Category Archives: 2019 issue

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…

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…

Lege Trend. Self Driving Car Framework Adopted in the Goldenrod State

Nebraska Legislature sent to final reading LB989 (2018) that will:

  • permit self driving cars anywhere in Nebraska
  • allows for no human driver as long as certain conditions are met
  • allows for consultation with railroads concerning self driving vehicles and railroad crossings

 

How did the bill begin? As a pilot project in Lincoln on a fixed route and was expanded to anywhere in the state.

NPR | Legislature Steps Toward Allowing Self-Driving Vehicles; Senators Give Up On Property Tax Measures

High Speed Rail Opposition in the Bluebonnet State. Easter Trending.

Texas High Speed Rail opposition points from the week of March 15th 2018,  are trending:

Government Technology | Is a High-Speed Rail Line Right for Texas?

Dallas Morning News | Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail plan will make Texas’ I-35 corridor a loser, competitor says

4 Point Opposition to Houston to Dallas High Speed Rail. 3 Counterpoints of Support. High Speed v. Higher Speed.

Who is making these statements? SNCF America, Inc  in written comments to Federal Railway Administration…

6 Points Self Driving & Auto Pilot Car Legislation

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety are calling for self driving car/ autonomous vehicle legislation that:

  • mandatory “vision test”to test what a vehicle’s different sensors actually see
  • a bill should also cover cover semi-automated systems like Tesla’s autopilot

Other advocates are calling for legislation that also:

  • require vehicles to meet performance targets
  • greater manufacturer transparency, including data from makers and operators of the vehicles
  • increased  monitoring of and…