Selika Josiah Talbott

🚨 **Advocacy in Action on Capitol Hill** 🚨 This past week, our team had a productive week on Capitol Hill advocating for critical reforms in autonomous vehicle regulations. As we continue to witness both the potential and pitfalls of autonomous vehicle technology, the importance of robust and adaptive regulatory frameworks cannot be overstated. During our meetings with legislators, we highlighted several key points: - The need for stringent safety standards. - The importance of real-time data sharing between autonomous vehicle companies and regulatory bodies. - Enhanced oversight to ensure public safety and trust in these technologies. The video below, showing an autonomous vehicle driving the wrong way on a road, underscores the urgency of our advocacy efforts. While technological advancements hold promise for the future, they also present new challenges that must be addressed to safeguard our communities. We remain committed to pushing for policies that not only foster innovation but also prioritize the safety and well-being of the public. #AutonomousVehicles #SafetyFirst #Regulation #Advocacy #CapitolHill #PublicSafety #motorcycleadvocacy

3

🎙️ New "Free Speech Arguments" Episode: NetChoice, LLC v. Bonta Dive into a crucial First Amendment case challenging California's Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (AB 2273). Key points: - AB 2273 aims to protect minors online but raises significant free speech concerns. - The law requires online services to mitigate "potentially harmful" content for minors - It mandates age verification and content restrictions based on users' age - NetChoice argues the law violates the First Amendment Listen as attorneys Robert Corn-Revere (for NetChoice) and Kristin Liska (for California) present their arguments before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. This case could significantly impact online content moderation and free speech rights in the digital realm. Full audio of the oral argument and case-related resources HERE:

3

There's breaking down technical and complex information for readers to easily understand and then there's working in communications for the California Public Utilities Commission. It's not easy! And when you get your media strategy right, it's so satisfying. Shoutout to everyone on our team who helped us nail this messaging and earn this coverage from Los Angeles Times Editorial Board and other influential outlets across #CA this month. 👇 "It’s a well-thought-out approach to modernizing California’s electric rates that adheres to a 2022 law requiring the commission to adopt income-based fixed rates, and does so without any onerous new income verification program as had been proposed." https://lnkd.in/gneST5vK

50

14 Comments

Check out my latest column, where I discuss how anti-transit groups undermine support for public transit under the guise of fiscal responsibility and efficiency—and how we can combat it. Mallon: The deceptive influence of anti-transit groups

17

3 Comments

Alan Jenn from our UC Davis Electric Vehicle Research Center has published an insightful piece on the current state of EV charging infrastructure, with a specific focus on DC fast charging (DCFC). His review highlights key findings, including references to our work on charging reliability and charging network modeling. The article underscores an essential conclusion: to support a successful EV market, we must prioritize both the quantity and quality of charging stations. A great read for anyone interested in the future of electric vehicles and infrastructure!

124

6 Comments

Update: We updated the article on October 1 so it reflects all the governor's decisions! same link but some new content. I'll mention a few surprises in comments. --- Just 5 days left for Governor Newsom to consider this year's slate of transportation legislation (deadline is Monday Sep 30). Many transportation bills didn't get out of the legislature during this fiscally lean year, while many others have already been signed, with a few vetoes, and there remain a few nailbiters still sitting on the governor's desk in these final days. If you want the full scoop, check out our California Transportation Bills Wrap-Up. This article is super fun to write, culminates our months-long bill tracking effort, and has become an annual tradition at ITS-Davis, where we are constantly working to connect our transportation research with public policy outcomes. Thanks to all authors and contributors: Simone Hudson, Sara Schremmer, Juan Carlos Garcia Sanchez, Colin Murphy, Dillon Fitch, Seth Karten, Samuel Chiu, Rashmit Shrestha, Dan Sperling, Susan Handy, Brian Harold, Dahlia Garas

34

3 Comments

This is a great pilot and great result- and in honor of digital infrastructure week I’m going to translate it into language that anyone can understand and that could be used by agencies to speak to elected officials and policy makers. No acronyms. No engineering. We need to make this relatable to real people. “In 2024, our infrastructure should be smart enough to detect when a person is crossing the street and needs more time to finish crossing before the light turns green, and extend the light so the person can safely cross.” Now we can do that with advanced sensors, artificial intelligence and data analytics. Let’s scale it everywhere. #THISisITS

26

Come hear about how leaders are seeing the future of Bay Area public transit and how we can move towards a more accessible, affordable and reliable public transit system!

3

C-WIN PRESS RELEASE: Proposed Central Valley Project operations plan: Time to undo Trump’s damage and put ratepayers, Tribes, communities, and the environment first Draft EIS for federal water project favors unsustainable status quo, ignores Tribal and community needs A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) from the U.S. #Biologicalopinions #BureauofReclamation #CentralValleyProject #StateWaterProject #Waterprojectoperations

1

School buses are getting cleaner in #Washington state after this year's legislative session. Lawmakers in #Olympia passed House Bill 1368, which will fund the purchase of zero emission school buses. Rep. Tana Senn, D-Mercer Island, said the program is getting off the ground quickly. "As we work towards that long-term goal of all new school buses being zero emission, we're kick-starting this year with $40 million in grants to school districts in overburdened communities," Senn explained. Going forward, Senn noted school districts will have to purchase zero-emission vehicles once the total cost of ownership is equal to or lower than the cost of diesel vehicles. The state is leveraging the state's Climate Commitment Act resources to fund the transition of its 10,000 school buses. Devin Denney, director of transportation for Highline Public Schools in King County, which already has electric school buses in its fleet, said he has driven the electric buses and talked about some of their benefits from a driver's perspective. "You're not competing against that engine noise, the kids aren't competing against the engine noise," Denney observed. "It's a much quieter bus all the way around. The major advantage, of course, is that there's no tailpipe emissions with an electric bus, so our kids' health is better protected." Senn emphasized health studies have shown there are negative health effects from diesel vehicles for kids, and it is easy to understand why. "If you think about kids waiting to get on their bus in front of an elementary school and you have this line of buses idling, letting out diesel fumes right at the height of a little child, it becomes obvious that this is probably not the most healthy thing for our children," Senn added.

