Transportation

In 2025, EV interest dropped/ began to plateau  because of changes in federal policy. This in turn impacted US EV battery manufacturing. 

An analysis from the Dallas Federal Reserve discusses that more than 20 gigafactories were announced from 2021-2022, accounting for more than $50 billion in potential investment and thousands of new jobs. More announcements of gigafactories continued in 2023 and 2024. The slow down in 2025 indicates that these investments will not be realized, but alas! There is a pivot to enrgy storage.

Australia is testing photoluminescence roadway paint. The paint gathers sunlight during the day that then glows after sunset. @wasted

Utilizing NSTB data, Electrek says that robotaxis crash at a rate 4x higher than human drivers. This includes crashes into stationary objects like poles. @gizmodo

Hydrofoil ferries have arrived in Stockholm. The ferries cut commute times in half and cut emissions by 94%.

@goodgoodgoodco

Remember how we talked about whether a self driving car can receive a ticket from law enforcement in San Francisco?

Iowa Legislature took note. House Study Bill 598 would hold the owner of a self-driving vehicle liable in the event of a crash or traffic law violation. GM opposes.

Iowa Capital Dispatch | Autonomous cars in Iowa would need human drivers under proposed bills

At the Adobe Government Forum, the Chief Customer Officer of the Washington Metro Transit Authority said they want to have more control over transportation technology rather than allow for vendor control of technology. Why? Because transportation technology is changing faster than vendors can keep up with.

Route Fifty | Transit agencies look to ‘rewire’ tech infrastructure

Lyft announced its new program to allow ride hailing for teens. To access the Lyft for teens program, the account must be set up by parent/guardian; drivers have additional safety and background checks; permission can be given for additional teens; and audio recording of the ride along with real time tracking.

Tech Crunch | Lyft opens its ride-hailing app to teens

“The Federal Highway Administration proposed to raise the domestic content requirement from 55% to 100% in its “Buy America” waiver for EV chargers.”

Renewable energy experts say this is not feasible with today’s global supply chain.

Manufacturing Dive | Trump administration moves to require 100% domestic materials in EV chargers

This week, the Texas Attorney General released a slew of opinions, in th mix is whether counties can use automatic traffic enforcement equipment to issue tickets? That’s a solid NO. KP-0510

Uber has a new CFO, its former VP of strategic finance and investor relations. The change is seen as a focus on Uber’s autonomous vehicles. The writing on the wall (the internet): “With large and growing free cash flows, over the coming years we will invest with discipline across a multitude of opportunities, including positioning Uber to win in an AV future,” Krishnamurthy wrote in a statement detailing the company’s Q4 results.

TechCrunch | Uber appoints new CFO as its AV plans accelerate

Meet Apeiron which just landed $9.5 million in funding for underwater autonomous vehicles. Why does this matter? Mapping sea floors and gathering data is complicated and is necessary information for industries from onshore wind and oil to fisheries.

TechCrunch | Apeiron Labs gets $9.5M to flood the oceans with autonomous underwater robots

A program in Ohio collects data on how often drivers interact with their phones while driving. The state partnered with “ Cambridge Mobile Telematics to assess the behavior of Ohio drivers collected from smartphones and other sensor-enabled devices. ”

This data shows that Ohioans tapped their smartphones 21.9 times per 100 miles on average compared with the national average of 23.6 times per 100 miles & that Ohio drivers spent 0.78% of their driving time engaging in handheld calls, lower than the national average of 0.82%. 

Route Fifty | Smartphone data helps Ohio ‘be smarter’ about reducing distracted driving

Utah has installed sensor systems at six out of eight entry ports and at one of three smaller ports managed by the Utah Highway Patrol. The goal is to gather trucking data and more to manage traffic flow and safety.

The sensor data will utilize large language models to learn and adapt to improve safety and efficiency.

