Category Archives: self driving cars

BUSINESS TREND. Car Ownership Subscription Service.

Transportation industry forecasters say Uber and Lyft will re-write the book for subscription transportation services and shared ownership

Why is shared ownership becoming a thing?

  • car ownership under the age of 25 is declining
  • people realize they can recover the cost of ownership when they aren’t using their car

Reuters | Uber and Lyft to turn the wheels on car ownership: industry experts 

 

3 Ways the State of Ohio Funds Transportation Innovation. Public Private Partnerships.

How are the funds distributed? Partnership between The Ohio State University and Honda R&D Americas

How does it lure in innovation? 

  • Ohio State’s Office of Research hosts pitch day for reasearchers and start ups
  • Seed Funding. $25,000 to each project

Ohio State News | Ohio State gives seed funding to spur transportation innovations 

 

Lege TREND. State Increases Transportation Revenue. Does not Raise Gas. Tax. Where. What. Why.

Where: Wisconsin

What: A transportation funding plan with no gas tax increase

Why: Why tax when you can impsoe fees?

  • increase the annual fee on all-electric vehicles from $75 to $200
  • new $100 surcharge on plug-in hybrid cars
  • Eliminates state funding for future light-rail train lines
  • Bars use of state highway funds for bike lanes
  • Prohibits testing of driverless vehicles in the state
  • New driving fines, like $100 for driving in the LEFT lane with a car behind you

Twin Cities Pioneer Press…

Ways States Are Overcoming the EV Gap. Regulation. Legislation.

  • Utility Commissions  implement EV infrastructure programs
  • Partnerships with utilities to roll out EV charging infrastructure programs
    • Utilities can also recoup their investment in EV charging infrastructure
    • Utilities could have rules to allow selling electricity and using the chargers as responsive demand to balance the power grid
  • Which state utility commissions are actively implmenting plans?
    • CA
    • MN
    • OR
    • NY

Forbes | How States Can Overcome The Looming Electric Vehicle Charging…

Reg. TREND. $76 M Proposal in North Carolina to Doubt EV. What your need to know:

Company: Duke Energy

The proposals nuts and bolts:

  • $76 million initiative
  • 2,500 more in-state EV charging stations
  • electric school buses
  • electric public transportation
  •  $1,000 rebate for qualifying Level II charging stations for up to 800 residential customers
  • 800 public charging stations across North Carolina, including DC Fast Charging
  •  $2,500 rebate for 900 qualifying charging stations for commercial and industrial customers who operate fleets
  • financial support to eligible customers…

Lege TREND. Anatomy of a Gas Tax + Its Alternative in a Red State with Trucking Association Support

Ohio Governor proposes raising the gas tax by 18 cents from the current 28 cents.

Supporters of the gas tax increase:

  • Ohio Trucking Association

The alternative: pay as you drive.

Opponents to Pay as You Drive say:

  • Pay as your Drive has high administrative costs
  • isn’t well vetted
  • hard to implement

Government Technology | Ohio Looks to Oregon’s Mileage Tax Plan to Fund Transportation

Regulatory TREND. 3 Recommendations. Regulatory Report. Utility Investment in EV Charging.

Who is making recommendations? Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection

What are the 3 recommendations for utilties to invest in EV?

  • transportation electrification
  • establishing statewide sales goals
  • expanding an alternative fuel investment grants program for municipalities, businesses and organizations

3 Ways the EV investment can benefit utilities:

  • invest in EV infrastructure to benefit drivers and the grid
  • support fleet EV purchases for government
  • Innovative financing…

Regulatory TREND. Autonomous Vehicle Task Force. 4 Goals in Texas.

Goal of Texas Department of Transportation Autonomous Vehicle Task Force:

  • one-stop resource for information & coordination
  • oversee all ongoing CAV projects, investments and initiatives in Texas
  • document public & private entity efforts
  • facilitate partnerships

Task Force Membership details being worked out.

Refreshing our recollection: the Texas AV Proving Grounds Partnership is a collaboration among:

  • the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI)
  • The University of Texas at Austin’s Center…

Local TREND. Paying Ride Share Costs to Mass Transit

Where: Boise, Idaho

How much is Boise willing to pay mass transit riders to use ride share to get to mss transit?

  • up to $6 of the ride’s cost

Are there limitations? Yes, the ride share ride must be within 2miles of certain mass transit stops

Other cities getting on board? yes, Minneapolis & Seattle

​Idaho Statesman | Boise wants you to ride public transit so badly, it’ll pay for your Lyft to a bus stop

 

Lege TREND. Transportation Interim Charge Recommendations. 2019 Texas Legislature. Speed Read.

House Committee on Transportation recommends:

  • TXDOT cooperation with local governments durin emergencies for evacuation routes, signage, and emergency management information systems
  • comprehensive development agreements for projects which are not included in TxDOT’s Uniform Transportation Program should be OK if local governing bodies approve them
  • If local governmental bodies have approved toll roads they should be able to have toll roads
  • Increase to 6, from 3, the number of design-build…