Transit Tech Lab: Regional transportation agencies pilot innovative tech to restore confidence in public transit, meet clean energy goals

Ten finalists for the COVID-19 Recovery and Environmental Sustainability challenges, a global competition calling for technologies to improve public transit safety and meet clean energy objectives, were announced by the Transit Tech Lab.  

Selected from nearly 150 applicants, the 10 finalists’ solutions will use emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision and LiDAR to improve the public transportation experience for millions of people in the tri-state area. 

“Public transit is the backbone of the tri-state economy, and its efficacy, safety and resilience are of paramount importance,” said Senior Vice President of Innovation at the Partnership for New York City Natalia Quitero. “The Transit Tech Lab is committed to providing cutting edge tools to restore riders’ confidence and support a sustainable future. Previous winners have deployed tools that improve service and the customer experience. We look forward to seeing the results of this year’s program.” 

The companies chosen will test their solutions over an eight-week period with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) and New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit). 

“Partnering with the Transit Tech Lab finalists gives the MTA the opportunity to evaluate innovative approaches to MTA’s top priorities and challenges as laid out by the chair earlier this year,” said MTA Senior Advisor for Innovation and Policy Michael Wojnar. “Limiting track intrusion, increasing safety in stations, building more resilient infrastructure and improving the efficiency of electric vehicle charging will be important issues for the MTA in 2022 and for years to come. We are excited to see what these firms have to offer, and we thank the Transit Tech Lab for introducing them to us.” 

The first COVID-19 Response Challenge was launched by the MTA and Transit Innovation Partnership in 2020 and led to eight productive collaborations with the MTA, the Port Authority and NJ Transit. The call for applications for this year’s COVID-19 Recovery and Environmental Sustainability challenges launched in January 2022, with the goal of ensuring customers and employees feel safe, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and making transit more responsive to the needs of New Yorkers.   

“We are thrilled to once again be partnering with Transit Tech Lab to test out innovative and sustainable technology across our facilities,” said PANYNJ Chief Technology Officer Robert Galvin. “As the first transportation agency to embrace the 2018 Paris Climate agreement and the first to commit to net zero emissions by 2050, we are eager to work with these finalists to pilot new technologies that will not only enhance travel for our customers but will help to modernize our infrastructure processes and contribute to our overall environmental goals.” 

Lookman Fazal, chief of information and digital technology, NJ Transit, added, “NJ Transit is proud of our continued partnership with the Transit Tech Lab and we are excited to work with these finalist teams to harness innovations and cutting-edge technologies from the private sector. We are always looking to leverage the newest technologies to improve safety, service and the customer experience.”   

The 2022 COVID-19 Recovery finalists

Company: Blyncsy (Salt Lake City, UT) 

• Technology: Catalogues roadway infrastructure and conditions, including pavement markings, obstacles, and roadway deterioration to facilitate maintenance.  
• Primary Partner Agency: PANYNJ, NJ Transit 

Company: Clarifai (New York, NY) 

• Technology: Uses machine learning and computer vision software to identify track intrusions, unsafe behavior in stations, and passenger flows. 
• Primary Partner Agency: PANYNJ, New York City Transit (NYCT) 

Company: Invision AI, Inc. (Toronto, Canada) 

• Technology: Uses existing cameras and AI vision systems to create real-time 3D digital twin of transit stations. 
• Primary Partner Agency: NJ Transit 

Company: Quanergy (Sunnyvale, CA) 

• Technology: Uses LiDAR hardware paired with analytic software to provide a digital twin of any space. The digital twin can report unsafe behavior, offers object detection and passenger flows. 
• Primary Partner Agency: NYCT, Metro-North Railroad (MNR) 

Company: Zensors Inc. (San Francisco, CA) 

• Technology: Uses artificial intelligence to capture actionable data from existing hardware and cameras to provide operations visibility and address problems that range from overcrowding to fare evasion. 
• Primary Partner Agency: NYCT, MNR 

The Environmental Sustainability finalists

Company: Gridmatrix (San Francisco, CA) 

• Technology: Uses software to interpret video footage on roads, enabling agencies to understand traffic patterns, unsafe intersections, and emissions. 
• Primary Partner Agency: PANYNJ 

Company: Microgrid Labs Inc. (Boulder, CO) 

• Technology: Enables planning for a fast, smooth and cost-effective transition to electric fleets through SaaS-based modeling, simulation, and optimization software, EVOPT. 
• Primary Partner Agency: NJ Transit 

Company: Runwise Inc. (New York, NY) 

• Technology: Uses wireless technology and web-based software to operate heating and water systems more efficiently and help cut utility costs.  
• Primary Partner Agency: PANYNJ, MNR  

Company: StormSensor (Seattle, WA) 

• Technology: Provides cost-effective stormwater/climate-data and analytics to prevent flooding, simplify monitoring, and streamline maintenance and response. 
• Primary Partner Agency: PANYNJ, MNR, NJ Transit 

Company: The Mobility House (Belmont, California) 

• Technology: Enables intelligent integration of electric vehicles with the grid while minimizing charging costs. 
• Primary Partner Agency: NYCT