Transportation

Some local governments in response to reopening businesses during the pandemic have closed roads to open the roads to walking, biking, and outdoor restaurants and retail.

Turns out some ares aren’t interested in the option. They say:

• the projects have bypassed the standard community approval process
• it is a benefit for white and wealthy portions of cities
• support empowering communities to design their solutions

Government Technology & Governing | Not All Neighborhoods Want Slow Streets. Here’s Why

Who: TuSimple

Tell me about TuSimple:

• Offices in San Diego and Beijing
• Building a nationwide freight network of driverless trucks
• Building a hub at Fort Worth’s AllianceTexas development

What do TuSimple self driving trucks offer?

• software knows what’s happening up to 3,000 feet up the road
• ability to react to emergencies 10X faster than average human
• already running self-driving trucks from Arizona to West Texas
• Ft Worth hub extends the reach to Austin, Houston and San Antonio
• By 2023 goal is to operate nationwide

Ft. Worth Star Telegram via Governing | Driverless Trucks Continue Their Momentum in Texas

Where: San Agelo, Texas, the South Plains Lamesa Railroad will create a multi-commodity railroad transloading facility between central Texas and Mexico

The name for the new rail port: San Angelo Rail Port

How will the route run? South Plains Lamesa Railroad will connect to branch of the South Orient Rail Line Texas Pacifico Transportation to cross the border at Presidio.

Freight Waves | New rail port to connect Texas and Mexico

Meet Turo Seed Initiative.

Turo is a car-sharing marketplace.

Who is Turo partnering with for the Seed Initiative? Kiva to offer interest-free loans to Black people and folks from traditionally underserved communities to buy cars and then share them on Turo.

Why is Turo employing this financing model? To address systemic racism in lending and wealth inequality in the United States

Tech Crunch | Turo puts $1 million toward helping Black people make money sharing cars

The legislation: HB 427 (2021 | TX)

What new fees are included in the proposal?

• EVs would pay $200 additional for registration and an additional renewal fee
• Hybrid additional fees would be $100
• An identical bill from 2019 had a fiscal note of $55 million in revenue generated over the next two years for the state’s highway fund

How do Texas gas taxes compare to other states?

• Texas gas tax is 20cents
• Texas has the 44th lowest gas tax in the nation
• Texas has seen gas tax collection decrease by 7% in 2020

Electrek | Texas, home of Tesla Gigafactory, pitches higher EV fees

Landline | Texas bill pursues more revenue from electric vehicles and hybrids

Does this new EV lobby coalition have a name? Yes, Zero Emission Transportation Association

Who is in  Zero Emission Transportation Association ?

• major U.S. utilities: ConEdison, Duke Energy, PG&E
• Tesla
• Uber
• EV charging companies: Chargepoint and EVgo,
• Automakers: Lordstown Motors, Rivian and Lucid Motors
• Battery makers: Albemarle Corp, Piedmont Lithium and Siemens

What are its policy goals?

• boost consumer electric vehicle incentives
• encourage the retirement of gasoline-powered vehicles
• support tougher emissions and performance standards
• enable full electrification by 2030

CNBC | U.S. utilities, Tesla, Uber create lobby group for electric vehicle industry to boost sales

Houston Chronicle | Utilities, Tesla form lobbying group to push electric vehicles

Government Technology | EV Stakeholders Advocate for 100 Percent EV Adoption by 2030

Adieu to the days of Concrete Blonde. It’s 2020 and concrete is intelligent.

Who is developing intelligent concrete? Lyles School of Civil Engineering at Perdue University’s Sustainable Materials and Renewable Technology (SMART) Lab.

What’s the goal of smart concrete?

• concrete that can self-monitor condition
• concrete that could repair itself
• monitoring concrete condition in real time translates to earlier fixes and cost savings
• solar and energy-harvesting roads
• charging lanes for electric vehicles
• smart streetlights 
• reduce carbon-related emissions from construction materials

Route Fifty | Smart Concrete Could Pave the Way for High-Tech, Cost-Effective Roads

Where: Florida

What:  Tavistock Development Corp. is developing a  aviation facility for industry’s only five-passenger “electric vertical takeoff and landing” aircraft

What is the travel time in these flying cars? Orlando to Tampa in 30 minutes

AP | Central Florida lands hub for Jetsons-like ‘flying cars’

• Has the highest density of EV chargers, so you can easily recharge your EV
• By 2025 all public buses will be zero emissions
• By 2030 all cars sold will be zero emissions
• Creating zero emission zones in city centers, including for freight
• Investing in bio fuels
• Working with employers to Create alternative transportation modes for employees

@Worldeconomicforum

Who: Mobile22

How does Mobile22 work? It is a ride hailing platform that is licensed to taxis

Why did the start up enter this industry segment? Sustainability and seeing an opportunity for connection between taxis operating more like ride shares and zero-emission vehicles, and how combining the two might generate more positive impact.

How are the taxi cabs working toward zero emissions? The fleet of Green Cabs are zero emission vehicles

WisconsinInno | Madison startup Mobile22 delivers ‘Uber-like’ experience for traditional taxicab companies

Where: Brooklyn

What: City Council is considering local self driving car ordinances to require local special licenses before companies like Uber & Lyft can act on long-anticipated efforts to replace drivers with autonomous vehicles

Which local entity would control licenses?  Taxi & Limousine Commission

Ny Daily News | Brooklyn pol wants regulations for self-driving cars

Where: Park City, Utah

What: An aerial transit project to move persons through the city and to mountain recreational spaces

How would it impact private property? There are  338 private properties within a 100-foot distance of the conceptual alignments

Cost estimates:  $60 million to build + more than $3 million to operate and maintain annually

Park Record | Concept for Park City aerial transit system shows lines would fly close to private property

Stockholm recently introduced an X cross walk to improve cross walk safety.

