7 ingenious ideas for the future of urban transportation

City of Columbus/US Department of Transportation

Companies around the world are currently revolutionizing transportation technology. Elon Musk's Hyperloop promises to cover hundreds of miles in less than an hour, and companies are pouring money into autonomous cars.

But local governments are also playing a huge role in the future of transport.

On June 22, the city of Columbus, Ohio won the US Department of Transportation's Smart Cities Challenge, which solicited proposals about how to revolutionize cities' transportation infrastructure through tech. Columbus beat out six finalists and 78 total applicants, earning the city a $40 million federal grant and a $10 million donation from Vulcan, a company started by one of Microsoft's cofounders.

Each city's plan presented a future radically different than their current situation. Many of them sought to solve problems in underserved neighborhoods, whether by shuttling commuters to workplaces more efficiently or easing traffic and pollution along cities' busy corridors. 

Here is each finalist's vision for the future of transportation in their city.

See the rest of the story at Tech Insider