Chattanooga, TN coming down Monteagle in the Fog on I-24. Photo by Brent Moore, Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
1. National Focus
2. Top Regional and Local Headlines
3. Motorist Corner
4. Best from Auto Press
5. Opinion
~
National Focus
A rail strike looms again and AP News writes that the impact on the US economy would be broad. (No doubt!) The strike could occur as early as next week according to Transport Topics. President Biden has called on Congress to intervene. Here are some other headlines that might be of interest:
- ‘Grave urgency’: Over 400 business groups plead with Congress to prevent rail strike (CNN)
- Biden calls on Congress to prevent rail strike, addresses unions’ sick leave grievances (FreightWaves)
- Government Poised to Intervene in Freight Rail Fight (Transport Topics)
- Illinois at heart of railroad labor dispute with all seven Class 1 railroads (The Center Square)
Vehicle Security Headlines Indicated Concern over Several Areas:
- Autonomous Vehicles Join the List of US National Security Threats (Wired)
- US lawmaker raises security concerns over autonomous vehicles, potential data theft (Security Info Watch)
- The Risk of Cybersecurity Threats Continues To Grow for the Auto Industry (Security Boulevard)
- Are We Building Cyber Vulnerability into EV Charging Infrastructure? (Route-Fifty)
- Increasing number of chips in EVs; what that means for cybersecurity, repairs (Repairer News)
Auto and Traffic Safety Topped the Driving News Headlines Again:
- Automatic braking in cars cut crashes by more than 40 percent studies found (Fox Detroit)
- Pickup Trucks Less Likely to Have Automatic Emergency Braking, Research Shows (Consumer Reports)
- Death tied to defective Takata airbag in Ford Ranger prompts urgent warning (Auto News)
- Tesla Driver Assistance System-related Crashes Have Already Resulted in 19 Deaths (AutoEvolution)
- EPIC Urges Department of Transportation to Prioritize Privacy in New Pedestrian Detection System (EPIC)
- Slower speed limits are becoming more popular. Do they save lives? (WCNC)
- To prevent tragic crashes, street redesign is more effective than calls for personal responsibility (Streetsblog Chicago)
- What’s Driving the US Traffic Safety Crisis? (Bloomberg CityLab)
Gas and Diesel Prices were at the Top of the News Cycle:
- Oil Rout Intensifies As China Cuts Oil Purchases (Oil Price.com)
- National diesel average down another 8 cents (Landline)
- While gasoline price gouging receives national attention, what about cars? (VC Star)
- Higher gas usage may point to pandemic era travel patterns (State Smart Transportation Initiative)
Here are some Motorist-Related Headlines from the Federal Level:
- 10 senators seek update on auto safety improvements, prompted by CBS News investigation (CBS News)
- What’s the Deal With Those New Vehicle Safety Laws, Senate Asks (The Truth About Cars)
- US Senate Bill Targets Catalytic Converters (Transport Topics)
- New G20 irritant for Biden: Restrictive US electric vehicle tax subsidies\ (Autoblog)
- Energy Department Sets Aside $550 Million for State and Local Clean Energy Efforts (Route-Fifty)
- FTC Extends Safeguards Rule Compliance Deadline (NADA)
Auto Industry Headlines were Dominated by One Company:
- Used-car retailer Carvana cuts another 1,500 jobs (Autoblog)
- Lyft Aspired to Kill Car Ownership. Now It Aims to Profit From It (Wired)
- Tesla Proposes Its Charging Plug to Be Universal (Kelley Blue Book)
- ‘Rude drivers will swerve in my lane’: are Tesla owners paying the price for Musk hate? (The Guardian)
- First-of-its-kind legal trial explores whether Tesla Autopilot or human driver is at fault over fatal car accident (The Sun)
Auto Tech Watch Headlines from the Past Two Weeks:
- Reports Of The Death Of Self-Driving Cars Are Greatly Exaggerated (Forbes)
- Why our cities need smarter transport solutions than just autonomous vehicles (Diginomica)
- Cities and Feds Work on Accessibility Guidelines for Curbside Car-Charging Stations (Streetsblog Massachusetts)
- Researchers: AI in connected cars eased rush hour congestion (AP News)