@sweden.se on Instagram

Smart Cities Dive | Chicago Opens Up for Diagonal Pedestrian Crossings

LA Mag | L.A.’s New Diagonal Crosswalks Are Literally Saving Lives

What makes Texas the best state for leading global EV adoption over California?

• Texas electric grid isn’t connected to there states (it has a deal with Mexico, not Oklahoma)
• 90% of the state’s electric load is a deregulated market
• ERCOT is innovation friendly
• ERCOT is looking at coordinating electric vehicle charging with periods when renewable energy output is highest
• In October 2020 ERCOT joined Global Power System Transformation Consortium

Clean Technica | How Texas Can Lead The Global Electric Vehicle Transformation — Yes, Global

How could local governments charge for curb space use?

• Micro-mobility lane use for bikes and scooters
  • Scooters and bikes are ideal for a micro mobility lane as they don’t mix well with automobiles on roadways
• Micro-mobility parking. As sidewalk space is increasingly used for outdoor dining space, curb space could house e-bike and scooter docks
• Ride Share drop off zones
• Expanded outdoor dining
• Car Share parking

Governing | What’s a City’s Curb Space Worth?

Who is VOLCON? An electric dirt bike manufacturer

Where is Volcon located? Austin TX

What’s Volcon claim to fame? ” first all-electric, off-road powersports company,” 

What’s the impact to Austin, TX? People say things like Austin “is becoming the electric vehicle capital of the world.”

Austin Business Journal | Another electric vehicle company, Volcon, launches in Austin with $6,000 dirt bikes

New York passed a law prohibiting non EVs from parking at charging spots. The law also prohibits EVs from parking at charging stations but not charging.

Daily Freeman | New law makes it illegal for non-electric vehicles to park at charging

There’s a ballot proposition in California that would change current state law treatment of gig workers as employees.

Who supports the proposition: Tech companies

Who opposes the proposition: Labor and now Environmentalists

Why are environmentalists in on this? The environmentalists say that the proposition would be bad for the environment because only if gig workers are treated as employees will companies pay more attention to the carbon emissions of vehicles in their business models.

Have scientists said anything about carbon emissions and ride share? Yes, it is estimated ride share increases the carbon emissions that it is replacing

Sacramento Bee | Environmentalists oppose Uber, Lyft on California’s gig worker initiative. Here’s why

The consortium: Department of Defense’s national consortium for modernizing hypersonic flight capabilities

The official name: The University Consortium for Applied Hypersonics

The Texans: Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station

Partner universities:

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• University of Minnesota
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• University of Arizona
• University of Tennessee Space Institute
• Morgan State University
• California Institute of Technology
• Purdue
• University of California-Los Angeles
• Georgia Institute of Technology

Why should we pay attention? First-of-its kind Consortium will be critical to advancing hypersonics research and innovation

Texas A&M Today | Texas A&M System To Lead $100 Million Hypersonic Research Consortium

To be fair, the gas tax wasn’t performing to meet infrastructure needs before COVID either.

What is the American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials advising?

• The believe in a user-pay principle where the amount you drive determines what you’re paying, but COVID shows the weakness in this plan too
• A solution: Federal COVID funding relief package

How is COVID impacting transportation revenues?

• Maryland is cutting $3 Billion form its transportation plan
• California estimates a revenue hit of $1.2 Billion that will hit primarily transportation projects
• This fall, New Jersey law required an automatic rise in the gas tax by 9cents because of low revenues
• National League of Cities survey of its members say 65% are delaying or canceling capital expenditures and infrastructure projects
• Pennsylvania Department of Transportation estimates $550 million in losses
• Oregon has a diversified transportation funding system with 35% coming from a tax on trucks and has fared better

Smart Cities Dive | The gas tax was already broken. The pandemic could end it.

Where: California

Who: Volvo

What: A $21.7 Million grant for Volvo to to deploy 70 Class 8 VNR Electric trucksin Southern California for regional freight distribution and drayage

What VOLVO says: Public- Private Partnerships are crucial to new technologies

Utility Dive | Volvo wins $21.7M in grants to deploy electric trucks in California

Who: Uber & SK Telecom ( A South Korean Telecom)

What is the partnership all about? “”all-in-one” service system, which provides vehicle-hailing, chauffeur and parking services with a single app”

What future project is this partnership eyeing? Uber’s call to provide flying car service by 2029

Korea Times | SKT-Uber alliance

Who is getting into the business of converting old Freightliners into EV trucks? ETruck Transportation

Where: The family company is in Omaha NE

Initial order: 200 trucks from an undisclosed Chicago company

Delivery: 2021

Who provides the charging infrastructure? the customers

The implications: Need an 8-10 hour range, how is the charging infrastructure built

Transport Topics | ETruck Transportation to Convert Used Freightliner Class 6 Trucks to Electric

The State: Florida

What is an electronic driver’s license? A driver’s licensed that is accessed through an app

The benefits:

• COVID benefit: touchfree
•  Curb identity theft
• No access for card skimmers
• With cloud-based information it is easier for police officers, bartenders and others to determine authenticity

Tampa Bay Times via Governing | Florida Hopes to Offer Smartphone Driver’s License by 2021

Last week, Virgin announced West Virginia would be the new testing grounds for a hyperloop track.

So, what factors worked in West Virginia’s favor over 16 other locations?

