InfoHive – Transportation

How does a self driving bicycle balance? Technically, it is more like a 3 wheeler

What scooter related issues will be solved according to self driving bike supporters ? Overcrowded docks, empty docs, piles of abandoned scooters

How does it work?

• Riders summon it via an app
• the bike rides itself to and from the pickup point
• the bike then rides itself to the charging station

Auto Evolution | The MIT Autonomous Bicycle Is a Regular Bike That Becomes Self-Driving Trike

Who is joining the policy fight over gig economy worker classification? Black and Latino Advocacy Groups

Why are Black & Latino Advocacy Groups siding with the technology companies to opposed AB5’s employee classification? Keeping the status quo allows “drivers the freedom and flexibility to set their own schedules and earn a living as independent contractors.”

Is this an unusual partnership? No, its a formula used before when Transportation Network Companies (ride share) opposed a NYC ordinance with the assistance of civil rights organizations 

Why should I care about this? Look to other partnerships to help you identify what has worked before & recreate it to fit your position.

Sacramento Bee via Governing | Black, Latino Advocacy Groups In Favor of Ride-Hailing Apps

1. plexiglass barriers
2. mask-selling vending machines
3. ultraviolet light to disinfect stops & stations
4. artificial intelligence to spot transit stations with low mask use
5. social distancing: seats are marked off-limits, only so many passengers can be on each bus/train to allow for proper distancing

Seattle Times via Governing | What Does Safe Public Transit Look Like During COVID-19?

The city: Seattle

How is Seattle proposing to give ride share drivers a raise? By requiring that drivers be paid for their inactive time on the app in lieu of a reclassification of drivers from independent contractor to employee

KUOW | Uber and Lyft drivers in Seattle could get a raise. Here’s what the city proposes

Smart Cities Dive | Seattle mayor unveils plan for ride-hailing minimum wage

In response to pending litigation over the status of ride share drivers in California, it has been proposed that ride share companies may shift to a franchise model. What does that mean?

How would a ride share franchise work? The ride share company would icensing their brands to operators of vehicle fleets in California

How would this work around the employee-independent contractor legal issue in California? The ride share company would be at an arms length from the driver via the fleet franchise and the employment status of drivers would not apply to the ride share company

What’s next?

• pending legal action during the stay that allows ride share to continue as is
• November 2020 ballot measure to remove the provisions of AB 5 that defined ride share drivers as employees

NY Times | Uber and Lyft Consider Franchise-Like Model in California

Tech Crunch | Judge grants Uber and Lyft temporary stay in driver reclassification case

Who is saying that EVs can save the US Economy billions every year? A new study by Northwestern university

What scenario of EV use saves $70 B?

• if EVs replaced 25% of combustion-engine cars, $17B would be saved
  • 250 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions would be mitigated, factoring in electric generation for charging EVs
• if EVs replaced 75% of combustion-engine cars, $70B would be saved

How do EVs save the US economy billions?

• By curbing greenhouse gas emissions to avoid damages from climate change and air pollutions
• By reducing the health burden of harmful air pollution

Intelligent Transport | Widespread EV adoption could save U.S. $70 billion annually, study finds

Who: Austin-based Fetch

How much funding: raised $18 million to expand its service. A total of $32 million has been raised.

Fetch’s target audience: Fetch provides a delivery solution for apartment managers and residents by collecting parcels mailed to apartments at off-site warehouses & delivering the packages to residents at a scheduled time.

COVID Impact to Fetch: 59% increase in package volume per apartment unit since the emergence of COVID-19

Austin Statesman | Austin delivery startup Fetch lands $18M for growth

The State: Michigan

The 40 miles for autonomous vehicles: dedicated lanes for automated vehicles on a 40-mile segment of highway between Detroit and Ann Arbor

Who is advising on the project?9 autonomous vehicle and auto companies are on an advisory board for the project

What will the process be to achieve dedicated autonomous vehicle lanes?

• 2 year study
• determine whether existing lanes or shoulders could be used
• determine whether new lanes need to be built
• ensure that it is the first of its kind in the U.S.

How is the project funded? “Much of the project will be bankrolled by companies funded by Google parent Alphabet Inc.”

AP | Michigan plans dedicated road lanes for autonomous vehicles

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will be answering whether overweight vehicle fines apply to vehicles that would have been in compliance except for the fact that the roadway on which they are traveling have been re-designated for a lower weight capacity?

Why should we care about this? Because it will impact the amount of fines that can be collected by local governments during a time when transportation related fine and tax revenue are low.

RQ-0373-KP

The ride share company: BlaBlaCar

What has BlaBlaCar done with its pivot: differentiated itself from all other ride share companies by creating a “cultural chasm”

What’s the cultural chasm BlaBlaCars has created?

• it focuses on car pooling
• its drivers connect with each other for intercity passengers to offset costs
• its CEO’s mindset is to ask how they can best contribute to the community

What COVID pivot did BlaBlaCar do?

• Created BlaBlaHelp, a volunteer mutual-aid network that dropped off essential items to people in need
  • 20,000 people registered within 72 hours

What other services are under the BlaBlaCar umbrella?

• BlaBlaBus
• BlaBlaLines for regular commutes
• BlaBlaRide, a scooter services

Business Insider | Drivers on ride-sharing app BlaBlaCar volunteered to deliver medicine during the pandemic. It highlights the cultural chasm between it and its gig-economy rivals Uber and Lyft.