InfoHive – Transportation

Where: Lousiana

What: SB 418 (2020 | LA)

How does Lousiana’s SB 418 offer tort reform and lower auto insurance rates?

• caps damages
• limits when insurance companies can be sued directly

The reduction in insurance rates that is estimated after 1 year? 10%

Insurance Journal | Louisiana Legislature Passes Auto Accident ‘Tort Reform’ Bill

Car & Driver compared EV and gas models of 2 vehicles.

The annual gasoline cost:

• Mini Hardtop: $3744
• Hyundai Kona: $3861

The annual EV charging cost:

• Mini Electric: $1939.00
• Kona Electric: $1722.63

Based on these 2 car models, annual cost is lower for gas models before tax credits are considered.

Car & Driver | EV vs. Gas: Which Cars Are Cheaper to Own?

How can rail benefit from COVID Relief funding?

• investment tax credit to encourage railcar orders
• funds for capital projects addressing signal crossings and track and grade maintenance
• grants to state and localities for rail-related capital projects
• maintaining the capital investment program for passenger rail projects under the purview of the Federal Transit Administration
• funds to modernize its information technology capabilities
• ensuring freight railroad workers get priority for access to testing, personal protective equipment

Freight Waves | Rail industry groups eye pandemic relief/capital investment funding

Where: New Jersey

Who is behind the electrification push? New Jersey Clean Cities Coalition

What are 6 examples of New Jersey’s investments into electrification:

• NJ joined the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative which provides funding based on a carbon dioxide allowance auction
• Invest $80 million each year in “programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions for:
  • clean energy projects
  • clean energy jobs
  • electrification of the state fleet by 2050
• NJ joined a cap-and-trade program with 9 other Eastern states
• Point of sale rebates for light-duty EVs
• State agencies coordination of efforts to electrify the transportation sector
• $4 million in rebates to offset the cost of installation of EV charging stations

ACT News | New Jersey Makes Significant Commitments to Transportation Electrification

Where: Cincinnati

How will its public transportation system get a funding boost?

• voter approved .8% sales tax increase
• .3% rollback of the city’s 2.1% earnings tax

What public transportation gaps does Cincinnati look to fill?

• Public transportation options for health care workers
• Public transportation options for manufacturing workers

The COVID Angle: Need to connect frontline and essential workers to accessible and reliable public transportation

Smart Cities | Cincinnati voters raise sales tax to fund public transit

• Positioned to capitalize on the need for social distancing 
• Cities want traffic levels to be lower & need to makeup for lower public transportation numbers due to social distancing
• Companies have rigorous disinfecting routines
• Cities like Seattle, Oakland, & Austin are shutting down roads to traffic which bolsters the use of scooters & e-bikes
• Cities like Montreal, Paris, & Milan have built temporary bicycle and pedestrian facilities as part of their coronavirus response
• Pandemic data shows riders are taking longer trips on e-bikes and scooters

Washington Post | Bike-share and e-scooter companies, hit hard by the pandemic, may come back stronger

Community Impact | MAP: Austin closes certain streets to vehicle traffic to promote socially distanced outdoor exercise

Who: Mercedes Benz

What will be covered under the insurance policy:

• Home-charging equipment, cables, and batteries
• Up to € 10,000 ($10,900) risk coverage related to theft, vandalism, “overvoltage damage,” short circuits, and even bites from animals and rodents
• Towing to the nearest charging station if the battery is unintentionally discharged
• Theft and vandalism of the Wallbox & the charging cable up to € 2,500

Electrek | Mercedes-Benz introduces EV insurance coverage to include charging stations

Where: Chicago

What are the new rules for food delivery in Chicago?

• new transparency requirements to disclose fees
• including any commission or service fee paid by the restaurant to the third-party delivery company
• daily fine of $500 to $10,000 for violations

Why? Consumers want to maximize how much goes to the local restaurant over the delivery service

Other considerations by Chicago Council? Capping delivery fees like San Francisco did by Emergency Order

Crain’s Chicago Business | City has new rules on food delivery apps

Where: California

What stage is California in for AV delivery? Pilot Program + California Public Utility Commission Order for Comments

Which issues are percolating?

• pooling services
• environmental- are the AVs also EVs?
• Geographic equality for all neighborhoods in a city
• Safety requirements
• Fee structures
• Data Sharing

Who is submitting comments?

• Companies: AAA; Aurora Innovation; Cruise; Lyft, Inc.; Uber Advanced Technologies Center, LLC.; Waymo; and Zoox.
• Trade associations: Bay Area Council; California Chamber of Commerce; Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, San Francisco; San Francisco Council of District Merchants Association; San Francisco Taxi Workers Alliance; Silicon Valley Leadership Group; and TechNet.
• Advocacy groups: California Council of the Blind; Greenlining Institute; Sierra Club; and Mothers Against Drunk Driving
• Researchers: UC Davis Policy Institute for Energy, Environment, and the Economy (Policy Institute)
• Local Governmental Entities: Los Angeles Department of Transportation; San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency; and San Francisco County Transportation Authority

CPUC | ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE’S RULING ORDERING PARTIES TO COMMENT ON QUESTIONS REGARDING THE COMMISSION’S REGULATION OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

StreetsBlogCAL | California Readying Rules for Automated Vehicle Ride-Hailing

What changes are coming to airports in the new, COVID normal?

• thermal temperature screenings
• sanitation stations
• touchless kiosks
• UV light/sanitation spray stations to disinfect passengers
• autonomous cleaning robots equipped with virus-killing ultraviolet light, applying antimicrobial coatings
• touch-free health screening kiosk that take passenger respiration and pulse rates & can deny boarding

Los Angeles Times via Governing | Airport Tech Will Now Screen for Coronavirus Symptoms