• availability of land
• low cost of living
• high quality of life
• ready workforce
• business-friendly government
• proximity to the engineering and business students and faculty at West Virginia University
• WVU also is home to the  only fully operational Personal Rapid Transit for the last 45 years

Governing | West Virginia Goes Back to the Future With Transit Technology

California’s Prop 22, supported by gig companies as it allows gig workers to be independent contractors and not employees, has opposition in Black and Latino communities.

Why do Black and Latino community leaders oppose Prop 22?

• it would worsen racial and income inequality in California 
• 78% of Black and Latinx drivers are struggling to make ends meet
• to change the proposition would require a 7/8 vote by the Legislature

KPIX | Prop. 22: Black, Latino Leaders Concerned About Measure Backed By Uber, Lyft

The 4 other states Virgin is evening for hyperloop projects: Missouri, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina

Missouri has taken legislative action prohibiting the use of eminent domain for the project.

Missouri Net | Virgin Hyperloop still has its eye on Missouri to transport passengers in tubes

What: Aquiline Drones

Why is this important: 1st in the nation drone sharing app + drone laws are in their infancy

What new issues are created: Who owns or has access to the data that drone collects when it is in use?

Drone Life | Aquiline Launches Drone On Demand Mobile App

What’s happening? A Truck was listed on a car sharing app. While in use on the app the truck was involved in an accident that involved illegal items causing the truck to be seized.

The truck was sold at auction without notification to the owner.

The app compensated the owner.

Does your company have a policy if the gig property is used in a crime? Do the laws or ordinances in your location address the situation?

Denver 7 | Denver man loses truck through car-sharing app Getaround

What question will the Texas Attorney General Office be answering? Whether a driver’s license is required to operate a golf cart on a public street in a master plan community or municipality when the use of golf carts is permitted in those areas by the Transportation Code.

Why does this matter? Can your kids take the golf cart to head over to friends house or get to school? Can an 95 year old woman who gave up her car years ago use a golf cart to go visit her paramour a couple blocks over?

Kids and the elderly…that’s why this matters.

RQ-0381-KP

The Hyperloop Company: Virgin

The new HyperLoop location: West Virginia

The details:

• $500-million Hyperloop Certification Center
• covering 800 acres
• 1000s of jobs for initial construction
• 2030 Virgin Hyperloop is set to hyper loop travel available in the US
• 2017 1st successful hyper loop travel test in Las Vegas

Charleston Gazette | Virgin Hyperloop Chooses West Virginia for New Center

Who should have their eyes and ears open on this veto? Everyone involved in building roads, financing roads, supporting bond policies… you’re all impacted with this, drivers- you too. Manufacturers moving good around- you too…. so let’s get some takeaways to improve our arguments and get infrastructure built with fewer road bumps…and fewer puns…

What did Governor Newsom in California veto? SB 1351 (2020 | CA) which was $5 billion for bond financing for roads and transportation infrastructure

Why did he veto bond financing for roads?

• California’s budget calls for pay as you go financing
• He does not support long term debt obligation for maintenance of infrastructure
• Caltrans needs access to future revenues for roads and bridges and the bill locks up future revenue with debt financing

SB 1351 Veto Message by Governor Newsom

LandLine | California governor vetoes road bond bill

What obstacles are cities trying to overcome in EV awareness:

• Most people can’t name an EV make and model
• Don’t think there are enough chargers
• Don’t know about incentives programs

How are cities combating this in the new economy?

• St. Petersburg, FL & The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy are offering virtual EV ride alongs
• City of Orlando, the Electrification Coalition, and the Climate Challenge, the Orlando Utilities Commission have a new incentive program for buyers & dealers
•  City of Indianapolis—in partnership with its Clean Cities Coalition, and Forth Mobility through the Climate Challenge hosting virtual workshops on workplace charging
• City of San Antonio Office of Sustainability partnered with the Alamo Area Council of Governments and Forth Mobility to put on a series of virtual events focused on EV basics, the EV landscape in Texas, and electric mobility options beyond the personal vehicle, such as electric bikes, trucks, buses
• Seattle, WA: local credit union ExpressCU partnered with local environmental justice organization ECOSS to offer a Spanish-language virtual event about the benefits of EVs in general and ExpressCU’s innovative EV fair financing program in particular.
• San Jose and LA partnered with Forth Mobility, rideshare companies, and other stakeholders to offer English and Spanish language educational events about EVs for rideshare drivers

NRDc | Cities Turn to Virtual Electric Vehicle Education in 2020

The companies working on solar panels in and on truck beds? Worksport, a Toronto-based manufacturer of pickup-truck accessories

How could it work?

• bed-mounted batteries
• stored energy to power appliances and tools at jobsites, campsites…

Will the solar panels only work in EV trucks? No, traditional fuel and hybrid trucks could also have solar power truck beds

Are there power generation estimates? On the Cybertruck, Elon Musk estimates 15 miles of range per day.

@physisinvest on instagram

Business Insider | A solar-panel bed cover brings sustainable power to gas-powered pickups — and could someday help charge EV pickups from Rivian, Ford, and GM

If you’re an autonomous vehicle manufacturer, how do you monitor drivers? Well, you could put a camera in the rear view camera

What would this camera monitor? Driver’s eyes. Eyes open? Eyes closed? Looking down? Sunglasses? Did the driver’s head turn to look somewhere?

How was this camera made public? A hacker discovered it

The data privacy questions for business, insurance, privacy advocates, legislative work, regulatory work:

• can a company keep this data?
• for how long?
• does it have to be disclosed to the driver? to law enforcement in an accident? to insurance companies?
• what happens if the data is hacked?

