Transit Tech Lab Presents Proof-of-Concept Results: Resilience, Customer Experience, and Curb Activity Challenges
September 23, 2024
By The Numbers
150 Applicants
31 Semifinalists
18 Proof of Concepts
8 Weeks
4 Agencies
Transit Tech Lab Net Promoter Score*
Company NPS: 9.2**
Agency NPS: 9.0***
*Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a metric used to measure customer loyalty and satisfaction with a company's products or services. It is a single-question survey that asks customers how likely they are to recommend the company to a friend or colleague on a scale of 1–10.
**Responses from 17 companies included
***Responses from 20 agency project managers included
Challenge Highlights and Outcomes
Conducted a pre-feasibility study to demonstrate how an innovative cooling solution could repurpose $171,000 of excess heat annually at the Brooklyn Third Avenue Subway Station.
Installed sixteen environmental sensors in twelve MTA facilities to protect workers and critical infrastructure via alerts about extreme heating and flooding.
Proactively informed maintenance needs by installing vibration sensors on three bridges and conducting drone-based thermal energy audits on two administrative buildings.
Identified ten MTA and NJT locations where lampposts could be retrofitted with EV charging capabilities in a cost-efficient way.
Advanced Rail and Transit Solutions, Inc.
PRIMARY PARTNER AGENCIES
New York City Transit, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Advanced Rail and Transit Solutions, Inc. provides an internet of things telematics device paired with LiDAR that can optimize the EV charging process and provide visibility into passenger flows.
Advanced Rail worked with the Port Authority to install two LiDAR devices at Newark Penn Station to provide insights about fare evasion by anonymously measuring passenger flows. If effective, this type of technology could replace the current process of manually surveying fare evasion. If this tracking were done during all peak weekday ridership periods, it would translate into saving 160 hours/week of staff time. Additionally, Advanced Rail worked with the MTA’s New York City Transit to provide positioning guidance to assist bus operators to more efficiently align battery electric buses with pantograph chargers.
FEEDBACK
“In our initial test trial, the bus operator was asked to position the bus under the Pantograph Charger relying solely on the Advanced Rail’s LED indicators without the help of the green/yellow lines and the green box marker that they currently use, and the tests were successful. If effective, this type of technology could aid in bus positioning under the chargers especially during snowy winter times, when the markers aren’t always visible.”
Systems Engineer Manager, Zero Emissions and Fleet Technologies
New York City Transit
AlphaRoute
PRIMARY PARTNER AGENCY
New York City Transit
AlphaRoute provides a web-based optimization tool that augments the performance of legacy paratransit scheduling systems to improve service, maximize efficiency, and generate substantial cost savings.
AlphaRoute applied its routing optimization software to seven days of paratransit service, which covered over 200,000 paratransit trips. The software was customized to incorporate all major operational rules and service requirements. AlphaRoute’s software increased the total number of trips/hour (productivity) by 53% on average, which could reduce the total number of trips sent to brokers by 11.7%. AlphaRoute estimated that if their optimization solution was scaled across New York City Transit’s entire paratransit portfolio, they could save $18M-38M annually by avoiding thousands of additional broker trips per day. In addition, AlphaRoute demonstrated its ability to significantly reduce New York City Transit's daily trip scheduling processing time, routing over 35K trips in under 10 minutes, compared to 40 minutes for the same volume in the current system.
FEEDBACK
“By analyzing the paratransit trips data, the optimization tool was able to rapidly identify potential scheduling improvements and savings in a matter of days.”
Director, Paratransit Scheduling, New York City Transit
Cascara Energy
PRIMARY PARTNER AGENCY
MTA Construction & Development
Cascara Energy is developing a 5th Generation District Heating and Cooling (5GDHC) system using R744 (CO2) that could potentially recover waste heat from New York City subways, providing high-efficiency cooling to the transit system while repurposing the extracted heat to supply low-carbon thermal energy to nearby buildings.
Cascara modeled 12 technical scenarios and performed an economic analysis of its cooling solution at the MTA's Third Avenue Subway Station on the L line. Their analysis found that they could reduce platform temperatures at the Brooklyn Third Avenue Subway Station and sell $171,000 worth of recovered heat annually, or 12,614 MMBtu of heat, which is enough to meet the annual domestic hot water needs of over 1000 households.
FEEDBACK
“There is tremendous potential to recover and reuse heat from our subways, as demonstrated by this POC.”
