Anatomy of the Mile High Cities Response to Electric Scooters

Denver has responded to electric scooter proliferation by:

  • removing scooters that are blocking sidewalks and other public spaces
  • developing new rules to regulate electric scooters
  • public safety is the paramount concern
  • coordination with its bike share program

Government Tech | Denver Scrambles to Respond to Sudden Appearance of Electric Scooter-Share Fleet 

7 Points from the Right on Regulating Electric Scooters.

Empower Texas sets up itscall for state action on the economic innovation of electric scooters by  highlighting 7 problems with Austin’s electric scooter proposal:

  • Requiring expensive locking mechanism on each scooter
  • Engine power caps that limit scooter use on hills
  • Data Sharing Requirements. Full access of scooter and customer data afforded to the city.
  • Large fees for additional scooters over the first 500
  • Low Incoe distribution requirements. “A plan to the city for rollout of the vehicles into low-income communities that would be unlikely to make use of the vehicles. (However, there are also stiff fees for vehicles that do not get a minimum level of use.)”
  • Limit location data collection by the company  
  • A 24/7 customer service line, including during times the fleet is not in operation

Empower Texas | ELECTRIC SCOOTERS RETURN TO AUSTIN WITH BIG GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS. 

+1 Texas County Commissioner Court Vote Supporting High Speed Rail. The facts only:

Texas County: Brazos County

Brazos County Commissioner Court Dissent:

  • 1 Commissioner
    • Commissioner Sammy Catalena
  • Dissent based on:
    • Brazos County has no “dog in the fight” as the rail will not traverse Brazos County
    • Concerns of rural landowners

Statements of Brazos County Commissioners in favor of Supporting Texas Central Rail:

  • “Southwest Airlines on the ground,” will be good for all texans
  • “economic boon”
  • it will “allow more students to commute to the Texas A&M University System’s forthcoming RELLIS Campus”

Economic benefits in the county commissioner court resolution:

  • $36 billion projected to be generated toward the state’s economy
  •  $2.5 billion in taxes over the next 25 years to be paid
  • 10,000 full-time construction jobs annually during the peak construction period.
  • 1,500 full-time jobs are expected to be created once the train goes into service

The Eagle | Brazos County Commissioners Court passes resolution to support high-speed rail

 

1st Operational Privately Owned High Speed Rail in the US. The benefits:

  • Helps Small Businesses.  By bringing new customers & improve quality of life
  • Capitalized its own infrastructure. Unlike CA and TX, the FL project already owned its rail lines
  •  Ease Traffic Congestion & Environmental Impacts. Sustainable alternative to motor vehicles

 

The 1st privately owned High Speed Rail details:

  • began service January 13, 2018
  • service runs from West Palm Beach and  Fort Lauderdale
  • beginning May 19 service expands to Miami
  • the entity behind high speed rail: All Aboard Florida
  • phase 2 launches this year and will bring service to Central Florida

DW.com | Florida boosts high-speed rail with new regional service

Texas Attorney General Opinion Request: Port Authority. Hiring Resigned Congressman.

Background:

  • Calhoun Port Authority wants to know about whether it hired Blake Farenthold illegally.
  • Independently, Calhoun Port Authority is being sued for violating the Open Meetings Act in the hiring

What’s the question for the Attorney General? Whether the hiring of Farenthold, as a lobbyist, erquired posting that the hiring was specific to services as a lobbyist

What’s the brouhaha over the Open Meetings Act? Those who say the Act was violated say there was no posting for the hiring of Farenthold

Victoria Advocate | Port seeks AG opinion as new hire Farenthold dodges questions

 

Anatomy of a Transportation Tax Increase Coalition in a Flyover State

Colorado has a new statewide coalition supporting more transportation funding.

Coalition members:

  • Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
  • Denver South Economic Development Partnership
  • Club 20, an association of counties in Western Colorado

The tax increase supprted by the coalition: 0.62 increase in sales tax dedicated for transportation, raising the statewide sales tax to 3.52 percent starting Jan. 1, 2019 for 20 years.

Why are contractors supporting the coalition? maintenance and construction for Colorado roads is funded by the gas tax which has not been raised for 25 years

How would funding be distributed?

  • 45% Colorado Department of Transportation
  • 15% to regional projects, ( local bus, bike and pedestrian improvements)
  • 40%  split evenly between cities and counties.   

KUNC | Statewide Coalition Selects Tax Increase Option For Transportation Funding Fix 

CPR | Now There Are 3 Possible Tax Hikes Focused On Fixing Colorado’s Roads

+1 State Studying Pay as You Drive in Lieu of Gas Tax. the State. The Study. 6 Questions from Elected officials.

The State: Virginia

Which Virginia Governmental Agencies want to study a pay as your drive funding mechanism for transportation? state association of metropolitan planners and supported by the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization,

Which entity is being asked to study pay as you drive? The State Secretary of Transportation 

A state senator raised the following questions about pay as you drive:

  • How much revenue would it bring in compared to the gas tax?
  • How would you measure a vehicle’s miles – with a tracking device or odometer checks?
  • How would you capture revenue from out-of-state vehicles?
  • How would you bill and collect the tax?
  • How would drivers react since many don’t see the gas tax broken out in the price they pay at the pump?
  • Could you dedicate the revenue from certain corridors, like I-64 and I-81, to go directly back to expanding those roads?

Virginian Pilot | Paying a tax for every mile you drive? Regional boards want state to study the idea