MTA, Partnership for New York City name six finalists for Transit Tech Lab

Six technology companies have been selected by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the Partnership for New York City as finalists for the Transit Tech Lab. MTA describes the lab as an accelerator program that will allow tech companies to introduce New York’s transportation agencies to new products designed to improve transit services. 

While the lab will help MTA address some of its more pressing challenges, the ultimate goal of the lab is far more lofty: To help develop New York City into the center of mass transit mobility innovation.

"Through the MTA’s work with the Partnership, we are dedicated to testing and implementing new technologies that will modernize and improve subway and bus service across New York City,” said Pat Foye, MTA president. “The Transit Tech Lab is one example of how the MTA is changing to embrace technology and build a culture of innovation by working with companies that are pioneers in mobility.” 

The six companies will work with MTA personnel over an eight-week period, which began Feb. 25, to customize their products to address needs of the transit agency and its customers. In a statement, MTA and the Partnership explained that the public procurement process, which can be long and complex, does not allow young companies and new products to get a trial run at a cost and pace that they can afford. Nor does the process provide a mechanism for MTA staff to become familiar with the latest relevant technology; Transit Tech Lab solves for both issues, according to MTA and the Partnership. 

"Improving public transit is critical to New York City’s future. We are thrilled that the technology community has stepped up to this challenge and grateful for the MTA’s commitment to innovation,” said Rachel Haot, executive director of the Transit Innovation Partnership.

The inaugural class of lab participants are focused on a range of subway and bus priorities, including reducing cost and subway delays by employing predictive maintenance; deploying a platform for transit network planning; using computer vision to reduce bus lane blockages; applying sensors to address platform crowding; and tools to predict subway delays. MTA will be able to evaluate customized solutions to these challenges at no cost to the MTA. At the end of the eight-week Lab, the MTA can decide to move forward with a one-year pilot of those technologies that are found to offer the best solutions.

The companies selected for the Lab were evaluated by MTA and tech sector experts. They were required to submit working versions of their technologies and to have proven track records of successfully integrating with customers.

The subway challenge called for solutions that better predict and prevent subway delays and reduce the burden on customers. The selected companies are:

• Axon Vibe: A global smart mobility platform that analyzes and predicts real-world passenger travel patterns by leveraging smartphone data. Axon Vibe enables public transport agencies worldwide to deliver personalized and contextual communications regarding transit-related delays, incidents and third-party offers to passengers through a smartphone app, while respecting their privacy.

• Veovo: Uses a mix of sensor technologies and cameras to analyze the number of people in an area. The technology can predict if dangerous crowding conditions in a train station are likely to occur and report it back to transit operational centers to take action.

• Palisade Labs: Based in Brooklyn, Palisade Labs applies computer vision technology to the footage captured by forward-facing cameras on MTA buses to assess the obstructions in dedicated bus lanes. This technology can identify vehicles as well as license plate numbers, which can be reviewed by traffic enforcement authorities. The result is improved bus speeds and more efficient allocation of traffic enforcement resources.

• PIPS Technology, a Neology business, is a leading machine vision technology provider, operating in the transportation and mobility arena. Neology’s expertise is used globally in the detection, identification and classification of unique vehicle characteristics, including license plate recognition, which are deployed in the U.S. and worldwide to solve the most complex transportation issues. Neology’s solutions use forward-facing cameras to assess bus lane obstructions and support bus lane enforcement.

• Preteckt: Delivers predictive diagnostics using the raw sensor data collected by a bus telematics system. Preteckt helps fleets avoid service interruptions and unexpected downtime, while also making it much easier and faster for mechanics to diagnose problems. Preteckt's product not only helps ensure better service for riders but also helps save time and money in fleet management.

• Remix: Helps cities and agencies optimize public transit routes and networks. Remix brings together the entire transportation picture into one platform, including new mobility, bus and subway routes, and demographic and collision data. The platform helps planners redesign streets and transit to ensure populations are being served efficiently and equitably.

The bus challenge requested solutions that help public buses move faster and more efficiently, especially in bus lanes. The companies selected for the bus challenge are:

The Lab is being managed by the nonprofit Transit Innovation Partnership, led by Rachel Haot, and the Partnership Fund for New York City, led by Maria Gotsch. It is modeled after the FinTech Innovation Lab that the Partnership Fund has run for the past eight years and which played a critical role in establishing New York City as a hub for the global financial technology industry. The intention is for New York to become the center of innovation in the rapidly growing field of mobility technology, particularly as it relates to mass transit.