Boston

More than 30 Boston-area public schools are in the process of restricting student phone use on campus. Students and parents said there were "growing pains," but many are happy with the results.

Government and industry leaders are working to better understand how data collection may not effectively document what people with disabilities need. They're improving the process by doing a better job of gathering information.

Boston Public Schools is rolling out new technology that will allow parents to track school bus rides in real time through a mobile app and GPS navigation tablets on board.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in partnership with Cubic Transportation Systems, will introduce new contactless tap-to-ride technology, where riders tap a credit card or digital wallet to pay transit fares.

The university’s dean of arts and sciences sparked controversy last week by listing artificial intelligence among strategies faculty could use to handle course discussions and labs impacted by striking grad students.

Building an AI program is a daunting proposition, but government has to start somewhere. From strengthening cybersecurity to improving 311, a handful of early adopters are finding safe and practical uses.

We run down a list of some of the government actions taking place for the week. Plus, Kansas releases its broadband digital equity plan for public comment, and a research program seeks to advance health equity.

Eight companies that make deliveries to and from the neighborhood will be participating in the Boston Delivers pilot program, which centers on delivering packages via electric cargo bikes instead of cars or trucks.

The Smart Surfaces Coalition will focus on leveraging data analysis through advanced mapping techniques, while helping equip residents with tech solutions like reflective and green roofs, solar energy tools and porous pavements.

Existing data gaps related to the needs of the LGBTQ+ community must be understood and addressed in order for government agencies to equitably serve the needs of constituents regardless of identity.

The city, with the help of a $4 million grant, is looking to establish a new workforce initiative designed to train and get 1,000 Boston residents hired into the life sciences industry by 2025.

Does your local government need a stance on generative AI? Boston encourages staff’s “responsible experimentation,” Seattle’s interim policy outlines cautions, and King County begins considering what responsible generative AI use might be.

Planning to convert its entire bus fleet to electric by 2030, Boston Public Schools this month will put 20 new electric buses on the roads and collect data on route efficiency, operations and climate and health effects.

Mayor Michelle Wu announced that the city of Boston will pay 65 percent of each employee’s MBTA monthly pass of their choice, a significant cost savings compared to the pre-tax discount workers had been offered previously.

The city of Boston could have to pay close to a billion dollars if it decided to build out a fiber Internet network, according to a new “digital equity” study that detailed gaps to access in the city.

GovTech checked in with Boston; Mesa, Ariz.; and Oakland, Calif., to get a sense of what some of the newest things happening in digital equity are across the country, as cities continue to prioritize the digital divide.

Digital equity advocates say this may be the single largest dispersion of federal grant money to one local-level organization in the space, and as such, it may serve as a model for others going forward.

Many residents have no idea what sort of data is collected by the myriad sensors, cameras and other pieces of smart city technology. A new project hopes to demystify the technology through embedded QR codes.