As part of the Vision Zero initiative to eliminate traffic fatalities, Boston launched a new collaborative online mapping tool where residents can denote their transportation-related safety concerns. The data from the new tool will allow Boston to better identify patterns and areas for improvement throughout the city. Vision Zero has been implemented in many major cities, and according to a recent piece in Pacific Standard analyzing the results of Vision Zero in New York City, it seems to be working to lower traffic fatalities and improve road safety.

GovTech featured seven new and innovative uses of data mapping by local governments. The featured cities range in size from Manassas, VA to Los Angeles, and the examples include extreme weather responses, streamlined city resources for residents, and air pollution.

CityLab profiled TotalPave, a startup aiming to help cities collect and assess information about the quality of their roads more efficiently using only smartphones. In addition to accelerometer-based road condition assessment, one of TotalPave’s products calculates a Pavement Condition Index value based on straightforward inputs. Being able to perform road assessments more frequently would allow cities to make better-informed investments in maintenance to avoid costly reconstruction.

The Knight Foundation revealed the 17 winners of the Knight News Challenge on Data, all addressing ways to make data more accessible and workable for individuals and communities. The winners share the $3.2 million grant to develop their projects, which include tracking tools for law enforcement accountability, public benefit eligibility, and data quality assessment.

Los Angeles and Xerox launched Go LA, a Los Angeles trip-planning app that integrates all available methods of transportation. Planetizen describes how the app allows residents to make more informed travel decisions and causes people to think about their travel options instead of defaulting to a car. In the future, Go LA plans to launch secure payment methods so that users will be able to plan and pay for their trips all in one place.

GovLab and Omidyar Network published 13 case studies of the impact of open data around the world. Through their new site, Open Data’s Impact, they hope to better document the best practices and tangible impacts of open data initiatives and provide a framework for leaders looking to ways to best release or use open data.