Denver has responded to electric scooter proliferation by:

• removing scooters that are blocking sidewalks and other public spaces
• developing new rules to regulate electric scooters
• public safety is the paramount concern
• coordination with its bike share program

Government Tech | Denver Scrambles to Respond to Sudden Appearance of Electric Scooter-Share Fleet 

Empower Texas sets up itscall for state action on the economic innovation of electric scooters by  highlighting 7 problems with Austin’s electric scooter proposal:

• Requiring expensive locking mechanism on each scooter
• Engine power caps that limit scooter use on hills
• Data Sharing Requirements. Full access of scooter and customer data afforded to the city.
• Large fees for additional scooters over the first 500
• Low Incoe distribution requirements. “A plan to the city for rollout of the vehicles into low-income communities that would be unlikely to make use of the vehicles. (However, there are also stiff fees for vehicles that do not get a minimum level of use.)”
• Limit location data collection by the company  
• A 24/7 customer service line, including during times the fleet is not in operation

Empower Texas | ELECTRIC SCOOTERS RETURN TO AUSTIN WITH BIG GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS. 

Cost savings from smart roads, including smart road partnerships:

• reduce fossil fuel emissions
• reduces law enforcement time on traffic violations
• reduces traffic congestion

State Tech | Cities and States Pursue Smart Roads to Save Lives, Fuel

First of its kind partnership between railways and energy storage:  Russian Railways 85.5 thousand kilometers and renewable energy company, Enel Group.

The partnership goal: develop a “low cost strategy for improving system operations without getting into more expensive grid upgrades”

Clean Technica | A New Energy Storage Solution For A Massive Railway System 

Texas County: Brazos County

Brazos County Commissioner Court Dissent:

• 1 Commissioner
  • Commissioner Sammy Catalena
• Dissent based on:
  • Brazos County has no “dog in the fight” as the rail will not traverse Brazos County
  • Concerns of rural landowners

Statements of Brazos County Commissioners in favor of Supporting Texas Central Rail:

• “Southwest Airlines on the ground,” will be good for all texans
• “economic boon”
• it will “allow more students to commute to the Texas A&M University System’s forthcoming RELLIS Campus”

Economic benefits in the county commissioner court resolution:

• $36 billion projected to be generated toward the state’s economy
•  $2.5 billion in taxes over the next 25 years to be paid
• 10,000 full-time construction jobs annually during the peak construction period.
• 1,500 full-time jobs are expected to be created once the train goes into service

The Eagle | Brazos County Commissioners Court passes resolution to support high-speed rail

To address driver retention, LYft is dedicating $100M to build ride share driver hubs.

Why build hubs?

• to retain drivers
• infrastructure for EV charging in the future
• infrastructure for a flet of autonomous vehicles in the future

Curbed | Lyft is spending $100M on new hubs for drivers

• Helps Small Businesses.  By bringing new customers & improve quality of life
• Capitalized its own infrastructure. Unlike CA and TX, the FL project already owned its rail lines
•  Ease Traffic Congestion & Environmental Impacts. Sustainable alternative to motor vehicles

The 1st privately owned High Speed Rail details:

• began service January 13, 2018
• service runs from West Palm Beach and  Fort Lauderdale
• beginning May 19 service expands to Miami
• the entity behind high speed rail: All Aboard Florida
• phase 2 launches this year and will bring service to Central Florida

DW.com | Florida boosts high-speed rail with new regional service

Background:

• Calhoun Port Authority wants to know about whether it hired Blake Farenthold illegally.
• Independently, Calhoun Port Authority is being sued for violating the Open Meetings Act in the hiring

What’s the question for the Attorney General? Whether the hiring of Farenthold, as a lobbyist, erquired posting that the hiring was specific to services as a lobbyist

What’s the brouhaha over the Open Meetings Act? Those who say the Act was violated say there was no posting for the hiring of Farenthold

Victoria Advocate | Port seeks AG opinion as new hire Farenthold dodges questions

Colorado has a new statewide coalition supporting more transportation funding.

Coalition members:

• Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
• Denver South Economic Development Partnership
• Club 20, an association of counties in Western Colorado

The tax increase supprted by the coalition: 0.62 increase in sales tax dedicated for transportation, raising the statewide sales tax to 3.52 percent starting Jan. 1, 2019 for 20 years.

Why are contractors supporting the coalition? maintenance and construction for Colorado roads is funded by the gas tax which has not been raised for 25 years

How would funding be distributed?

• 45% Colorado Department of Transportation
• 15% to regional projects, ( local bus, bike and pedestrian improvements)
• 40%  split evenly between cities and counties.   

KUNC | Statewide Coalition Selects Tax Increase Option For Transportation Funding Fix 

CPR | Now There Are 3 Possible Tax Hikes Focused On Fixing Colorado’s Roads

The State: Virginia

Which Virginia Governmental Agencies want to study a pay as your drive funding mechanism for transportation? state association of metropolitan planners and supported by the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization,

Which entity is being asked to study pay as you drive? The State Secretary of Transportation 

A state senator raised the following questions about pay as you drive:

• How much revenue would it bring in compared to the gas tax?
• How would you measure a vehicle’s miles – with a tracking device or odometer checks?
• How would you capture revenue from out-of-state vehicles?
• How would you bill and collect the tax?
• How would drivers react since many don’t see the gas tax broken out in the price they pay at the pump?
• Could you dedicate the revenue from certain corridors, like I-64 and I-81, to go directly back to expanding those roads?

Virginian Pilot | Paying a tax for every mile you drive? Regional boards want state to study the idea

Funding:  $40 million federal grant and $10 million from Paul G. Allen Philanthropies

Goals of Smart Cities:

• reduce collisions
• speed first responder response times
• curb freeway delays
• get products to consumers faster
• how to use data to improve city services and quality of life for residents
• easier access to healthcare services

Procurement Oppostunities:

• transportation technologies:
  • integrate self-driving cars
  • connected vehicles
  • smart sensors
  • developing transportation technologies
• data processing
  • data collection
  • data analyzation
  • data encryption

How does the smart cities initiative fit with Ohio Governor’s Order? 