- States Test an Electrifying Idea: Roads That Can Recharge Your EV (Route-Fifty)
- Can EVs Save Struggling Power Grids on a Warming Planet? (GovTech)
- Here’s Why Automaker Subscription Features Are Here To Stay, Even Though You Hate Them (The Drive)
Infrastructure Watch News also had some Insights:
- The Infrastructure Law, One Year In (Route-Fifty)
- Biden czar touts progress in infrastructure law’s first year (Pluribus News)
- Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act aids nearly 25,000 transportation projects in first year (Transportation Today News)
- Backlash Over New ‘Buy America’ Rules for Infrastructure Projects (Route-Fifty)
- The 20 Largest Road Projects Funded by Infrastructure Law (Equipment World)
- Fix the damn roads: Why politicians should prioritize potholes (Transportation for America Blog)
- Planes, trains, and automobiles: Will the public infrastructure law be a game-changer? (The Hill)
- Study: Active Transportation-Friendly Zoning is On the Rise (Streetsblog USA)
- Streetlights in a bunch of major cities are turning purple. Is it just a fluke — or a warning of the chaos to come? (Business Insider)
Trucking Industry Headlines:
- The Federal Government’s Plan to Track Truckers’ Every Movement Is a Privacy Nightmare (Reason)
- Making Truck Stops into EV Charging Hubs Will Take Small-Town Levels of Power (Car and Driver)
- Tolling is Getting Creative… and Costly for Trucking [Commentary] (Trucking Info)
- Self-driving trucks might cause headaches for city leaders, says one roadway executive (Smart Cities Dive)
- More women getting behind the wheel as trucking industry seeks drivers (Chicago Sun-Times)
National Driving News Headlines:
- States begin final push for compliance as Real ID deadline nears (Washington Post)
- Should People Be Able to Issue Their Neighbors Traffic Fines? (Streetsblog USA)
- A Revolution in Parking Is (Quietly) Spreading Across America (Foundation for Economic Education)
- EFFs Atlas of Surveillance–Documenting Police Tech in Our Communities
with Open Source Research (Electronic Frontier Foundation) - Opinion: Police kill far too many people during traffic stops. We must change why stops are made (USA Today)
- Tiny Aerosols Pose a Big Predicament in a Warming World (Wired)
- In a Rural Corner of the West, a Local Level Push to Revive Passenger Rail (Route-Fifty)
- Gulf Coast Passenger Rail to Restart as 17-Year Dispute is Resolved (Route-Fifty)
- AAA says these are America’s most dangerous roads (Autoblog)
International Driving News Headlines:
- An Australian Speed Trap Made the City Millions in a Couple of Months, but Drivers Finally Score a Win (Auto Evolution)
- Brussels’ Plan for Car-Free Streets Hits a Few Bumps (Bloomberg CityLab)
- Death toll on Cyprus roads still high (Financial Mirror)
- Despite more than a million riders, Paris may ban rental e-scooters (Electrek)
- Italy bans the use of facial recognition technologies in public spaces (Royals Blue)
- Japan to open roads to autonomous vehicles in 2023 (The Robot Report)
- Lower speed limits don’t just save lives – they make New Zealand towns and cities better places to live (The Conversation)
- Tesla safety at centre of South Korean trial over fiery, fatal crash (Autoblog)
- Speed cameras in Britain rake in £250m as record 7,600 drivers a day are caught (STL News)
- UK: Research suggests enforcement is vital in 20mph zones (Traffic Technology Today)
- UK Study Reveals that 20 MPH Speed Limits Do Not Improve Safety (Auto Spies)
- UK Opinion: Here’s why most 20mph speed limits don’t make sense (iNews UK)
- EV owners to pay road tax in UK from 2025 (Auto News Europe)
- The Guardian view on Britain’s electric vehicle industry: slow-motion car crash (The Guardian)
- Ultra-Low Emission Zones to be expanded across whole of Greater London from August (The Guardian)
- Car Registration Number could be Printed on McDonald’s sacks in Wales to curb littering (Daily Mail UK)
For a daily dose of motorist rights news, check out the NMA Driving News Feed today!
