InfoHive – Transportation

What’s happening? 80% of scooter fatalities involve a car. Local empirical data from city emergency departments like Los Angeles and Austin do not track how the accidents happened. April 2021 Journal of Safety Research published the first scooter safety study. 80% occur during daylight and 70% at intersections. The research finds alcohol is not a factor in the accidents.

Why is this important? As cities come back to life, traveling alone in fresh air, on scooters will be attractive. States and cities have laws/rules/ordinances on scooter safety and with new data comes a refresher.

How will this be important? The research said the solution is that bike lanes should continue across intersections to keep bikes and scooters out of crosswalks and sidewalks.

Route Fifty | 80% of Fatal E-scooter Crashes Involve Cars – New Study Reveals Where and Why Most Collisions Occur

What’s happening? Oregon is touted as the go-to for pay as you go legislation after having piloted the program. InfoHive has highlighted the key points of the pilot program from its inception. HB 2342 (2021 | OR) will codify the pay as you drive program.

Why is this important? Here’s looking at model legislation that will be replicated as other states grapple with declining gas tax revenues. Oregon will apply to new 2027 vehicles that don’t use gas or get 30 miles or more per gallon of gasoline, and allows an opt out for a $400 annual fee.

How will this be important? States are going to replicate and adapt this Oregon model.

Oregon Live via Governing | Oregon Considers Miles Traveled Tax to Replace Gas Tax

What’s happening? Worcester, MA is considering using federal stimulus funds for transportation. Worcester’s Congressperson says that the city has discretion over much of the funding.

Why is this important? The city is considering public transit options that include more on-demand options as well as zero cost options.

How will this be important? All cities will be grappling with how to best use stimulus funds be it for broadband, transit, healthcare or other funding needs.

MassLive via Governing | Worcester Considers Using Stimulus Funds for Public Transit

What is happening? Longmont Colorado is considering a $1 hourly fee from people who charge their electric vehicles at publicly accessible city EV charging stations. The city says the annual revenue of $12,000 will cover the cost of operations.

Why is this important? Cities are looking for revenue. EV chargers fit that bill.

How will this be important? EV chargers and what types of fees can be associated with them are new and novel for local governments that are considering new fees.

Daily Times Caller via Governing | Fee May Be Required to Use Longmont’s EV Charging Stations

What’s happening? Virginia SB 758 (2020 | VA) allows robots up to 500 lbs, gives the robots the same rights as pedestrians & requires cities to allow the robots on roads when there is no sidewalk. Pennsylvania SB 1199 (2020 | PA) considered a similar regulatory framework.

Why is this important? The use of delivery services increased with the pandemic.

How will this be important? It is the wild Wild West when it comes to whether delivery robots can operate on sidewalks. We’re going to start seeing these robots more and yet the rules are far and few.

Government Technology | Lawmakers Should Allow Sidewalk Delivery Robots to Stay

What’s happening? Most states have no regulations for sidewalk delivery robots. In 2017 San Francisco essentially banned the robots except in limited circumstances.

Why is this important? Opposition is typically workers who believe they will be replaced by these sidewalk delivery robots

How will this be important? In the last 6 months a sidewalk delivery robot company completed 500,000 deliveries.

Governing | Lawmakers Should Allow Sidewalk Delivery Robots to Stay

What’s happening? Uber, Walgreens and PayPal have partnered to launch an $11 million fund to provide free ride-hail trips to U.S. COVID-19 vaccination sites. The Vaccine Access Fund will be managed by U.S. non-profit Local Initiatives Support Corporation. 

Why is this important? Partnerships in the post COVID are tackling big issues.

How will this be important? The pandemic brought us a new economy where partnerships like these are gaining traction and accomplishing goals quicker than the individual entities.

Reuters | Uber, PayPal, Walgreens launch $11 million vaccine rides fund

What’s happening? The Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles is auctioning cannabis related license plates like ISIT420 and GANGA to fund  the Colorado Disability Funding Committee. The auction will occur at 4:20pm on 4/20 (April 20th).

Why is this important? It’s clever. Thinking outside the box to raise funds for an underfunded committee.

How will this be important? Pick a topic and replicate in your state. Or snap up those license plates if you see fit.

AP | Colorado to auction off cannabis-themed license plates

What’s happening?Lyft and Motional have signed “the world’s largest robotaxi deployment partnership”  Motional has a close collaboration with Hyundai. Service to begin under the Motional brand in 2023.

Why is this important? Partnerships grow businesses

How will this be important? Autonomous transportation is where we are headed, buckle up buttercup.

Robotics & Automation News | Motional and Lyft agree ‘world’s largest’ robotaxi partnership

What’s happening? Miami tourism is increasing as vaccine rates increase. A noted increase in ride share activity, a 5% increase, has occurred since the beginning of the year.

Why is this important? Ride Share pivoted like they ere dancing and no one was watching. it was a glorious vision. They moved to delivery services. They moved to vaccine and health care related transportation. They connected food pantries with donors and recipients.

How will this be important? Tracking transportation trends fuels transportation planning. or at least policy makers think so, so add it to your pitch.

Miami Today | Demand for Uber, Lyft rises in tandem with vaccination rate