• Authorized autonomous vehicle research on all public roads
• Estalished safety parameters
•  Creates a voluntary pilot program linking local governments to participating companies

Washington Post | Ohio capital launches unique ‘Smart City’ operating system

The Electric Vehicle Charging Association supports AEP Ohio’s first approved utility rebate program for electrical-vehicle charging because:

• MORE EVs. will improve Ohio’s electric vehicle adoption
•  Fewer Charging Anxieties. deployment of hundreds of charging stations where EV drivers live, work, and play
• Good for Businesses. lower barriers for businesses, workplaces, and municipalities to offer electric vehicle charging for customers, employees, and everyday drivers

Norwalk Reflector | EV charging rebate program OK’d in Ohio. 

Why did Automakers adapt their strategy?

• Concern over Trump Administration. The concern being that the Administration will pick a fight with the 12 states that follow California emission standards & automakers will be left fixing the problems
• Uniformity & Certainty.  factions of varying regulations isn’t conducive to business
•  Sales. 50 different EV car sales account for fewer sales than  F150 Ford truck sales

Governing | Long Adversaries, Automakers Now Want to Work With California on Emissions 

Texas University with new cybersecurity and autonomous vehicles research:  University of Texas at San Antonio, Institute for Cyber Security

What code words do I need to watch for in regulations or legislation? fog cloud computing 

What’s fog cloud computing?  A distributed ledger system of cloud computing being utilized to improve security of autonmous vehicles

How does it make it harder to hack an autonmous vehicle? more barriers, if the information is in packets and spread across various clouds, it is much harder to hack

San Antonio Business Jounral | UTSA researchers explore cybersecurity tools for autonomous vehicles

California Senate Bill 1014 (2018 | CA)  requires ride share vehicles to:

• 20% must be Zero Emmission by 2023
• 50% must be Zero Emission by 2026
• 100% must be zero emission by 2030
• Rule making by the regulatory agency for quarterly targets of ride share zero emission vehicles

Forbes | California May Push Uber And Lyft To Go Electric, With Far-Reaching Consequences

Where is this happening? NYC

What is happening? A locla official has proposed a cap on ride share rides to alleviate congestion in the central business district

What group is behind these 3 points of opposition to the cap?The Urban League

Why would a cap on ride share would be bad?

• It would eliminate a transportation option for the outer boroughs and minorities
• these areas are currently underserved by traditional transportation options like taxis and public transportation
• the most impacted y a cap: senior citizens & busy parents

Crain’s New York Business Op-Ed by the Urban League | Capping Uber and Lyft would bring back the bad old days

The transportation proposal:

• ambitious $5.4 billion transit expansion

The vote: 36% : 64%

Are there extenuating circumstances?

• City & County government is consolidated
• Most population lives outside the city proper
• The proposal was promoted by the mayor who resigned in March

Transportation Proposal supporters:

• the mayor
• chamber of commerce
•  Nashville Predators hockey team

What do opponetns say?

• No public input after the plan was formed
• transportation policy should be incremental not sweeping

Governing | Nashville’s Epic Transit Defeat Offers Hard Lessons for Advocates

Nashville Business Journal | Nashville jumps up list of country’s fastest-growing cities

State: Louisiana

Bill: HB 665 (2018 | LA)

What steps must a port take to except economic development records from disclosure?

• the records must be “active economic development negotiations”
•  publish in its official journal a notice that the records are being hidden, within 10 days after deciding to keep them confidential
• protection from disclosure lasts 24 months
• protection ends when negotiations are over

What records cannot be hidden from disclosure by the port?

•  hazardous waste licenses or permits

Is the open records protection modeled on another law? Yes, current protection from dislcosure of economic development negotiations at the  Louisiana Department of Economic Development

The Advocate via AP | Bills establish new records exemptions for colleges, ports

State: Arkansas

New transportation construction contract process: construction manager/general contractor (CMGC) form of contracting

Why the switch? liability and risks of cost overruns move to the contractor

What parameters did the Legislature put around the new contracting method?

• 3 projects only
• totaling no more than $200 million

How does it work?

• Design Phase: contractors submit requests for proposals

• After the design phase: contractor submits its cost estimate to build the project

• If that cost is within 10% of the DOT’s cost estimate, the contractor wins the bid

• Contract sets a ceiling price that the contractor cannot exceed.

• If the DOT and contractor’s cost estimates exceed a 10% difference, then the project goes through a competitive bidding process

Equipment World | Ark. DOT tries out new contracting process for road projects

The question the Texas Attorney General Answered: whether the Texas Transportation Commission may use Proposition 1 and Proposition 7 funds on toll projects.

What complicated the question & answer: That roads in Texas are often mixed, partially free and partially tolled. 

Why do roads that have tolled and free lanes make the answer more complicated? There is no guidance in statute and no guidance in case law for whether a “toll road” and “toll project” are the same and thus the constitutional funding ban applies.

What would clarify this in 2019 legislation: A definition of “toll project” as a “toll road” 

What wiggle room is there? The use of funds for non-tolled roads  within a toll project, with a mechanism that ensures that the funds are spent for their constitutional purpose.

KP-0197 (2018). 

Background: HB 100 (TX | 2017) establishing ride share laws does not permit local taxation of ride share

4 Supporting arguments for local taxation of ride share:

• Texas cities are losing out on millions in tax revenue occuring within their boundaries
• Other cities are doing it
• Cities are utilizing the revenue to improve transportation and safety
• Other states have allowed cities to tax ride share to cover the cost of street maintenance, vehicle traffic, and registering drivers

Rivard Report | Texas Cities Losing Out on Tax Revenue from Sharing Economy

9 states have passed model e-bike legislation, including:

• AZ HB 2266 (AZ | 2018) 
• CO
• CA
• AR (that’s Arkansas)
• IL
• MI
• TN
• UT (Utah, not any of the universities with these initials)
• WA

The model legislation does this:

• defines e-bikes as motorized electric bicycles with a watt definition
• establishes Class 1, 2, or 3 e-bikes
  • Class 3 e-bikes would be restricted to on-road usage
  • Class 1 and 2 e-bikes may be ridden on bike paths
• grants e-bikes the same rights of the road as traditional bicyclists
• requires e-bikes to display a sticker with their class
• Local jurisdictions can prohibit operation on bicycle paths

Bicycle Retailer | Arizona Legislature passes e-bike bill

Regulator: California Public Utilities Commission

What did the California Public Utilities Commission do? Reclassified Uber, because of Uber SUV and Uber Black, as partially as a charter party carrier (that’s how California regulates limos and party charters)

How was the company operating in California?  Mostly through a subsidiary, Rasier-CA, which the administrative law fact finder to be  ” “a mere instrumentality” of Uber

Appeals forthcoming? Yes

Rational of the fact finder: The company could change its stucture and avoid the cost of the reclassification

San Francisco Examiner | State regulator ruling could cost Uber ‘millions’

Where have EV Charging roads been installed? Stockholm Sweden

What does the partnership look like to develop the road?