Route Fifty | Sensors in Utah’s roads aim to improve commercial vehicle safety and efficiency

The federal government has approved 2 new drone testing sites. It’s been a decade since the last federally designated drone facilities were approved. The two new sites are the  Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

Route Fifty | Feds announce two new drone test sites

Add Tesla’s robotaxi to the list of driverless taxi services in Austin. The robotaxis began service in June 2025, and this week marks their clearance for driverless service. Not all vehicles will be driverless and safety monitors will be in service.

TechCrunch | Tesla launches robotaxi rides in Austin with no human safety driver

“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced the launch of a new office dedicated to rapidly procuring and deploying drone and counter-drone technologies, marking a major step forward in restoring American airspace sovereignty – a top priority for the Trump Administration.”

The reason? Safety for FIFA World Cup and the 250th U.S. celebrations.

Funding comes from the Safer Skies Act as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, signed by the President in later 2025.

Currently California has a January 1, 2027 deadline for a pilot of a pay as you drive fee structure in lieu of a gas tax.

AB 1421 scales back the pilot and substitutes a report on pay as you drive by January 1, 2027.

Aftermarket matters | California legislature reconvenes for 2026 with bills affecting auto repair

A newly effective law in West Virginia allows for the use of thermal drones to locate missing pets and wounded animals. Wounded animals is how they are talking about hunting. We’re talking about using thermal drones in hunting.

West Virginia News | New West Virginia law allows thermal drones to recover lost pets and wounded wildlife

Most vehicles that have autonomous driving features rely on LIDAR. LIDAR relies on satellites. Satellites get impacted by space stuff like solar flares. To accommodate this space stuff, vehicles are engineered with extra sensors, hence a space tax. Neat, eh?

Space News | The ‘space tax’ on your self-driving car

n 2014, Las Vegas taxis provided 28 million rides. Since ride share has proliferated, taxi rides have decreased. 

In 2025, Las Vegas taxi rides have fallen by 53% to just over 13 million taxi rides.

The Nevada Independent | Where are Las Vegas taxi drivers a decade after Uber and Lyft shocked the industry?

Robo-helio taxis, drone delivery, all these new transportation technologies have led to states calling for federal cooperation to regulate these nascent industries. 

An FAA pilot program for the robo-helicopter taxi services has emerged. 

Route Fifty | States urge more federal coordination amid growth of new aviation options

A Waymo investor letter lays out the company’s ride share numbers. Waymo numbers are at 450,000 robotaxi rides per week — nearly double the amount it disclosed this spring.

Tech Crunch | Investor letter reveals skyrocketing growth of Waymo’s robotaxi rides

Montana is working on a regulatory structure for robotaxis. Montana has unique landscape for robotaxis such as snow and ice and moose.Think about how most of the robotaxis we talk about operate in warm, temperate climates.

Montana legislators were advised by the mayor of Mesa, Arizona to not put any restrictions on robotaxis. The mayor suggested that freedom to operate is why the robotaxis came to Mesa. 

Daily Montanan | Montana lawmakers take a closer look at autonomous vehicles

Remember back in the day when we needed infrastructure for ride share. Such as where should ride share pickup people, etc…? We are to that point for autonomous vehicles. 

Autolane, a Palo Alto based start up, is building AV infrastructure. The infrastructure will be both physical and software based, to accommodate for the near future when your robotaxis can pick up your groceries or your dry cleaning. 

TechCrunch | Autolane is building ‘air traffic control’ for autonomous vehicles

Bienvenue Uber’s Avride-branded robotaxi, may the streets of Dallas treat you well. These Dallas robotaxis will have a limited operating area and a human safety operator in the vehicle. In the future Avride will be without the human safety operator. Avride is an Austin, TX based company. 

TechCrunch | Uber and Avride launch robotaxi service in Dallas

Iowa City made local buses free to help with congestion. Ridership is up 18% over prepandemic numbers. Traffic congestion is down.

