TREND study results: Ride Share pollutes more.

What’s the rational for ride share contributing more to pollution?

  • 70% more polluting than average trip it replaces
  • deadheading- when drivers travel to pick up a passenger or cruising the streets while waiting for a ride request
  • 40% of the miles logged by Uber and Lyft vehicles in California are deadheading miles
  • For every 1 mile of ride share, you add .7 miles of driving around
  • Union of Concerned Scientists study says that people take ride share when they otherwise would have used lower emission options like walking, public transit or biking

Solutions:

  • California Air Resources Board will promulgate rules for ride share and emissions
  • Companies could offer incentives to drivers to buy EVs
  • Legislation to impose rules to reduce ride share’s greenhouse gas emissions
  •  Taxing trips to urban centers to encourage pooled rides and public transit (see Chicago)
  • Capping ride share driver licenses (see New York)

Los Angeles Times via Governing | California Says Ride-Hailing Pollutes More than Regular Trip

Taxing Ride Share. Tax on Services.

Georgia’s HB 105 (2020 | GA) an omnibus tax bill, includes applying the state sales tax, 7% , to ride share.

Why? Equal and Uniform taxation. Taxis and limousines and long been paying sales tax for their services.

The revenue estimate from the sales tax on ride share in year 1? $24 million to $45 million

Fox 5 Atlanta | Georgia Senate panel eyes 50-cent tax on ride hailing, taxis

Lege TREND. Reigning In Personalized License Plates.

Where: Utah

What’s happening with personalized license plates in Utah? A brouhaha over a license plate that read: Deport Them.

How will the bill regulate personalized license plates? Prohibit license plates that disparage anyone based on race, color, national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, citizenship status or a physical or mental disability.

SB 97 (2020 | UT)

AP | Utah Legislature passes bill to tighten license plate rules

Anatomy of Robot Delivery Legislation.

Where: Missouri

What? HB 2290(2020 | MO)

What regulatory parameters does Missouri want for delivery robots?

  • limit the robots’ weight to 200 pounds
  • require that the robot be capable of navigating a sidewalk
  • maximum speed would be 10 mph
  • permitted use on roadways as long as it does not impede traffic (bike lanes)
  • operators must maintain insurance policies of at least $100,000

Other states that have adopted robot delivery legislation: Washington, Idaho, & Wisconsin

St. Louis Dispatch via Governing | Missouri Bill Would Regulate but Allow Delivery Robots

New Regulatory Issue. Auto pilot data for motor vehicles.

Consumer groups are pushing for data from autonomous vehicles be stored to the vehicle’s black box, and not sent separately to the manufacturer.

Why the push for auto pilot data on a car’s black box? So that causes of accidents can be more readily be known.

What other regulatory push for more autopilot information? Require accident reports to include information concerning auto pilot or autonomous features

Los Angeles Times via Governing | The Case for Black Boxes for Computerized Cars that Crash

2 Manufacturers. 1 Direct Sales Bill.

Where: Colorado

The auto manufacturers: Tesla and Rivian

Their coalition: Alliance for Automotive Innovation

The legislation: SB20-167 (2020 | CO) Electric Motor Vehicle Manufacturer And Dealer Concerning increasing consumer access to electric motor vehicles by allowing manufacturers to sell their own electric motor vehicles directly to consumers.

What did Senate floor amendments focus on? Securing existing franchise agreements

WJR | EV Direct Sales Fight Mounting

Automotive News | Colorado EV bill sparks rift among alliance members