• eRoad Arlanda is the development partnership
• eRoad Arlanda partnered with  PostNord, the first company to use the new electrified roads

How long of a stretch of road has EV charging? 2 kilometers

How does it work? 

• A track is laid into the roadway to allow for charging while driving
• The track is only active when the vehicle is over it and charging
• The vehicle communicates with the road system
•  Drivers or fleet managers can be billed for energy consumption

Clean Technica | 2 Kilometers of Electrified Road in Sweden — A Pilot for EV-Charging Roads

What I-35 high speed rail project in Texas? high-speed trains connecting Dallas, Arlington and Fort Worth — and eventually Waco, Austin, Laredo and possibly Monterrey, Mexico

Who approved funding for the 1-35 corrdior high speed rail? The Regional Transportation Council

How much funding and for what purpose? $500,000 to study the viability of the project

Ft. Worth Star Telegram | Full steam ahead for high-speed rail to Arlington, Fort Worth, Waco, Austin, Laredo

State: Oklahoma

The trucking proposal: Move trucking regulatory adjudication from the Oklahoma Corportion Commission to the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety

Oklahoma Trucking Association: Gave the appearance of opposition without stating opposition

Opposition included:

• Linking the bill author to his role as a “oboard member of HELP, a non-profit that owns PrePass, which has developed products that enable trucks to be weighed by means other than the traditional weight station.”
• Reduce revenue to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission

Supporter arguments: Streamlines trucking regulation into a single agency

Freight Waves | Proposal to alter Oklahoma trucking regulation dies, but not without some fireworks 

City: New York City

The ride share ordinance proposal would:

• A fee for drivers of $2000 per car
• A fee for transportation network companies of $20,000 per year
• Ride Share companies could operate in neighborhoods if and only if it is found that the neighborhood “a need for their service in neighborhoods where they plan to operate”
• City regulators will presume that there is no need for ride share. Companies must prove otherwise.
• Effectively limits drivers to 1 ride share company

New York Daily News  | City councilman’s proposed bill will charge e-hail drivers $2,000 a year to drive

• The New Hampshire Senate Committee on Transportation
• Considering HB 2018 (NH 2018), relating to the state 10-year transportation improvement program
• Removed from the bill provisions for $4 million in federal funding for a detailed analysis of passenger rail expansion and bus service

What was the $4 million in federal funding set to cover?

• a detailed analysis of engineering, environmental, and geotechnical aspects
• And, a firm financial plan for expanding passenger rail from Boston to Manchester

Manchester Ink Link | NH Senate Transportation Committee Strips Funding for Passenger Rail Expansion Project

Where: California

What: California Legislature passed a gas tax increase 

How is the inititiative and referendum moving to repeal the gas tax?

• California’s Congressional Delegation is Supporting the initiative & referendum by Give Voters a Voice
• State Republican party strategists fear conservative voters will stay home if the open primary doesn’t qualify a conservative candidate for the general election

Sacramento Bee | Gas tax repeal gets more cash from California GOP

Where:  Marietta, Georgia

The technology: An app that allows parents to track school buses

The messaging to parents: 

• The App will “look and operate much like ride sharing apps for Uber and Lyft.”
• The App will have privacy and security features to protect students
• The App can ” also be used to track real-time progress on student field trips”

WSB TV 2 | Parents will soon be able to use Uber-like tech to track school buses. 

Louisiana Legislature approved statewide ride share regulations, but offers these carrots to Lousiana cities:

•  local governments without fee arrangements could charge fees of up to 1% of each gross fare
• grandfather in existing fee agreements between Baton Rouge, New Orleans and other cities
• Separates airport fees from local fees

The Advocate | Bill to regulate Uber, Lyft clears House; key test in Senate

Louisiana HB749 (2018)

California Public Utilities Commission adopted new rules for self-driving taxis, and the key points are:

• The 1st pilot program will be for at least 90 days and allow:
  • “Transportation Charter-Party  (TCP) Carrier permit-holders to add test autonomous vehiclesto their passenger carrier equipment statement, where the TCP permit-holder also holds an Autonomous Vehicle Tester Program Manufacturer’s Testing Permit (AV Testing Permit) issued by the DMV, including where the service is provided free to the passenger”
• ​The 2nd pilot program will:
  • Allow TCP permit-holders that hold a DMV Manufacturer’s Testing Permit – Driverless Vehicles (DMV AV Testing Permit – Driverless Vehicle) to operate AVs in passenger service in driverless mode (Driverless AV Passenger Service) with a remote operator for at least 90 days; provided free to the passengers

• DMV regulates Autonomous Vehicles & California PUC regulates common carriers, and the rules must work together

   San Francisco Chronicle | Robot-taxi services could soon operate in California

State: Pennsylvania

The EV Bill: Pennsylvania’s HB 1446 (2018)

The EV Charging Station framework proposed by HB1446:

• Governor must set EV charging station rollout based at 50% above 2030 estimates
• the framework must set statewide goals
• the framework must also establish separate regional goals
  • developed by stakeholders including agencies, municipalities & electric distribution companies

The response by an EV charging station company:

• before HB 1446, “the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission should set rules of the road and evaluate how rate payer funds should be used by utilities in support of EV infrastructure”
• “utilities must work with private businesses in the EV industry” to “leverage matching payments when ratepayer dollars are spent.”
• “Consumers should have the ability to choose things like charging station type, manufacturer and network services.”

PennLive | Lawmakers need to level the playing field for Pa’s electric-driving future | Opinion

City: Phoenix Area

Self Driving Taxi Proposal: 

• Waymo is proposing an autonomous taxi service in 100 square miles in metro Phoenix
• In preparation, Waymo testing has:
  • driven on public roads for more than 5 million miles
  • traveled five billion miles in computer simulation

Response to the autonomous driving fatality in Phoenix: Waymo CEO John Krafcik said his company’s technology could have avoided the incident

KTAR News | Waymo plans for 100-square-mile driverless taxi service in Phoenix area 

City: Seattle

The local government proposal on minimum ride share fees: $2.40 base charge

The policy rational: 

• To help drivers make a better wage
• To support the taxi industry

HHQ Q | Seattle may set minimum base fare for ride-shares Uber, Lyft

Nebraska Legislature sent to final reading LB989 (2018) that will:

• permit self driving cars anywhere in Nebraska
• allows for no human driver as long as certain conditions are met
• allows for consultation with railroads concerning self driving vehicles and railroad crossings

How did the bill begin? As a pilot project in Lincoln on a fixed route and was expanded to anywhere in the state.

