There’s no shortage of facts, opinions and meeting notes about innovation. Everyone wants to do it, but most are not successful. In fact, HBR research suggests that nearly 90% of all innovation labs, teams or projects fail!
Public Transportation After COVID-19
Mobility and transportation have been upended by the COVID-19 crisis. Ridership in major metros across the U.S., Europe, and China has declined 50-90% compared to pre-crisis levels. While stay-at-home orders are being lifted, the global impact of this health crisis will have long-lasting effects, and how transit agencies respond to rider concerns will be crucial in instilling confidence and boosting … Read More
Transit is Evolving
Transit is evolving. Ever since the first time someone said “maybe there’s a better way than just relying on my own two feet,” humankind has sought to move faster, farther, and more efficiently. Fast-forward to 2020 and transit is still evolving. Trends like vehicle electrification innovation, the shifting from fixed to flexible modes, and an increase in public-private partnerships have … Read More
How Bikes Became One of the Best Things to Happen to Feminism
Today we celebrate the ratification of the 19th amendment to the United States’ constitution giving women the right to vote. While voting is arguably one of the greatest equalizers in our nation, women’s mobility — bicycles specifically — liberated women and established greater equality across various domains including fashion and commerce, health and recreation, gender roles and relationships, politics, race, … Read More
Use Data or Lose Everything: Transit Agencies have a Choice
A TechCrunch article from May offers a simple, clairvoyant thesis about the future of the auto industry: “Automakers have a choice: become data companies or become irrelevant.” The message is clear: traditional vehicle manufacturers will no longer have dominant market positions when mobility data, not vehicle hardware, is the ultimate valued commodity. The same can be said not only for … Read More
Microtransit is a Value Investment
“You have to understand the makeup of Montgomery County and how much area we’re serving. We could no longer afford to put fixed route services in those areas, but they’re still going to get better service, through these new mobility options.” – Brandon Policicchio, Chief Customer and Business Development Officer, Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority, Ohio At TransLoc we believe … Read More
A Versatile Mobility Solution
“Existing urban transit modes can continue to operate, but today citizens demand more than simply expanding old systems. They have access to smartphone apps and flexible ride options that have become popular by focusing on ease of use and a great rider experience.” Transit leaders are struggling to overcome the obstacles presented by an increasingly outdated public transit system. As … Read More
The Best Time to Plant a Tree was 20 Years Ago. The Next Best Time is Today.
I grew up on 10 forested acres of land on the side of a mountain on the outskirts of the western North Carolina city of Asheville. My parents built our house overlooking Haw Creek Valley and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our nearest neighbor was a third of a mile through the woods.
Kansas City Paves the Way for the Evolution of Microtransit
“This new transit option empowers customers to make the choice that works best for them. It’s customer-driven transit.” -Robbie Makinen, President and CEO of Kansas City Area Transportation Authority
Mobility Row: Ann Arbor Talks Technology and Innovation
Ann Arbor is a bustling, vibrant town, sporting an exciting blend of campus, commercial, and community life. With the University of Michigan practically growing directly out from the city center, there is a real sense of a thoughtful progressivism and ideas-first culture that pervades and informs citizens’ opinions on a variety of topics, from politics to technology.
How TransLoc is Forging a Company Culture that Promotes Personal Growth
“Company culture” is a phrase thrown around the internet quite often these days. Organizations are competing for the best employees in a fairly tight talent market, and “culture” is a term used to attract that talent.
Embracing Connections at Big Ten and Friends
The Big Ten and Friends Parking and Transportation Conference provided an intimate setting of roughly 100 attendees at Iowa State University (ISU). In addition to learning about and discussing the current state of parking and transportation, the TransLoc team attended a walking tour of campus, learned about our True Colors personality spectrum, and connected with fellow vendors including Spin, RideSystems, … Read More
The Future in Mobility is Here: Three Takeaways from The 2019 APTA Mobility Conference
Technology and partnerships are critical to making access to jobs, healthcare, and entertainment available to anyone who needs it.
