TREND. Congestion Pricing. More Government Affairs Spending.

Congestion pricing initiatives in local governments saw Uber announce $10 Million in spending.

  • $1 Million is dedicated to fighting NYC’s congestion pricing

Is this a reaction to anything? Yes studies that say ride share increase congestion in cities

Daily Mail | Uber plans to spend $10 million lobbying for new ‘congestion pricing’ taxes on drivers in cities across US

EV Fleets. What does research say about them helping with EV numbers?

According to new data analytic rubic by National Association of State Energy Officials and Cadmus, government fleet incentives are the least helpfulw ith EV policies because:

  • no evidence demonstrates that it improves EV adoption
  • fleets are usually too small to make an impact by visibility

 

Utility Dive | New tool helps states identify EV policies that work, and those that don’t

 

Lege TREND. Disguising a Gas Tax Bill for Transportation in a School Finance Deal. Here's How:

Where:  Utah

The legislative compromise: The Utah Legislature and Supports of Increasing School Funding made a deal that would:

  • put a 10cent gas tax question to the voters and then require legislative implementation after the vote
  •  the Legislature in exchange:
    • froze the state basic property tax rate for 5 years
    • created a new tax rate for the weighted pupil unit thereby creating a $292 million increase in education funding.
    • if the gas tax is approved, funds would be divded like this:
      • 70% to schools
      • 30% to transportation projects

Park City Record | Ballot question will ask Utah voters if they support gas tax increase for public education funding

Lege TREND. Local Voters Approval for Ride Share Taxes? 4 Opposition Arguments.

Voters in San Francisco in November 2019 can vote wehter to approve a 3,25% tax onn ride share. Thanks to AB 1184 ( 2018 | CA) .

The Heartland Institute offers reasons to oppose a ride sahre tax:

  • San Francisco cost of living is already high enough
  • Termites. “Taxes such as this one are like termites: They eat at the foundation of the community,”
  • Taxes drivers. Drivers may get stuck paying the tax
  • self-sabotaging regulation

Heartland Institute | SAN FRANCISCO VOTERS TO CONSIDER TAXING UBER

TREND. 6 Reasons California is talking about scrapping its High Speed Rail

 

  • not feasible financially 
  • not feasible politically
  • its a costly failure, it’d be cheaper if California bought Southwest Airlines and flew Californians around
  • High Speed Rail project is a net greenhouse gas producer
  • The questions outweigh the answers, we need tangible gains from the project
  • let’s ask voters, again

Sacramento Bee | Should California Scrap its High Speed Rail?

Texas Bond Elections on Transportation in November

  • Arlington $137,835,000 for street improvements
  • Austin $160,000,000 for transportation
  • Cibolo $4,750,000 for projects including road repair
  • Collin Co. $750,000,000 for roads and parks
  • Corpus Christi $52,000,000 for street improvements
  • Corpus Christi $22,000,000 for new roads
  • Duncanville $6,600,000 for street improvements
  • Edinurg $30,000,000 for roads and drainage
  • Hutto $70,000,000 for roads and drainage
  • Longview $27,090,000 for street improvements
  • Pflugerville $21,100,000 for transportation
  • Richwood $3,000,000 for street and road construction
  • Windcrest $7,400,000 for streets, sidewalks and drainage

Texas Comptroller | Bond Roundup 

Local TREND. Scooter Pilot Program. 7 points from San Antonio.

San Antonio, Texas pilot program for scooters will require scooter companies to:

  • be permitted
  • pay fees 
    • annual permit fee of $500 as well as $10 per scooter
  • no scooter cap on scooter numbers nor on companies
  • require data sharing of where scooters ar epicked up, dropped off and used to help city planners
  •  required to have a San Antonio-based fleet manager
  • 2 hour maximum for companies to address reported parking issues
  • 1 hour maximum for companies to address scooters  in restricted areas like parks and trails

Riders will be required to :

  • stay on streets and sidewalks
  • recommends using bike lanes
  • stay 2 feet from pedestrians
  • be 16+
  • not use scooters on trails and in parks

KUT | San Antonio Adopts Pilot Program Regulating E-Scooters

A Cyber Attack on a Port. 3 Regulatory Requirements emerging in the Golden State.

The Port: Port of San Diego

What happened in the ransomware attack?

  • Administrative systems were held hostage for a certain sum
  • Port staff shut down other portions of the port’s computer infrastructure
  • The port continued to operate during the attack on Sept. 25, 2018
  • Computer systems are not 100% as of 10.11.2018
    • no online permitting currently
    • no open records requests can be answered

3 Regulatory standards that emerged:

  •  deploy a multilayered security program
  • required data back up at mulitple locations
  • continually test backup and recovery processes

State Tech | Port of San Diego Continues to Recover from Ransomware Attack