N.Y.C. Council Vote Looms on Capping Number of Uber and Lyft Vehicles
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STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Trump administration OKs Wisconsin governor’s plan … executive shakeup in Austin city manager’s office … and San Diego’s water billing audit.
Good morning, it’s Monday, July 30, 2018. Leading Route Fifty’s state and local government news roundup is legislation in New York City, but scroll down for stories from places like Cincinnati, Austin and Montpelier, Vermont.
TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE | The New York City Council is looking at legislation that would cap the number of vehicles from companies like Uber and Lyft and may vote on such a proposal as soon as Aug. 8. The proposal has the support of Mayor Bill de Blasio, who had proposed a similar cap back in 2015, and Council President Corey Johnson. A new report from Schaller Consultants shows show rideshare services contribute to traffic instead of alleviating it—"2.8 new vehicle miles for every 1 personal vehicle mile removed, resulting in a 180% increase in driving on city streets.” [The New York Times; Curbed New York; Smart Cities Dive]
- Cincinnati, Ohio: Santa Monica, California-based Bird dropped its dockless electric scooters on Cincinnati late last week and local officials are “scratching their heads.” [Cincinnati Enquirer]
- Dallas, Texas: The Dallas Fort Worth International Airport received a letter of intent from the Federal Aviation Administration that commits $180 million in Airport Improvement Program grant funding for two “end-around” taxiway systems. [DFW Airport]
- San Diego, California: A months-long audit of San Diego’s Public Utilities Department found thousands of water billing errors and that meter readers can bypass accuracy checks. [The San Diego Union Tribune]
STATE GOVERNMENT | The Trump administration has signed off on a plan from Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to lower premiums under the Affordable Care Act. But “Democrats dismissed Walker's plan as an election-year effort by the governor to score points on health care while refusing to accept additional federal money under Obamacare for the state's BadgerCare Plus health program.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
- Columbus, Ohio: Was CVS favored by the state for a multimillion-dollar deal to provide HIV medication? [Columbus Dispatch]
- Montpelier, Vermont: State health officials have outlined a plan for new funds to boost addiction-treatment programs. [VTDigger]
- Ballston Spa, New York: The New York State Department of Health has offered an apology to a 7-year-old lemonade stand near the entry gate to the Saratoga County Fair. [Albany Times Union]
CITY HALLS | In the ongoing federal investigation into corruption at Atlanta City Hall, “legal experts say the nine subpoenas issued to the city so far reveal the broad contours of a sprawling investigation that shows no signs of wrapping up soon.” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]
- Austin, Texas: In an executive shake-up in the city manager’s office, five assistant city managers will have to compete against other new candidates for new positions. [Austin American-Statesman]
- Fall River, Massachusetts: Mayor Jasiel Correia left the country to the surprise of the City Council. [Herald News]
- Cortez, Colorado: The Cortez Police Department and City Council announced heightened security upgrades for City Hall, including silent alarms. [The Journal]
- Fishers, Indiana: Mayor Scott Fadness placed his city’s police chief on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into the chief’s arrest for driving while intoxicated. [WISH-TV]
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Michael Grass is Executive Editor of Government Executive’s Route Fifty and is based in Seattle.
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