1 Federal Rail Administration High Speed Rail Public Meeting. 12 Objections.

The Federal Rail Administration public meeting in Madison, County TX resulted in the following lists of objections:

  • The route uproots 2 cemetaries
  • The construction phase will require a 2 mile per side buffer zone 
  • unfounded economics
  • route opposition
  • opposition to land acquisition by s privste company using eminent domain
  • the large cost to be borne by taxpayers- eventually
  • the project does not serve the public
  • electromagnetic emissions
  • noise pollution
  • reduced land values
  • environmental impacts
  • County officials are concerned that the project will force counties to raise property taxes

Madisonville Meteor | County vocal in opposition to rail project

Meet the Non-Profit Roadblock to High Speed Rail in California

The Non-profit:  Fresno Rescue Mission which feeds and houses the homeless

How the non-profit is holding up high speed rail: The non-profit is standing firm in its compensation request to receive adequate relocation costs

Are there other complicating factors? Yes, the City of Fresno leases space to the Fresno Rescue Mission

ABC 30 | Local nonprofit agency seen as obstacle holding up progress of High Speed Rail

Local TREND. By the Numbers. Anatomy of City's 2018 EV Superchargers Rollout.

City: Seattle, which has adopted the  “Drive Clean Seattle” initiative that reduces the number of gas cars on the roads

Seattle installed which EV charging stations? 2 fast-charging stations for electric vehicles
 

What is Seattle charging for use of the super charging stations? 

  • 43 cents per kilowatt-hour to charge
  • This is about $10.70 to fully charge a Nissan Leaf

Other numbers to know about Seattle’s super charger stations?

  • 80 miles of range per 20 minutes of charge time
  • Seattle will install 18 additional supercharging stations in 2018

Geekwire | Seattle City Light installs first city-owned electric vehicle fast-charging stations

Lege TREND. 3 Points Bill Text + 3 Points Messaging. Direct Sales Bill in Goldenrod State.

Nebraska Legislature is considering LB 830 to begin direct motor vehicle sales.

LB 830 will:

  • in the list of what a motor vehicle seller cannot do in Nebraksa, LB 830 adds:
    • to advertising requirements the bill adds, “who is not the manufacturer” or not enfranchised or authorized by the manufacturer”
  • adds to the list of what entities may transfer ownership of a motor vehicle ” the manufacturer of the motor vehicle, motorcycle, or trailer”
  • creates an exception to the prohibition of manufacturer sales, that excepts manufacturers that:
    • does not have or did not previously have franchisees
    • and, sells to the general public only vehicles the manufacturer produces

There’s a list of repealed statutes too: 

  • Original section 60-1411.03, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska
  • Section 60-1438.01, Revised Statutes Cumulative Supplement, 2016
  • Section 60-1407, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2017

The messaging:

  • Consumers need EV cars they can fit into. 6 foot Nebraskans can’t fit into EV Chevys comfortably
  • Free market choices for consumers
  • Nebraskans shouldnt have to go out of state to buy a car

Omaha World Herald | Tesla is knocking on Nebraska’s door, hoping lawmakers will let it in

 

 

6 Republican Reasons for Supporting Direct Sales in Wisconsin.

  • Direct sales is the freemarket place
  • Direct Sales is rebranded as- Electric Vehicle Freedom
  • Puts American and Wisconsin consumers first
  • Creates high-paying jobs
  • Promotes American-made products
  • Direct Sales embodies the ‘America First’ principle 

 

Business TREND. Anatomy of a 4500 EV charging station rollout by a utility.

The utility: PG&E

Total number of charging stations planned for the network of charging stations? 7500

Where does PG&E looking to place the EV chargers?

  • Condominiums
  • apartment buildings and
  • workplace

What’s the Q1 phase for the EV charging roll out plan? PG&E will place EV charging stations in partnerships with business customers

Cost of the program? $130 million

Length of the roll out to achieve 7500 EV charging stations: 3 years and end in 2020

Lege TREND. Increasing registration fees for EVs. 3 Fee Changes in Home of the Sego Lily.

A  114-page bill proposal from Utah’s Legislative Transportation and Funding Task Force suggests this fee schedule for EVs:

  • $200 annual registration fee for EVs, up from the current $44
  • $75 annual registration fee for hybrid vehicles, up from the current $44
  • The $200 fee is set to mirror the annual amount of gas tax the average Utah driver pays

The Salt Lake Tribune | Legislators propose radical changes for transportation, transit — including a tax hike 

State Appoints Tesla Employee to Motor Vehicle Dealer Board. 3 Results.

Virginia Governor McAuliffe appointed a Tesla Motors Inc. employee to a board that oversees automobile dealers, and here’s what happened:

  • The Governor became former governor before Senate confirmation
  • The Virginia Automobile Dealers Association vocally opposed the appointment
  • The Senate Committee rejects the appointment.

Background of direct sales in Virginia: The commissioner of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles permitted Tesla to open a company-owned store. The Auto Dealer Association filed a lawsuit in response.

What opposition arguments were made by the Auto Dealers Association?

  • The appointment violates state law because the Tesla appointee is neither an owner or top executive of a car dealership.
  • An employee cannot hold the appointment.

What was the response from Tesla representatives?

  • highly unusual if not unprecedented
  • the vote to reject the appointment “raises basic questions of fairness and improper political influence”

Richmond Times Dispatch | Senate committee rejects appointment of Tesla employee to Motor Vehicle Dealer Board

Lege TREND. Gas Tax for School Transportation. 3 Key Points. Read the Bill.

The State: Kentucky

The gas tax proposal, House Bill 211:

  • 3 cents
  • rebranded from “gas tax” increase to “school transportation funding fee”
  • the new funds will be specifically dedicated to school transportation

The revenue estimates from a 3 cent school transporation fee in Kentucky:

  • $90 million in new revenue
  • $30 million to be used for bonds for new buses
  • the remaining $60 million will go to the state’s share of school transportation funding

News-Enterprise | Lexington official proposes gas tax to help school transportation costs

#1 Reason West Coast High Speed Rail Constructions Costs Up Billions, Again.

California is building a high speed rail to connect the relaxed free thinkers of Northern Californians to the botoxed, bleached and bronzed support system in Southern California. 

Costs for the high speed rail construction have increased multiple times, the lastest in January 2018.

High speed rail costs have cliumbed 35% for construction phase #1, due to:

  • Signing construction contracts prior to securing right of way lands

The California High Speed Rial project will submit a “business proposal” to the California Legislature this spring.

AP | Cost climbs by $2.8 billion for California bullet train