Category Archives: 2019 issue

Local TREND. Council Member Statements. Opposition to Scooters.

Alameda, California, in the bay area is considering banning or regulating scooters and has sparked some new anti- scooter sentiment from council members, including:

  • They’re a profit-making business,” Matarrese said, “using our sidewalks to sell their products.”
  • “If we are going to have these companies here, we must have the education component, as well as the punishing component,” Spencer said.

What other entity got thrown into this fight? A ban on robot delivery services

Gov Tech | Alameda,…

Local TREND. Mayor to Scooters: Innovate or Get Out. Who.Where.How.

Who: San Jose Mayor

Where: San Jose California

How to innovate or get out?

  • implment geofencing to prevent:
    • use of sidewalks
    • limit parking to designated areas

How far will San Jose take it? San Jose if it passes a geo fencing ordinance would be the first in the nation to do so

Mercury News | San Jose mayor to scooter companies: innovate or get out

Economic Development Reasons why High Speed Rail will work without Mass Transit Connections.

According to William J. Swinton, Temple University International Business Studies in Tokyo, a high speed rail end point becomes an economic engine by:

  • Creating transportation business opportunity  for transportation companies like taxis and ride sahre
  • Creating real estate development opportunities  by encouraging hotels and businesses to build nearby.

When Tokyo’s Shinagawa train station was built there was little development, within 10 years, skyscrapers had risen & the Japanese company…

3 Reasons Citizens Against Government Waste Oppose High Speed Rail in Texas

 

  • California.  didn’t work/isn’t working in California which has large cost overruns and delays
  • Promises Break. The claim of no tax payer funds will be broken, it usually is
  • Ridership is a Myth. Projections on rideership aren’t realistic
    • based on this 2017 Reason Foundation study
  • Government Overreach via Eminent Domain 

 

 

Trib Talk | Tom Schatz | President, Citizens Against Government Waste | Hit the brakes on high speed rail in Texas

Local TREND. 5 Nationwide Scooter Regulatory Issues. Local and State.

  • WHERE  can people ride scooters? on the street or the sidewalk?
    • The use of geolocation, or bluetooth beacons to require parking in designated areas or the scooter ride will not end.
  • SPEED. How fast should they be able to go?
    • Require driver license scans to ensur eno kids are riding.
  • WHO. What companies can operate the services, and under what circumstances?
    • safe, reliable partners with cities
  • SAFETY. Are scooters even safe?
    • Helmets. Should they be mandated?
    • California cities…

TREND. Mandatory Arbitration and Ride Share.

TRENDING is a move by electrd officials and ride sahre comapnies to move the companies away from mandatory arbitration for sexual harassment & discrimination claims.

Coming to a legislature near you soon.

Lexology | Airbnb Joins Uber And Lyft, Ending Mandatory Arbitration For Sexual Harassment And Discrimination Claims

High Speed Rail Audit in California. Biggest Cost Driver?

Not acquiring land prior to beginning construction is cited as the largest cost driver according to an audit of California’s High Speed Rail project.

Rushed construction contributed to $600 million in cost overruns in a single segment of the high spped project. 

What happens if the project fails to accelerate the project? It will be forced to repay up to $3.5 billion to the federal government

Sacramento Bee | Rushed construction cost high-speed rail $600 million and delays mount, audit finds

…

3 Proactive Transportation Planning Needs of Texas Rural Highways.

  • Producers guide transportation needs by forecasting the changing truck travel to match advances in energy development 
  • Creative engeinnering. 
    • converting an existing two-way frontage road to one-way traffic
    • temporary use of bypass lanes until an overpass is built
  • Data TxDOT and TTI experts study accident data to reduce accidents

Trib Talks | William R. Stockton | Texas A&M Transportation Institute | Rural Texas highways give us a reliable path to the pump

+1 State Adopts Gas Tax Increase. 3 Pieces of Informed Intel

California voters approved a legislative increase in fuel taxes and vehicle fees by rejecting a rollback of those revenue sources in Propsoition 6. 

55% of voters approved the increased taxes and fees.

The 3 reasons attributed to the win? (see the reasons Missouri failed, ying and yang):

  • clearly detailing how the levies would be spent to fix deteriorating roads
  • fix  bridges
  • improve mass transit

A clear detailed plan won.

LA Times | California voter approval of gas tax increase gives hope…