Senior Manager, Climate Sustainability Planning, Capital Strategy, MTA Construction & Development
CloudMonitoring/REMS Plus LLC
PRIMARY PARTNER AGENCY
MTA Construction & Development
CloudMonitoring/REMS Plus LLC delivers essential data, real-time alerts, and AI-driven analytics for environmental variables to improve maintenance of critical equipment.
CloudMonitoring installed 16 sensors across 12 locations within New York City Transit (NYCT), Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), and Metro-North Railroad (MNR) facilities to deliver comprehensive analytics on temperature, humidity, and water intrusion. Initial data demonstrated the value of real-time equipment monitoring across the three MTA agencies:
NYCT - CloudMonitoring installed six sensors in four subway stations, including temperature sensors, which can be used to provide critical baseline data for planning and climate mitigation capital planning.
MNR - CloudMonitoring installed four water detection and intrusion sensors to track water intrusion at four MNR facilities. While no major water events were detected, the team learned which type of sensor works best in the rail environment. In the future, these alerts could help protect critical electrical equipment and improve worker safety.
LIRR - Cloudmonitoring installed six sensors, including ultrasonic level sensors, to measure flooding in LIRR’s Island Park Station. This monitoring helps establish baselines for storm event mitigation planning with respect to flooding in low lying stations and facilities.
FEEDBACK
“We are excited about the potential of using environmental sensors to provide real-time data on critical infrastructure. This data may also point to longer term trends that can inform Capital Planning.”
Senior Manager, Climate Resilience Planning, MTA Construction & Development
FLX Solutions
PRIMARY PARTNER AGENCIES
MTA Construction & Development, NJ TRANSIT
FLX Solutions manufactures the FLX BOT handheld robot that enables maintenance and inspection in hard-to-reach locations, reducing costly downtime of key equipment.
FLX Solutions worked with 28 MTA and NJT employees to understand which maintenance tasks the FLX BOT is best suited to augment. After shadowing 13 tasks across eight different locations, the team identified two use cases where the FLX Bot could have the strongest ROI: aiding in track-adjacent maintenance work and replacing ladders. FLX Solutions demonstrated the potential to provide a 150% increase in worker efficiency by not needing to pause work every time a train was nearby. Additionally, the extendable nature of the FLX BOT could eliminate the need for ladders to inspect certain hard- to-reach spaces. This could eliminate the added costs of ladder setup and breakdown time, the need for extra personnel to ensure safety, and the risk of worker injury from falls.
FEEDBACK
“Traditional methods involving data collection can be both time-consuming and labor-intensive. We look forward to further understanding how robotic instruments can help rapidly acquire data.”
Engineer, MTA Construction & Development
Intelligent Security Systems (ISS)
PRIMARY PARTNER AGENCIES
Long Island Rail Road, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, NJ TRANSIT
Intelligent Security Systems (ISS) provides under-train and vehicle surveillance systems for automated visual inspection of all types of rail car and vehicle undercarriages.
ISS worked with the Port Authority to demonstrate how their under-vehicle inspection tool (UVSS) could improve the current security checkpoint process for cars entering the World Trade Center. In three weeks, the company scanned over 2000 cars and provided information about the vehicle types, vehicle flows, and average checkpoint passage time, and also screened for undercarriage anomalies. By integrating with existing security databases, ISS increased efficiencies in standard vehicle screening processes. ISS also worked with NJ Transit and Long Island Rail Road to explore how ISS’s software could be trained to detect train defects under rail car carriages.
FEEDBACK
“ISS’s technology complemented our vehicle security screening operation, and the real time data helped improve the visibility of several unknown everyday processing details that are super useful and present an efficiency opportunity.”
Senior Engineer, Major Capital Projects, Port Authority
Irmos Technologies
PARTNER AGENCY
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Irmos technologies provides AI-powered structural assessments for buildings and bridges through the installation of vibration sensors to enable predictive maintenance planning and minimize risk.
Irmos installed a total of nine vibration sensors on three Port Authority bridges—Walnut Street, Cottage Street, and East Kinney Street—to conduct structural degradation assessments and to provide maintenance-specific recommendations. Through real-time monitoring, irmos translated vibrations into structural degradation metrics to expose “invisible weaknesses”. With sensors that can be installed in under 30 minutes, irmos demonstrated how their sensor technology could be an efficient tool to help prioritize maintenance needs.
