Author Archives: admin

Funding for the Bluebonnet State High Speed Rail on I-35 Corridor. Who. What. How much.

What I-35 high speed rail project in Texas? high-speed trains connecting Dallas, Arlington and Fort Worth — and eventually Waco, Austin, Laredo and possibly Monterrey, Mexico

Who approved funding for the 1-35 corrdior high speed rail? The Regional Transportation Council

How much funding and for what purpose? $500,000 to study the viability of the project

Ft. Worth Star Telegram | Full steam ahead for high-speed rail to Arlington, Fort Worth, Waco, Austin, Laredo

Lege TREND Moving Trucking Regulators in the Indian Blanket Flower State

State: Oklahoma

The trucking proposal: Move trucking regulatory adjudication from the Oklahoma Corportion Commission to the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety

Oklahoma Trucking Association: Gave the appearance of opposition without stating opposition

Opposition included:

  • Linking the bill author to his role as a “oboard member of HELP, a non-profit that owns PrePass, which has developed products that enable trucks to be weighed by means other than the traditional weight station.”
  • Reduce…

Local TREND. Ride Share Ordinance with a "Need to Operate" Standard. 5 Points from the Local Code to Get Up to Speed Fast.

City: New York City

The ride share ordinance proposal would:

  • A fee for drivers of $2000 per car
  • A fee for transportation network companies of $20,000 per year
  • Ride Share companies could operate in neighborhoods if and only if it is found that the neighborhood “a need for their service in neighborhoods where they plan to operate”
  • City regulators will presume that there is no need for ride share. Companies must prove otherwise.
  • Effectively limits drivers to 1 ride share company

New York…

State Legislative Committee Strips Federal Rail Funds From State. The steps the committee took:

  • The New Hampshire Senate Committee on Transportation
  • Considering HB 2018 (NH 2018), relating to the state 10-year transportation improvement program
  • Removed from the bill provisions for $4 million in federal funding for a detailed analysis of passenger rail expansion and bus service

 

What was the $4 million in federal funding set to cover?

  • a detailed analysis of engineering, environmental, and geotechnical aspects
  • And, a firm financial plan for expanding passenger rail from Boston to…

Lege Trend. State Increases Gas Tax. Initiative & Referendum to Stop the Tax Increase. The Where. The What. The How.

Where: California

What: California Legislature passed a gas tax increase 

How is the inititiative and referendum moving to repeal the gas tax?

  • California’s Congressional Delegation is Supporting the initiative & referendum by Give Voters a Voice
  • State Republican party strategists fear conservative voters will stay home if the open primary doesn’t qualify a conservative candidate for the general election

Sacramento Bee | Gas tax repeal gets more cash from California GOP

Business TREND. Technology to Track Public School Buses. Parental Safety. Where. What. How.

Where:  Marietta, Georgia

The technology: An app that allows parents to track school buses

The messaging to parents: 

  • The App will “look and operate much like ride sharing apps for Uber and Lyft.”
  • The App will have privacy and security features to protect students
  • The App can ” also be used to track real-time progress on student field trips”

WSB TV 2 | Parents will soon be able to use Uber-like tech to track school buses. 

Lege TREND. Statewide RideShare Bill Allows for Local Fees. The 3 carrots for cities:

Louisiana Legislature approved statewide ride share regulations, but offers these carrots to Lousiana cities:

  •  local governments without fee arrangements could charge fees of up to 1% of each gross fare
  • grandfather in existing fee agreements between Baton Rouge, New Orleans and other cities
  • Separates airport fees from local fees

The Advocate | Bill to regulate Uber, Lyft clears House; key test in Senate

Louisiana HB749 (2018)

Regulatory TREND. Rules for Self Driving Taxis in the Golden Poppy State. 3 Key Elements.

California Public Utilities Commission adopted new rules for self-driving taxis, and the key points are:

  • The 1st pilot program will be for at least 90 days and allow:
    • “Transportation Charter-Party  (TCP) Carrier permit-holders to add test autonomous vehiclesto their passenger carrier equipment statement, where the TCP permit-holder also holds an Autonomous Vehicle Tester Program Manufacturer’s Testing Permit (AV Testing Permit) issued by the DMV, including where the service is provided free…

Lege TREND. Include Cities & Electric Distribution in EV Legislation. Anatomy of an EV Charging Station Bill.

State: Pennsylvania

The EV Bill: Pennsylvania’s HB 1446 (2018)

The EV Charging Station framework proposed by HB1446:

  • Governor must set EV charging station rollout based at 50% above 2030 estimates
  • the framework must set statewide goals
  • the framework must also establish separate regional goals
    • developed by stakeholders including agencies, municipalities & electric distribution companies

The response by an EV charging station company:

  • before HB 1446, “the Pennsylvania Public Utility…

Local TREND. Anatomy of a Driverless Taxi Rollout. Where. What. How.

City: Phoenix Area

Self Driving Taxi Proposal: 

  • Waymo is proposing an autonomous taxi service in 100 square miles in metro Phoenix
  • In preparation, Waymo testing has:
    • driven on public roads for more than 5 million miles
    • traveled five billion miles in computer simulation

Response to the autonomous driving fatality in Phoenix: Waymo CEO John Krafcik said his company’s technology could have avoided the incident

KTAR News | Waymo plans for 100-square-mile driverless taxi service in Phoenix…