rail Resolution

Waco MPO High Speed Rail Resolution

News 25 Waco | Waco city council endorses Texas high-speed rail project