FEEDBACK
“Irmos was able to successfully demonstrate how their vibration sensors and ensuing data analysis can provide insight into the structural integrity of a bridge in real-time. Their ability to translate vibration data into a suite of leading and lagging indicators has the potential to inform any railroad on the condition of their bridge assets and evaluate remaining useful life.”
Senior Reliability Engineer, PATH, Port Authority of NY & NJ
QEA Tech
PARTNER AGENCIES
Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
QEA Tech conducts building envelope audits using thermography, proprietary AI software, and drones to quantify energy loss and recommend targeted retrofits that maximize energy efficiency and return on investment.
QEA Tech worked with the Port Authority and the MTA to conduct a building envelope energy audit of the Port Authority’s Holland Tunnel Admin Building and LIRR’s Garden City Facility. After successfully completing thermal imaging drone scans and analysis on the two buildings, QEA shared a breakdown of the greatest areas of opportunity for reducing energy loss from the building envelope.
FEEDBACK
“To achieve the Agency's net zero carbon emissions goal, we require significant retrofits to our existing buildings. Drone-based thermal scanning technology and analysis software offers a valuable tool to identify energy-saving opportunities through building envelope enhancements.”
Senior Sustainable Design Specialist, Engineering Department, Port Authority of NY & NJ
Voltpost
PARTNER AGENCIES
MTA Construction & Development, NJ TRANSIT
Voltpost retrofits lamp posts into a modular and upgradable lamppost charging platform powered by a mobile app.
Voltpost worked with NJ TRANSIT and MTA Construction and Development to review sites for a potential deployment of its EV charging solution. The company assessed 273 potential sites for NJ TRANSIT and selected seven locations for further evaluation. Voltpost performed site evaluations at nine MTA locations, and selected three sites for potential deployment. Voltpost projected that they could retrofit lampposts in about an hour and could reduce the cost of installation by approximately 68-92% when compared to a typical EV charging installation.
FEEDBACK
“The future of transportation requires combining a wide range of opportunities. By integrating multiple solutions, the MTA can successfully deliver a better experience for customers by exploring tools that can meet complex needs, including modular construction and electrification.”
Manager, Climate Sustainability Planning, MTA Construction & Development
Challenge Highlights and Outcomes
Demonstrated how real time passenger information can improve customer experience and lessen perceived wait times at three NJ TRANSIT and NYC DOT bus stops.
Launched an American Sign Language (ASL)-translation service for Deaf customers at four MTA and Port Authority locations to improve accessibility of subway and bus stations.
Tested a rewards platform with the MTA and the Port Authority to incentivize engagement and to encourage positive behavior changes with hard-to-reach customer segments.
Prepared an augmented reality (AR)-enhanced indoor navigation experience to help customers navigate transfers at the Port Authority and NJ TRANSIT’s Hoboken Station.
BusPas
PRIMARY PARTNER AGENCY
NJ TRANSIT
BusPas transforms bus stops into data hubs for public transportation and urban planning. The company’s next-generation wayside signage delivers real-time, ADA-compliant passenger information, provides motion-detection lighting, and delivers decision-making insights (e.g., people counting, bus lane violations, shelter cleanliness), in a GDPR-compliant manner.
Buspas integrated NJ TRANSIT real time bus schedules (GTFS-RT feeds) at the West Bradford Avenue bus stop outside NJ TRANSIT Headquarters. In addition, the company developed a pilot scope outlining how their smart bus stop can improve bus service planning and customer experience at six locations:
Bus service planning tests include validating that BusPas’s technology can provide better information about customer wait times, shelter damage, and obstacles in bus lanes.
Customer experience tests include validating that BusPas’s technology can provide audible bus information, real-time bus arrival predictions, detour information, and motion detection lighting.
FEEDBACK
“BusPas is helping NJ TRANSIT identify ways to use bus signs and shelters to improve real-time passenger information, safety, and route planning.”
Deputy CTO – Head of Innovation, NJ TRANSIT
Convo Communications
PARTNER AGENCIES
Metropolitan Transportation Authority, NJ TRANSIT, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Convo Communications transforms interactions for Deaf sign language users into seamless experiences, ensuring communication autonomy with mobile devices.