NPR | Legislature Steps Toward Allowing Self-Driving Vehicles; Senators Give Up On Property Tax Measures

The locality: West Memphis, Arkansas

The ordinance: blight ordinance banning unregistered, uncovered vehicles on private property, Ordinance 1298

The fine for property owners:  $250 and $1,000

How is inoperable vehicle defined?

• doesn’t have a current license plate
• has any wheels removed
• cannot be legally operated on the streets, e.g. “lack of proper mufflers, tires, headlights, or other mechanical defects.”
• Really anything that prevents the car from being unable to move under its own power

Jalopnik | An Arkansas Town Is Ticketing People For Having ‘Inoperable’ Cars On Their Property

Georgia is considering HB 134 (2018) that will:

• Allows voters in 13 metro counties  to vote on a 1-cent sales tax
• Allocates $100 million to expand transit
• Create the Atlanta-region Transit Link with a 16 member board that will:
  • Serve the needs of hardworking Georgians
  • Respond to the demands of our employers and workforce
  • Reduce traffic congestion

13WMAZ | What does Georgia’s new transportation bill mean for you? 

Open records requests, after the self driving Uber fatality in Arizona, reveal the following ways Governor Ducey actively promoted Uber publicly:

• He tweeted an Uber ad
• He helped Uber deal with other state officials
• He was open to wearing an Uber T-shirt at an official event

NYPost | Arizona governor, Uber kept self-driving car tests a secret

State: Missouri

The bill to repeal mandatory vehicle inspections: HB 1444

Missouri’s HB 1444 (2018) is authored by :  a Republican 

Opposition:  Missouri’s AAA which says inspections are a plank in traffic safety

Supporters say:  

• 34 states do not have mandatory inspections
• There is no causal link between inspections and traffic fatality rates

KTTS 94.7 | Bill In Legislature Would Do Away With Vehicle Inspections 

Where is this ride share for kids progtram launching? Denver Colorado

What’s the company? HopSkipDrive

What parameters are around the ride sharing for kids?

• HopSkipDrive is open to children aged 6 and up unattended
• parents monitor the trips in real time

The big question: Should ride share for children be regulated differently when it comes to background checks?

KRDO | Uber for Kids Starts in Denver

California’s AB 1745 looks to support EVs by prohibiting vehicle registrations of any non-EV vehicle after 2040.

The opposition: the California Chamber of Commerce

Sacramento Bee | California’s most powerful business group plans to kill these 21 bills

Audi is “carefully evaluating” consumer acceptance of semiautonomous driving feature until there is better legal and regulatory clarity.

Wall Street Journal | Tesla, Uber Deaths Raise Questions About the Perils of Partly Autonomous Driving

Texas High Speed Rail opposition points from the week of March 15th 2018,  are trending:

Government Technology | Is a High-Speed Rail Line Right for Texas?

Dallas Morning News | Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail plan will make Texas’ I-35 corridor a loser, competitor says

4 Point Opposition to Houston to Dallas High Speed Rail. 3 Counterpoints of Support. High Speed v. Higher Speed.

Who is making these statements? SNCF America, Inc  in written comments to Federal Railway Administration (FRA) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) for the Dallas to Houston High-Speed Rail Project

What is causing the impending “doom” on passenger rail in Texas?

• 1 Company benefits. The Texas Central Rail Project is “designed around the best interest of a single company, not what is best for Texans or the state’s rail transportation future.”
• Limited Area. Modern rail is only successful in the US with network planning
• Taxpayers will be liable. operational revenue will not cover debt service
• Relies on incompatible technology. 

What does SNCF support?

• T-bone network. passenger rail “​network would serve Houston, College Station, Dallas, Fort Worth, Waco, Temple, Georgetown, San Marcos, and San Antonio”
• More train options that consider higher speed rail (125 mph max trains)
• Rail competition based on compatible train technologies

Business Wire | SNCF America, Inc. States Proposed Texas Central Rail Project Would Doom Texas’ Passenger Rail Future

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety are calling for self driving car/ autonomous vehicle legislation that:

• mandatory “vision test”to test what a vehicle’s different sensors actually see
• a bill should also cover cover semi-automated systems like Tesla’s autopilot

Other advocates are calling for legislation that also:

• require vehicles to meet performance targets
• greater manufacturer transparency, including data from makers and operators of the vehicles
• increased  monitoring of and engagement with human drivers
• stronger regulatory oversight

Insurance Journal | Safety Experts Weigh In on Autonomous Car Standards After Uber, Tesla Fatal Crashes

• Cattle Raiser memers will be impacted
• Horses and tractors cannot fit in the culverts that will be built to traverse land divided by high speed rail
• The animals are disturbed by the noise (as are the humans)

WILLY 1550 AM | HSR Concerns Cattle Raisers

Rhode Island H7392 (2018)  updates transportation network statutes to clarify that the vehicle driver and vehicle owner may be distinct entities to address, in part, automanufacturers that provide fleets for ride share drivers.

Connecticut is considering the following fines for parking in a shared EV charging station spot illegally by parking a non-hybrid or non-EV vehicle in the parking spot:

• civil penalty of $150
• repeat violations would incur a fine of $250

What entity would set how long a car can be parked at a shared EV charging station? The operator of the charging station

Bristol Herald Courier | Fines may come to illegal parkers of hybrid vehicle spots

• CEO of The Alliance for Transportation Innovation says we’re “on the cusp of being able to accelerate deployment in a way that will transform society for the better”
• Assistant director of connected and automated transportation strategy at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute points to humans being worse at operating vehicles, and that automation is better than humans
• A senior research scientist at Texas A&M says we need to focus on the human behaior, that automobile automation is to make driving safer, while humans tend to chose to do seomthing else if they are freed from a task.

