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What is happening? Tech experts are raising awareness of hacking vulnerabilities at EV chargers.
Why is this important? A hack of an EV Charger can give the hacker access to vehicle data, your connected phone’s data, the EV Charging Unit, and the electric grid.
How will this be important? A consideration for policy makers is the data security standards for EV chargers.
Route Fifty | EV Infrastructure Vulnerabilities Put Cars, the Grid at Risk
What’s happening? Lyft is returning to offering shared rides after stopping shared rides at the pandemic outset.
Why is this important? Shared rides will return to San Francisco, San Jose, Denver, Las Vegas and Atlanta.
How will this be important? Expansion will continue through the US through the year
What is happening? Since COVID, complaints to transit departments are rising, and bus drivers are noting increased violence and behavioral health issues. As a result a Seattle bus driver talked to her local legislators and suggested behavioral health specialists ride buses and intervene because they will be able to solve issues without the added stress that uniformed officers can add to a situation.
Why is this important? The legislature created a state-funded pilot program to deescalate situations and engage services more quickly as violent crime has increased on transit since COVID began.
How will this be important? ” This program is part of an effort to create a “new vision” for security at the agency that would eliminate “disproportionately negative outcomes” for customers and employees, particularly for Black, Indigenous and other people of color, Metro spokesman Al Sanders said in an email.
Route Fifty | With Complaints Rising, Transit Agencies Search for Alternatives to Police
What is happening? Autonomous vehicles have cameras that can record surroundings and police want that footage to solve crimes.
Why is this important? Some companies like Waymo and Cruise will turn over video data when a warrant is presented. Cruise adds a layer and says that it “may share information if public safety is at risk.”
How will this be important? Privacy advocates are concerned abut the “pervasive surveillance” by law enforcement that can already include surveillance cameras, drones, doorbell cameras, license plate readers, geofence warrants and cell phone location data brokers
Route Fifty | Autonomous Vehicle Camera Footage Could Aid Police Investigations
What is happening? Connecticut is considering allowing direct sales by electric-vehicle manufacturers, and similar startups.
Why is this important? The bill has bipartisan support but car dealerships and unions representing auto maintenance workers peeled off Democrat support from the bill.
How will this be important? Autodealers- a natural opponent to this bill, but auto repair being opposed to increase sales of EVs, which require fewer repairs….that’s a fresh take.
Governing | Connecticut’s ‘Tesla Bill’ Unlikely to Pass This Year
What is happening? In lieu of repairing street lights on a first come first serve basis, San Diego is using an algorithm to repair lights that impact neighborhoods, schools, parks, impact the greatest number of people, and the proximity to other broken street lights.
Why is this important? The goal is to improve efficient workflow in San Diego
How will this be important? As a bonus the more efficient repair system helps with staffing shortages and supply chain issues. Up next for the algorithm treatment: potholes.
Route Fifty | A City Turns to an Algorithm to Prioritize Streetlight Repairs
What is happening? The US Energy Secretary announced $3.1 Billion in funding for to U.S. companies that make and recycle lithium-ion batteries.
Why is this important? Part of $1 trillion infrastructure funding is direct4d to boosting lithium production
How will this be important? The goals are to (1) increase domestic supplies now dominated by China et. al. (2) strengthen U.S. energy independence
AP | Energy chief Granholm touts $3B plan to boost EV batteries
What is happening? The “Uber for boats” has arrived in Austin, TX. Meet Lake Hop, a boat sharing service.
Why is this important? Lake Hop says it is safer than rentals since inexperienced people will not be driving the boats. Instead, boat owners will serve as hosts.
How will this be important? Lake Hop says passengers can ‘lake like a local’ with a host while boat owners can easily monetize the use of their boats,”
Culture Map Austin | New ‘Uber for boats’ service makes a splash on Austin lake
What is happening? California is playing around with orange and white striping for work zones to improve work zone safety. Wisconsin, Texas and Kentucky have used solid orange striping in work zones.
Why is this important? In Wisconsin 83% of drivers said the orange was easier to see than white striping. A toll authority in North Texas used orange striping. 61%of drivers said it increased their awareness of the work zone and 88% of respondents said they’d like to see the color in other Texas construction zones.
How will this be important? There is a feeling that roadway marks are easier to see than signage.
Route Fifty | States Experiment With Orange Highway Striping in Work Zones
What is happening? Michigan introduced a new license plate based on a 1950s plate and saw 3times the number of takers over the last speciality plate that pictured the the iconic Mackinac Bridge.
Why is this important? California’s most popular license plate is a retro plate. Colorado has brought back its green mountains and white sky plate. Transportation officials in California and Michigan were surprised by the level of interest in retro plates.
How will this be important? Law Enforcement is asking for white backgrounds because if law enforcement uses license plate readers the readers don’t have great accuracy with colorful license plates.