NYTIMES via @perfectunion

A decade ago giving drones safe regulatory framework was cool. Now, not so much. When the federal government reopened included in the details was reinstating federal counter drone authorities. States, such as Louisiana, Wisconsin, are also being given authority to bring down drones. A June Executive Order by the President to find solutions for the threat of drones.

Route Fifty | State leaders push laws to bring down drones

Teradar claims it is better than radar and lidar. Radar and lidar are the two prevailing systems that guide self driving cars and safety systems on regular old cars. 

Teradar is a solid-state sensor that sees the world using the terahertz band of the electromagnetic spectrum. Its financial backers include defense minded investors. 

Tech Crunch | Teradar raises $150M for a sensor it says beats lidar and radar

Waymo is now operating on freeways in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. This change will reduce ride times by up to 50%. Waymo has expanded its operational protocols and its communication with highway patrol.

TechCrunch | Waymo robotaxis are now giving rides on freeways in LA, San Francisco, and Phoenix

There’s a new player in the modern RV market. Meet EVOTREX. Evotrex is backed by Anker. According to TechCrunch, the Evotrex will have a “onboard battery pack that will power the living quarters, onboard electronics, and an electric motor, but the gas engine will recharge that battery pack and extend its range for far longer than a full charge ”

At the 2025 Management Conference & Exhibition the CEO of the American Trucking Association announced that the group is considering changing its policies as tariffs continue to harm the trucking industry’s financial  recovery.

The CEO’s statement: “If tariffs continue trucking’s prolonged freight recession, ATA may well consider strategic shifts that address the direct and indirect impacts on our industry,” Spear said. “Stay tuned.

Trucking Dive | ATA calls out tariff policies, notes potential strategy change

Las Vegas police unveiled its Cybertruck fleet. The announcement included a robotic dog on the podium, drones, and flashing lights. Very Las Vegas and intended to show that the city has the most technologically advanced police department in the country.

They’re really leaning into 20 years ago when a CSI television franchise called Las Vegas home. 

Las. Vegas Sun | Metro Police unveils fleet of Tesla Cybertrucks

A public information request in Washington State raised the issue of whether the data on a city’s license plate readers are public information. While the court decides, the city disabled the license plate readers after 3 months of use.

Timely data question for procurement: Is the data involved in a procurement public information?

Everrett Herald | Stanwood pauses Flock cameras amid public records lawsuits

GovTech | Sedro-Woolley, Wash., Disables Its License Plate Cameras

In May we talked about Washington State adding speed limiters as possible penalties for reckless drivers. Add Virginia and Wisconsin to the list of states seeking to tackle reckless drivers by employing speed limiters upon conviction.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Wisconsin lawmakers’ latest idea to tackle reckless driving uses new tech to limit speed

We talked about Uber Green many moons ago. This week Uber Green is getting a re-brand. Let’s all welcome, Uber Electric.

“Per the company, the new name “reflects record EV growth on our platform, making it easier for riders to choose zero-emissions rides.Uber elaborated that over 200,000 EVs are driving on its global network, and 1 in 4 of its customers say their first-ever EV ride was through the Uber app.”

Electrek | ‘Uber Green’ shifts to ‘Uber Electric,’ and is offering (some) drivers $4k to switch to an EV

The Government shutdown has led to air traffic controller shortages. In turn, this has led to more flight delays. 53% of flight delays are directly tied to air traffic controller shortages. The usual rate of flight delays due to air traffic controller shortages? 5%.  5% to 53% delay rate; well that is something.

SB 791 would have increased the amount car dealerships can charge for processing fees from $85 to up to 1% of the purchase price, capped at $260. The bill was vetoed.

The veto message includes, “At a time when Californians are already struggling with the high cost of living, this bill would raise the document processing fee to three times the current $85 cap – far beyond what an inflation adjustment would justify.”

The veto message also includes a note that there are also no additional requirements on car dealerships.

Cal Matters | Newsom vetoes car dealers’ bill to hike fees on buyers

We’ve talked about the high speed rail project between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The project was estimated to cost $12 billion. A newly revised cost estimate is $21.05 billion. Yeah, so even people who don’t like math can say, “uh, yeah, that’s an increase.” The project has been touted by U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy.