Electrek | Tesla hacker reveals what driver-facing camera is looking for

The City: Seattle, WA

The sales tax: 0.1% to 0.15%

The estimated revenue from the sales tax? $42 million a year

Voter approval required? Yes

Which tax sources were rejected?

• 0.1% sales tax with $60 car tab fees that would have raised $56 million a year
• a 0.2% sales tax was rejected because of the regressive nature of sales taxes
• transportation bonds
• construction impact fees were rejected as the funds are limited to infrastructure

The Stranger | Washington Is Stuck Funding Transit with a Sales Tax

Utah is considering road-use charge to supplement the state gas tax.

Has Utah dabbled in road use tax? Yes, Utah collects a road use tax from some alternative-fuel vehicle owners

How is Utah’s road use tax structured?  2,000 enrolled vehicle owners the option to pay a $120 flat fee or a 1.5-cent-per-mile fee.

LandLine | Utah panel discusses road-use charge

Utah | Road Use Charge Program

Which state is considering regulation of road trains? North Dakota

What is a road train? road trains span to 200-feet long and weigh close to half a million pounds and travel on ordinary roadways

Where are road trains in use? The Australian Outback

What type of roads are perfect for road trains? Long, straight stretches of lightly traveled roads

What types of limitations is North Dakota considering in their pilot?

• No moving of hazardous materials like oil
• Shorter than 200 feet length of the trains 

KXNET | Legislature studying “Road Trains” for North Dakota

Uber’s delivery service adjusted net revenue exceeds that of its ride share service.

Does that mean the ride share program disappears? No, the two exist to support each division such as in times like a global pandemic.

Tech Crunch | Uber’s delivery business is now larger than ride-hailing

UPDATE: COVID + Ride Share. Moving Forward

How can Ride Share Move Forward with COVID?

• Delivery Service. Uber signed up 500,000 restaurants by June worldwide for delivery service. That’s 50% more than last year.
•  New cleaning standards. Uber provides cleaning supplies and masks for drivers. 
• New ride requirements like masks & self-certifying that riders are symptom-free of COVID-19

Bankrate | The future of rideshare services after COVID-19

The City: Seattle

The minimum wage proposal is part of Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s “Fare Share” program with has also imposed ride share fees.

The policy questions on how to distribute a minimum wage to gig drivers:

• whether the driver uses ride share as his principle source of income
• whether the driver uses ride share as a means to earn extra cash
• current legislative draft: pay drivers $0.56 per minute
• why $0.56 per minute, because if they spend 50% of their time waiting for a share ride, this rate would put them at Seattle’s minimum wage

What do the City’s economists from New School  & University of California Berkeley say? Current average driver take-home pay is about $9.73 per hour

What does the industry economist from Cornell say? Drivers earn about $23.25 per hour, above Seattle’s minimum wage.

Geek Wire | Debate over Uber and Lyft driver pay comes to a head as Seattle prepares to set minimum wage

NY Times | Seattle Passes Minimum Pay Rate for Uber and Lyft Drivers

The City: Seattle

The Hazard pay for delivery drivers in the time of COVID was funded by CARES Act proceeds and contained in SEATTLE COUNCIL CB 119799 (2020)

The amount of the hazard pay: extra $2.50 per order in addition to their usual pay

Potential penalties: penalties for noncompliance can range up to $546.07 per “aggrieved party” for a first offense

Eater Seattle | DoorDash and Postmates Pay Out More Than $350,000 to Seattle Gig Workers Due to Hazard Pay Law

Meet Ultimate Outdoor Entertainment®  in Austin TX

What does Ultimate Outdoor Entertainment offer?

• Large screen inventory & the associated technology to handle the influx of customers
• Acquiring the 1st double-sided 52′ x 26′ screen in the U.S
• Single largest inventory of 40′ x 22′ drive-in rental screens to help meet the growing demand for pop-up drive-in movie events 

El Paso Inc. What’s Up | The Largest Drive-In Screens Available Anywhere Nationwide

Who: Rivian

What does Rivian build? EV Trucks

Where is Rivian facing a regulatory and legislative battle? Michigan

What does the Michigan bill prevent? Direct sales for EV manufacturers that are NOT Tesla.

There is a Tesla carve out? yes HB 6233 (2020 | MI)

Bloomberg | Rivian Faces Ban From Michigan Car Dealers in Direct-Sales Fight

Who is working on electric shuttles? Glydways

What’s the end goal with the electric shuttles?

To build an autonomous system of small electric cars that can be hailed on-demand like an Uber or Lyft

What transportation problems do they hope to solve for cities?  

• localized transportation problems that connect riders to other public transit
• to remove people from roadways as the shuttles would not use lanes reserved for cars as they will run on tracks that can be elevated

Daily Journal | South San Francisco transportation company dreaming of electric shuttles

A new survey by PlugShare Research reveals these EV charging changes because of COVID:

• 53% say that they’re charging less now
•  67% decline in public charging 
• 84% do most charging at home, pre-pandemic was 75%
• DC fast charging locations were only down 3% versus last year
• public Level 2 chargers are down 11% year over year
•  plug-in vehicle sales are down roughly 18%

Green Car Reports: EV Drivers Sticking to Home Charging

How far along is this high speed rail project?

• It received Federal Railroad Administration this week
• Next stop Surface Transportation board approval.
• “will proceed to construction as soon as possible “
• Initial cost estimates of $10 billion have doubled to $20 billion

What are opponents saying?