1

📢 Planning to apply to the $1.86 billion federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (#BEAD) program in California? If so, this announcement is for you: 📢 The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will be holding a series of webinars starting on December 3 to help those interested in applying to the program understand the requirements and how to prepare for submitting applications. The first webinar will include information of getting ready for prequalification. Participating in this series will help applicants understand this complex program and prepare applications that respond to the program requirements. Don't sleep on this, folks! 📢 For a list of planned webinar topics and registration links, click below. 👇 https://lnkd.in/g-HXfEtX National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) #broadbandforall #internetforall #digitalequity #grants

40

To create a more sustainable future, the City of Rancho Cucamonga is converting its fleet to electric vehicles. Between California Air Resources Board mandates and a commitment to meet Climate Action Plan Greenhouse Gas emission reduction goals, the City partnered with a team of graduate students from USC Sol Price School of Public Policy who prepared a utilization study and EV conversion plan for the City’s fleet. Students recommended realistic but ambitious initiatives to implement electrification, including single-source and cooperative purchasing for vehicle procurement to reduce canceled bids caused by manufacturer delays and fleet management software to better track and manage vehicles. City staff are using the student recommendations to plan for vehicle replacements based on age, use, vehicle cost, and market availability for realistic EV replacements. Read the feature from Government Fleet: https://lnkd.in/gUJhbZH4 #CityofRC #RanchoCucamonga #Electrification #EV #EVInfrastructure #PublicWorks #CapstoneProject

13

Street harassment is a common phenomenon that many public-transit riders, but especially women and girls, experience on buses and trains, in stations and at bus stops, as they travel between their homes, jobs, schools, events, and recreational activities. A 2022 law directed the MTI to create a survey to help public-transportation systems collect data on riders’ safety concerns. A second law passed in 2023 requires the state’s ten largest public-transit agencies to collect data from passengers about harassment, and make the findings public by the end of 2024. Read more about how California has taken steps to combat street harassment on public transit on The American Prospect: https://lnkd.in/g5hncfVY #StreetHarassment #PublicTransportation #PublicTransit #CommunityAwareness #SB1161 #SB434

15

Road safety is public health: Lawmakers confront the challenges of changes to speed limits and road safety, and the governance complexities that make such change difficult. "The need for safer roads took on urgency during the covid pandemic... In 2022, more than 42,500 people died on American roads, and at least 7,522 pedestrians were fatally struck — the highest tally of pedestrian deaths in more than 4 decades. Experts cite several reasons for the decline in road safety. During the lockdowns, reckless driving increased while traffic enforcement declined. SUVs and trucks have become larger and heavier, thus deadlier when they hit a pedestrian. Other factors persist as streets remain wide to accommodate vehicles, and in some states speed limits have gradually increased." https://lnkd.in/e7quRtD7

1

State transportation agencies are already seeing the effects of climate change on their infrastructure and transportation systems. In this episode of the InfraTalk Podcast, Secretary of California State Transportation Agency, Toks Omishakin, discusses the impact climate change has had on the state of California and his agency's work. He also shares how important it is for the industry to tackle today’s transportation problems with modern solutions. Listen to the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/d9e3uRzP #Transportation #Infrastructure #Innovation #ClimateChange #InfraTalkAmerica #Podcast

44

Catchy Headline For Surrrrre... Check out the #report link in the Press Release for the credit summary breakdown... I'm no #mathwiz...but to me it looks like 97% of these "trucks buses and vans sold" are mostly #cargovans and other #MHD vehicles with 88.7% coming from two #OEMs... Ford Motor Company and Rivian… While I can appreciate the State of California #PR Spin Machine working overtime and leading with "trucks".... fact of the matter is that if the #ZEVTOPIA envisioned by so many is ever gonna be achieved across the #Class8 segment especially, we need more #incentive opportunities for fleets of all sizes, not less. Restricting access by fleet size in #HDZE #funding programs, a concept championed by the California Air Resources Board is counterintuitive. Every Class 8 Tractor deployment in #California was partially funded by incentives. Every. Single. One. And many of these trucks/tractors were deployed by larger fleets with more than 50 trucks... ICYMI, the #secondarymarket relies on lager fleets to run vehicles and populate the used truck marketplace (especially with "new" technology) for small to midsize to husky size fleets to access once the trucks are reconditioned and refurbished...at a much lower price point. #HDZE needs a secondary market for it to work...it doesn't need restrictive rules driven by #politics instead of #reality...(oh yeah and we need a whole lotta #infrastructure...lol) This is not #RocketSurgery. #KeepFundingStuff #BrokenRecord

64

9 Comments

For those working in and around the California State Capitol, or those interested in the topic generally, here is the link to my article providing an introduction to legislative drafting: https://lnkd.in/gbddn_2r

37