~
Top Regional and Local Headlines
California
- California Looks to Kick Out Gas and Diesel Fleets by 2045 (Governing)
- Why does California revoke licenses as punishment for things that have nothing to do with driving? (San Francisco Chronicle)
- California Transportation Commission allocates $3B for transportation projects (Transportation Today News)
- California Public Utilities Commission OKs $1B for EV charging project, mostly for trucks (San Diego Union-Tribune)
- First Hydrogen-Powered Transit Bus Coming to Los Angeles County (GovTech)
- San Mateo County court agrees to stop charging late fees on traffic fines (Courthouse News)
- License plate readers coming to Encinitas, CA (CBS8)
- Driver hits 25 Los Angeles County sheriff’s recruits, critically injures 5 of them (Autoblog)
- Lyft, Motional to launch robotaxi service in Los Angeles (Reuters)
- Redlands Council should hold off on speed limit changes (Redlands Community News)
- San Diego City Councilman Seeks Lower Speed Limits to Reduce Traffic Deaths (Times of San Diego)
- San Francisco group is pushing for lower speed limits. Here’s where it tracked most dangerous speeds (San Francisco Chronicle)
- The do’s and don’ts of parking in San Francisco (San Francisco Gate)
- San Francisco Mayor London Breed ‘Wallpapered Over’ Privacy Concerns About Police Access to Live Surveillance Cameras, Docs Show (Vice)
- San Luis Obispo Police Deploy Case Tracking Tech (GovTech)
- South Pasadena City Council OKs Contract for Flock Safety Cameras (South Pasadena Review)
- South San Francisco launches license plate reader program (The Daily Journal)
- West Hollywood approves pilot program for bike lanes on busy street (Fountain Avenue) (KTLA)
Georgia
- Georgia Power, Regulators Find Common Ground on EV Charging (GovTech)
- Atlanta’s MARTA narrows Clifton Corridor alternatives to two bus options, one light rail line (Saporta Report)
- Rome: Speed camera warning period for MLK Blvd starts next week (WRGA News)
Illinois
- Chicago: Will Private Lot Booting Expand Citywide? Aldermen Could Decide — After Collecting Campaign Cash From Booting Company (Block Club Chicago)
- Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, CTA Officials Unveil New Funding Plans for $3.6-Billion Red Line Extension (NBC Chicago)
- Another diverging diamond interchange comes to the Chicago suburbs (Chicago Daily Herald)
- South Chicago Set To Get Raised Bike Lanes–a $43 Million Project (Block Club Chicago)
- Gurnee police and Gurnee Mills set up license plate reading camera to combat crime at the mall (Lake and McHenry County Scanner)
Michigan
- Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer: Entirely new approach needed to ‘fix the damn roads’ (Detroit Free Press)
- Michigan’s 5 mph increase in speed limits led to 5 percent increase in crashes, study finds (Fox Detroit)
- Detroit will soon get 2 roads that can charge your EV as you drive (Fast Company)
New Jersey
- Cost to widen NJ Turnpike extension to Holland tunnel balloons to $10.6B (New Jersey Online)
- Feds force New Jersey to yank tongue-in-cheek highway safety messages (NY Post)
- Berlin Officials Agree To Explore Adding Speed Cameras (MD Coast Dispatch)
- Newark City Council approves negotiating deal for Flock Safety cameras (ALPRs) (Newark Advocate)
New York
- DWIs, gun miscues and dubious acts revealed in NY State Police disciplinary files (Buffalo News)
- Unbe-leaf-able: NY Scofflaws dodge tolls and traffic cameras with foliage (NY Post)
- Driver’s license numbers for nearly 500,000 people may have been exposed in Suffolk County, NY cyberattack (Long Island News 12)
- Buffalo Mayor Proposes $1M EV Charging Network (GovTech)
- Buffalo’s Future Ride Towards Metro Rail Expansion (Buffalo Rising)
- $16B Hudson tunnel project for Amtrak set to begin construction in late 2024 (Smart Cities Dive)
- Taxi Fares Are Going Up 23 percent in New York City (Bloomberg CityLab)
- NYC DOT may eliminate cars from Prospect Park gateway in Grand Army revamp (NY Post)
- NYC DOT announces new bus priority lanes along Northern Boulevard in Queens (Intelligent Transport)