Las Vegas Journal Review | Cost of Brightline’s Vegas-to-LA project skyrockets in new document

California Governor’s veto message for SB 274, that would have regulated the use of vehicle license pate readers, says the bill would impede criminal investigations that rely on interagency information sharing.

The Oregon Legislature proposed a gas tax increase along with other vehicle tax increases to fund transportation projects. As a result, Republican legislators want to take gas tax increases to the voters for approval.

KATU | Oregon Republicans aim to put the transportation package up to voters: What to know

San Bruno, CA police officers witnessed  a driverless car make an illegal u-turn. Law enforcement pulled the car over, and discovered there is no way to cite the car for an illegal u-turn when there is no driver. 

Look for this loophole to be corrected. 

The San Francisco Standard | ‘No driver, no hands, no clue’: Waymo pulled over for illegal U-turn

DoorDash is entering autonomous delivery with Dot. Meet Dot, a red, small autonomous robot delivery machine. Imagine a robot that reminds you of Santa Claus.  Cute, friendly, good vibes.

DoorDash has been working to expand its mans of delivery. The first attempt was with drones.

@cnbc

Louisiana is considering temporary lanes for evacuation routes. The temporary lanes would  be wider shoulder lanes. 

In 2022, Louisiana studied the state’s Contraflow plan, which requires certain metrics to be met before all lanes are redirected to out flowing lanes of traffic. 

“The task force also introduced a strategy used in Texas and Florida: widening existing highways so the shoulders can be used as additional travel lanes to relieve congestion. The strategy is known as “evaculanes” or “emergency shoulder use.”

Governing | Louisiana Considers Temporary Lanes to Replace Outdated Evacuation Method

Bipartisan support of a marijuana tax increase to fund road projects in Michigan is moving forward. The Comprehensive Road Funding Tax Act, includes a 24% tax on wholesale cannabis purchases and is estimated to generate a hefty $420 million per year.

Hoodline | BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IN MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE FOR MARIJUANA TAX HIKE TO FUND ROAD PROJECTS DESPITE INDUSTRY CONCERNS

Uber is investing in Flytrex to scale its delivery services. This is the company’s first investment in a drone delivery company. The strategy is “to create a multimodal delivery network that extends beyond cars, bikes and couriers to include sidewalk robots and drones. ” 

Restaurant Dive | Uber invests in Flytrex to scale drone delivery

This week Waymo announced its new endeavor, “Waymo for Business.” This new service is “designed for companies to set up accounts so their employees can access robotaxis in cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco.”

TechCrunch | Waymo is getting into the corporate travel business

In 2024, GM bought a 38% stake in Lithium Americas for $625 million. Now, the Administration is seeking a 10% stake in the mining company in exchange for renegotiating the repayment period of a $2.26 billion Department of Energy loan for development of a lithium mine in Nevada.

Tech Crunch | Trump administration wants 10% stake in Canadian lithium miner that sells to GM

Massachusetts has created the framework for ride share drivers to unionize. California legislature has passed AB 1340 To allow for ride share unionization. The deal: Yes, to unions if insurance coverage is reduced.

Politico | How California reached the unthinkable: A union deal with tech giants

Last Friday, the DOJ announced a suit against Uber concerning whether the ride share company violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by not providing rides to people who are disabled or with service animals. I had to read the DOJ statement several times to make sure it was the DOJ, as it exists in September 2025. It is. Quelle surprise!

Wisconsin Legislature has a new caucus- the Passenger Rail Caucus. Beyond the usual passenger rail support, it also includes wanting transportation options for people who don’t want to drive, can’t drive, or maybe you think your elderly parents shouldn’t be driving.

Wisconsin Examiner | Legislature’s new passenger rail caucus wants to see train service open the throttle

Amazon’s robo taxi service, Zoox, will soon be on the well lit streets of Las Vegas. Zoox vehicles are bidirectional and have no steering wheel. Zoox will have a 3 mile  limit on rides.

