NARUC Creates Transportation Task Force to Study TNC and Rail Issues

View as a PDF

For Immediate Release: January 19, 2016
Contact: Regina L. Davis, 202-898-9382, rdavis@naruc.org

WASHINGTON—Responding to a renewed interest in transportation regulation, Travis Kavulla, president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, today signed a charter creating a Task Force on Transportation to be housed within the organization.

Many NARUC member Commissions have jurisdiction over certain aspects of rail safety, as well as often expansive regulation of passenger services like taxis, Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), and limos, as well as moving and garbage companies. The new task force responds to the needs of many States which have seen a renewed interest in transportation issues.

The task force will propose resolutions to NARUC's board and outline the approaches States can take in response to the emerging issues in these industries. To better represent its two primary transportation areas, the task force includes a Working Group on Motor Carriers and a Working Group on Railroad Safety led by Task Force Co-Chairs Commissioners Gladys Brown of Pennsylvania and Ann Rendahl of Washington, respectively.

"New business models in passenger carriage and a number of prominent rail accidents have brought renewed prominence to issues that have not had a lot of visibility for a generation," said NARUC President Travis Kavulla of Montana. "Many State commissions are asking questions about how best to regulate these industries, and while there is no single answer, this task force will provide practical assistance to support States' efforts as they gather resources and information to better serve in the public interest. Both Commissioner Brown and Commissioner Rendahl have extensive transportation experience and we are fortunate to have them lead this task force."

The task force will convene its first meeting at NARUC's Winter Committee Meetings February 14-17, 2016, in Washington, D.C. It will also conduct outreach to related organizations that oversee the regulation of transportation industries which are jurisdictional to States.

NARUC has a long history with transportation issues. It was originally established in 1889 as the National Association of Railroad and Utilities Commissioners. The Association's current transportation-related matters include participation before the Surface Transportation Board in a proceeding focused on reliable rail deliveries of coal supplies to electric generation plants. NARUC also played an integral role in the passage of the Unified Carrier Registration Act of 2005. The recent proliferation of TNCs, such as Uber and Lyft, have created new issues for some NARUC members. Moreover, increasing numbers of NARUC members and member States are interested in monitoring railroad safety issues given the recent increases in crude oil shipments by rail and related derailments.