It’s All About Partnerships: Findings from NCPTA
Transportation is doing a deep dive on finding ways to implement industry innovation while keeping the rider at the center of the conversation. This month, TransLoc’s business development team attended the North Carolina Public Transportation Association’s (NCPTA) 2019 Annual Conference and Expo in Wilmington, NC. Bringing together over 400 industry leaders from across the state, the conference covered the future … Read More
Four Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Software Engineer
After four years in marketing and graphic design, I enrolled in code school and decided to pivot to software development. While I was ready for the challenge, I faced many unknowns about the path I chose. Here are four things I wish I knew before becoming a software engineer.
The Road Ahead: Lessons from CalACT 2019
At the end of April, the TransLoc team attended the 35th Annual CalACT conference in Coronado, California. We met with innovative transit agencies looking to improve their systems and create a better tomorrow. While we can’t deliver to you the beautiful birds and beaches of the Pacific, we can bear the gift of knowledge. Here’s what we learned at CalACT … Read More
The Optimal Transportation System: A Problem Statement
Have you ever ridden a train on Thanksgiving weekend?Does your commute home begin at 5 p.m.?Do you know someone who isn’t sure how they’ll get to their next doctor’s appointment, or even to the grocery store?
How Transit Continues To Save The Planet
Traditionally, when people think about Earth Day the first image that comes to mind is planting a tree. Thanks to the growing awareness around the rising impacts of climate change, its worsening effects on our daily lives, and the future of our planet, the day dedicated to demonstrating support for environmental protection is evolving.
Safety First: The Importance of Psychological Safety In The Workplace
What is the most important indicator of an effective team? At TransLoc, we believe psychological safety is critical to the success of Agile teams. Agile has been deeply supported by our senior leadership team, especially the promotion of psychological safety to establish a strong Agile mindset. We begin by ensuring cultural fit in our hiring process and paying careful attention to … Read More
Ohio Needs Transit: Transforming Mobility & Redesigning Our Future
Transforming Mobility and Redesigning Our Future was the theme of this year’s Ohio Needs Transit conference. The annual conference is run by the Ohio Public Transit Association (OPTA), and focused on the rapidly developing technology that is directly impacting transportation systems in Ohio and beyond.
The Movement is Growing
As I’ve spent the last several months framing out what would become The Movement Podcast, I found that the most valuable thing I could do was share my ideas with someone I trusted and get their feedback. My policy ideas focused more on how to actually implement policies that benefit communities were half-formed and the discipline of having to explain … Read More
Microtransit Provides an Opportunity to Thrive
Hear from Lauren Marks, Executive Director of The Exceptional Foundation of Atlanta, about how a microtransit service in Gwinnett County, GA is providing service for an exceptional group. I am the Executive Director for a newly established nonprofit called The Exceptional Foundation of Atlanta. Our nonprofit is a private day program for adults with intellectual disabilities. Basically, we are the … Read More
How the Desire to Improve Lives Brought One Urban Planner from KCATA to TransLoc
TransLoc welcomes AICP-certified planner Tyler Means to the team as Senior Project Manager. Tyler comes from one of TransLoc’s transit agency partners, Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA), where he served as Operations Manager. He is passionate about mobility and improving the lives of others by making transportation more accessible and more affordable.
Growing The Movement
Just about a year ago, TransLoc was acquired by Ford Smart Mobility. After spending the bulk of my professional career working at TransLoc in a bootstrapped and then VC rocket-fueled spaceship, we were finally in orbit. We are now a part of a large, multinational company that not only has the resources to play a key role in mobility, but … Read More
Innovation vs. Courage
It’s that time of the year again when the headlines hitting the news are full of hyperbole and dubious practicality generated from the annual paean to the newest technology, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The transportation industry was not spared from the CES headlines with debuts of walking cars and flying cabs.