Autoblog | Amazon Unleashes Futuristic Robotaxi Service in Las Vegas

Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles has granted a permit for robo taxis to operate anywhere in the state. Nevada requires autonomous vehicle testers to maintain $5 million in insurance coverage. I wonder if they will be seen on the state’s Extraterrestrial Highway- it is a trip if you haven’t driven it. Robo taxis are also seeking permits in the San Francisco Bay Area, Arizona and Florida.

Tech Crunch | Tesla’s robotaxi plans for Nevada move forward with testing permit

The Philadelphia Inquirer did a deep dive on vehicle registrations and party registration in Pennsylvania. As one would surmise, American autos and trucks are the choice of republicans. In heavily democratic areas, 2/3 of passenger vehicles are foreign. Two vehicle makers that escape a partisan identity: Jeep & Subaru.

Chipotle is testing out drone delivery in Dallas via Zipline. The service will be called Zipotle. Anyone have odds on whether they hired a branding expert for this name? @cnbc

An opinion piece in the Kansas City Star posits that a new Amazon’s rime drone delivery program set to begin will contribute to noise pollution.

Ohio requires that school districts provide transportation for students enrolled in private schools and charter schools too. It got complicated way fast. To provide bus services to students who were not enrolled in the school district, led to bus shortages. Bus shortages led to the district filling the gap with public transportation passes so students can get to school on local buses.  All was well and good until a student was killed at a metro bus stop. Food for thought when planning transportation services for education. @guardian_us

Colorado Governor vetoed a bill designed to require a driver to be present in a self driving commercial vehicles. The veto statement includes, “Since no other state has such a mandate, House Bill 1122 would effectively create a first-in-the-nation prohibition on autonomous commercial vehicle testing and operations.”

CPR News | Jared Polis vetoes bill that would have restricted the use of rent-setting software, like RealPage

Self driving car legislation this year has been fast and furious. 67 pieces of legislation were filed in 25 states. NCSL keeps a database of this legislation. 

In 2025, states that added new self driving vehicle regulations include: Arizona, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada and the District of Columbia  

Why were states regulating these self driving vehicles? Safety. “Between 2021 and 2024, there were 696 accidents reported that involved a Waymo vehicle, according to an analysis by California-based law firm DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo.”  

Stateline | With more self-driving cars on the road, states put more rules in place

Transportation projects ready to roll in the next 30 to 60 days are up year over year. Last year $11.1 billion in transportation projects were commencing, and this year at the same point in time, we will see $13.4 billion commence. We’re up 20%, make of that what you will. 

American Road & Builders Association | Value of Projects Up 20% Over Last Year

California is considering SB 259 (2025 | CA) that would prevent ride share from using AI to determine whether your phone has a low battery and thereby charging you more for your ride. Supporters say our phones and personal information are being weaponized for economic gain. The messaging involved in this legislation is “surveillance pricing” and a “high tech assault on working people.”  

CalMatters | Should Lyft and Uber charge more if your battery is low? California may soon ban that

Do your state’s ride share laws address rider safety? This week the NYTimes discusses ride share safety issues. It says an allegation of sexual assault by a ride share driver occurs every 8 minutes. The discussion includes whether avoiding lawsuits against ride share companies trumps rider safety. Look for states to step up and address the issue. 

@theskimm

NY Times | Uber’s Festering Sexual Assault Problem

Colorado is building the world’s largest wildlife bridge on I-25. It has a $15 million price tag and is expected to reduce collisions between vehicles and animals by 90%. (I’m not a fan of the exclamation point as it is overused. Should this remarkable statistic have an exclamation point, probably, but I’m a Swedish person who has a distaste for drama.) @goodgoodgoodco

According to Orbia, engineering firms KWS, Wavin, and VolkerWessels created a roadway material from recycled plastic to address both environmental challenges and infrastructure durability. These roads are stronger, more durable than asphalt, and drain water efficiently. @thebrainypedia

A  report by the American Transportation Research Institute talks about how to replace the current truck drivers who are retiring. The report suggests that a pool of new drivers can be found by engaging younger, more diverse, and historically underrepresented populations. Specifically,  the report suggests that a new driver pool may be found in tin those aging out of foster care and state prison CDL programs. 

