Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities initiative will support 25 US cities leading the way in reducing emissions and building more prosperous communities.
Smart Columbus will receive $15m of the city’s American Rescue Plan Act funding while Franklin County will contribute $5.2m to further support the initiative.
The order for additional zero-emission buses follows Cota’s previous purchase of 14 battery-electric Xcelsior Charge NG transit buses announced in January 2023.
The projects support clean energy targets to achieve 200MW of municipal on-site solar by 2030 and 100 per cent municipal clean energy procurement by 2030.
With their Transit account, GCRTA riders can use a single app to also pay their fare in Columbus, Dayton, and more than 65 cities across the US and Canada, as well as access bikeshare and other integrated services.
There is another side to smart city projects and initiatives that cities and authorities must prepare: ensuring that they have a workforce with the right skillset to meet the challenges that climate change is bringing to cities.
The Empowered! programme, aimed at residents of 18-24 years, will provide training and on-the-job experience to provide skills and knowledge needed to be a competitive candidate within the clean energy sector.
It will deliver connectivity and consulting services and connect customers with companies that provide applications in areas such as smart lighting, parking and waste as well as digital kiosks.
Action plan was developed with input from residents, environmental advocates and the business community, and outlines mitigation strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Five of the eight grant-funded projects will be sustained by the City past the term of the grant, making new mobility tools available to travellers as mobility behaviours rebound post-pandemic.
The cities chosen are considered to have come up with the boldest urban innovations emerging from the pandemic with the challenge aiming to spread the most promising ideas.
The collaboration brings together vehicle and infrastructure sensor expertise to improve safety and efficiency throughout transportation networks nationwide across the US.
Continental’s solution uses radar and data visualisation to give a clear picture of pedestrian and vehicle traffic patterns, uncovering potential opportunities for traffic flow and safety improvements.
Smart mobility hubs, connected vehicles and the re-commissioned Linden LEAP aim to improve mobility and road safety as well as provide community food support.
Operating in the South Linden neighbourhood of Columbus, the Leap (Linden Empowers All People) shuttle will seek to close first-mile/last-mile transit gaps.
The global consulting firm is launching a new Industry X.0 Studio to help accelerate the development of smart connected products and services “from months to weeks”.
The ride-sharing company wants to help users unlock the transportation options in their city by enabling them to see all ride options from within its app.
At first glance, theme parks and smart cities may seem very different but behind the scenes, there could be a lot to learn about visitor experience and design, says Bill Coan, ITEC Entertainment.
Siemens Mobility and Bytemark are working with the Ohio city to integrate new technology into the Smart Columbus Operating System for a frictionless customer experience.
Green offers insights into why technology is not an end in itself and how cities can be “smart enough,” using technology to promote democracy and equity.
The mass transportation system will visit Columbus, Arlington and Kansas City and other unnamed cities to give local communities a chance to see the technology first-hand.
Smart Columbus has chosen intelligent transportation system provider Kapsch to oversee the integration of the environment, designed to improve safety and mobility.