The transportation industry is making some pretty influential moves. From autonomous cars that save lives to the winner of the Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge – Columbus. Big things are happening.

For this week’s installment of Passport’s Picks of the Week, we’ve pulled trending articles that touch on a variety of topics related to the transportation industry. Enjoy!

People want self driving cars that save lives. Especially theirs.

Driving in an autonomous car that does not have your safety at its best interest is less than ideal. As self-driving cars gain major traction in the transportation landscape, there’s a conflict that takes safety to another level. Let’s say you’re about to crash, you would not want to crash, especially if there’s potential to die. How about this: you’re about to crash into dozens of people, would you rather die or would you rather risk killing a dozen others? That’s a major dilemma. An international research group surveyed 2,000 people with six different surveys to determine if they’d rather risk killing dozens or if they’d rather save their live. The results showed that most people would agree that self-driving cars should save the majority of people rather than just saving one life.

The Real Reason You Don’t Take Public Transit

Look around you. Public transit is everywhere, but the question is do you use it? As the transit industry braces for some incredible transformations, mobile transit apps are popping up left and right. But what’s the most important feature in a mobile transit app? Is it having the ability to track your transit option of choice in real-time? How about planning your trip from start to finish? Maybe it’s being able to pay for your light rail fare completely through your smartphone? In a recent survey of over 150 people, it was determined what riders really want in a mobile transit app and what the biggest reason people do not choose to ride public transportation. Get the full details in the article above…

Columbus just won $50 million to become the city of the future

New technology has given transportation a completely new look. Recently, Columbus won $50 million dollars from the Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge. Out of 78 cities, Columbus will take the reigns on becoming the city of the future. In the city’s proposal, they want to add electric vehicles, autonomous shuttles, bus rapid transit, and platooning trucks. These advancements will better the city, but the smart traffic lights, which will turn green just for citizens, will save energy. The competition’s main argument “is that, just like education, housing, and health care, transportation is at the heart of this country’s inequality problem.” As the city gains major funding, we’re excited to see how they’ll utilize it to better their city.

Pay With Your Phone: The New Barter System

Paying with your phone is popular. There’s no doubt about that. As times change, is it really becoming the new barter system? It’s certainly looking like it. Recently, mobile payment technology has been increasing connectivity, as well as possibility. For better or for worse, we’re all a little addicted to our smartphones, especially when we have the convenience to handle many of our daily tasks. The evolution of payments has come a long way. From the first credit card, the Diners Card, to VISA, MasterCard, and now mobile payment technology – the times are changing and smartphones have taken over. Take the Miami Heat’s ‘fan experience’ app, for example. Not only can users purchase their game tickets through the app, but they have the ability to tailor their experience based on the preferences they’ve selected. Smartphones are changing the way we connect, communicate, move, and more…