The $2.2 Million + Ride Share Local Election. Ride Share Ordinance Campaign by the Numbers

  • 5 weeks of fundraising left
  • Ride Share Comapnies have contributed $2.2 million
  • 7th of May is election day
  • The cost of Mayor Adler’s campaign: $1.2 million 

Statesman | Uber, Lyft donate nearly $2.2 million to effort to pass Prop. 1 in May

KUT | Uber, Lyft Have Spent More Than $2 Million on Prop 1 Campaign So Far

Trend: Local Governments Create Own Ride Share Like Apps. 6 Key Informed Intel.

Why are transit apps a growing trend with local governments? Surgning populations are straining roads

Did Denver, CO contract with a company to create its app? Yes, it contracted with Xerox

What does the Denver Transit App do?It allows a person to compare the time it will take to travel in various transportation modes. 

What types of transit information does the Denver app contain?

  • bike-share stations
  • nearby Lyft drivers
  • close Car2Go vehicles
  • open parking spaces
  • mass transit

Does it allow users to sort their transit options? Yes, by cheapest & by greenest routes.

Is there a data benefit for local governments? Yes:

  • Denver will have better data on user behavior
  • Better data on transportation system inefficiencies
  • Could ultimately alert regular drivers that an alternate mode of transportation would be quicker on a day when a car crash causes traffic backups

Governing | Cities Create Their Own, Greener Transit Apps

 

2 Step Funding. 1 High Speed Rail Station in the Golden State.

How did San Jose secure funding for a high speed rail station? In 2 steps:

  • $200,000 from the state of California
  • $400,000 from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

How did the funding for the high speed rail station come to fruition? A partnership agreement with the California High-Speed Rail Authority

Does the agremenet include development opportunities? Yes, for transit development and for  economic development that  creates a “vibrant and urban mixed-use setting that serves as a regional hub of jobs, housing, transportation and entertainment.”

ABC 7 San Francisco | SAN JOSE GETS DIRIDON STATION FUNDING THROUGH HIGH-SPEED RAIL AGREEMENT

 

INTERIM. Ride Share Compromise in its Home State. Read the Deal. 5 Key Pieces of Intel. Know the Intel before it arrives.

The District Attorneys of Los Angeles and San Francisco broughts suits against ride share companies in late 2014. 

A deal has been reached between the D.A.’s and ride share companies. The key points:

  • Ride share companies cannot use current description of background checks an safety checks.
  • Ride share companies have a $10M fine, up to $25 million if they don’t comply in future years
  • Ride Share has to work with a state agency to ensure that the fees charged are fair and accurate
  • Ride Share cannot charge “fake” airport toll fees
  • Ride Share cannot charge for a “safe ride fee”. Ride Share is renaming the fee a “booking fee”

The Recorder | Uber Agrees to Settle DA Suits Over Safety Practices

 

New Threat to State Transportation Funds- Social Policies vs. Supreme Court Rulings

What state triggered a potential witholding of federal transportation funding? North Carolina

What law sparked this?   a new law that created a mandatory statewide anti-discrimination policy but which impacts gay and transgender rights

What is the rational for the withholding of the funds by the federal government? Whether North Carolina’s law violates the the Constitution and recent Supreme Court rulings; making the state ineligible for federal funding.

NYTimes | North Carolina Law May Risk Federal Aid

$38 Billion Cost to Eliminate Tollroads. 4 Pieces Informed Intel.

TXDOT informed legislators on Wednesday that the cost to eliminate tollraods in Texas is $30 billion.

The reasons behind the $38 Billion price tag:

  • $21 Billion in debt held on state and local tollroads + interest and fees
  • $10 billion in debt with partnerships with private firms + interest and fees
  • This feeds the arguments of those opposed to government debt & who say local debt is too high
  • TXDOT has $13.4 Billion in non-toll related debt

Houston Chronicle | Eliminating tolls would cost state billions, lawmakers told

UPDATE. Texas High Speed Rail Up for Big Award. WINNER.

Texas High Speed Rail won the Urban Land Institute’s Next Big Idea Award.

How did High Speed Rail win the award?

  • Supportive North Texas businesses
  • Suppotive North Texas local governments

Dallas Morning News | Biz Beat | Old Parkland campus one of North Texas’ Urban Land Institute award winners

Dallas Business Journal | How High Speed Rail Won UILs Next Big Idea Award

Texas High Speed Rail is 1 of 3 nominees for the Next Big Idea Award awarded by the Urban Land Institute of North Texas.

How to vote: Attend the March 29th Event in Dallas. 

Dallas Morning News | Impact Awards gala to feature tribute to Crows

Business Trend. Drones. Transportation Aerial Mapping. Inspections. Property Rights. Data Collection & Security.

Which texas companies were certified under the new drone certification system in Texas? HUVRdata (Austin) & Aviation Unmanned (Addison)

What entity does the drone certification? Texas A&M University System via its Corpus Christi campus and its engineering extension service

How is industry using drones?  wind-power, oil and gas and transportation industries to provide aerial inspections and mapping, and for port and border security and coastline monitoring

Data security and drone data converging. An emerging trend is the regulation of the data collected by drones- data retention; data storage; & data disclosure. 

Houston Chronicle | First two Texas companies credentialed for drone operations

Lege Trend: State Push to Move to CNG Fleet. Read the Bill. Plan your Strategy.

Which state has legislators pushing for CNG fleets? Louisiana

What did the head of Lousiana’s Environmental Quality agency say about this?  “”We are going to be groundbreaking in mainstreaming compressed natural gas”

How will the fleet sustain itself? The bill calls for loosening a transportation trust fund to allow for the creation of refueling stations. 

Louisiana’s Senate Bill 257

Manship School News Service | Legislators want to make Louisiana’s transportation greener