Transportation funding in San Francisco Bay Area needs more than $13 billion locally for highways and roadway improvement projects, and asking voters for assistance during upcoming elections in November. The MTC (Metropolitan Transportation Commission) is trying to work closely with state transportation agencies to ensure local regional transportation funding is secured for local communities. Local governmental officials and regional transportation districts are encouraging support for funding to key improvement projects.

The Tesla Motors announced developing a battery storage system in Riverside County, California. The battery substation will have a large output of existing lithiumion storage at the facility. The storage facility will have 80 megawatt hours of electricity, and designed to increase electrical reliability as necessary. Tesla Motors company is partnering with Edison to make the electrical battery storage system work as planned. The California PUC (Public Utility Commission) is providing installation directions, and aligned with 2013 PUC provisional standards accordingly.

The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has offered a massive warning for traveling passengers about their smartphones. Many air travelers use their mobile Samsung Galaxy Note-7 phones during traveling, and FAA is highly requesting passengers to not turn-on or charge new Samsung smartphones during airplane flights. Also, keep smartphones out of luggage bags and other carry-on bags because batteries can explode and creating unsafe problems.

Transportation safety matters are number one and/or should be within the decision making process regarding drivers traveling on highways and roadways within San Francisco Bay Area. We shared previously about the dangers of ET-Plus guardrail systems along Bay Area highways and statewide California highways. An advocacy group is highly requesting the removal of all ET-Plus guardrails along state highways because it doesn't protect drivers as it appears. Local San Francisco Bay Area families are suing for death and damages because of the guardrail failures.

Business travelers and tourism in San Francisco and other cities in San Francisco Bay Area has been booming with Silicon Valley technology elements. Sometimes people want to visit and see historic and iconic places within the Bay Area including riding on muni historic transporting vehicles and railway trains. Unfortunately, San Francisco historic muni streetcar trains are shortage of operators, which means, shortage of iconic streetcar trains especially for tourists and local business.

The intention to widen Highway-1 in Pacifica, San Francisco Bay Area has been blocked by a federal judge ruling to save environmental species. The state Department of Transportation (Caltrans) provided federal agencies with incorrect information regarding the highway development project and protecting environmental species during roadway constructions. The federal judge ordered state transportation officials and agency to have a new consultation process with federal Fish and Wildlife officials.

Tesla employees are encouraged to cut back on unnecessary expenses to show profitable cash flow for San Francisco Bay Area automaker. The Tesla CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Elon Musk informed company employees last week, to cut-back and remove any non-critical costing expenditures, and deliver as many cars as possible to have a positive cash flow during third quarter reporting. The company has to raise cash flow as it brings a lower-cost electric car to market before 2018 including the new Gigafactory development in Nevada.

The City of San Jose Mayor, Sam Liccardo, Consul General of China, Kim Becker, and transportation officials offered a welcoming event for Air China later last week before Labor Day holiday. Welcoming the first Air China non-stop flights from Shanghai International Airport to SJC (San Jose International Airport) on Thursday. The Air China non-stop flights will be using an A330 airbus, and SJC new connection routing is the 8th non-stop for the airlines services.

The audit reports indicate falsified numbers of passengers riding muni buses in San Francisco and creating manipulative passenger figures between 2012 and 2015. The regional financial audit reports are provided by MTC (Metropolitan Transportation Commission) and oversee transportation planning in San Francisco Bay Area. The MTC audit findings are provided every three years thereafter audit inspection, and indicates errors with APC (Automatic Passenger Counters) devices that collects data.

The launching of Google ride-sharing program is no surprise to some people because it's turning into autonomous vehicles technical supportive system. Perhaps one day, the Google ride-sharing program will transport passengers using autonomous vehicles in the Bay Area applying the Waze app - robotic transportation operation. The Google ride-sharing program will compete with Uber and Lyft using the Waze navigation app this coming fall, and fares will be 54 cents per mile.