4 Reasons to Allow Cities to tax Ride Share in the Lone Star State

Background: HB 100 (TX | 2017) establishing ride share laws does not permit local taxation of ride share

4 Supporting arguments for local taxation of ride share:

  • Texas cities are losing out on millions in tax revenue occuring within their boundaries
  • Other cities are doing it
  • Cities are utilizing the revenue to improve transportation and safety
  • Other states have allowed cities to tax ride share to cover the cost of street maintenance, vehicle traffic, and registering drivers

 

Rivard Report | Texas Cities Losing Out on Tax Revenue from Sharing Economy

Lege TREND. Model e-bike legislation. No local preemption. What you need to know:

9 states have passed model e-bike legislation, including:

  • AZ HB 2266 (AZ | 2018) 
  • CO
  • CA
  • AR (that’s Arkansas)
  • IL
  • MI
  • TN
  • UT (Utah, not any of the universities with these initials)
  • WA

The model legislation does this:

  • defines e-bikes as motorized electric bicycles with a watt definition
  • establishes Class 1, 2, or 3 e-bikes
    • Class 3 e-bikes would be restricted to on-road usage
    • Class 1 and 2 e-bikes may be ridden on bike paths
  • grants e-bikes the same rights of the road as traditional bicyclists
  • requires e-bikes to display a sticker with their class
  • Local jurisdictions can prohibit operation on bicycle paths

Bicycle Retailer | Arizona Legislature passes e-bike bill

 

Regulatory TREND. Reclassifying Ride Share Companies as not solely Ride Share

Regulator: California Public Utilities Commission

What did the California Public Utilities Commission do? Reclassified Uber, because of Uber SUV and Uber Black, as partially as a charter party carrier (that’s how California regulates limos and party charters)

How was the company operating in California?  Mostly through a subsidiary, Rasier-CA, which the administrative law fact finder to be  ” “a mere instrumentality” of Uber

Appeals forthcoming? Yes

Rational of the fact finder: The company could change its stucture and avoid the cost of the reclassification

San Francisco Examiner | State regulator ruling could cost Uber ‘millions’

EV Charging Roads. The future of transportation procurement. Just the Facts:

Where have EV Charging roads been installed? Stockholm Sweden

What does the partnership look like to develop the road?

  • eRoad Arlanda is the development partnership
  • eRoad Arlanda partnered with  PostNord, the first company to use the new electrified roads

How long of a stretch of road has EV charging? 2 kilometers

How does it work? 

  • A track is laid into the roadway to allow for charging while driving
  • The track is only active when the vehicle is over it and charging
  • The vehicle communicates with the road system
  •  Drivers or fleet managers can be billed for energy consumption

Clean Technica | 2 Kilometers of Electrified Road in Sweden — A Pilot for EV-Charging Roads

Funding for the Bluebonnet State High Speed Rail on I-35 Corridor. Who. What. How much.

What I-35 high speed rail project in Texas? high-speed trains connecting Dallas, Arlington and Fort Worth — and eventually Waco, Austin, Laredo and possibly Monterrey, Mexico

Who approved funding for the 1-35 corrdior high speed rail? The Regional Transportation Council

How much funding and for what purpose? $500,000 to study the viability of the project

Ft. Worth Star Telegram | Full steam ahead for high-speed rail to Arlington, Fort Worth, Waco, Austin, Laredo

Lege TREND Moving Trucking Regulators in the Indian Blanket Flower State

State: Oklahoma

The trucking proposal: Move trucking regulatory adjudication from the Oklahoma Corportion Commission to the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety

Oklahoma Trucking Association: Gave the appearance of opposition without stating opposition

Opposition included:

  • Linking the bill author to his role as a “oboard member of HELP, a non-profit that owns PrePass, which has developed products that enable trucks to be weighed by means other than the traditional weight station.”
  • Reduce revenue to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission

Supporter arguments: Streamlines trucking regulation into a single agency

Freight Waves | Proposal to alter Oklahoma trucking regulation dies, but not without some fireworks 

Local TREND. Ride Share Ordinance with a "Need to Operate" Standard. 5 Points from the Local Code to Get Up to Speed Fast.

City: New York City

The ride share ordinance proposal would:

  • A fee for drivers of $2000 per car
  • A fee for transportation network companies of $20,000 per year
  • Ride Share companies could operate in neighborhoods if and only if it is found that the neighborhood “a need for their service in neighborhoods where they plan to operate”
  • City regulators will presume that there is no need for ride share. Companies must prove otherwise.
  • Effectively limits drivers to 1 ride share company

New York Daily News  | City councilman’s proposed bill will charge e-hail drivers $2,000 a year to drive

State Legislative Committee Strips Federal Rail Funds From State. The steps the committee took:

  • The New Hampshire Senate Committee on Transportation
  • Considering HB 2018 (NH 2018), relating to the state 10-year transportation improvement program
  • Removed from the bill provisions for $4 million in federal funding for a detailed analysis of passenger rail expansion and bus service

 

What was the $4 million in federal funding set to cover?

  • a detailed analysis of engineering, environmental, and geotechnical aspects
  • And, a firm financial plan for expanding passenger rail from Boston to Manchester

Manchester Ink Link | NH Senate Transportation Committee Strips Funding for Passenger Rail Expansion Project

Lege Trend. State Increases Gas Tax. Initiative & Referendum to Stop the Tax Increase. The Where. The What. The How.

Where: California

What: California Legislature passed a gas tax increase 

How is the inititiative and referendum moving to repeal the gas tax?

  • California’s Congressional Delegation is Supporting the initiative & referendum by Give Voters a Voice
  • State Republican party strategists fear conservative voters will stay home if the open primary doesn’t qualify a conservative candidate for the general election

Sacramento Bee | Gas tax repeal gets more cash from California GOP

Business TREND. Technology to Track Public School Buses. Parental Safety. Where. What. How.

Where:  Marietta, Georgia

The technology: An app that allows parents to track school buses

The messaging to parents: 

  • The App will “look and operate much like ride sharing apps for Uber and Lyft.”
  • The App will have privacy and security features to protect students
  • The App can ” also be used to track real-time progress on student field trips”

WSB TV 2 | Parents will soon be able to use Uber-like tech to track school buses.