Dallas Morning News | Self-driving cars still safe despite Arizona death, Texas researchers say

4 Ways Cities Can impact Ride Hailing:

• zoning regulations
• parking
• curbside allotment
• city messaging

2 Ways Ride Hailing Services can impct local policy by:

• participating in land development code amendments
• engaging in long-term discussions on city problems

Automotive News | Austin, we still have a problem: Return of ridehailing services masks lingering tensions over mobility models

Texas Attorney General Opinion, KP-0189, answers this question from the Liberty County Attorney:

City: San Diego

The ordinance San Diego is changing to help taxis compete with ride share? 

• Reduce insurance coverage from $1 million to $350,000

What supporting arguments for the reduction in coverage?

• Data shows 99.61% of the crashes caused damage of less than $350,000
• taxi permit numbers have fallen 30% in 2 years
• Ride share drivers are required to have less coverage when no riders are in the car and drivers don’t have to pay for the increased coverage when there is a rider
• San Diego has the hightest ratge at $1million of the largest 10 cities in the US

City: Lewsiville

What action is the city being asked to take: To add support for the high speed rail to its legislative agenda

What entity does the city council point to asking for the high speed rail support?  Dallas Regional Mobility Council  

City of Lewisville City Council Agenda March 19 2018

Community Impact News | City of Lewisville passes resolution in support of high-speed rail project from Dallas to Houston

Who is making these statements? SNCF America, Inc  in written comments to Federal Railway Administration (FRA) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) for the Dallas to Houston High-Speed Rail Project

What is causing the impending “doom” on passenger rail in Texas?

• 1 Company benefits. The Texas Central Rail Project is “designed around the best interest of a single company, not what is best for Texans or the state’s rail transportation future.”
• Limited Area. Modern rail is only successful in the US with network planning
• Taxpayers will be liable. operational revenue will not cover debt service
• Relies on incompatible technology. 

What does SNCF support?

• T-bone network. passenger rail “​network would serve Houston, College Station, Dallas, Fort Worth, Waco, Temple, Georgetown, San Marcos, and San Antonio”
• More train options that consider higher speed rail (125 mph max trains)
• Rail competition based on compatible train technologies

Business Wire | SNCF America, Inc. States Proposed Texas Central Rail Project Would Doom Texas’ Passenger Rail Future

State: Utah

Background: HB 369 MOTOR VEHICLE FRANCHISE AMENDMENTS

• 2015 Tesla builds showroom
• State denies Tesla the ability to sell vehicles directly
• Utah State Supreme Court Agrees
• 2018 Legislative Action

The 2018 Utah Compromise for Direct Manufacturer Sales:

• Limits direct sales to:
  • electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles or other non-fossil fuel vehicles
  • cars and trucks less than 14,000 lbs
  • companies domiciled in the US
  • whose chief officers direct, control, and coordinate activities as a direct-sale
    manufacturer from a physical location in the United States

KUTV | Tesla on track to sell new cars in Utah after bill passes

The County: Madison County Texas

The high speed rail project: Texas Central Partners’ Dallas to Houston High Speed Rail

The 4 Levels of Madison County road protection:

• No county road will be closed
• No county road will be vacated
• No county road will be altered
• No county road will be abandoned  to accommodate the proposed high-speed rail route

Madisonville Meteor | County takes stand on railway

Fee background:  50 cent surcharge on ride share & taxi rides in Portland Oregon since 2016

Is the fee a dedicated revenue fee? Yes, the fee revenue can only be used for enforcement and regulation of the ride-hailing and taxi industries

How much excess fee has Portland collected in 2 years? $3 Million

What enforcement does Portland conduct? 

• it boasts more on the spot inspections of ride share and taxi vehicles than any other US city, except NYC
• In 2017 that meant 10 city inspectors conducted roughly 3,300 on-street field audits 

What possible uses for the revenue are being floated?

• A wheelchair accessibility fund

KGW8 News | Portland collects $3 million more than it needs from Uber and Lyft passengers

Where: San Francisco Board of Supervisors

What’s an infrastructure impact fee? a fee to to ameliorate the impacts of ride share

What 5 impacts do ride share have on local government?

• reduced pulic transportation revenue
• increased traffic congestion
• increased traffic safety issues from collisions
• increased traffic safety issues for pedestrian safety
• increased road wear and tear

What entities are a proposed infrastructure impact fee to be levied against? Ride Share

San Francisco Examiner | SF supes want infrastructure impact fees for Uber, Lyft

State: Connecticut

What’s the dealer EV incentive program called? the Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automotive Purchase Rebate (CHEAPR) program

What incentives are available to auto dealers under Connecticut’s program?

• $500 per car sold
• “Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, in partnership with the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association (CARA), present an annual “Revolutionary Dealer Award” to the dealership that sells or leases the most electric cars, hybrids and fuel-cell vehicles”

Governing | A Critical Partnership in the Push for Electric Cars

Pennsylvania Attorney General has filed suit against Uber for violating the state’s data breach notification laws.

What are the alleged violations? (Also Known As red flags for drafting data breach notification laws)

State: Connecticut

The Connecticut bill: HB 5310 (2018)

How does CT HB 5310 allow for directr sales?

• Re-define manufacturer
• Allow for manufacturer sales when:
  • only Electric Vehicles
  • There are no franchise agreements
  • only sells its own cars
  • is duly licensed
  • isn’t owned by another manufacturer
  • doesn’t own another manufacturer

What are 5  opposition arguments from motor vehicle dealers in CT?

• Aren’t you special? “Tesla wants special treatment”
• Foreigners. fear that 25 other international manufacturers would set up shop in CT
• It’s not fair. “unfair playing field”
• When in doubt, throw California under the bus. “ Any decision that supports a California company over our local jobs is not the right one.”
• Protectionism. A Mercedes dealer owner says ““It’s not about competition,” Aiosa said. “We welcome Tesla. It’s about dismantling the franchise system.”

New Haven Register | Tesla makes plea to sell electric cars in Connecticut

State: Missouri

The Legislation: MO SB872 (2018) 

Bill Description: Enacts provisions relating to motor vehicle franchises

How does it lay goundwork for autodealers to file suit concerning direct sales?

• Establishes the dealer franchise sales was enacte to be fair, uniform and without discrimination
• Allows any dealer/franchise to bring suit in Cole County against any entity that seeks to sell vehicles wihout a franchise agreement

St. Louis Today | Auto dealers renew fight against Tesla in Jefferson City

LOOPHOLES in the Attorney General Cap on administrative fees: toll roads that are operated by non-TXDOT entities, or that have contracts awarded for operation by non-TXDOT entities.