We’ve talked about solar panels along and embedded in highways. We’ve talked about EV charging roads and sustainable concrete sources. But here’s a new one. How do you beautify infrastructure and also improve communities? Look to Mexico City. The city is adding vertical gardens to highway pillars that clean the air and beautify the city. 

There’s also been a lot said lately about the use of moss as a highly efficient air cleaner. Welcome moss covered pillars that could clean the air and lower temperatures. @thebrainypedia

Panasonic opened a $4 billion, 4.7 million square foot, EV battery manufacturing facility in DeSoto Kansas. The state estimates the facility will add $2.5 billion to the state’s economy annually. It received $829 million in state incentives.

Kansas Reflector | Panasonic’s vision for massive Kansas battery plant becomes reality with grand opening

Move over black helicopters, we have new arial threats. Louisiana is addressing arial threats with its We Will Act (Act). 

Lousiana is the 1st state to pass a bill about arial threats. Guess where the idea was first talked about? If your guess is Mar-a-lago, you are correct. Gold stars for you

Route Fifty | Louisiana’s counter-UAS legislation empowers local law enforcement to secure airspace

A town in Indiana replaced nearly all of its intersections with roundabouts. How very European of them…and also, how very safe. Fatal accidents declined by 90%, all other traffic incidents were reduced by 40%. The city also saved $180,000 in long term maintenance for the intersections and 24,000 gallons on fuel. @unbfacts

As of early 2025, 45% of rural counties in the U.S. had at least 1 EV fast charging location. In contrast, 76% of urban counties had at least 1 fast charging location. Nationally, there are 60,000 fast chartering locations in the U.S., of which 600 have been added in 2025. North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana have the lowest state-wide EV charging use rates. Welcome to the emerging charging divide.

Daily Yonder | We Mapped Fast EV Charging Ports Across Rural America. Here’s What We Found

With tariff’s looming, let’s take a peak at Houston Port traffic. According to the Greater Houston Partnership, container volume is up and international trade has declined in terms of dollars.

“Obi, an app that aggregates real-time pricing and pick-up times across multiple ride-hailing services, has just published what it’s calling the “first in-depth examination of Waymo’s pricing strategy.” The company found Waymo’s self-driving car rides to be consistently more expensive than comparative offerings from Uber and Lyft — and it doesn’t seem to matter.” Tech Crunch

“J.B. Hunt Transport Services, BNSF Railway and Mexico-based rail provider GMXT launched a service called Quantum de México.” The goal is to capitalize on inter modal rail for goods that are service-sensitive such as automotive, manufacturing, agricultural and electronics.

Supply Chain Dive | JB Hunt, BNSF, GMXT launch cross-border intermodal service

The American Prospect says that the proposed federal spending bill, with its AI preemption provisions, would also preempt state regulation of autonomous vehicles. This would leave states without the ability to govern the use of autonomous vehicles on their roads.

Mississippi’s HB 1/ SB3095 will increase the state gas tax to 21 cents from 18 cents on July 1, 2025. By July 1, 2027 the state gas tax will be 27 cents per gallon. NCSL

Any thoughts on what the Freedom to Move Act is? Is it the freedom to exercise anywhere? To drive anywhere>? If you guessed a bill to limit the number of miles that should be driven annually, then you are today’s lucky winner.

The Massachusetts Legislature is considering the Freedom To Move Act that “creates an interagency coordinating council would be tasked with crafting a “whole-of-government plan” to reduce reliance on personal vehicles and increase access to public transportation in the Bay State.”

