Keolis Commuter Services, the operating partner for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Commuter Rail, will be piloting NaviLens at North Station and Salem Station. The NaviLens technology helps passengers who are blind or have low vision to navigate stations with a smartphone app. When riders scan brightly colored QR-style codes posted in the stations, the NaviLens app will then help them find the correct platform, provide real-time train information and guide them to exits or other landmarks with audio navigation and haptic feedback.
"The MBTA welcomes and supports every opportunity to make our system easier to access, especially for riders who depend on it most,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “I’m proud of the work by Keolis and our System-wide Accessibility team to provide the new NaviLens technology pilot for riders who are blind or with low vision. The ability to access our Commuter Rail stations with confidence further supports riders’ independence and we look forward to the deployment of this innovative technology pilot in additional stations soon.”
The NaviLens pilot will soon add four more stops on the Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail Line at Lynn, Chelsea, Swampscott and Beverly, Mass. Riders will have the opportunity to learn about the new tool during several pop-up demonstrations at North Station in the coming weeks. Keolis will gather feedback from riders and work with the MBTA’s System-wide Accessibility team to better understand all of the ways that the technology could be used and implemented in support of accessible wayfinding.
“Ensuring that all passengers can safely access the Commuter Rail is a top priority for Keolis,” said Abdellah Chajai, general manager and CEO of Keolis Commuter Services. “NaviLens has the potential to give riders who are blind or have low vision the confidence to independently navigate our stations. We’re looking forward to partnering with the MBTA to pilot NaviLens at several other stations in the system.”
