Category Archives: roads

5 Points from the Toll Payer Protection Act Proposal

What group is the brainchild of the Toll Payer Protection Act? Texans for Traffic Relief

What does the proposed Act do?

  • Required voter approval for all toll roads
  • transparent, accurate, and no exorbitant administration fees in toll billing
  • when the toll project costs are paid, tolls are removed
  • no tolling on existing lanes. never ever ever.
  • no Prop. 1 or 7 funds for tolling

 

PRESS RELEASE: TEXANS FOR TRAFFIC RELIEF ANNOUNCES NEW PLAN FOR TOLLING ACCOUNTABILITY AND TAXPAYER PROTECTION

Local TREND. Punish Ride Share via Scooter Ordinances

A proposal in San Francisco would consider this when granting scooter licenses:

an applicant’s “past experience, including compliance with applicable laws and its efforts to ensure compliance by its users with applicable laws.”

SF Chronicle | Scooter wars: SF may penalize Lyft, Uber for ride-hail misdeeds

Funding Source: Internet Tax Post US Supreme Court June 2018 Ruling. 2 Supporters.

Michigan is considering dedicating revenue from a new internet sales tax to transportation funding. 

What’s the revenue estimate? $200 million

Who else supports this use of the internet sales tax? 

  • The Michigan Department of Transportation
  • free-market think tank, the Mackinac Center

Iosco County News Herald | Michigan considers using internet sales tax revenue for road funding

CAMPAIGN and LEGE TREND. No Tollroads without Voter Approval Per Project. WHO. WHAT. WHERE.

WHO:  Michael Quinn Sullivan

WHAT:  Pushing local activists for primary election question on voter approval for toll roads, adding voter approval for tolls to the State GOP Party Platform, and calling for legislation

WHERE: Texas local GOP party activist, state GOP party, and Texas Legislature

Empower Texas | No Tolls without Voter Approval 

Lege TREND. Legislators Opposing Rural DPS Office Closures. 5 Reasons Why.

Reasons the rural Texas legislators oppose the Texas Susnet Commission’s recommednation to close 87 rural DPS offices:

  •  places an unfair burden on rural communities
  • many counties have only 1 office, and that office would no longer exist
  • long-standing tendency to shift resources away from rural areas
  • No demonstrated success is shifting funding away from rural areas
  • “The approach the Sunset staff has taken is penny wise and pound foolish. Reducing the services, security, and emergency…

Local TREND. Wheel Taxes Locally. What. Where. How. Supporters. Opponents.

What: A tax imposed on car registration by a local government & can be imposed by multiple local governments like county and city

Where:  Madison Wisconsin

How: Dane County implemented a $28 wheel tax + Madison, WI is considering a $17 wheel tax for an annual vehicle registration of $120

Supporters Say: It prevents cuts to public transit budget

Opponents Say: Raise the state gas tax.  More effective way to secure funding for the improvements the transit system and roads

WMTV | Madison…

3 Reasons Trucking Association Opposes State Highway Tolls

 Motor Transport Association of Connecticut opposes a toll road study because:

  • studies have already been done
  • funds should go to infrastructure not studies
  • oppose tolls and motor fuel tax increases

 

Background on Toll Study:

  • Created by Executive Order
  • Approved by the state’s Bond Commission
  • Will study how much revenue adding tolls to Connecticut highways
  • Supporters say it would be $1 B in annual revenue

Freight Waves | State trucking association pushes back against need for tolls in…

2 Policy Reasons for Passing Data Security Bills for Smart Vehicles

Bills that criminalize hacking smart vehicles would:

  • protect health and safety if the hack was to harm people
  • protect economic well being if the hack was intended to obtain credit card information stored in the car’s systems, financial data or hold the vehicle for ransom

Freight Waves | Cybercrime regulations over ‘smart’ connected vehicles and its impact on civil liability 

 

3 Things that Happened when a State Barred Local Traffic Cameras

State: Ohio Legislature banned local governmental entities form using speed and other traffic enforcement cameras

The legislation: HB 64 (2015 | OH). & HB 410 (2018 | OH)

The aftermath of HB 64 (2015 | OH) & HB 410 (2018 | OH):

  • lawsuits. 
    • A lower court issued a permanent injunction
    • The State Supreme Court said, the injunction interfered with the Legislatures ability to pass laws
  • state penalized cities that garnered revenue from the traffic enforcement cameras
    • Toledo budgeted…