Colorado transportation bill helps advance Front Range rail plans
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has signed a major transportation bill including a provision allowing creation of transportation planning organizations to exercise the powers of a regional transportation authority — a step toward creation of a Front Range Passenger Rail Authority. Full text of the bill is here. The Denver Post reports much of the bill is aimed at highway projects, with other provisions including incentives for purchase of electric vehicles and air pollution mitigation. It creates a host of new fees, on everything from fuel purchases and car rentals to ride-hailing services, that are projected to raise $5.4 billion by the 2031-32 fiscal year. Those fees begin in July 2022.
Adrian & Blissfield, four other Michigan short lines to change hands
Transportation Holdings, LLC, will acquire controlling interest in five Class III short lines in Michigan, according to a filing with the Surface Transportation Board. The deal coves the Adrian & Blissfield Rail Road Co., a 20-mile line which operates a dinner train on Saturdays, as well as three subsidiaries: the 5-mile Charlotte Southern; 2.5-mile Detroit Connecting Railroad; 1.5-mile Lapeer Industrial Railroad, and 47-mile Jackson & Lansing. They will be the first railroads owned by Transportation Holdings.
Residents receive update on Lac-Mégantic bypass plans
Transport Canada updated residents of the Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, area on plans for a rail bypass around the community devasted by a July 2013 derailment and fire, holding an online session Thursday after meeting with mayors of the city and neighboring communities a few days earlier. The session included final right-of-way plans, including the design of yard tracks in the Lac-Mégantic industrial park, as well as next steps in the land acquisition process. “I am very pleased to have the opportunity to meet with the owners in the virtual session,” Soraya Martinez Ferrada, parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Transport, said in a press release. “This meeting helped me better understand their concerns. Community members can count on my support in carrying out this important project.” Plans are to have the bypass in operation in 2023.
The bill adds new taxes to car rentals. Taxes and “fees” added to car rentals make car rentals almost cost prohibitive unless you can write of the cost to your business. For example, a weekly car rental at Detroit Metro Airport might cost you around $200. Don’t be surprised when your bill at return totals nearly $400. The are airport fees, Wayne County fees, TOT fees, convention center fees, car security fees, stadium fees, state sales taxes, etc. I shake my head every time I rent a car in Detroit.
Want to take Lyft or Uber? This bill adds taxes to those as well.
As the Beatles sing: ” Let me tell you how it will be
There’s one for you, nineteen for me
Cos I’m the taxman, yeah, I’m the taxman
Should five per cent appear too small
Be thankful I don’t take it all
Cos I’m the taxman, yeah I’m the taxman”
CHRIS BOZA – Track One of Side One of “Revolver”, 1966. “Taxman” maybe not their best song, but “Revolver” in my mind their best album. At the moment you posted yesterday I had Side One of “Revolver” on my turntable waiting for me to have the time for it. Got around to it in these past few minutes.
I’m not a huge Beatles fan – just about every song and every album (“Revolver” and “Rubber Soul”) I like is from just two years,1965 and 1966, It’s kind of like two years of BNSF, the earlier and later stuff like UPRR.
Re: Colorado law: This should be characterized as a new” Tax on Transportation” bill. This is NOT innovative government activity; it is not even creative. It is plain old tax more to spend more. It does not take much thought to tax more so you can give appearance of caring. In fact, this is a regressive tax, as bottom half of income earners will not be able to afford expensive electric vehicle replacements. Finally, more highways invite more traffic not less. Cheers
Andrew, this is why Amtrak accounting is science fiction (at best) or (to say what I really mean) fraud. Amtrak is subsidized at all different levels of government – the state and local subsidies counted as “revenue”.