Convo Communications installed QR codes to enable real-time ASL translation for Deaf customers at multiple MTA and Port Authority locations: MTA's subway Customer Service Centers located at Times Square-42nd Street and 34th St-Penn Station and Port Authority Bus Terminal’s Info Kiosks and ticket booths. Convo shared a promotional video about the service on social media, reaching over 330,000 people in one week with over 400 positive comments. Within four weeks, Convo Communications successfully provided interpretation services for 44 customer interactions. Qualitative feedback captured from these customers highlighted the value of the tool, reporting they felt “seen, empowered, and grateful” for the service.
FEEDBACK
“Providing tools that allow MTA customers who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing better access to the transit system is one of the many ways that technology solutions are impacting our mission of accessibility for all. This type of solution could have a huge impact across the New York region.”
Senior Accessibility Officer, MTA Accessibility
GoodMaps
PARTNER AGENCIES
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, NJ TRANSIT
GoodMaps utilizes LiDAR and advanced computer vision to create accurate digital maps, precise indoor positioning, and inclusive turn-by-turn navigation without installation of equipment or hardware.
GoodMaps completed a LiDAR scan of the Hoboken Terminal which is shared by the PATH, NJ Transit and NY Waterway to support the development of a customized, accessible indoor navigation tool in the GoodMaps app. In addition, the company delivered point cloud imagery and an initial CAD drawing of Hoboken Station. These deliverables support the creation of an AR-enhanced indoor navigation experience to improve accessibility and wayfinding for the 50,000 commuters who travel through Hoboken Station each day.
FEEDBACK
“We are excited to test the GoodMaps Proof of Concept with internal stakeholders and PATH customers. This promising first step will help us along our roadmap to improve Customer Experience and demonstrate our commitment to providing equal access to our system.”
Senior Marketing Analyst, PATH Passenger Services & Customer Experience Division
Urban Solar
PARTNER AGENCIES
NYC Department of Transportation, NJ TRANSIT
Urban Solar provides a battery-powered, real-time bus arrival information and push messaging solution to customers at bus stops where grid power is unavailable or not easily accessible.
Urban Solar partnered with NYC Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) and NJ TRANSIT to demonstrate how its battery-powered bus signs can provide real-time information at two bus stops: NYC DOT’s Broadway/Morris bus stop and NJ TRANSIT’s Raymond BLVD/Raymond Plaza bus stop. The company integrated real time bus schedules (GTFS RT data feeds) from 16,000 NJ TRANSIT and 14,000 NYCDOT bus stops. The company then created a pilot scope to demonstrate how they would use the integration with GTFS RT data feeds to provide real-time passenger information (RTPI), messaging, and dynamic content at scale across all bus stops.
FEEDBACK
“Urban Solar has been great to work with and were able to demonstrate that their product options hold promise for a solution that could work in New York City.”
Director of Transit Planning and Policy, NYC Department of Transportation
Velocia
PARTNER AGENCIES
New York City Transit (NYCT), Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Velocia enables clients to incentivize, subsidize and reward pre-defined rider behaviors based on a pay-for-performance model once a designated behavior has been achieved and validated.
Velocia worked with the Port Authority to establish a trucker ambassador program and worked with New York City Transit (NYCT) to simulate how its survey and rewards platform could change behaviors among employees and riders.
With the Port Authority, Velocia onboarded active trucker ambassadors and collected valuable qualitative and quantitative feedback from hard-to-reach customers. In the future, this information can help the Port Authority make more data-driven decisions about its operations.
With NYCT, Velocia conducted an employee survey with NYCT employees to demonstrate Velocia’s flexible surveying functionality and data analysis dashboard. Velocia also identified 15+ behavior change campaign opportunities to reduce operating costs and increase service reliability. Potential future use cases include using Velocia’s rewards platform to encourage coin-paying bus customers to pay with OMNY, or to motivate paratransit customers to book trips via the MY AAR app.
FEEDBACK
“It has been a great experience working with the Velocia team. They rose to the challenge of our requests and offered new, creative solutions to help us improve customer experience. It has been a pleasure working with their team, who are all professional, timely, and responsive to all steps of the POC. We appreciate all their hard work!”
Manager, Port Efficiency, Port Authority of NY & NJ
Curb Activity Challenge
Challenge Highlights and Outcomes
Evaluated LiDAR and Edge AI Sensors as potential solutions to help automate the collection of curb data.
Performed an assessment of existing data management systems to identify how a curb management software solution could augment and digitize existing curb data inventories.
AIWaysion
PARTNER AGENCY
NYC Department of Transportation
AIWaysion provides an integrated camera, edge computing board, and communication module within one unit to monitor curb parking events using computer vision and AI.
