Lege TREND: Reconfigure Airport Boards for Regionalization.

Which airport board is being reconfigured? Jackson, Mississippi’s Airport Board

What’s the current board like? The airport is on city owned land and the baord reflects the city control of the airport.

What’s the hubub? Surrounding counties want a say. As a result, the following seats were added to the airport board:

  • 2 adjacent counties each get 1 seat
  • Mississippi Development Baord gets 1 seat
  • Mississippi National Guard gets 1 seat
  • The Governor gets 3 seats to appoint

How does the City of Jackson describe the bill? a hostile eminent domain take over

Jackson Free Press | UPDATED: Airport Bill Passes Senate, Called ‘Hostile Eminent-Domain Takeover’

TREND: Local tax increases for Transportation.

What state is considering allowing local entities to rise taxes for transportation? Massachusettes

What states do they point to that are already allowing local entities to raise sales taxes for transportation projects? California, Colorado, Ohio

What would the MA bill do? Require a local ballot before raising sales taxes that would be solely dedicated to local transportation projects

What are example local transportation projects?  fix local roads, expand rail service and create more bike paths

Massachusettes S.1474

WWLP 22 | Proposed bill would allow voters to raise local taxes for transportation

 

Texas Central Rail Partner Opponents File Lawsuit.

Who filed a lawsuit? Texans Against High-Speed Rail

Who is the lawsuit against? TXDOT & Attorney General Paxton

What’s causing the foray into the courts? A public information request from Texans for High Speed Rail that sought any documents at TXDOT related to Texas Central Parnters.

What was the response to the public information request?  Texans Against High-Speed Rail believes that documents were withheld, and the documents provided were heavily redacted without justification

What’s procedurally happened to the information request? 

  • TXDOT asked the AG for an opinion as to whether information is protected.
  • Central Partners offered a brief that their information is proprietary and should be protected from release.
  • Texans Against High Speed Rail took it to court.

KERA | Texas Bullet Train Opponents Sue TxDOT And Paxton

Transportation Systems. Data Security Warning. Interim Ready.

Who is issuing the warning? The Obama Adminsitration

What entities are being warned about data security threats?

  • power companies
  • water suppliers
  • transportation networks

What’s sparked the warning? The attack n the Ukraine’s power grid 2 months ago. It was the first cyberattack that produced a wide spread blackout

What was the target of the cyber attack? industrial control systems that act as the intermediary between computers and the switches

What could hackers do with control over industrial control systems?

  • distribution of electricity
  • guidance systems for trains
  • valves that control water supplies
  • machinery that mixes chemicals at factories.

New York Times | Utilities Cautioned About Potential for a Cyberattack After Ukraine’s

3 Key Points from Texas tollroad Operator Filing for Bankruptcy

  • The private company used its own funds to build the $13.3 billion tollroad segment under a 50-year lease with TxDOT
  • The Statesman has said the tollroad is 30% below projected use
  • No impact to Texas drivers who use the tollroad nor to Texas taxpayers for the unpaid toll road debt

KVUE |Part operator of SH 130 Toll files for bankruptcy

Statesman | Owner of southern section of Texas 130 files for bankruptcy

Texas Tribune | SH 130 Toll Road Operator Files for Bankruptcy

 

Vehicle Miles Traveled Road Funding. + 1 State & its a huge state.

What state is now considering to join Oregon with a vehicle miles traveled tax?

California

What are supporter arguments?

  • California has athe 45th worst roads in the country
  • Bad roads cost Californians $44 billion/year
  • Gas consumption peaked in 2005, making gas taxes an unreliable funding source
  • USC study shows a 2.1 cents per mile traveled tax can replace all of the revenue gained from the current state excise and sales taxes on gasoline

Tax Foundation | The VMT tax: A solution to California’s budget woes?

Another Car Hacked. Hackers can Find your car's GPS coordinates + more. 3 Bits Informed Intel.

Which care was hacked? Nissan Leaf

How did hackers gain control of the vehicle? By exploiting a weakness in the way it communicates with its companion app, NissanConnect EV

What systems can be controlled or accessed by hackers? 

  • Hackers can control interal heat and colling controls
  • Access driving records
  • Determine your exact location with GPS coordinates

The Guardian | Hackers can control Nissan Leaf’s heating and access driving history

 

INTERIM. Pilot Program: Sharing Economy + Cabs to Fix Mass Transit. 5 Bits Informed Intel.

Where is this pilot program forming? Florida’s Pinellas County

What’s the goal? To fill the gaps in public transportation

How does the county plan to fill the gaps in public transit? By partnersing with Uber and cab companies to make transportation more accessible.

Does the program have a catchy name? Yes, “Direct Connect”

How is ride share company Uber participating? By bridging the sometimes considerable distances between bus stops and customers’ destinations.

Mass Transit | FL: PSTA Teams Up With Uber, Cab Company in Pilot Program

Trend: Pay for Bridge Repair with Truck Tax

Which state wants to trucks to pay a bridge toll? Rhode Island

What got Rhode Island to this point where bridge repair requires a bridge toll? Rhode Islands bridges are in the worst shape in the country. 23% of its bridges need structural repair, that’s the highest in the U.S.

What justifications are lawakers offering to toll truckers?

  •  Trucks account for 70% of the damage to roads
  • Trucks pay about 20% of the cost of road

What numbers will the toll produce?

  • $20 on large commercial trucks for a statewide trip on Interstate 95
  • Total revenue estimate for truck tolls will be $45 million
  • Couple the bridge toll with $420 million in bonds to cover infrastructure repair

Is the truck toll uncommon? Yes, in the U.S. Switzerland and Germany have nationwide truck tolls.

Governing | Rhode Island’s New Route for Funding Bridge Repairs: Truck Tolls