Denver’s crowdsourced data platform asking people to indicate traffic hazards has garnered more than 2,200 responses since its March 6 launch. Sixty-one people were killed in traffic-related deaths on the streets of Denver in 2016. To redress the issue, Denver is participating in Vision Zero, a program where cities use data analytics to prevent transportation-related injuries.
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has declared April to be Information Technology month in order to bring attention the state’s IT efforts and increase the IT workforce.
Two years after the launch of its What Works Cities national initiative, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced its new Smart City certification. The What Works Cities Certification seeks to support local leaders in leveraging Smart City best practices, as well as reward achievements and provide a clear path to success.
A bill proposed in the Florida legislature would take away the authority of the Agency for State Technology to oversee statewide IT projects, which could ultimately drive up costs, according to Eric Larson, chief technology officer at AST.
L8NT recently launched a new software product to help law enforcement agencies recover stolen Wi-Fi devices.
The Government Accountability Office this month released a report indicating that the Department of Veterans Affairs had made limited progress to improve its health care since being added to the high-risk list in 2015. This limited progress led GAO to keep the VA health care system on the 2017 list for concerns over timeliness, quality, and safety of veterans’ health care.
The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative’s program to improve the state’s broadband connectivity will continue despite its contractor’s sudden declaration of bankruptcy, according Brian Noyes, Mass Tech’s director of research and communications.
The RAND Corporation released a study on the costs of direct-to-consumer telehealth services. The study found that direct-to-consumer telehealth may actually drive up medical spending rather than reduce costs, due to the increased convenience.
CityGrows is a cloud-based workflow and transparency platform for local governments. With a focus on helping governments transition from paper-based processes to a digital platform, CityGrows improves the experience of interacting with public services for constituents and government employees, while also increasing public access to information about how government works.
Cities need to develop open data policies, but that’s easier said than done. The Sunlight Foundation, a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that uses technology and policy analysis to improve government transparency and accountability, recently released a free Open Data Policy Wizard.