What’s an example of a non-TXDOT tollroad? Tollraods operated by Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority

What’s the legislative fix? Adding the administrative cap to Texas Transportation Code, Section 370 which govrns tollroads operated by regional mobility authorities.

Statesman | Wear: Why toll fees remain uncapped on some Central Texas roads

Refreshing our recollection, informed:intel:

Texas Attorney General Opinion KP-0184 establishes that 2017’s SB 312 caps administrative fees of private toll operators too.

Yes, yes it does and here is why:

• Operators get to operate a toll lane only by order of TXDOT
• TEX. TRANSP. CODE § 228.007(a)  says the toll operation agreements charge a toll “under this section”
• “This section 228.007(b)(2) gives the toll operator the same duties as TXDOT which means the limits on administrative fees applies

San Francisco City Council members want to tax ride share to fund:

• police services
• street resurfacing
• traffic calming
• pedestrian safety

Supporters say:

• California is behind the times, localities like Chicago, Portland & Philadelphia tax ride share
• State lawmakers should let cities regulate the entities that impact them

CBS SanFrancisco | San Francisco Supervisor Wants Tax On Uber And Lyft

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey revised Executive Order: 2018-04 on autonmous vehicles includes:

• follow applicable traffic laws and regulations of Arizona and the federal government
• fully autonomous vehicles, with no driver in the vehicle, and on pulic roads must:
  • written statement to AZ Department of Transportation (AZDOT)
  • or, within 60 days of this order provide a written statement
  • waivers from the National Highway Safety Administration will be recognized
  • autonomous vehicle failures must achieve a minimal risk condition
  • the person operating the vehicle can still be issued a traffic citation
  • get the cars registered, licensed and insured

Texas Attorney General Opinion KP-0184 establishes that 2017’s SB 312 caps administrative fees of private toll operators too.

Yes, yes it does and here is why:

• Operators get to operate a toll lane only by order of TXDOT
• TEX. TRANSP. CODE § 228.007(a)  says the toll operation agreements charge a toll “under this section”
• “This section 228.007(b)(2) gives the toll operator the same duties as TXDOT which means the limits on administrative fees applies

•  

• It is projected that the sale of connected car data wille a multiple billion dollar industry by 2020
• In 2017, more cars were connected to cellular netowrks than new phones
• Will states protect consumer connected car data, for instance:
  • will disclosures be required to share data with the manufacturer?
  • will disclosures allow for limited data sharing to the driver’s insurance company but not to related 3rd parties
  • will a hard wired privacy switch be required?

ARS TECHNICA | Car companies are preparing to sell driver data to the highest bidder 

The wood violet state: Wisconsin

The preemption bill for taxis: AB 918 (2018) Prohibits local regulation of taxis and requires state regulation and licensing

Wisconsin State Journal | State Assembly passes bill barring municipalities from regulating taxi companies

• His constiutents oppose it
• Disturbs rural Texas with no benefit to rural Texas
• A better route is along already developed I-45
• He opposes the use of eminent domain for the project
• Opposes federal funds for the project

The Navasota Examiner | Brady: Why I Oppose the Texas High-Speed Rail

New Sheriff Coalition: Sheriffs from Grimes, Navarro, Freestone, Limestone, Leon, Madison, Waller, and Ellis counties

Issues that the Sheriff’s raise about the high speed rail in Texas?

• Which law enforcement agency is repsonsible for patrolling the track?
• “Who’s going to be responsible for hazmat emergency services if it derailed over there?”
• Has there been a survey of emergency response teams and hospitals along the track, is fire or hospital distance and response impacted?

KBTX Texas | Local sheriffs concerned about public safety along proposed bullet train route

KWTX 10 | Central Texas sheriffs join coalition to address high speed rail concerns

New Sheriff Coalition: Sheriffs from Grimes, Navarro, Freestone, Limestone, Leon, Madison, Waller, and Ellis counties

Grimes County Sheriff Don Sowell says high speed rail will:

• slow down response times
• No representative from high speed rail has talked to the sheriffs
• cost of increased patrols along the train route

KBTX Texas | Local sheriffs concerned about public safety along proposed bullet train route

KWTX 10 | Central Texas sheriffs join coalition to address high speed rail concerns

Safety and ride share is everywhere:

• California requirement on a lower lood alcohol level standard
• Arizona talking legislating car seat requirements and ride share drivers
• And now….this….

Prohibiting ride share vehicle operations if the vehicle has an active recall notice.

How would this work? Recalls are easily tackable via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

KTVU Fox 2 | Recalls among Uber & Lyft cars pose safety risk on roadways

Mississippi is considering a proposal to reduce its income tax by moving to a consumption tax that raises more revenue by

• taxing fuel
  • add $0.03 to the price at the pump each year over 4 years
• annual fees of $300 on electric vehicles &$150 on hybrid vehicles

Tax Foundation | Mississippi’s Pro-Growth Tax Swap Proposal

it started with: A pilot program. A 2017 Waymo Phoenix-based pilot program that still had “operators” ready to take vehicle control in an emergency. Pilot program volunteers received  free service.

the successful pilot led to: approval of a permit of the self-driving transportation network service

the touted benefits: Self driving taxis will cut per mile costs for consumers and for programs that rely on rideshare for rides for seniors or medical trasnportation

Business Insider | Waymo gets the go ahead for autonomous ride-hailing in Arizona

NBC News | Driverless taxi rides are headed your way this year

Colorado’s House Bill 1107  requires that home builders give buys the option of wiring for EV charging.

Denver Post | Electric cars and technology are upending transportation as we know it. But is Colorado prepared?

Governor Abbott appointed Alvin New to the Texas Transportation Commission.

Term exprires:  February 1, 2021

About Alvin New:

• Christoval, TX
• owner of 4N Ranches
•  former CEO of Town & Country Food Stores
• former mayor of San Angelo
• former member of the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce Board & the Concho Valley Center for Economic Development Board
• Texas Tech University Foundation Board member
• Goodfellow Air Force Base Advisory Council
• former state board member of the Texas Restaurant Association
• former vice chairman of the National Association of Convenience Stores
• BBA San Angelo State

Governor Abbott | Governor Abbott Appoints New To Texas Transportation Commission

Colorado Governor is prposing the following legislative proposals in response to the growing use of EVs:

• more funding to build out Colorado’s network of charging stations
• Buy more electric-powered buses
• Push public and private employers to make charging ports available for workers

Colorado’s Trasnportation Commission is adapting to EVs by:

•  experimenting with ways to charge motorists by how far they drive as opposed to the gas tax

Denver Post | Electric cars and technology are upending transportation as we know it. But is Colorado prepared?

