Monthly Archives: February 2018

Attorney General Opinion. 3 Key Points Toll Road Operators Opinion. Bluebonnet State.

Texas Attorney General Opinion KP-0184 establishes that 2017’s SB 312 caps administrative fees of private toll operators too.

Yes, yes it does and here is why:

  • Operators get to operate a toll lane only by order of TXDOT
  • TEX. TRANSP. CODE § 228.007(a)  says the toll operation agreements charge a toll “under this section”
  • “This section 228.007(b)(2) gives the toll operator the same duties as TXDOT which means the limits on administrative fees applies

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Connected Cars. Will states allow the sale of connected car data? 3 Key Points.

  • It is projected that the sale of connected car data wille a multiple billion dollar industry by 2020
  • In 2017, more cars were connected to cellular netowrks than new phones
  • Will states protect consumer connected car data, for instance:
    • will disclosures be required to share data with the manufacturer?
    • will disclosures allow for limited data sharing to the driver’s insurance company but not to related 3rd parties
    • will a hard wired privacy switch be required?

ARS TECHNICA | Car companies…

3 New Issues Raised by Sheriffs On Texas Bullet Train Path. New Sheriff Coalition.

New Sheriff Coalition: Sheriffs from Grimes, Navarro, Freestone, Limestone, Leon, Madison, Waller, and Ellis counties

Issues that the Sheriff’s raise about the high speed rail in Texas?

  • Which law enforcement agency is repsonsible for patrolling the track?
  • “Who’s going to be responsible for hazmat emergency services if it derailed over there?”
  • Has there been a survey of emergency response teams and hospitals along the track, is fire or hospital distance and response impacted?

 

KBTX Texas…

3 Statements from Sheriffs On Texas Bullet Train Path. New Sheriff Coalition.

New Sheriff Coalition: Sheriffs from Grimes, Navarro, Freestone, Limestone, Leon, Madison, Waller, and Ellis counties

Grimes County Sheriff Don Sowell says high speed rail will:

  • slow down response times
  • No representative from high speed rail has talked to the sheriffs
  • cost of increased patrols along the train route

 

KBTX Texas | Local sheriffs concerned about public safety along proposed bullet train route

KWTX 10 | Central Texas sheriffs join coalition to address high speed rail…

TREND forecast: Automobile Recalls & Ride Share. Legislative Solutions.

Safety and ride share is everywhere:

  • California requirement on a lower lood alcohol level standard
  • Arizona talking legislating car seat requirements and ride share drivers
  • And now….this….

Prohibiting ride share vehicle operations if the vehicle has an active recall notice.

How would this work? Recalls are easily tackable via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

KTVU Fox 2 | Recalls among Uber & Lyft cars pose safety risk on roadways

Regulatory Trend. Self Driving Taxis. How Seguro Flower State Regulators approved Waymo.

it started with: A pilot program. A 2017 Waymo Phoenix-based pilot program that still had “operators” ready to take vehicle control in an emergency. Pilot program volunteers received  free service.

the successful pilot led to: approval of a permit of the self-driving transportation network service

the touted benefits: Self driving taxis will cut per mile costs for consumers and for programs that rely on rideshare for rides for seniors or medical trasnportation

Business Insider | Waymo gets…