Listen: KC transportation leaders examine Smart City, Hyperloop, smart pavement
May 2, 2017 | Meghan LeVota
Judging by the popularity of our recent Hyperloop One coverage, the future of transportation has become a hot topic in the metro.
It’s crazy to imagine that, in the near future, we may be living in a world of subsonic rail travel, smart pavement and autonomous vehicles. But before we get too excited about the possibilities, it’s important to check in on where we are now. Government and business leaders alike are currently paving the way for transportation innovation in Kansas City and beyond, but there are many details to sort first.
For the April Innovation Exchange, we dove into the exciting new developments within Kansas City transportation. Touching on ridesharing, Hyperloop One and other futuristic transportation options, Startland editor Bobby Burch held a fireside chat with a variety of local leaders purveying and adapting to rapid changes in how people move from place to place.
Joining in the discussion were: KCMO chief innovation officer Bob Bennett; KC Streetcar Authority Board member Matt Staub; Mid-America Regional Council principal planner Amanda Graor; Integrated Roadways founder Tim Sylvester; and Think Big Partners’ transportation and mobility advisor Hunter Johnston.
If you missed the event, listen to the podcast below. During the discussion, Bob Bennett shares what to expect from phase two of the city’s Smart City Initiative —which just won an Edison Award. Tim Sylvester details why smart infrastructure is crucial to setting up the metro for autonomous vehicles. Amanda Graor explains the nuances of establishing a holistic transportation plan across the Kansas-Missouri border, and how to seamlessly provide mobility to citizens. Matt Staub also explains successes and failures of the streetcar and Hunter Johnson shares the implications of inevitable mass autonomous vehicle use.
The Innovation Exchange is a monthly event put on by Startland News in conjunction with Think Big. It aims to create community conversation and provide context on news in Kansas City’s entrepreneurial community.
Featured Business
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Next KCMO mayor needs this personality trait to build trust, Sly James says
The role of mayor doesn’t always require being “the lead dog on the sled,” said Sly James. Rather, it’s an opportunity for a bridge between those knowledgeable enough to make change, the outgoing KCMO mayor added. “I sit in a position where — let’s say generally, not always — when I call, people call me…
KCMO mayoral vote: Confused? Undecided? Seven FAQs for those still on the bubble
Amid nearly three dozen Kansas City mayoral candidate forums, Startland readers raised a round of questions — some easy to answer, others loaded — but each invested in seeing who will emerge from the shadow of popular, bow tie-wearing mayor, Sly James, to lead KCMO. Here’s a breakdown of the most frequently asked questions about…
Candidates agree: KCMO needs an entrepreneurial mind in the mayor’s office … but what does that mean?
Kansas City was born of an entrepreneurial spirit, said Steve Miller. “We were all in the spirit head of the Westward Expansion, and [were] entrepreneurs from the very beginning,” said Miller, candidate for the Kansas City, Missouri, mayor, last month during the StartupKC Small Business and Entrepreneurship Mayoral Forum. “We need a mayor that has…
Liberty-based CAPE Industries scores $1.45M round, ‘global reach with a home base feel’
A commitment to Kansas City shouldn’t limit a company’s reach, Allen Gibson said on the heels of a million-dollar-plus funding round, successfully closed Tuesday by his startup, CAPE Industries. “This is a global product. We have a global team [put in place] and we’ve organized from Day 1 to be a global company based in Kansas…