Category Archives: local government

TREND. Sharing Economy. What's the fight over fingerprinting?

Atlanta airport is welcoming ride share companies. In the process, finger printing became an issue. Here are the arguments for and against:

Argument FOR:

  • Airport officials said it was a security measure

 

Arguments AGAINST:

  • fingerprint information is incomplete
  • fingerprint information is dsicriminatory
    • 50% of African American men are arrested by age 23
    • 44% of Latino men are arrested by age 23
    • law enforcement records are incomplete and inaccurate
  • law enforcement arrest records,…

Local Gov. Trend. 1 Step to Peace and Love. Uber and Lyft Agree to this Ordinance.

The peace accord reaching local governmental entity: Florida’s Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission

The peace accord: 

  • 15 month trial
  • Drivers will undergo a level 2 background check for criminal history, including sexual abuse
  • No  fingerprinting
  • Insurance responsibility: on the driver

Tampa Bay News 10

Neighbor to the East has a Governor's Task Force on Transportation Infrastructure Investment

What is Louisiana’s Governor’s Task Force on Transportation Infrastructure Investment​ doing these days?

  • Appointed in June
  • Goal is to reduce the state’s $12.7 billion transportation backlog

What ideas has the Task Force received from local leaders?

  •  Higher gas tax with different rates for commercial users and individuals
  • Interstate Tolls

The Advertiser | Gas tax, tolls suggested to fund La. transportation needs

High Speed Rail in Court. All Sides Claim Victory. Your shortcut to this chaos:

The high speed rail project: Texas Central Rail, Dallas-Houston line

The court: a Harris County Court

The issue the court was considering: precondemnation access to land by the rail

Why landowners claim victory: The request for access to the land was withdrawn

Why high speed rail claims victory:  No meaningful decision was made by the court

Houston Chronicle | High-speed rail land dispute lands in Houston court

County Judge Lists 4 Reasons High Speed Rail has High Hurdles + High Speed Rail 6 Counterpoints.

Limestone County Judge  Daniel Burkeen lists 4 reasons high speed rail isn’t foreeseable:

  • No eminent domain authority- at least not yet
  • No  environmental studies are completed
  • No land has been acquired
  • No permission to cross our county roads

Texas Central Railway’s 6 Point Repsonse:

  • County policy is anti- business
  • County policy is anti- innovation
  • County policy is anti-private investment
  • They will receive no federal subsidies
  • The Company is negotiating in good faith with…

Well Known Judge Makes Case for Differences Between Uber/Lyft & Taxis

The Judge: Judge Richard Posner of the 7th Circuit of Appeals

His explanation of the differences between ride share and taxis:

  • “You think there’s nothing new about Uber? That’s absurd.”
  • Ride share is like what happened to horse and buggies when automobile taxis emerged
  • The taxi regulations are like creating a cartel

USA Today | Chicago taxi group asks appellate court to even playing field with Uber

DNA Info Downtown South Loop North River | Shakman, Judge Clash Over Differences…

Business Trend. Local Trend. Top 3 Concerns. Self Driving Taxis.

Pittsburgh is home to a new fleet of Uber’s self-driving taxis. For the Ying of self driving taxis, is the Yang of safety experts.

The safety concerns:

  • self driving technology is not ready for primetime.
    • It’s like the safety experts think self driving taxis are the Kaepernick of transportation world. 
  • PA has no self driving car statutes or regs.
    • e.g. Who do we sue if there is an accident?
  • Self driving cars have gone off bridges and Pittsburgh has a lot of bridges
    • building bridges…

Local Ride Share Rules. Red State. 4 Pieces Informed Intel.

 Hillsborough County, Florida is proposing new ride share rules over the objections of Uber. The new rules include:

  • $7 fare minimum
  • 7 minute maximum wait time
  • Ride Share firms would have to conduce regular vehicle inspections
  • Mandatory fingerprint background checks for drivers

Tampa Bay Times | Proposed rideshare rules move forward over objections of Uber/Lyft