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, Calif., Considers Rules for E-Scooter Pilot

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

Local TREND. City Sets rules for working conditions of ride share drivers.

City: New York City

The working condition ordinance: minimum wage for ride share drivers set to  $17.22 per hour (after expenses)

How does this change the current system? About $5 more per hour per driver

Are other cities doing this? NYC is the first

VOX | New York City passes nation’s first minimum pay rate for Uber and Lyft drivers

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 makes revenue by leasing space at the station to restaurants, shops, and hotels.

WFAA | The Texas bullet train now looks likely. Here’s what to expect

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

Lege TREND. Funding Transportation with Prison Funds

Where: Colorado

Legislation: SB267 (2017 | CO)  

  • converted a hospital provider fee that supported expanded Medicaid  to an enterprise fund, removing it from the general fund for $500 Million under the state general-fund spending cap
  • + $500 million in “lease-purchase” of state buildings
    • A dozen of the lease-purchase arrangements are prisons
    • Prisons make a good bond offering because of the necessity of prisons

Colorado Politics | How Colorado is using prisons to help fund transportation

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 mandated helmet use & legislators preempted the local rules.
  • LOCAL POLICY DRIVERS. 
    • Scooters can replace cars on the street. A shared goal of scooter companies and local governments. 
    • Companies share data with cities so cities can address transportation needs like bike lanes aren’t protected enough for scooter riders

Governing | Scooters Are Suddenly Everywhere. What Should Cities Be Doing About It?

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