Author Archives: Tessa Zavala

San Bruno, CA police officers witnessed  a driverless car make an illegal u-turn. Law enforcement pulled the car over, and discovered there is no way to cite the car for an illegal u-turn when there is no driver.  Look for this loophole to be corrected.  The San Francisco Standard | ‘No driver, no hands, no clue’: […]

DoorDash is entering autonomous delivery with Dot. Meet Dot, a red, small autonomous robot delivery machine. Imagine a robot that reminds you of Santa Claus.  Cute, friendly, good vibes. DoorDash has been working to expand its mans of delivery. The first attempt was with drones. @cnbc

Louisiana is considering temporary lanes for evacuation routes. The temporary lanes would  be wider shoulder lanes.  In 2022, Louisiana studied the state’s Contraflow plan, which requires certain metrics to be met before all lanes are redirected to out flowing lanes of traffic.  “The task force also introduced a strategy used in Texas and Florida: widening existing […]

Bipartisan support of a marijuana tax increase to fund road projects in Michigan is moving forward. The Comprehensive Road Funding Tax Act, includes a 24% tax on wholesale cannabis purchases and is estimated to generate a hefty $420 million per year. Hoodline | BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IN MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE FOR MARIJUANA TAX HIKE TO FUND ROAD […]

Uber is investing in Flytrex to scale its delivery services. This is the company’s first investment in a drone delivery company. The strategy is “to create a multimodal delivery network that extends beyond cars, bikes and couriers to include sidewalk robots and drones. ”  Restaurant Dive | Uber invests in Flytrex to scale drone delivery

This week Waymo announced its new endeavor, “Waymo for Business.” This new service is “designed for companies to set up accounts so their employees can access robotaxis in cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco.” TechCrunch | Waymo is getting into the corporate travel business

In 2024, GM bought a 38% stake in Lithium Americas for $625 million. Now, the Administration is seeking a 10% stake in the mining company in exchange for renegotiating the repayment period of a $2.26 billion Department of Energy loan for development of a lithium mine in Nevada. Tech Crunch | Trump administration wants 10% […]

Massachusetts has created the framework for ride share drivers to unionize. California legislature has passed AB 1340 To allow for ride share unionization. The deal: Yes, to unions if insurance coverage is reduced. Politico | How California reached the unthinkable: A union deal with tech giants

Last Friday, the DOJ announced a suit against Uber concerning whether the ride share company violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by not providing rides to people who are disabled or with service animals. I had to read the DOJ statement several times to make sure it was the DOJ, as it exists in September […]

Wisconsin Legislature has a new caucus- the Passenger Rail Caucus. Beyond the usual passenger rail support, it also includes wanting transportation options for people who don’t want to drive, can’t drive, or maybe you think your elderly parents shouldn’t be driving. Wisconsin Examiner | Legislature’s new passenger rail caucus wants to see train service open […]