• Congressman Kevin Brady “They are still saying they will break ground this year. No they will not.”
• Re-route the Route: will forever will alter the landscape with electrical lines and berms to elevate the track
• State Representative Leman: “Since their conception, Texas Central has lied to its investors and Texans about this project,”

How does COVID factor in?

• Texas Central Rail says the project will be economically beneficial and will help with COVID economic recovery
• COVID brings funding challenges for governments, and Texas Central Rail is ” insolvent and fatally flawed project” and will cost taxpayer revenue

Houston Chronicle via Governing | Houston-Dallas’ High-Speed Rail Line: Full Steam Ahead

Who: Incora, an aviation/aerospace supply chain company

Where did it relocate to/from? From southern California to Fort Worth

Dallas Morning News | Aerospace supply company relocating its HQ from southern California to North Texas

Who is saying that it takes 6 years for an EV incentive to have an impact? A survey by Savanta ComRes of UK motorists

What did the survey say?

• 44% don’t think they’ll be ready to buy a full EV by 2035
• 24% saying that they can’t ever see themselves owning an EV

Whats holding back potential EV buyers?

• 52% say higher purchase prices
• 44 % say lack of local charging points
• 38% say fear of being caught short on longer journeys

The proposed solutions to increase EV purchasing:

• Long-term commitment to incentives
• Continuation of the Plug-in Grant and adding back in plug-in hybrids 
• 1.7 million public charge points by the end of the decade and 2.8 million by 2035

Fleet World | EV incentives must be in place for at least six years to drive take-up

The Texas Attorney General tells us in opinion, KP- 0331, that three-wheeled, electric, low-speed vehicles is not a question to be resolved in an opinion.

What?! Digging in we see that the Attorney General opinion says maybe these vehicles already fit the definition of motorcycle, maybe not, it depends.

The solutions: legislation to add these vehicles to registration and title statutes.

Where: California

How will the $39.1 million be spent for hydrogen cell stations?

• California Energy Commission approval to construct 36 new hydrogen fueling stations
• Bring the statewide total to 100 hydrogen cell stations

Who is operating hydrogen cell stations? True Zero & Shell

How do Hydrogen Cell Stations work?

• Takes 2-5 minutes to refuel
• Vehicles estimate 250 miles per tank
• Hydrogen Cell vehicles mix hydrogen & water to create electricity for the vehicle

San Diego Union Tribune via Governing | California Approves $39.1 Million for Hydrogen Cell Stations

Who studied an all electric public transportation system in Houston, TX? American Lung Association

What did the American Lung Association say about an all electric public transportation system in Houston by 2050?

• save 148 lives
• avoid 3,333 asthma attacks
• reduce health costs by $1.7 billion per year
• Houston ranks 8th among metro areas that could benefit from electric vehicles
• Dallas ranks 5th
• eliminate up to 5,500 missed school days for children with asthma (2019 University of Houston report)

Houston Chronicle via Governing | An All-Electric Houston Would Save Lives and Money: Report

Why should we be expecting autonomous boat legislation? Because we’re not talking about it and an autonomous Mayflower is launching to commemorate the Mayflower’s 400th anniversary since it departed PLymouth

Who partnered to build this autonomous Mayflower? The nonprofit marine research organization ProMare and IBM

AP | 400 years later, a new Mayflower will sail without humans

Who: GM and Uber

What: GM is offering Uber drivers  special pricing on new 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV purchases and GM EV charging accessories.

GM Authority | Uber Drivers Offered Special Pricing For GM EV Models

What direct impact did COVID have on high speed rail in California, beyond the cost overruns and land acquisitions that have clung to the project?

• California’s Cap and Trade Auctions fund part of the high speed rail project and those auctions have garnered less revenue
• Legislators are calling on the rail authority’s reassessment

Los Angeles Times via Governing | California’s High-Speed Rail Loses Momentum Due to Pandemic

Who: Motor Drive

Where does Motor Drive operate? Indianapolis

How does the a monthly subscription service work? Subscriptions range from$649 per month to $1,399, including insurance and routine maintenance. The service also requires a membership, which costs $400 upfront. If you buy an EV through the service, the $400 counts toward the purchase.

What about charging the EV?  Motor Drive will install a fast charger for you if you agree to a subscription for 120 days

Indianapolis Star via Governing | New Subscription Services Let Users Try Electric Vehicles

Where: California

What? California Legislature passed a COVID Reform bill, SB 288 (2020 | CA) that allows ENVIRONMENTAL reviews to be skipped. Adieu preconceived notions.

What is the goal of SB 288? To promote projects that could cut down driving & reduce carbon emissions

What did the bill’s author say? “SB 288 will help get our economy back on track, create jobs, and improve our sustainable transportation infrastructure.””

Specifically what type of transit projects would get to skip environmental review?

• Bus lines
• transit stations
• biking and walking projects
• facility repairs
• electric-vehicle charging stations
• Construction projects not meeting minimum parking requirements

How long will the project fast track last? 2 years

San Francisco Chronicle via Governing | California Legislature Approves Speedy Sustainability Bill

Where: California’s Monterey-Salinas Transit

What experience did the regional transit authority have that helped their COVID pivot? The agency’s  tabletop exercises concerning the best responses to natural disasters, civil disturbances or mass casualty events

How did Monterey-Salinas Transit do to pivot because of COVID?

