The past 50 years for transit innovation have been relatively stagnant. Community development in the United States since World War II is best defined with two words: urban sprawl. Streets, houses, and commercial buildings are constructed with car usage in mind, thus stretching out communities and further compounding transit’s problem of connecting people to where they need to go. To … Read More
The Convenience of Asynchronicity Has Us Out of Sync
Prior to my kids learning from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, I had never heard of asynchronous learning: a term used to define learning that happens at different times for different students, enabling them to design a learning schedule that best meets their educational needs.
The Definitive Glossary of Transit Terms
As with most industries these days, transit is evolving. Technologies are emerging, new mobility options are becoming available, and people are moving more freely than ever before. From bikeshares to buses, to scooters and autonomous vehicles, it can be hard to keep up with the new and exciting developments happening in the world of transportation.
Race and Place: Who Do We Plan For?
Most planners have an aspiration toward placemaking: we dream of quaint public squares where residents can walk to local businesses as streetcars hum past tree-lined sidewalks. We dream of the “15 Minute City”, of cheerful connected places where community and opportunity thrive in abundance.
Doing More with Less: Art or Science?
During the last week of October I attended the Rail~Volution transit conference. While the sessions were timely, insightful and thought-provoking, I couldn’t help but notice the eight-ton elephant in the room: COVID-19. Even when we don’t talk about it, COVID is present. However, there was one session that widened my perspective on the private sector’s role in community planning in … Read More
Meeting of The Minds Webinar: Responding to COVID-19
This content was originally published on MeetingoftheMinds.org.
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
On Leadership During COVID-19
As is often the case in a calamity, the reason for the calamity and the barrier to success has not been a technical one, but instead one of leadership. While we watch some communities and leaders in our nation and world come together to fight back effectively against COVID-19, there are other communities and leaders that haven’t done as good … Read More
Brave New World: A CoMotion LA Recap
CoMotion Los Angeles was billed as “The Global Laboratory of Future Mobility.” This lofty, aspirational idea turned out to be more than just a toothless marketing tagline, as the organizers of CoMotion and the city of Los Angeles are both putting their resources to work making the new world of mobility a reality. Minutes into the introductory keynote speech of … Read More
Supply Begets Demand…
In my first job after college, I walked to work every day. At that time, I worked at the UNC General Alumni Association, in the heart of the Carolina campus, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful college campuses in the world.
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
Creating Vibrant Cities: Going Above and Beyond Traditional Transportation
Last week several members of the TransLoc team traveled to New York City for the 2019 ACT International Conference. This year’s conference brought together over 650 professionals from across the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe to discuss a wide range of transportation topics and solutions to enhance mobility in communities worldwide. There were 40 educational sessions focused … 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
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.
Microtransit Puts Opportunity Within Reach
This is probably one of the most exciting things that’s happened in public transit in my lifetime. We’re creating the future.” – Mayor Jeffry Wosje, Plymouth, Minnesota. Midsize metropolitan areas are growing, and traditional transit is struggling to serve those rapidly growing populations and shifting demographics. In rural areas, fixed-route buses are often limited or non-existent, impeding access to opportunities … Read More
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.
Campus Transportation Redefined
Over the past 15 years TransLoc has worked with campus parking and transportation departments across the United States. In this time we’ve had exposure to very unique environments – in service setup, delivery, needs, and roles. We’ve also witnessed an evolution take shape; one that is observable at an industry-wide level. This evolution centers on creating and delivering mobility services … Read More
Three Ways Agency-Owned Microtransit Can Be Better for the Environment Than Uber or Lyft
Uber was founded ten years ago, and has long since become a household word. The widespread adoption of TNCs (Transportation Network Companies) like Uber and Lyft has disrupted mobility in American cities, and has set new consumer expectations of transportation convenience. Studies of the impact of TNCs have found quite a few things to be concerned with, not least among … Read More
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.
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?
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
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