Denver city auditor identified that Denver International Airport wasn’t tracking ride share rides.

Why wasn’t Denver’s airport tracking ride share rides? Because it relied on the ride share comapnies to self report

Why is self reporting from ride share a problem? Other local governments say the companies are underreporting based on the cities own tracking numbers

What are concrete examples? San Francisco found underreporting of 39,000 rides in 8 months, which accounted for $150,000 in revenue

Denver Post | DIA does not track Uber and Lyft rides, opening risk of losing revenue, Denver auditor warns

The new business: scooter sharing via Bird

Launch city: Santa Monica CA

Seed funding: Yes, $15M to expand nation wide

The laws/regulations/ordinances at play:

• Do scooters need permits to park?
• Do scooters need permits to park on sidewalks?
• Do scooter sharing comapnies need a permit? Satan Monica wants it to have a permit like a food trailer vendor.
• What kind of local government/scooter sharing compoany data sharing arrangement can be had?

Tech Crunch | This former Uber (and Lyft) exec just raised $15 million for his controversial e-scooter startup: Bird

The company: Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT)

The state partners: North Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) and the Illinois’ Department of Transportation (IDOT)

The deal: Connecting Chicago and Cleveland by Hyperloop. The starting point: a feasibility study to determine the viability of a number of different corridors. The “first real public-private partnership to bring Hyperloop travel to the US”

The legislative work:

• Ohio’s legislature passed a resolution supporting the initiative in January 2018
• Congresspersons from multiple states  sent a formal letter to the Trump administration asking for federal funding support for building out a Hyperloop network

TechCrunch | Hyperloop Transportation Technologies signs first cross-state deal in the U.S.

The nationa’s only privately funded passenger rail: Florida’s All Aboard Florida’s Brightline venture, a high-speed train that would connect Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando with an expansion of the project linking West Palm Beach to Orlando

Who brought suit to stop the privately funded rail? 2 Florida counties + Citizens Against Rail Expansion in Florida

What are the complaints? 

• That federal agencies did not sufficiently assess the project’s environmental impacts and risk to public safety when approving $1.5 Billion in bonds
• Traffic congestion
•  Noise
• Property devaluation
• Boat back-ups at bridge crossings
• ublic safety risks at the 59 at-grade road crossings 

What’s happening legislatively?

• Florida’s Republican US Seantors are meeting with US rail officials over saety after 4 deaths
• 2 bills in the legialature to require greater safety standards

Courthouse News Service | Lawsuit Seeks to Derail Florida Passenger Train Project

State: Georgia

The transportation funding bill, HB 160,  would add $40 million for mass transit by:

• 50 cent additional tax/ride surcharge on ride share
• 50 cent additional tax/ride surcharge on taxi and limos

News 11 Alive | Uber, Lyft riders among those to face new taxes under mass transit proposal

State: New Mexico

The Bill: SB 255 (2018)

How SB 255 (2018) would implement direct sales:

• Defines line-make
• Provides for manufacturer sales if:

  • the manufacturer does not have any independent franchise dealers in this state

  • sells and services only the line- make of motor vehicles that it manufactures

Electrek | Tesla pushes a new bill in New Mexico to allow direct sales

Maine’s Republican Governor LePage is proposing  HP 1252 with the following fees on electric and hybrid cars:

• $150 for gas-electric hybrid cars
• $250 for all-electric models

How do the proposed Maine fees compare to the other 18 states that put a fee on EVs?

• Maine’s fees would be the highest in the nation
• Other state fees range from $30 to $100 for hybrids and $50 to $200 for EVs

Government Technology | Maine’s Governor Backs Bill to Boost EV, Hybrid Fees

Press Herald | LePage-backed bill would slap extra annual fee on electric, hybrid cars

The What: Georgia Transportation Commission is proposing a truck only highway that stretches 40 miles from metro Atlanta to Macon

The How: Either with federal funds or only using state funds at a total cost of  $1.8 billion

The Why:  To reduce traffic congestion by an estiamted 40%

The opposition:

•  The U.S. Public Interest Research Group says its a gamble of taxpayer money

WHNT 19 | No cars allowed: Georgia considers highway just for trucks

HSB 512  in Iowa would prohibit the “use of automated or remote systems for traffic law enforcement,” to ensure that both red light cameras and speed cameras cannot be used.

2 Points from the opposition in Iowa:

• Question about whether safvety is ctually improved with cameras
• The big brother aspect of camera monitoring

FOX 42 | New bill in Iowa legislature calls for end to red light and speed cameras

Michigan Governor, a former tech executive, says these 3 tings are holding back autonomous vehicles:

• Public is slow to embrace the technology
• Effective commubnication to the public of the benefits of self-driving and connected vehicles
• Coordinated work by 3 levels of government:
  • federal government to regulate design of vehicles
  • state government sets traffic laws & build highways
  • local governments install connected streetlights & other infrastructure 

What does Governor Rick Snyder think will be the first uses of autonomous vehicles?

• commercial deliveries or parking shuttles

Governing | What’s Holding Driverless Cars Back? It’s Not Tech. It’s People, Says Michigan Governor

The State: Virginia

The ride share tax: extending state and regional sales taxes to ride services

The ride share tax revenues will be dedicated to: 

• “$21 million a year for mass transit systems across Virginia, replacing the use of state-backed bonds to pay for new buses”
• $154 million a year for the ailing Washington-area Metro system
• ” one-time bond payment of $50 million as Virginia’s share of a $150 million pledge with Maryland and Washington to collect an equal share of federal funding for Metro if Congress reauthorizes the expiring Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act”

The bill: Virginia Senate Bill 856 (2018) 

Richmond Times Dispatch | Senate panel backs extending Virginia and regional sales tax to services like Uber and Lyft for mass transit funding

California Legislature is considering SB1014 (2018) that requires:

• all ride share companies to have 100% EV fleets
• By 2028
• $300 Million in funds to help ride shre drivers move to EVs

Which agencies are involved?