- E-bike Battery Fire Spike Spurs NYC Council to Rethink Regulation (Route-Fifty)
Ohio
- Central Ohio Transit Authority moving ahead with design of rapid bus routes for Dublin and elsewhere (Columbus Dispatch)
- How a Wealthy Cleveland Suburb Profits From Ticketing Black Drivers (The Marshall Project)
- New license plate reader cameras help to catch criminals in Middleburg Heights, OH (Cleveland.com)
- Youngstown City Council approves speed camera law (The Vindicator)
Oregon
- Oregon cities sue state government over parking reform, climate mandate (Oregon Live)
- Road repairs may be coming to a small Oregon town near you (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
- Oregon DOT seeks public comments on Portland’s Rose Quarter, freeway tolls (Oregon Live)
- As Oregon DOT moves forward on tolling, opponents say the prices are too high (KGW)
- Cops or cameras: What’s needed to improve traffic enforcement in Multnomah County, OR? (KATU)
Tennessee
- Memphis choosing revenue or safety in road design, leads to accidents, traffic expert says (Fox Memphis)
- It could wait.’ Police oversight board calls on Nashville to slow the rollout of license plate readers (WPLN)
- Nashville eliminates minimum parking space requirements in urban areas (The Tennessean)
- Nashville Study: Connected Cars and AI Solve Many Highway Traffic Congestion Issues (CleanTechnica)
Texas
- Activists Are Suing Texas Over Its Plan to Expand Interstate 35 (Inside Climate News)
- Flashing Headlights or Hazard Lights En”LIGHT”ening Texas Law (Mix979 FM)
- Study shows delays on Texas roads are growing but still falling short of pre-COVID numbers (CBS Austin)
- Light-rail tunnel under downtown Austin might not happen after all (Austin Monitor)
- Beaumont to add security cameras to multiple parks (Beaumont Enterprise)
Washington State
- Edmonds eyes speed cameras near three schools (Herald.net)
- Oak Harbor considers ways to tame traffic (traffic calming) (Whidbey News-Times)
- Olympia police are now equipped with body cameras (The Olympian)
- Seattle City Council Balancing Package Includes Some Tough Cuts to Transportation (The Urbanist)
Other Regional and Local Driving News Headlines
- Anchorage rolls back minimum parking space requirements for new construction, remodels (Must Read Alaska)
- How violating Arkansas’s speed trap law impacts small towns (THV11)
- Uber and Lyft drivers strike over pay at Denver International Airport (Colorado Public Radio)
- Connecticut Department of Transportation Looking to Improve I-95 (Roads and Bridges)
- EVs are Connecticut’s future. Will there be enough juice? (CT Mirror)
- DC faces disability rights lawsuit over bike lane designs (Washington Post)
- Hawaiʻi to receive $4.7M from Google settlement (Hawaii Public Radio)
- Hawaii starts processing citations under controversial red-light camera pilot (Hawaii News Now)
- Indiana: Purdue University researchers design fully autonomous vehicle for people with disabilities (WISH TV)
- Salina, KS to Install Multiple Cameras (KSAL)
- Lexington, KY Mayor Linda Gorton asks council to quadruple number of cameras that read license plates (AOL.com)
- MA Governor-Elect Maura Healey looks at next steps to reshape MBTA (Axios)
- Boston MTA activates automated bus lane enforcement cameras on two bus routes (Mass Transit Magazine)
- Decision on I-495/I-270 toll lanes contract delayed; project’s fate now rests with Governor-Elect Wes Moore (Maryland Matters)
- Vision Zero Watch: Minneapolis to possibly use cameras to deter speeding, public input still needed (KSTP)
- Rules for license-tracking cameras approved in Wright City, MO (Warren County Record)
- What Can Cities Learn from Kansas City’s Fare-Free Transit Program? (Governing)
- Environmental groups sue DOT over Mississippi road project (WLBT)
- Montana leads states with most drunk drivers (Landline)
- Greenville, NC community reacts to red-light camera program ending (WITN)
- Charlotte, NC toll proposal for I-77 stalls with planning organization (Landline)
- North Platte, NE Police Department rolls out automated license plate readers (KNOP News2)
