9 Ways TX Using VW Environmental Mitigation Funds

Public Comment on the draft Mitigation Plan through October 8th at TCEQ.

Eligible mitigation actions:

 

  • Statewide Light-Duty ZEV Supply Equipment Funding (15% of funding)
  • In prioritity areas: (81% of funding)
    • Class4-7LocalFreightTrucks
    • Class 8 Local Freight Trucks and Port Drayage Trucks
    • Class 7 – 8 Refuse Vehicle
    • School Buses
    • Transit and Shuttle Buses
    • Electric Forklifts and Port Cargo Handling Equipment
    • Electric Airport Ground Support Equipment
    • Ocean-Going Vessel Shore Power
  • 4% of funds will be spent on administrative costs
  • First come, first serve grants

 

 

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 response capabilities that DPS provides to the citizens of Texas just doesn’t make sense. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues in expressing our overwhelming opposition to this short-sighted proposal.”

 

Texas State Rep. Trent Ashby | REP. ASHBY JOINS RURAL COLLEAGUES IN LETTERS TO SUNSET COMMISSION

Regulatory TREND | Reduce Utility Rates for EV Charging. WHO. WHAT. WHERE. HOW.

WHO |  DTE Energy & Consumers Energy

WHAT |  Include in their 3 year plans a reduction in utility rates for EV charging

WHERE | Michigan

HOW |  

  • incentivizing EV drivers to charge at home during off-peak hours
  • the shift will drive down rates for all customers by millions of dollars
  • DTE’s $13 million pilot program for time of use rebates

Energy News | Michigan utilities look to lower rates through EV time of use charging

 

LOCAL TREND | 5 Points of NYC's Ride Share Cap

  • Caps the number of vehicles by prohibiting new ride share licenses
  • The cap is for 1 year
  • Also required is minimum wage, at a minimum for drivers
  • During the year, the Taxi and Limousine Commission will study the impact of ride share
  • Does not apply to disabled or disadvantaged areas

CNBC | New York City just voted to cap Uber and Lyft vehicles, and that could make rides more expensive

NYTimes | Uber Hit With Cap as New York City Takes Lead in Crackdown

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 considers introducing a wheel tax 

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 Connecticut

Local Trend. Business Trend. 4 Examples of 1st/Last Mile to Public Transportation.

Entering into partnerships with Waymo, Uber and Lyft, or creating their own programs, cities address  last mile transportation options for pulic transit riders such as:

  • Waymo driverless vans taking riders to transit stops
    • A pilot program in Phoenix will start with local government employees and expand to seniors and the disabled
  • Cities are partnering with ride share companies for first/last mile connections to boost public transit use
  • Cities are creating their own first/last mile microservices
    • Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) tested out Bridj, an app-based way to request rides that picked up passengers in 14-person vans and dropped them off at work
  • Private business solutions
    • Lyft offering discounts for rides to pulic transit stops

Curbed | Are Uber and Lyft helping or hurting public transit?

Curbed | Microtransit: How cities are, and aren’t, adapting transit technology

Curbed | Waymo’s self-driving vans will take passengers to public transit

LOCAL TREND. Bike Sharing Ordinance in the Northwest. 5 Key Elements.

Seattle City Council adopted a new bicylce sharing ordinance that:

  • creates a 20,000 cap on sharing bicylces
  • sets a nonbinding deadline for the city to build a network of protected downtown bike lanes 
  • 4 companies, only 1 company, Lime has agreed to continue operating
    • $250,000 licensing fee
    • 5,000 bikes each
  • Audits 2 times a year  to ensure proper bike parking
  • The licensing fee is to fund up to 200 new bike-parking corrals

Seattle Times | City Council approves new bike-share rules, prompting ofo to leave Seattle