Transportation Bonds. Bipartisan Support. Centennial State.

Colorado legislature is gaining bipartisan support for fudning state transportation via bonds. The info you need:

  • Colorado is falling behind on transportation funding every year
  • A Republican, chair of Senate Transportation Committee, has a $5.5 billion bond package that would require voter approval
  • The bond package has bipartisan support
  • The bond package does not dedicate funding for bond service
  • Some opposition is rooted in future budget writers will have less revenue to compensate for debt service on the transportation bonds

Colorado Springs Gazette | Transportation funding proposal reveals rift remains in Legislature

Calhoun Port Authority, Port Expansion. 3 Reasons Why.

Calhoun Port Authority is adding a new ship pier for these reasons:

  • Matagorda Bay has been an active port for 400 yhears
  • Matagorda Bay needs to accomodate larger ships and this pier will accomodate ships up to 145 feet wide and 900 feet long
  • Economic Development. Economic Development. Economic Development

Funding for the project includes a federal cost share agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers.

Victoria Advocate | Port expansion will help regional economy

Ride Share v. Taxis= Dogs v. Cats = Apples v. Oranges. Your Informed Intel:

  • 7th Circuit Appellate Judge Richard Posner analogized: cities license dogs but not cats. Some people are dog people. Some People are cat people. Some people like ride share. Some people like taxis.
  • Ample service differences between ride share & taxis that justify different regulations

Chicago Tribune | Appellate judge: Taxis and Ubers are dogs and cats when it comes to regulation

Western State Revises Self Driving Car Rules. The Info you Need:

California revised its state regulations for self driving cars by adding:

  • Require cars to comply with the federally proposed 15 point NHSTA assessment
  • Permits no human driver or steering wheel if the car is in 2 way communication
  • Car manufacturers are not pleased as the NHSTA requirement impacts current and scheduled self driving car testing

California’s revised rules

Fortune | Toyota Tech Director Calls California’s Proposed Self-Driving Car Rules Preposterous

Fund Transportation with a Dedicated Tax Mitigated by Tax Cuts Elsewhere. 2 Key Pieces of Info

New Jersey Legislature passed a 23 cent gas tax increase to fund transportation. 

What do I need to know about the 23 cent tax gas increase?

  • Offset by other tax cuts ($16 billion or $1.4 billion depending who you ask)
    • elimination of the estate tax
    • cuts the sales from 7 cents to 6.625 cents
    • increased tax benefits for the working poor and veterans
  • Also created a 4 member transportation project approval board consisting of:
    • Governor appointees
    • Senate President appointee
    • Speaker appointee

Asbury Park Press | Legislature OKs higher gas tax; heads to Christie

TREND. Sharing Economy. What's the fight over fingerprinting?

Atlanta airport is welcoming ride share companies. In the process, finger printing became an issue. Here are the arguments for and against:

Argument FOR:

  • Airport officials said it was a security measure

 

Arguments AGAINST:

  • fingerprint information is incomplete
  • fingerprint information is dsicriminatory
    • 50% of African American men are arrested by age 23
    • 44% of Latino men are arrested by age 23
    • law enforcement records are incomplete and inaccurate
  • law enforcement arrest records, before conviction, were never intended to be used as job qualifiers

 

What did Atlanta City Council decide? No fingerprinting

Georgia State Signal | Uber reaches a whole new customer base

Local Gov. Trend. 1 Step to Peace and Love. Uber and Lyft Agree to this Ordinance.

The peace accord reaching local governmental entity: Florida’s Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission

The peace accord: 

  • 15 month trial
  • Drivers will undergo a level 2 background check for criminal history, including sexual abuse
  • No  fingerprinting
  • Insurance responsibility: on the driver

Tampa Bay News 10

TREND. Ride Share Moving into Health Care Ride Share.

When did Uber and Lyft discuss a move into healthcare transportation?  At Boston’s U.S. DPharm Disruptive Innovation gathering

Uber‘s launch:  Circulation, an on-demand convenient and efficient ride-booking solution dedicated for the healthcare industry.

Lyft offers data: 30% wait-time reduction, a 32% cost savings & 80% improvement in patient satisfaction.

Investopedia | Uber and Lyft Eye Healthcare Transportation

Neighbor to the East has a Governor's Task Force on Transportation Infrastructure Investment

What is Louisiana’s Governor’s Task Force on Transportation Infrastructure Investment​ doing these days?

  • Appointed in June
  • Goal is to reduce the state’s $12.7 billion transportation backlog

What ideas has the Task Force received from local leaders?

  •  Higher gas tax with different rates for commercial users and individuals
  • Interstate Tolls

The Advertiser | Gas tax, tolls suggested to fund La. transportation needs