• Quickly required masks & distancing that limited occupancy with distance exceptions for families
• Provided its drivers with masks, goggles and face shields
• Stopped collecting fares and instituted rear door boarding to protect drivers
• Reached out to stakeholders in its service zone
  • Stakeholders: agriculture and hospitality industries, military bases, community colleges, school districts and health-care providers
  • Bus drivers helped Meals on Wheels in Salinas Valley 
  • Parked its Wi-Fi-enabled commuter buses in rural areas to provide hot spots for rural students
  • Donated a vehicle it no longer needed to a veterans group who used it to take homeless veterans to food, medical services and shelter
  • Provided 2 buses to be converted into mobile COVID-19 testing facilities for agricultural workers
• Constant Recalibration with a comment enabled app, the Slido app

What surprised the agency and will impact future planning?

• COVID has no clear END, unlike a natural disaster, and that impacts resources & planning
• The rush on cleaning supplies and that impact on suppliers

Governing | Rural California Transit Agency Reinvents Itself During COVID

The Sierra Club updated its Model EV Policy ToolKit. Here it is.

What’s the big picture:

• Encourage & Incentivize purchase of EVs
• Encourage & Incentivize Fleet EVs for light duty vehicles and buses
• Policies To Increase Availability Of Charging Infrastructure
• Utilities are an ally, need policies for utility investments in charging infrastructure

Clean Technica | Sierra Club Updates Nationwide EV Model Policy Toolkit

The report is by: California based Reason Foundation, the Los Angeles-based libertarian think tank 

Which states are recommended for privatization of their tollroads? Illinois Tollway; the New York Thruway; and turnpikes in Florida, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio and Oklahoma.

Not included: Texas because it has P3 toll projects

Tulsa World | Foundation says Oklahoma could net billions by leasing out its turnpike system

Reason Foundation | Why Governments Should Lease Their Toll Roads

Who is hiring pilots, now that fewer people are flying? Drone Operators

Why? Pilots are familiar with terminology, aerodynamics, impact of weather

How are pilots flying drones a business model?

• On a gig economy model, it gives pilots the opportunity to fly drones when they want to

CNN via KTZV | Airline pilots are worried about their jobs. So some are learning to fly drones

1. Franchising, which we talked about last week
2. Pivoting to delivering stuff and not people

How does pivoting to delivering stuff instead of drivers delivering passengers change the worker classification issue in California? The California Attorney General Order allows for delivery of things

Reuters | Uber to operate food delivery even if rides business forced shut in California

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

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

How does it work?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The city: Seattle

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

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

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

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

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

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

What’s next?

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

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

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

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

What scenario of EV use saves $70 B?

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

How do EVs save the US economy billions?

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

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

Who: Austin-based Fetch

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

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

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

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

The State: Michigan

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

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

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

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

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

AP | Michigan plans dedicated road lanes for autonomous vehicles

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

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

RQ-0373-KP

The ride share company: BlaBlaCar

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

What’s the cultural chasm BlaBlaCars has created?

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

What COVID pivot did BlaBlaCar do?

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

What other services are under the BlaBlaCar umbrella?

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

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

Texas Mobility Coalition members: small and large businesses, local chambers of commerce, truckers, commuters and local leaders

Its goals: harness private investment and public-private partnerships

What does this sound like? 2003, 2005 Trans Texas Corridor version X.2

What benefit emerges when private investment enters transportation sector in Texas? it frees transportation funding for rural and energy portions of the state

Supports say that COVID means Texas has less transportation revenue and now is not a time to limit funding options for transportation as Texas grows.

Midland Reporter-Telegram | New coalition created to address road needs

Corpus Christi Caller | Texas Association of Business, Port of Corpus Christi launch “Keep Texas Moving” coalition

Who: Indie Campers

The benefit of launching now? Surge in driving vacations due to COVID

In addition to providing a platform for camper van owners to offer their vehicles for short term rentals, what other services will Indie Campers offer?

• Campervan will have its own camera fleet available
• 1200 campervans in over 40 locations over 17+ countries

Lonely Planet | This new service wants to help you rent out your campervan

The City: Longmont Colorado

How is Longmont proposing to limit RV parking? Prohibiting parking on most public streets

Why limit RV parking? RVs are being abandoned and leaking hazardous substances

What notification will be given to locals? 6 months notice to Longmont residents who may need to find alternative parking

Will the City help residents find parking? Yes, the city will provide alternative parking

9News | Council favors new rules to keep RVs from parking on Longmont streets

Where is this happening? Delhi, India

How does Delhi’s policy push scooters out of Delhi?

• Limits incentives to vehicles that can go 40 mph or faster
• Excludes lithium battery vehicles from receiving incentives

Press Trust of India via Business Standard | EV makers want Delhi govt to look into exclusion of lithium scooters

Tesla has a goal to deliver 2x as many vehicles in the last half of 2020.

Electrek traces Tesla retail expansion to the following markets:

• Tucson, Arizona: Tesla currently has a service location in the Old Pueblo, but it is now looking to hire sales advisors to expand its retail presence.
• El Paso, Texas: same situation as Tucson – Tesla has a service center, but it now plans to open a gallery in The Sun City.
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin: after a service center, Tesla is now looking to open a gallery in the Cream City.
• Smithtown, New York: Tesla has been gradually expanding east on Long Island and now it is looking to open a store in Smithtown, according to a new job listing.
• Laval, Québec it closed its original Quebec location when a Montreal location opened. The Laval location will be re-opened as a showroom and service center.
• Ottawa, Ontario is adding a showroom to a service center
• Global expansion include China, France, Singapore

Electrek | Tesla is working on massive sales presence expansion with new markets

Uber’s delivery service adjusted net revenue exceeds that of its ride share service.

Does that mean the ride share program disappears? No, the two exist to support each division such as in times like a global pandemic.

Tech Crunch | Uber’s delivery business is now larger than ride-hailing

Lyft has adde car rentals to its platform.