• The California Public Utilities Commission and the California Air Resources Board to set electrification targets

Los Angeles Times | California lawmaker wants all Uber, Lyft cars to be electric by 2028

California High Speed Rail, Phase 1, will  face an audit after these 3 things happened:

• Projected costs for phase 1 of California’s high speed rail have risen by $3 Billion
• A bipartisan group of legislators requested a formal audit
• Concerns that the project will need state subsidies

Due to the projected cost increase, the audit will make the following recommendations:

• how to accelerate the project’s timeline
• reduce costs and identify other sources of revenue
• best practices for approving contract cost changes, including eminent domain costs
• economic benefits of the project to communities

California Eminent Domain Project | HIGH-SPEED RAIL TO FACE AUDIT AFTER RISING COSTS

The Federal Rail Administration public meeting in Madison, County TX resulted in the following lists of objections:

• The route uproots 2 cemetaries
• The construction phase will require a 2 mile per side buffer zone 
• unfounded economics
• route opposition
• opposition to land acquisition by s privste company using eminent domain
• the large cost to be borne by taxpayers- eventually
• the project does not serve the public
• electromagnetic emissions
• noise pollution
• reduced land values
• environmental impacts
• County officials are concerned that the project will force counties to raise property taxes

Madisonville Meteor | County vocal in opposition to rail project

The Non-profit:  Fresno Rescue Mission which feeds and houses the homeless

How the non-profit is holding up high speed rail: The non-profit is standing firm in its compensation request to receive adequate relocation costs

Are there other complicating factors? Yes, the City of Fresno leases space to the Fresno Rescue Mission

ABC 30 | Local nonprofit agency seen as obstacle holding up progress of High Speed Rail

City: Seattle, which has adopted the  “Drive Clean Seattle” initiative that reduces the number of gas cars on the roads

Seattle installed which EV charging stations? 2 fast-charging stations for electric vehicles
 

What is Seattle charging for use of the super charging stations? 

• 43 cents per kilowatt-hour to charge
• This is about $10.70 to fully charge a Nissan Leaf

Other numbers to know about Seattle’s super charger stations?

• 80 miles of range per 20 minutes of charge time
• Seattle will install 18 additional supercharging stations in 2018

Geekwire | Seattle City Light installs first city-owned electric vehicle fast-charging stations

Nebraska Legislature is considering LB 830 to begin direct motor vehicle sales.

LB 830 will:

• in the list of what a motor vehicle seller cannot do in Nebraksa, LB 830 adds:
  • to advertising requirements the bill adds, “who is not the manufacturer” or not enfranchised or authorized by the manufacturer”
• adds to the list of what entities may transfer ownership of a motor vehicle ” the manufacturer of the motor vehicle, motorcycle, or trailer”
• creates an exception to the prohibition of manufacturer sales, that excepts manufacturers that:
  • does not have or did not previously have franchisees
  • and, sells to the general public only vehicles the manufacturer produces

There’s a list of repealed statutes too: 

• Original section 60-1411.03, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska
• Section 60-1438.01, Revised Statutes Cumulative Supplement, 2016
• Section 60-1407, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2017

The messaging:

• Consumers need EV cars they can fit into. 6 foot Nebraskans can’t fit into EV Chevys comfortably
• Free market choices for consumers
• Nebraskans shouldnt have to go out of state to buy a car

Omaha World Herald | Tesla is knocking on Nebraska’s door, hoping lawmakers will let it in

• Direct sales is the freemarket place
• Direct Sales is rebranded as- Electric Vehicle Freedom
• Puts American and Wisconsin consumers first
• Creates high-paying jobs
• Promotes American-made products
• Direct Sales embodies the ‘America First’ principle 

The utility: PG&E

Total number of charging stations planned for the network of charging stations? 7500

Where does PG&E looking to place the EV chargers?

• Condominiums
• apartment buildings and
• workplace

What’s the Q1 phase for the EV charging roll out plan? PG&E will place EV charging stations in partnerships with business customers

Cost of the program? $130 million

Length of the roll out to achieve 7500 EV charging stations: 3 years and end in 2020

A  114-page bill proposal from Utah’s Legislative Transportation and Funding Task Force suggests this fee schedule for EVs:

• $200 annual registration fee for EVs, up from the current $44
• $75 annual registration fee for hybrid vehicles, up from the current $44
• The $200 fee is set to mirror the annual amount of gas tax the average Utah driver pays

The Salt Lake Tribune | Legislators propose radical changes for transportation, transit — including a tax hike 

Virginia Governor McAuliffe appointed a Tesla Motors Inc. employee to a board that oversees automobile dealers, and here’s what happened:

• The Governor became former governor before Senate confirmation
• The Virginia Automobile Dealers Association vocally opposed the appointment
• The Senate Committee rejects the appointment.

Background of direct sales in Virginia: The commissioner of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles permitted Tesla to open a company-owned store. The Auto Dealer Association filed a lawsuit in response.

What opposition arguments were made by the Auto Dealers Association?

• The appointment violates state law because the Tesla appointee is neither an owner or top executive of a car dealership.
• An employee cannot hold the appointment.

What was the response from Tesla representatives?

• highly unusual if not unprecedented
• the vote to reject the appointment “raises basic questions of fairness and improper political influence”

Richmond Times Dispatch | Senate committee rejects appointment of Tesla employee to Motor Vehicle Dealer Board

The State: Kentucky

The gas tax proposal, House Bill 211:

• 3 cents
• rebranded from “gas tax” increase to “school transportation funding fee”
• the new funds will be specifically dedicated to school transportation

The revenue estimates from a 3 cent school transporation fee in Kentucky:

• $90 million in new revenue
• $30 million to be used for bonds for new buses
• the remaining $60 million will go to the state’s share of school transportation funding

News-Enterprise | Lexington official proposes gas tax to help school transportation costs

California is building a high speed rail to connect the relaxed free thinkers of Northern Californians to the botoxed, bleached and bronzed support system in Southern California. 

Costs for the high speed rail construction have increased multiple times, the lastest in January 2018.

High speed rail costs have cliumbed 35% for construction phase #1, due to:

• Signing construction contracts prior to securing right of way lands

The California High Speed Rial project will submit a “business proposal” to the California Legislature this spring.

AP | Cost climbs by $2.8 billion for California bullet train