AIWaysion partnered with NYC Department of Transportation to create a pilot scope of work outlining how its proprietary edge AI sensor could continuously monitor and analyze curb activity in real-time. During the pilot, the company will: install and configure its computer vision hardware and software at up to four locations in the Upper West Side Smart Curbs Pilot zone; develop and implement a data collection and validation framework; and, monitor and analyze curb activities such as double parking, commercial loading activity, and micromobility parking. The company plans to demonstrate how its system could be a more efficient method to collect curb activity data when compared to the current manual data capture processes of using time lapse cameras to identify vehicle activity.
FEEDBACK
“NYC DOT conducted a successful field visit of the pilot area with the AIWaysion team to help better understand the existing curbside conditions, along with the requirements and capabilities of the AIWaysion sensor. The team also strategically identified a number of promising installation locations where the sensors could help gather essential curb activity data.”
Senior Policy Advisor for Innovation, NYC Department of Transportation
Appyway
PARTNER AGENCY
NYC Department of Transportation
AppyWay utilizes LiDAR imagery and existing curb data to provide a comprehensive digitized curb inventory, enabling municipalities to fully manage curb regulations, parking permissions, and payments, and unlock net zero mobility.
AppyWay developed a pilot scope of work by assessing 12 existing New York City open data sets, holding three discovery sessions with curb data managers, and completing an in-person practical walkthrough of the Upper West Side Smart Curbs Pilot area. During the pilot, AppyWay proposes to: conduct a LiDAR scan of the Upper West Side Pilot zone; combine this with existing curb data; generate automation techniques; and, create a live granular curbside digital map. The company predicts that this tool will enable a better understanding of parking and loading capacity, improved insights on the current maximum value of curbside space, and the ability to model the impact of curb policy changes.
FEEDBACK
“Having a dynamic, integrated curb regulation system would greatly improve the efficiency of NYCDOT’s curb planning and operations.”
Deputy Director of the Parking Unit, NYC Department of Transportation
Populus
PARTNER AGENCY
NYC Department of Transportation
Populus provides a digital curb management software enabling municipalities to better understand and manage both curb supply and demand. Populus integrates data from parking meters, sensors, cameras, mobile pay, and curb regulation inventories into a robust platform to improve curbside safety and efficiency in cities.
Populus conducted a thorough review of NYC's existing systems and processes by evaluating 12 curb-related datasets, interviewing key stakeholders and users of current curb data systems, and touring the Upper West Side Smart Curbs Pilot zone. Populus used this review to create a pilot scope of work, which outlined a technical integration strategy to combine NYC’s existing systems with the Populus Curb Manager platform. During the pilot, Populus plans to use this technical integration to deliver a dynamic digital curb inventory for the Upper West Side Smart Curbs Pilot zone. This digital curb inventory is expected to save 80 hours of staff time per project by streamlining planning and regulation management.
FEEDBACK
“The ability to easily view, compare, and quantify curbside datasets together in a single place could really open up the Agency’s ability to better address curbside-related issues throughout the city.”
Deputy Director of the Parking Unit, NYC Department of Transportation
Seyond
PARTNER AGENCIES
NYC Department of Transportation, NJ TRANSIT
Seyond provides integrated, privacy-sensitive tracking of vehicles and pedestrians using their proprietary LiDAR sensor, Falcon, a long-range sensor capable of obtaining points on moving objects at distances up to 500m.
Seyond worked with NYC Department of Transportation to define a scope of work to demonstrate how their LiDAR sensors can automatically capture vehicle and pedestrian curb behaviors at two locations in the Upper West Side Smart Curbs Pilot area. In the proposed pilot, the company will demonstrate how its LiDAR-based curb solution can automatically provide anonymous, better-quality data faster than the current baseline practices of data collection. Additionally, Seyond worked with NJ Transit to evaluate and select sensor installation locations for a pilot at Secaucus Junction Station. By monitoring the crowd density for special events and collecting sensor data on crowd movements and behaviors, the company predicts they could enhance operational efficiency and improve passenger experience.
FEEDBACK
“NYC DOT conducted a successful field visit of the pilot area with the Seyond team to help better understand the existing curbside conditions, along with the requirements and capabilities of the Seyond sensor. The team also strategically identified a number of promising installation locations where the sensors could help gather essential curb activity data.”
