5 Ways Politics Get in the Way of Better Roads. Better Bridges.

  • By 2015 the federal transportation funding gap to maintain transportation infrastructure will be  $1.4 trillion gap
  • U.S. Roads fell from #1 in the world to #11

What and who is to blame?

  • President Obama blames Republicans
  • Democratic Congressmen blame the stimulus package
    • too little transportation funds
    • too long wait to start projects
  • Fear of raising the gas tax according to Transportation Secretary
  • Republicans say a lack of faith in the federal government makes it difficult to raise a gas tax when it collects less revenue with electric vehicles and improved fuel efficiency
  • Ban on earmarks halted local transportation project funding

 

The Hill | How politics are getting in the way of better roads and bridges

Texas High Speed Rail Job Numbers.

  • 40,000 jobs to be created during construction
  • 1 subsidiary of the Japanese company created in Dallas to oversee the High Speed Rail
  • 20 technical and operations experts in Dallas
  • $10 to $12 billion project
  • 1,000 employees for the high speed rail
  • 2021 completion 

Dallas Business Journal | Japanese company to create Dallas subsidiary for Texas bullet train

The Hill | Texas rail project poised to generate local jobs, economic benefits, choice for travelers

TREND. High Speed Rail Delay in the West. Follow the Funding in 4 Intel Pieces.

How long will California’s high speed rail be delayed? An additional 4 years

The reason for the delay? Federal funding was contringent on a portion of the high speed rail being completed by 2017.That portion is not finished. The original deadline was set in 2009.

Does the delay impact federal funding? No, federal funding keeps flowing. The project was originally funded through the Recovery and Reinvestment funds. 

What other funding sources fund high speed rail in California?

  • $500 million a year from state greenhouse gas fees
  • an additional $1 billion federal grant approved in  2010

Is there a shortfall in the project?  Yes, the project is  $43.5-billion short to complete the San Francisco to Anaheim system by 2029

Los Angeles Times | Key construction deadline for California bullet train pushed back four years

INTERIM. Sharing Economy + Self Driving Cars. Tesloop.

What comapny is offering ride share of self-driving cars? Tesla

How does long range ride share work? 

  • Instead of ride share drivers, Tesloop uses “pilots”
  • Las Vegas to Los Angeles is less than $100 each way

Where is tesloop operating? Southern California, Southern Nevada and Arizona

Tech Crunch | Tesloop offers city-to-city autonomous travel in a Tesla

High Speed Rail by the Numbers in Texas. A Conservative View.

One conservative voice describes Texas Central Rail high speed rail from Dallas to Houston like this:

  • 10,000 jobs created, mostly in Japan
  • 9 of the 11 counties oppose it 
  • 49 U.S.C § 10901 may allow Texas Central Rail to be exempt from Texas eminent domain laws
  • May 10, 2016, 12+ Texas state Senators and Representatives write the Chairman of the Surface Transportation Board opposing an exemption to state eminent domain laws

The Hill | Texas high speed train project takes land from Texans and jobs to Japan

INTERIM. How Ride Share Wins at a Western State Capitol.

4 ways Uber and Lyft are winning at the California Capitol:

  • Power in Numbers. They can rally drivers, riders, and have lots of hired consultants and lobbyists
  • Both parties like Ride Share.
    • ​California Democrats like the innovation
    • Texas Conservatives like the free market business aspect
  • Neither State nor Cities want to regulate ride share. Power struggle is to the state’s advantage
  • Delay is good for Ride Share. Ride share market share grows during times of delay and the taxi cab market share shrinks.

Uber and Lyft are winning at the state Capitol — here’s why | Los Angeles Times

TRENDING. Port. Trucker Classification.

What’s the issue about Ports and trucking companies? Whether drivers of trucks at ports are employees of the trucking companies or independent contractors

What’s the big deal whether truckers at ports are employees or not? 

  • It is a legal issue that has wrapped up ride share companies & FEDEX
  • Uber paid more than $100 M to settle claims
  • FedEx settled at $228 Million on a driver classification suit

Where is this issue hitting the cost of goods at ports & trucking costs? 

  • Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles
  • The American Trucking Association says the trend will spread to other ports

Wall Street Journal | Port-Trucking Firms Run Into Labor Dispute

Comptroller Highlights Road Funding. The Intel:

The May issue of Fiscal Notes from the Office of the Comptroller concerning greater transportation infrastructure by the numbers:

  • 38% of Texas  major roads are poor or fair condition 
  • 800 million daily vehicle miles by 2040
    • 455 million daily vehicle miles in 2014
  • 19% of Texas bridges are deemed “structurally deficient” or “functionally obsolete” in 2015
  • $2.5 billion of net revenue from the sales tax will be moved to the State Highway Fund beginning in Fiscal Year 2018 (Prop. 7)
  •  $375 million in highway revenue, 1st transfer of 35 percent of state motor vehicle sales tax revenue above the first $5 billion (Prop. 7)
  • $60 billion the amount TXDOT says is needed for urban transportation & border trade projects

The Comtroller publication highlights 4 issues in transportation funding:

  • population growth
  • deteriorating infrastructure
  • rapidly rising road construction costs
  • mobility supports commerce & industry
     

Fiscal Notes | Texas Road Finance (Part I) | May 2016