The Lyft app now offers: bikes, scooters, rideshare, transit, & car rentals

The partnership that brought car rentals to Lyft: Sixt

What does ride share bring to the car rental industry: demand algorithms & consumer-engagement expertise

What does Sixt bring: a fleet, fleet management to facilitate scaling

Why is this important in more ways than ride share, car rentals, & their respective regulation and taxation? Because it represents the future: a front facing industry based on data, algorithms, and customer engagement (new business) with a traditional business (old business) like car rentals. That partnership will be cloned repetitively in the new normal.

Auto Rental News | What the Lyft-Sixt Deal Could Mean to Car Rental and Mobility

The Texas Attorney General Opinion this week opens the door open for a transit authority to require masks for health and safety reasons.

The opinion goes to far as to say a transit authority may remove riders who can medically wear a mask and do not.

KP-0323 (2020)

If funding & ridership isn’t the challenge to high speed rail, what is? Land

What specifically is the land challenge? No designated right of way

All well and good, let’s look at examples?

• California saw costs double to acquire right of way in San Joaquin Valley
• Texas, home to privately built high speed rail, is seeing challenges in acquiring right of way in 2 ways:
  • legal battles and the use of eminent domain
  • the use of eminent domain for “gain of private interests”
• Florida, the private investors behind the brightline line, are not acquiring right of way but rather are negotiating with Florida Department of Transportation and the Central Florida Expressway Authority to lease right of way access
• California to Las Vegas, private investment managed by Virgin Group, will run along the I-15 median and has leased right of way access from the California Department of Transportation

What to know. Want a successful path to privately building high speed rail? Follow in Virgin’s footsteps in FL & CA and lease from the state your right of way access

Governing | High-Speed Rail’s True Barrier Isn’t Money. It’s Space.

Car sized masks. That’s how you adapt when you are a peer to peer rental car company, like Turo, operating in the new normal.

Masks are available to Turo hosts.

How else has Turo adapted to the new normal? New cleaning protocols and contactless drop-off

The Drive | Turo Is Handing Out Giant Masks for Your Car, and Yes, It Can Still Breathe Just Fine

The Pivot, a podcast about businesses pivoting, Surprise! Has a fascinating bit about the use of Uber’s back end software as a valuable tool for transit entities.

New York Magazine The Pivot Podcast | 125 Facebook’s Cultural Crisis

Where: Berkeley, CA

The final ballot proposition approved for November 2020? 

• Rides starting in Berkeley will have a 50 cent fee  per private trip
• Pooled trips will be levied a 25 cents fee per pooled trip
• Ride-share vehicles that are wheelchair accessible are exempt

The tax/fee will be paid by the service users & the TNC will be responsible for remitting the fees to the city.

Was the fee part of a bigger transportation plan? yes, a sustainable transportation road map

Daily Cal | Berkeley City Council approves ballot measure that could tax Uber users

The city: Houston

What will the new fee be? $3 at IAH and $2.75 at Hobby

The revenue estimates? $11.8 million in fiscal year 2020-21 + just under $60 million over the next five years

Is there a revenue source that is not COVID related that is being filled? Yes, in 2018, 897 taxicab operators failed to pay permit fees, leaving $983,000 uncollected 

Community Impact | Uber and Lyft users in Houston to see higher fees for airport rides

Where: California

What: California Air Resources Board had proposed that ride share move to 80% of EV vehicles by 2030

Why the change of course to lower the 80%? Acknowledging the COVID effect on ride share, the required EV levels for ride share were lowered to 60%

How does an EV requirement for ride share help clean air? Data shows that ride share has higher emissions than the driving it replaces because of wait times

Have ride share companies taken on EV themselves? Yes, Lyft has called for all EVs by 2030

KQED | California Dials Back Plan to Require Uber, Lyft Go Electric

Wired | California’s Air Pollution Cops Are Eyeing Uber and Lyft

What self driving car race? The Indy Autonomous Challenge on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October 2021

The top prize: $1.5 million

Barrons | Self-Driving Cars Will Race in Indianapolis. Tesla Can’t Take Part.

Who is touting the economic benefits to the Port of Houston due to COVID trade wars? commercial real estate firm CBRE

What benefits do they see Houston, and Texas, offering?

• “Houston is a prime trading location, with the ability to efficiently reach all directions on the globe,”
• “Significant logistics capacity”
• Available land
• Lower asking rents
• Growing population
• Lower costs for truck and rail transportation costs than from the East and West Coast

Houston Chronicle | Houston may benefit as supply chains shift due to COVID, trade wars

Railway Age | FreightWaves SONAR: California Gov. Urged to Reverse Ports’ Receding Market Share

Who: Uber

What is Uber’s contact tracing partnership? Quietly offering, free of charge,  local health authorities information of riders or drives who have been in contact with a COVID infected person

How are the numbers of this contact tracing shaping up?

• 560 coronavirus-related requests from public health departments
• covering 29 countries
• Most requests are processed within 2 hours

Reuters | Uber offers COVID-19 contact tracing help amid chaotic U.S. response

Who: Sunrise Movement, sunrisemovement.org

Where can I find the Sunrise Movement? On twitter & instagram @sunrisemvmt + its You Tube Channel

What is the Sunrise Movement’s mission? “We’re building an army of young people to create millions of good jobs and stop climate change in the process.“

How does this fit with high speed rail? High Speed Rail identifies as a transportation solution to address climate change. See the tweet.

.

Where: Florida

What do I need to know about Florida’s new EV charger rollout?