- Nevada gets $1.7 billion in first year of infrastructure spending (8 News Now)
- Norman, OK City Council debates need for armored vehicle, how to pay for it (with CAF Funds?) (Norman Transcript)
- PennDOT placing Variable Speed Limit signs this winter on I-80 (The Courier Express)
- Ticket Cam Alert Rhode Island: Red-light cameras now operating in Central Falls (Valley Breeze
- Bike safety advocates call for South Carolina lawmakers to allow red-light cameras to ticket drivers (WYFF)
- South Carolina Law Enforcement Division or SLED’s widespread tracking of license plate data is illegal, court filing alleges (The State)
- New lower speed limit signs going up around Park City (KPCW)
- More speed cameras may be coming to Richmond, VA (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
- New Report Urges Falls Church, VA Council To Lower Speed Limit (Falls Church News-Press)
- Vermont officials are ready to ban sale of new gasoline passenger cars by 2035 (VT Digger)
- $2.7B allocated to Wisconsin to improve state infrastructure (WKOW)
- Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson signals openness to I-794 deconstruction (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
Motorist-Related State Legislative News
- Connecticut considers gas tax holiday extension (Pluribus News)
- Illinois bill HB5829 would delay Jan. 1 fuel tax increase (Landline)
- KY Lawmakers asking for red-light cameras at ‘dangerous’ intersections around Louisville (WDRB)
- The next steps for the new Massachusetts license law (Axios Massachusetts)
- Pennsylvania joins states paving way for driverless vehicles (Pluribus News)
- No, Washington is not adding an additional 46-cent gas tax in 2023 (KREM)
- Wisconsin Perspective: State Gas Tax needs another look (Kenosha News)
Check out the NMA State Pages today!
Motorist Corner
From the Driving in America Blog:
- Recent Chicago Parking Audit Spells Bad News for Motorists (and Every Other Resident)
- ADAS Accidents—a Perfect Storm Towards the Car of the Future?
- Evacuation Prepping for the Average Person
- Hydraulic Jacks and How They Work
The Car Coach posted two vlogs:
- Catalytic Converter Thefts Skyrocketing–Why Thieves Want Them
- Your Car is Tracking You! Does this Violate Your 4th Amendment Rights?
Eric Peters posted his review of the 2022 Genesis GV70.
If you have written and had posted a motorist rights advocacy letter-to-the-editor or find a news story where the NMA is mentioned, please send us the link via email nma@motorists.org. Here are some links of interest: the NMA website, NMA Issues Pages, and the NMA Blog. Check them out today!
~
Best from Auto Press
What cars are being discontinued in 2023? Honda, Toyota and Chevrolet are all axing models (USA Today)
The Genesis G90 Is the 2023 MotorTrend Car of the Year (MotorTrend)
2023 MotorTrend Car of the Year: The Finalists (MotorTrend)
Total Car Score Podcast: Around the World with Seven Jurors from the World Car of the Year Awards (The Car Coach)
Total Car Score Podcast: We Predict the Winners of the 2023 Car, Truck and SUV of the Year (The Car Coach)
How Hot Wheels became ‘the largest auto manufacturer out there’ (Financial Times)
Why the Car’s Future Isn’t What It Once Was (MotorTrend)
Mercedes locks faster acceleration behind a $1,200 annual paywall (The Verge)
How The Subscription Business Model Could Change The Automotive Industry (Forbes)
Europe Won’t Allow Mercedes’ EV Performance Subscription Fee, For Now: Report (The Drive)
Formula 1 to Launch Entry-Level F1 Academy Category for Young Women (AutoWeek)
The Indy Autonomous Challenge is Pushing the Boundaries of Driverless Vehicles (MarketScale)
~
Opinion
Motorists Vote 2022: An Overview of US Motorist-Related Ballot Initiatives from the November 8th Vote
Here is how Americans voted on ballot initiatives that the NMA outlined in Newsletter #719.
The following election results came from Ballotpedia unless listed otherwise. Here are some articles from the national perspective on motorist and transportation issues . . .
(click on title for full op-ed)