Local Government

Before the coronavirus sparked shutdowns throughout North Texas, Dallas city officials greenlit a pilot program in which library patrons could borrow a mobile Wi-Fi device for up to a month.

Electric scooters could finally hit Seattle streets, more than a year after Mayor Jenny Durkan said she was open to allowing the devices that became commonplace in cities like Portland and Austin.

Electric scooter businesses in Vancouver, Wash., are seeing a rise in demand amid the pandemic. Zoot Scoot and Rev Rides are two local businesses giving customers the option to take to the streets on scooters.

Massachusetts sees blockchain as a promising tool for governments of the future. The state is now offering a training program to help local leaders wrap their minds around the possibilities of the technology.

With the start of the school year just weeks away, Philadelphia city officials on Thursday announced a plan to provide free Internet access for 35,000 low-income families who currently lack it.

Chilton County officials say they don’t yet know what information was compromised in the ransomware attack two weeks ago, but around 70 computers were targeted in the cyberincident.

Boulder is trying to attract a dockless bicycle-share provider, one including some electric-assist-style vehicles in its fleet that might be able to partner with a current nonprofit operator in the city.

Transportation tech company Coord is partnering with several cities to launch a handful of curbside management pilot projects. The urban real estate is much sought after in the age of ride sharing and on-demand deliveries.

Officials are increasing the cybersecurity stance of the borough after it fell victim to a ransomware attack in April. Protections include an additional layer of security with an onsite backup of its computers.

Minneapolis is expected to vote on a proposal that would allow two vendors to deploy scooters as soon as July 1, even as the issue over whether they will be required to have locking devices remains unsettled.

An Oregon city has paid out a ransom to hackers who took its computers hostage recently, becoming the latest in a recent string of communities to get caught in an apparent upsurge in cyberattacks.

The city was forced to take its network offline as a means of containing the malware attack after it was discovered Thursday morning. Officials say the incident is being investigated by state and federal authorities.

The city of Ann Arbor has renewed its agreement with Spin Inc. to bring its electric scooters back to the streets. The company has created a sanitation plan to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

The ransomware attack against Rio Arriba County was first discovered earlier this week. The incident encrypted network servers, electronic files, and databases. The extent of damage is under investigation.

Using a collaborative, fast-paced development process, the city’s public works created a way for residents to open up neighborhood streets for safe and healthy exercising while maintaining social distancing.

A fleet of remote-operated scooters is being deployed and tested in Peachtree Corners, Ga. The pilot program was set to launch earlier this year, but the novel coronavirus delayed those plans.

Planned to start in August or September, the pilot will start with about 400 to 500 stand-on scooters, 200 bicycles and 100 sit-down scooters. The pilot will take place in the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods.

The Bernards Township, N.J., computer system was breached by a ransomware attack that was discovered Monday night that caused the township’s website to go offline, the mayor and administrator said.