NMA Wrap Up of Legislative Activity, 3rd Quarter 2019: NMA E-Newsletter #562
July, August, and September were not nearly as active in resolving NMA-tracked legislation as in the second quarter, but October began with some very important events that will have positive ramifications for motorists well into the future. Let’s start with the final disposition of bills in the third quarter: Bills Opposed by the NMA […]
Why 5G Technology Is Necessary for the Development of Self-Driving Cars
One of the most exciting developments in technology is undoubtedly that which is related to 5G. The super-fast connectivity that 5G is set to deliver will be utilized in a wide range of ways, including many day-to-day tasks. No wonder everyone is becoming more and more enthusiastic about the development of 5G. In all regards, […]
War on Cars at a Fever Pitch in NYC: NMA E-Newsletter #557
In our experience, we have never seen the likes of what is going on in New York City with the war on cars. Not only has the city become one giant speed trap with over 2000 “school zone” speed cameras, soon the city/state plans to implement congestion pricing below 60th street. The government expects motorists […]
Another crisis created
Massachusetts officials spent decades avoiding highway improvement projects and treating drivers as rolling wallets. A study out this month confirms they were successful in creating congestion. Now they offer the prepared solution to the crisis they created: more tolls. It’s the same playbook they used on the Massachusetts Turnpike. The Turnpike Authority put off maintenance […]
Are We Slinking Ever Closer to a Universal Road User Charge? Part 2—Congress: NMA E-Newsletter #550
Last week, in Part one of Are We Slinking Ever Closer to a Universal Road User Charge?, we examined the efforts of various groups that are currently pushing road user fees onto the American public. (A road user charge or RUC is also commonly referred to as the Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax or VMT Tax […]
The Split-Speed Limit Effect: That “Oh Crap” Look on Drivers’ Faces: NMA E-Newsletter #548
Split speed limits, where certain commercial vehicles such as large trucks are forced to travel at lower speeds than surrounding traffic, are anathema to truckers and car drivers alike. That is why the NMA and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) have often joined forces to oppose the posting of split speeds and the use […]
NMA Wrap Up of Legislative Activity, 2nd Quarter 2019: NMA E-Newsletter #547
April, May, and June were busy months in state legislatures where many of the bills affecting motorists that were introduced in the first quarter, or carried forward from last year, were resolved. The results were a mixed bag, but the biggest victory was a special one: Governor Greg Abbott of Texas signed into law House […]
Explanation of the California Environmental Quality Act or CEQA and how it will affect Drivers
This article first appeared in the NMA Foundation’s Driving Freedoms Magazine Spring 2019 edition. Beyond the rules update mentioned in the article, All Traffic is Local; additional CEQA rules will be coming online soon that could have an even more significant impact on street design. By July 2020, all California cities will be required to […]
Level of Service: Measuring Traffic Congestion
This article first appeared in the NMA Foundation’s Driving Freedoms Magazine Spring 2019 edition. According to the latest census, 85 percent of all Americans travel to work by single passenger car or by carpool. Since World War II, land use and American culture have been built around driving cars from locations A to B. By […]
All Traffic is Local: A Look at Force-Fed Road Diets
This post originally appeared as the cover story for the NMA Foundation’s Driving Freedoms Magazine Spring 2019. Driving can sometimes be a daily grind. But when cities reconfigure the streets you take every day—presumably, to make them safer—that daily grind often seems much worse. The war on cars, for many drivers, is no longer an […]