Governing | Massachusetts Considers Bill to Limit Vehicle Miles Driven Statewide

Closing the loop from the delivery van to your door is Rivr. Rivr robots look like robotic dogs,  but instead of canine programming, these robot dogs deliver packages to your doorstep. 

Rivr has partnered with Veho. Veho delivery vans deliver for Sephora, Hello Fresh and others. The Rivr robot “dogs” reduce heat fatigue on drivers and are being tested in a residential area of Northwest Austin before expanding to denser areas of Austin. 

TechCrunch | Rivr’s dog-like robots join Veho vans to solve ‘last-100-yards’ parcel delivery in Austin

Meet Volteras, a British company, that wants to deliver mobile EV charging. The CEO says, “In the future, the electric vehicle will be the center of the entire energy grid.”

According to TechCrunch, “Volteras is building virtual connective tissue that will allow plugged-in EVs to offer their batteries to support the grid. When massed together, they can serve as virtual power plants, giving utilities quickly dispatchable power that’s distributed across the grid.”

After a successful pilot program with Hyzon, Hydrogen fueled waste trucks look promising. New Way is now leading the charge for Hydrogen fuel refuse trucks. 

More Hydrogen trucks are on the horizon from Kenworth which is partnering with Paccar and Toyota. Also in the mix is Hyundai which has been manufacturing a heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell vehicle for several years. 

Trucking Dive | Hydrogen-fueled refuse trucks are ‘just a matter of when,’ manufacturers say

A scientist at the University of Maryland has figured out how to make wood stronger than steel. Sounds like sci-fi, yes? Meet Inventwood, the company that is about to bring this sci-fi product to mass production. @techcrunch

Washington’s governor has signed House Bill 1596 , which would require speed limiters if the driver has a restricted driver’s license for reckless driving or excessive speeding.

Route Fifty | Washington to rein in fast drivers with speed limiters

Supporters of congestion pricing in NYC point to this data to support congestion pricing working as intended: year over year auto traffic is down 12% which equals 8 million fewer vehicles; travel times have improved by 15%; and foot traffic is increasing.

Governing | Despite Political Complaints, Congestion Pricing Is Working in NYC

A wildlife corridor in Australia uses AI to allow certain animals into the corridor and keep the predators out. “The model has already assisted in processing over 54 million camera trap images. We’ve now processed ~1 image every second of every day for the last year. Thirty million images in 12 months is an impressive economy of scale.” @goodgoodgoodco

Good Good Good | This unique ‘wildlife gate’ uses AI recognition to let tiny marsupials in and keep invasive species out

We’ve talked about bus stops with solar roofs, and bike lanes covered to protect bike riders that are lined with solar panels. Switzerland is bringing the world train tracks with solar panels to put the train tracks to use while idle. Leave it to the Swiss to go all in for efficiency.   @thelondoneconomic

A new report from SITA this week shows 77% of airlines are prioritizing cybersecurity. 60% of airlines give AI a top 3 priority. The greatest cybersecurity concern for airlines is third parties. 

CyberSecurity Dive | Airlines in North America prioritize investments in cyber, AI

Amazon is investing “$4 billion by the end of 2026 to build out its delivery network across rural areas in a bid to speed up shipping times for smaller towns across the U.S.”

Geek Wire | Amazon will spend $4B to expand U.S. rural delivery network

Amazon | Amazon’s investing $4B in rural America to expand our delivery network, offer even faster delivery, and create more than 100,000 new jobs

Washington State Legislature took aim at Tesla by adding “a new tax to emission credits that are banked or sold by electric vehicle manufacturers.” The Tesla tax, House Bill 2077, rocketed through the Legislature. The tax is estimated to garner $55 million in revenue.

Geek Wire | ‘Tesla tax’ on EV credits quickly passed by Washington lawmakers with limited public input

Bookings for freight on ships have declined 64% once tariff talk got real.

