The Beacon Blog
Transportation and mobility are critical to virtually every sector of our economy. But so many people face transportation challenges. Traffic is the most obvious, but safety is a huge issue too: more than 41,000 people a year die on U.S. roads. Most of the improvements will come from technology, but it’s challenging for government agencies to adopt the next generation of technology, quickly.
We write about how technology is revolutionizing the transportation world, how to efficiently and effectively take advantage of all of the new technology, AI’s role in this, and workforce challenges and solutions.
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The Hidden Cost of Traceability
Technology is moving faster than ever – we’re seeing more sophisticated ATMS, connected infrastructure, more flexible interfaces, more powerful functionality. But the way we implement it is stuck in the past. Beacon has a new approach to delivering technology that moves as quickly as we think, takes work off of...
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AI Applications in Transportation
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have far surpassed the science fiction stories of decades past. As panic over the robots coming for our jobs subsides, it has become increasingly clear that AI and ML developments are perfectly positioned to help humans do their jobs better, not replace us...
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ITS America Digital Infrastructure Strategy Report
In September 2023, ITS America and Cambridge Consultants put out a comprehensive report titled: “Digital Infrastructure Strategy Report: Shaping the future of transportation in the United States.” The role of technology in transportation – such as AI, IoT, 5G and blockchain – has grown exponentially, and rapidly – and offers...
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Evolution of freight: 10 things to know
We watched Anne Strauss-Weider’s presentation at the Transportation Research Board 2022 Annual Meeting titled “Evolving with Rapidly Shifting Supply Chains and Freight Systems: The Past, the Present, and the Emerging Future.” Anne so seamlessly connects the dots on how freight has evolved over time, and we have summarized it for...
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When government builds software
This week at Beacon, we listened to the podcast: This Is What Happens When Governments Build Software on Bloomberg Odd Lots. We found it relevant to many of our conversations and have summarized it for your digestion. In the episode, Bloomberg talks with Jennifer Pahlka, founder and former executive director...
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Agile Software in a Hardware World
Government agencies are often responsible for massive projects and public safety — literally people’s lives are on the line. As a result, adherence to strict guidelines and a well-defined plan is often the norm, for good reason. In working with those in transportation, this is definitely the case. Most of...
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