• Announced in July
• New fast electric charging stations along Interstates 75, 4, and 95
• The state is funding it with $8.5Million from the VW settlement
• Will cover more than 1200 miles
• Will increase accessibility to public fast chargers by more than 50%
• Includes an EV super chargers at every service plaza on Florida’s toll turnpike
• Projecting 4.5 million electric vehicles on Florida roads by 2030

AP | Florida moves ahead with more electric-vehicle plans

Where: San Diego

What are smart street lights? street lights with high-tech sensors equipped with cameras, microphones, and other technology

What ordinances is San Diego proposing to regulate smart street lights?

• Regulate the use of smart light data
  • Data collected includes raw data and images related to pedestrian and vehicle movements, parking availability, temperature, and humidity
• Create a “privacy advisory commission” of technical experts and community members to review surveillance proposals + provide advice and assistance

What are the policy goals of the regulations?

• protect the safety of our communities
• protect the civil liberties of our communities

The San Diego Union-Tribune via Governing | New San Diego Ordinances Would Regulate Smart Streetlights

The New Kid: Uber Grocery

Where is Uber Grocery being launched? Latin America and Canada

Coming Soon to: the US

What’s the policy issue that we’re seeing the US? Delivery fee caps during pandemics

Tech Crunch | Uber grocery delivery launches in Latin America and Canada, US to follow later this month

The Port: The Port of New Orleans

The goals of the Smart Port project at the Port of New Orleans:

• using technology to make dredging and operations decisions

How will the Port’s partnership with the Water Institute of the Gulf work?

• the research organization will install data sensors on tugboats and other vessels navigating the Port of New Orleans’ district
• they will detect sediment levels in shallow parts of the Mississippi River
• that data will then inform dredging decisions

How else will technology help the smart port?

• connect dock terminals, shipping lines, warehouses, and cargo operators
• create a unified command at the New Orleans Port

Houston Chronicle | ‘Smart port’ technology planned for Port of New Orleans

Where: Seattle

What is the new proposed funding mechanism for local transit? “Seattle Transportation Benefit District”

How would the district accrue revenue?

• 0.1% sales tax 
• estimated revenue of $20-$30 million dedicated to transportation

How will the proposal consider COVID issues?

• Identifying ways to have safe public transportation
• How to provide safe, efficient, and frequent transportation options for essential workers fighting against this global pandemic

KOMO News | Durkan proposes new $30 million replacement fund for Seattle transit

Where: St. Louis, MO

The proposed cap on restaurant delivery fees:

• cap on combined fees and commissions
• cap set at no more than 20% of the total purchase price of an online order

Is there a time limit on the cap? yes, the cap will only be applied during a declared pandemic and 60 days thereafter

St. Louis Today | St. Louis aldermen delay airport and workhouse bills, endorse cap on restaurant delivery app fees

Who is partnering with whom to promote ride share rider safety? Uber & Lyft are partnering with The #WhatsMyName Foundation’s

How many colleges and universities are participating in the public awareness campaign? 100+

What are some elements of the safety campaign?

• promote ride share safety tips at popular pick-up locations
• in-person education sessions for both students and campus officials
• rideshare best practices
• reviewing in-app safety features before the ride
• asking the driver “what’s my name” to confirm it is the correct ride
• matching the make, model and license plate of the car
• sharing trip details with friends or family

Intelligent Transport | Uber and Lyft partner with foundation to promote rideshare safety

Where is the coalition located? The UK

What non-profit is leading the coalition’s creation? The international non-profit The Climate Group

What’s the coalition’s name? UK Electric Fleets Coalition

Who are members of the UK Electric Fleets Coalition?  

• 77 members of the coalition
• Including major companies such as BT, ENGIE and the Natwest Group

What is the coalition calling for?

• switching over their collective 4.5 million vehicle stock to zero emissions by 2030
  • Asking for government policies to have other similar companies commit to zero emissions
  • Asking the government to stimulate EV supply to meet business demand
  • Asking the government to extend grants for EVs
  • Asking the government to invest in new EV infrastructure

Air Quality News | Government should accelerate EV policies, say major businesses

Where is this start up? Austin TX

What is the start up name?  Riders Share, a peer-to-peer motorcycle rental platform that aims to bring underutilized bikes to the people

Funding:  raised $2 million in Series A funding, led by LiveOak Venture Partners

Foreseeable expansion to its motorcycle sharing: off-road vehicles + motorcycle tours into the platform

Built in ATX | Riders Share Raises $2M to Drive Growth in Motorcycle Rental Platform

The subscription based EV company : Canoo

What makes Canoo vehicles unique?

• first vehicle approved by the DOT and NHTSA to have a purely steer-by-wire steering system
• no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the steering rack
• your phone is doing the work of showing your speed, state of charge, etc

Roadshow by CNET | Jay Leno dives into the world of subscription-based EV company Canoo

Who conducted the study: Ohio Department of Transportation

Key recommendations for EV chargers in Ohio:

• A charging station every 50 miles of interstate, state, and U.S. route corridors
• State agency collaboration is crucial for these agencies:
  • Ohio Department Of Transportation
  • Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
  • Ohio Department of Natural Resources
  • Development Services Agency
  • Department of Public Safety
  • Department of Administrative Services
  • Public Utilities Commission of Ohio
  • Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission

Which agency is administering a grant program?

• Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
•  $3.5 million in grant funds to install publicly accessible “Level 2” chargers in counties that Ohio EPA has identified as eligible

What is said of traditional auto manufacturers? “Legacy companies are pivoting to new ways of doing business and startups are entering the market.”

The Study: Drive.Ohio.Gov

Mahoning Matters | Ohio finalizes study for providing EV charging stations