Category Archives: legislative trend

Revenue Source. Gas Tax Alternative. 4 Pieces Intel from the West's Pay as You Drive Plans.

Which state is at the forefront of pay by the mile policies? Oregon has pursued this option for  the last 10 years & charges 1.5 cents per mile driven with a gas tax credit

Which state begins a pay as you drive pilot program in July 2016? California
 

Why is California looking for gas tax alternatives for transportation funding?

  • By 2035, California will lose 1/2 of its gas tax revenue to fuel efficieincy
  • Federal Funding
    •  The FAST Act offers $95 million in funding availability to…

TREND. High Speed Rail Delay in the West. Follow the Funding in 4 Intel Pieces.

How long will California’s high speed rail be delayed? An additional 4 years

The reason for the delay? Federal funding was contringent on a portion of the high speed rail being completed by 2017.That portion is not finished. The original deadline was set in 2009.

Does the delay impact federal funding? No, federal funding keeps flowing. The project was originally funded through the Recovery and Reinvestment funds. 

What other funding sources fund high speed rail in California?

  • $500…

INTERIM. How Ride Share Wins at a Western State Capitol.

4 ways Uber and Lyft are winning at the California Capitol:

  • Power in Numbers. They can rally drivers, riders, and have lots of hired consultants and lobbyists
  • Both parties like Ride Share.
    • ​California Democrats like the innovation
    • Texas Conservatives like the free market business aspect
  • Neither State nor Cities want to regulate ride share. Power struggle is to the state’s advantage
  • Delay is good for Ride Share. Ride share market share grows during times of delay and the taxi…

INTERIM. Sharing Economy. Austin Ride Share Prop. The Numbers Only.

The Winning Side (No on the Austin Proposition):

  • 56% of the vote
  • 17% voter turnout
  • $125,000 Spent
  • $40 cost of finger print background check

 

The Losing Side (Yes on the Austin Ride Share Proposition):

  • 44% of the vote
  • 17% voter turnout
  • $8 Million Spent
  • $223.15 per vote
  • 05/09/2016 the date Uber and Lyft may stop service in Austin

KUT | Proposition 1 Ride-hailing Measure is Soundly Defeated

Statesman | Prop 1 goes down as activist proclaims: ‘Austin made Uber an example’

…

Lege TREND. Data Based Transportation Funding. 3 Keys from Eastern State.

Which state moved to data based funding for transportatin projects? North Carolina

When did North Carolina make the move to data based funding? 2013

Why did North Carolina adopt data based funding for transportation? To give highest priority to congestion, safety and economic development

What happened since adopting data based funding? A repeal was “snuck” into the 2015 budget.

What is North Carolina doing to strenthen data based funding?

3 Point Speed Read. Waller County. High Speed Rail.

Will eminent domain be used by Texas Centeral Rail to build its Dallas-Houston high speed rail?  Only if deals cannot be reached

How did property owners in Waller County react?

  • Waller County Judge Trey Duhon: “This is a huge eminent domain issue. Texas is a huge private property right state.” 
  • A property owner turned away a precondemnation surveyor on his property
  • Reports are that deals will never come.

High Speed Rail is turning into a standoff.

KHOU | Waller County landowners vow…

TRENDING. High Speed Rail Reforms in California. 1 Editorial. 5 Suggestions.

The Los Angels Times editorial, Californians deserve more transparency on bullet train finances, the take aways:

  • Support “common-sense transparency measures that can help them properly oversee the project”
  • Lawmakers should be told how high speed rail will cover the full cost of the project
  • Require that the authority include its projected borrowing costs in its business plan
  • Disclose the long term costs of debt financing and securitization of debt issued against future cap-and-trade…

New Kid on the block: Self Driving Car Coalition

What companies are members of the new self-driving car coalition? Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Ford Motor Co. and Uber Technologies Inc.,

What is the goals of the coalition?

  • advocate for safety regulations for self-driving cars
  • bring self driving cars to American roads

What are their arguments supporting self driving cars?

  • Self driving cars will prevent accidents
  • Self driving cars will save lives by preventing accidents
  • Self driving cars will reduce road congestion

Fuel Fix | Coalition…