Since The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1916 began building the Federal highway monopoly:

  • 46% of 400+ ton-mpg freight railroads have been replaced by the 25 mpg efficiency of the Model-T on roads.
  • American transportation networks were locked in place with the oil and coal powered innovations of that time resulting in:
    • Perpetual oil-wars since 1991.
    • Oil-dollars funding terrorist attacks.
    • US Federal debt increasing in tandem with foreign oil imports.
    • Eight US Presidents issuing unanswered calls to actions to end foreign oil addiction.
    • Climate Change.

Between Aug 1, 1918 and 1982 a similar Federal communications monopoly froze innovation, a century of rotary telephones. The Federal courts declaring that monopoly unconstitutional in 1982 and the High Performance Computing Act of 1991 restored metrics based free markets. Millions of jobs were created replacing rotary telephones with the Internet once it was safe to invest in communications innovations in free markets.

Barriers to innovation:

Federalist #62, Madison

"What prudent merchant will hazard his fortunes in any new branch of commerce when he knows not but that his plans may be rendered unlawful before they can be executed? What farmer or manufacturer will lay himself out for the encouragement given to any particular cultivation or establishment, when he can have no assurance that his preparatory labors and advances will not render him a victim to an inconstant government? In a word, no great improvement or laudable enterprise can go forward which requires the auspices of a steady system of national policy."

Advantage burdensome Federal regulations provide to the wealthy over the hard working:

Federalist #62, Madison

Another effect of public instability is the unreasonable advantage it gives to the sagacious, the enterprising, and the moneyed few over the industrious and uniformed mass of the people. Every new regulation concerning commerce or revenue, or in any way affecting the value of the different species of property, presents a new harvest to those who watch the change, and can trace its consequences; a harvest, reared not by themselves, but by the toils and cares of the great body of their fellow-citizens. This is a state of things in which it may be said with some truth that laws are made for the FEW, not for the MANY.

The 5X5 Standard of the Solar Mobility Ordinance restores transportation innovations to free markets based on metrics so networks 5 times more efficient than road pay 5% of gross transportation revenues for non-exclusive use of public ways:

////////////   BEGIN 5X5 Standard of the Solar Mobility Ordinance ////////////

WHEREAS, the Oklahoma Constitution mandates free markets, Article II, Bill of Rights, SECTION II-32. "Perpetuities and monopolies are contrary to the genius of a free government, and shall never be allowed, nor shall the law of primogeniture or entailments ever be in force in this State."

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, To encourage economic development and transportation innovation, the ___CITY__or__STATE___ shall regulate grade-separated networks of self-driving vehicles by the following 5X5 Standard:

    1. Network construction must be privately funded. [[place risk on innovators, not taxpayers]]
    2. Networks must exceed 5 times the efficiency on existing roads (125 mpg or equivalent energy efficiency). [[metric driven]]
    3. Networks meeting the 5X efficiency standard are automatically approved unless rejected in writing, for any reason whatsoever, within 30 days of plan submission. [[remove bureaucratic delays and allow governments to enforce public interests]]
    4. Pay 5 percent of the gross transportation revenues to the aggregate rights-of-way holders. [[compensate the taxpayers for Rights of Way use]]
    5. Operate without government subsidies. [[place risk on innovators, not taxpayers]]
    6. Exceed safety performance of transportation modes already approved for use. [[improve safety]]
    7. Obtain Rights of Way access using the existing Rights of Way policies. [[existing for telecommunications and energy]]
    8. Are designed, fabricated, installed, insured, and inspected in compliance with International, ASTM International F24 standards for Amusement Rides and Devices (Disney monorail standard, Oklahoma Department of Labor). [[existing regulations, existing enforcement, existing common law, existing safety record 10,000 times better than roads (0.9 injuries per million versus 11,200 injuries per million on roads]]
    9. Gather more than 2 megawatt-hours of renewable energy per network mile per typical day. [[sustainable energy supply]]

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