Last week we hosted our latest US Ignite Forum workshop on smart transportation in Columbus, Ohio. We talked about the impacts of transportation on city planning, the rollout of autonomous and electric vehicles, 21st century parking, and how to handle emergency response for distressed vehicles and their all-too-human passengers.

Following a warm welcome and orientation from our hosts at Smart Columbus, speakers shared model practices – and challenges – across a wide array of mobility projects. Kris Carter from New Urban Mechanics showed how Boston is tackling congestion and parking challenges with an updated parking meter policy that encourages flexibility and raises city revenue. David Young from Lincoln, NE kept things rolling with a look at implementation plans for new autonomous vehicle circuits that will connect university, downtown, and residential areas around the city.

The final session of the day brought with it a tour of a new 2019 COTA bus. With just a few hundred buses, the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) carries 65,000 passengers each day. Recently, COTA lit up a free WiFi environment to serve all local bus shelters, buses, and transit hubs. We visited the newest bus in the fleet and were encouraged to stream a movie or catch up on the news at high speed while still in park.

Interested in the details? Our smart transportation playbook will be ready in early February, right about the time we head to Dallas for our next Forum workshop on smart city connectivity. All Forum playbooks are available online. For more on upcoming events, visit our Forum web page.