Local TREND. Dockless Bike Ordinance in ATL

Atlanta is working on its dockless bike ordinance and council members call for rules that  allow dockless electric bikes to be used in an “obstruction free” fashion.

What will the ordinance likely include:

  • permitting fee for the platforms, an amount yet to be decided
  • maintain a minimum of $3 million in liability insurance.
  •  encourage helmet use
  • no driving while intoxicated

Curbed | Atlanta councilmembers: Dockless bikes, scooters are crucial, but regulation needed

Lege TREND. Bill Promotes EVs & Helps Ride Share.

California’s SB 1014 (CA | 2018) would credit Ride Share use of Electric Vehicles, including the use of bikes and scooters through ride share apps.

Ride share comapnies would be encouraged to invest in and encourage bike share and scooter share programs.

Here’s California PUC’s white paper on increasing EV use.

StreetsBlogCAL | Bill to Increase Use of Zero-Emission Vehicles Could Credit Uber, Lyft for Bike Miles

Local TREND. City ordinance Kills Dockless Bikes with this language

City: Chicago

The ordinance that shut down dockless bike companies: all bikes in the program must have the ability to lock to a stationary object like a bike rack after use

How does htis affect dockless bikes: It excludes bikes that lack “lock-to” technology so that the bikes can be parked anywhere using a wheel lock

Governing | Dockless Bike Company Pulls Out of Chicago, Citing City’s Locking Rule

Procurement TREND: Electronic State ID. The legislation. The company. The process.

Louisiana became the first state to allow citizens to use an App to show their state ID to law enforcement.

the Louisiana App: LA Wallet app on iOS and Android platforms

What about safety or hacking?

  • If the user’s phone is lost or stolen, the ID can be unlinked
  • The app contains a feature similar to the holograms & seals printed on the state’s physical ID cards

The company behind th eproduct: Envoc,

The Bill: HB481 (2016 | LA)

State Scoop | Drivers in Louisiana can now show police their ID on an app, instead of a card

3 POINTS WORLDS LARGEST AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE TESTING TRACK. How is it funded?

Where is the world’s largest autonomous vehicle testing track? Ohio’s Transportation Research Center is building it in Central Ohio

What will the facility and track include?

  • 540-acre and $45 million SMART Center
  • 4,500-acre campus total area
  • 1.2-mile-long, six-lane-wide connected roadway, a network of movable intersections, roundabouts and oblique intersection scenarios

Funding by:

  •  State of Ohio
  • The Ohio State University
  • JobsOhio, a private nonprofit economic-development group

State Scoop | Ohio officials break ground on world’s largest autonomous car testing facility

Lege & Regulatory TREND. 4 Things Law Enforcement Wants in Self Driving Car Regulations.

Tools law enforcement wants  to ineract or direct self driving cars, especially during an emergency:

  • Integration with public safety officials
  • Regulation of data that is shared between law enforcement and self driving vehicles
  • Established cyber security standards and privacy standards 
  • Address elderly and disabled population use of autonomous driving vehicles

Reuters | U.S. regulators grappling with self-driving vehicle security. 

+1 Private Rail proposal in the Labor Conquers All State

State: Oklahoma

The private rail proposal: A freight rail company  is seeking proposals from private rail carriers to provide passenger service between Tulsa and Oklahoma City

The legislative pathway:

  • 2011 created a task force
  • Task Force offcers ways to link northeastern Oklahoma with the existing Heartland Flyer passenger service between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth
  • State of Oklahoma sold an existing rail line to Watco, the Kasnas freight rail company

US News and World Report | Company Plans Tulsa to Oklahoma City Passenger Rail Service