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
Only five of 40 KC startups make the cut for InvestMidwest VC pitch forum
InvestMidwest has whittled down the applicants for next month’s venture capital forum, announcing five Kansas City area companies will take the stage at the premier pitch event. Thirty-six fast-growing startups overall — representing 15 Midwest, East Coast and Southern states — are expected to present to venture capitalists, corporate investors, private investors and other key…
San Francisco FinTech firm bringing 150 new jobs to KC; TrueAccord invests $1.34M
A Silicon Valley startup founded by tech veterans announced today a new 12,000-square-foot shared services operation in Lenexa, pledging 150 new jobs as part of the $1.34 million TrueAccord investment. Selecting the Kansas City metro for the project followed a thorough nationwide search, said Sheila Monroe, chief operating officer of TrueAccord, an automated debt recovery platform…
Young brains rewired by non-stop screen time in classrooms, neurotherapist tells district
[Editor’s note: The following is part of a limited Startland series, exploring parent advocates’ objections to 1:1 technology initiatives, which typically put a tablet device in the hands of each student and are popularly used as classroom innovation models across Kansas City and the nation.] A rise in ADHD diagnosis and increased risk of suicide…
Mother stresses lack of parental consent for school devices amid privacy, development worries
[Editor’s note: The following is part of a limited Startland series, exploring parent advocates’ objections to 1:1 technology initiatives, which typically put a tablet device in the hands of each student and are popularly used as classroom innovation models across Kansas City and the nation.] Digital dangers are lurking in Shawnee Mission classrooms, as schools…