We’ve been tracking and talking about California’s high speed rail project since 2014. Wow, we’ve read a lot in the last nearly 11 years. Guess what the project cost for the LA-SF high speed rail project is up to now? $128 billion. “California high-speed rail is five years late, three times over budget, and nowhere close to being finished.”

Governing | California’s Failure to Complete High-Speed Rail

Virginia is the first state to enact a law that will allow judges to impose speed limiting devices for repeated reckless driving convictions. Georgia quickly followed Virginia by passing HB 308 (2025 | GA). A dozen states are considering similar measures.

Governing | Vehicle Speed-Limiting Technology Gets a Foothold in State Law

Washington State is proposing a vehicle tax that will be imposed based on fuel efficiency. A proposed per mile fee would apply only to cars with more efficient engines. 

Moneywise | Washington state may start charging drivers based on mileage and raise its gas tax to 58.4 cents per gallon as fuel-efficient and electric vehicles hurt revenues

Oregon’s proposed transportation funding package includes a 20cent gas tax increase that is phased in from 2026-2032, title and registration fee increases, & a pay as your drive fee phased in based on type of vehicle. EVs would get the pay as you drive fee first, followed by hybrids.

KGW8 | Oregon Legislature posts first draft transportation package, with gas tax hike and pay-per-mile fee

Together for Safer Roads  has formed to improve garbage truck safety by proposing higher vision windshields. Traditional garbage trucks with plain old windshields have a 23% higher pedestrian accident rate. London began requiring high vision garbage trucks and has seen a 49% reduction in the number of fatal collisions involving large trucks and a 64% reduction in crashes causing severe injuries where vision was a factor.

Together for Safer Roads Launches TSR Direct Vision Leadership Council

Volvo is starting a subscription service for trucking. Bonjour, Volvo on Demand. The big truck: Volvo’s battery-electric trucks. The benefit to customers is eliminating the upfront cost of buying a big ‘ol truck.

“Volvo on Demand is designed to remove barriers to adopting battery-electric trucks by offering a flexible, all-inclusive service model,” Logan Andrew, eMobility territory finance manager East for Volvo Financial Services.  

Trucking Dive | Volvo debuts first customer for truck-as-a-service subscription

Drive a subaru? Wired tells us hackers can remotely access your car to unlock it, start it, snd access your location history. How? A vulnerability in its Starlink service.

Hawaii, Oregon, and Utah allow EV drivers to choose a flat EV fee or a vehicle miles traveled fee (pay as you drive). Massachusetts is also considering a similar system with S1925 (2025 | MA).

Governing | Road User Fees Still a Tough Sell in State Legislatures

GM, Gatik and Torc have joined forces with Nvidia to advance self driving vehicle technology. Gatik will be able to offer “Level 4 autonomous trucks at scale for the company’s customers, which include Walmart, Kroger, and Tyson Foods. “

Tech Crunch | GM, Gatik, Torc team up with Nvidia to accelerate self-driving

After a fire at an EV charger in a Chicago suburb, the city council moved to halt new EV chargers in public parking garages. Also, in Illinois, State Farm removed EV chargers at its corporate parking in Bloomington. Something to watch. 

Daily Herald | Why one suburb is banning EV chargers from public parking garages

Since 2022, John Deere has paid more than $1.5 million to white hat hackers through its Bug Bounty program with HackerOne. John Deere is driven to  proactively identify improvements and bolster information security.

John Deere | Hacker Heroes: John Deere’s Bug Bounty Program Boosts Cybersecurity

Meet Pretred. Pretred makes roadway barriers from recycled tires. Pretred says its Colorado Rubber Barrier is “the world’s first rubber barrier for use on U.S. roadways as a suitable alternative to concrete.”

Equipment World | The “Colorado Barrier” Becomes First Rubber Barrier Approved for U.S. Roads

Engineers at the University of Texas El Paso are developing dynamic wireless power transfer technology. This technology allows EVs to charge while driving via transmitter pads within the road surface.

EV Magazine | University of Texas: Developing Tech to Charge While Driving