Transportation

The unofficial competition to put driverless taxis on the road is picking up speed. Zoox opened a production facility this week in California’s Bay Area. Waymo already offers paid rides in a few cities.

A Lexington-area school district is proposing to replace paper packets used by bus drivers with tablets and hardware that can map routes, give audio directions and make sure students are on the right bus.

Their proportions and weight mean heavy-duty trucks cause an outsized amount of damage to the nation's roads, experts said. Road usage charges could help introduce fairness and equity into how vehicles are charged.

Federal proposals to end purchase incentives for electric vehicles, and a presidential halt to California phasing out gas-powered cars, are rattling that transition, but may not halt it, experts said.

Personal data from more than a quarter-million Texas Department of Transportation reports was accessed improperly through a compromised account. It originated in Crash Records Information System documents.

Competition for curb space from cars, delivery trucks, bikes and scooters is high. Adjusted pricing models, high-tech monitoring and better compliance will create more useful, dynamic space on urban streets.

Collectively, U.S. transportation services have cyber preparedness work to do, according to a recent study. Individually, they are hardening their postures; an Illinois state pilot offers locals consulting and training.

The Texas airport, poised for what could be its busiest summer travel season ever, has deployed Enhanced Passenger Processing. It uses biometric facial screening to automate identity verification for international passengers.

Officials this week approved contributing $1.75 million in state transit funding to the $3 million project. That means driverless Ford passenger vans are a go, in a 12-month trial with Florida-based company Beep.

Micromobility offerings in Columbus, Ohio, and Washington, D.C., will soon include electric cargo bikes capable of transporting up to 100 pounds. More device types and expanded infrastructure are intended to drive usage.

In working with Kyndryl to replace its mainframe with the company’s MAX platform, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles looks to give visitors more options and have staff handle complex tasks.

The state will continue to offer clean car and charging tax credits, an Environment Department spokesperson said. This follows voting by federal lawmakers to overturn a series of electric vehicle waivers in California.

Bus driver shortages and new concepts like school choice, offering a range of potential campuses, pose new challenges for school transportation planners. Digital route-planning tools with artificial intelligence can address both.

A project to connect Union Station in Los Angeles to Dodger Stadium via a mile-long gondola run aims to be done for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games. A similar aerial initiative is moving forward in neighboring Orange County.

The autonomous vehicle firm, a sister company to Google, will begin road trips this summer to test and explore its offerings in Houston, San Antonio and Orlando, Fla. In Houston, about 10 vehicles will be on the road.

The state wants to improve the customer experience for people who use the DMV, as well as boost security against digital criminals. This move is just the latest tech upgrade for DMVs in the U.S.

The private-public partnership has named its latest cohort. The companies now will set out to prove they can improve schedules, maintenance and inspections for the metro area’s transit system.

Technology continues changing our travel. Officials at Boston Logan International Airport are testing artificial intelligence to help travelers sort trash, and they’re eyeing remote terminals, with off-site security checks.