COVID-19 Response Challenge

How can we make transit safer, healthier and more responsive amid the COVID-19 pandemic?

The Brief

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced unprecedented challenges in public transit. As New York recovers and rebuilds, it is vital to reimagine public transit to meet its new challenges. The COVID-19 Response Challenge calls for technologies and approaches that help to make New York's public transportation system safer, healthier and more responsive to customer and workforce needs. Examples of areas of interest include:

Thermal monitoring tools and systems to automatically measure body temperatures
Cutting-edge cleaning materials and equipment such as electrostatic sprayers, new-design air filtration systems, light-based systems and anti-microbial shields
Technologies and approaches that safely remove contaminated aerosols
Approaches to measure and encourage distancing in shared transit spaces
Tools to measure, communicate and mitigate crowding in trains, buses, stations and other shared spaces
Tools and frameworks to identify and communicate potential exposure risks
Tools to measure and support the use of masks and other personal protective equipment
Innovations in personal protective equipment, including contactless vending and fare card machines, mask and shield designs, sanitizer dispensers, and partitions
Approaches and technologies to redesign shared spaces and fare collection in vehicles and stations to encourage cleanliness, health, safety and distancing
Platforms to expand customer feedback and communication opportunities
Autonomous cleaning robots and robotic equipment to support cleaning crews
Secure digital services to further support mental and physical health among transit employees, such as counseling, coaching and self-care platforms
Tools to support remote transit employees such as secure cloud platforms for infrastructure monitoring, situational awareness, operations and service delivery

Apply by August 16, 2020.

Apply Now

How the Transit Tech Lab Works

The Transit Tech Lab enables public transit agencies to rapidly test and deploy innovative approaches to address top-priority challenges. As the New York region prepares to reopen, ensuring the safety and health of all who use and run public transit is critical. The Transit Tech Lab's COVID-19 Challenge provides an opportunity for innovative companies to submit their technologies to subject matter experts in transit, health and technology.

To apply, companies must have a solution that is in prototype phase or later, be legally incorporated and certified to do business with New York State. Each company's application will be evaluated to determine the best path forward, including a proof of concept or pilot, if necessary.

The deadline to apply is August 16, 2020. Learn more in our Frequently Asked Questions section.

Partners

Transit agency participants in the COVID-19 Response Challenge include:

Amtrak
Metro-North Railroad
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
New York City Department of Education Office of Pupil Transportation
New York City Department of Transportation
New York City Transit
NJ TRANSIT
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Timeline

Application Deadline - August 16th
Semifinalist Presentations - September 15th - 17th
Finalist Demo Day - September 18th
Proof of Concept Begins - October 19th
Pilot Starts - January 25th

Judges

In addition to transit agency subject matter experts, private sector and public health evaluators for the challenge include:

Reilly Brennan, General Partner, Trucks Venture Capital
Clara Brenner, Managing Partner, Urban Innovation Fund
Kenneth A. Bronfin, Senior Managing Director & Head of International Investments, Hearst Ventures
Kathryn Cleary, Senior Vice President, U.S. Business Development, Mastercard
Nick Grossman, Partner, Union Square Ventures
Hilary Gosher, Managing Director, Insight Partners
Maria Gotsch, President & CEO, Partnership Fund for New York City
Leslie Henshaw, Partner, Deerfield
Dylan Hixon, President, Arden Road Investments
Peter Meunnig, Professor, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
Brian Yormak, Partner, Story Ventures

Criteria

COVID-19 Response Challenge applications will be judged using the following criteria:

Impact: the submission is workable in the MTA environment, presents a viable, relevant solution and has the potential to improve sanitization, safety, health and/or responsiveness of the transit system

Product: solution is in prototype or later phase and available for live demonstration with metrics and paying customers illustrating product-market fit

Team: applicant has a qualified, compatible team with dedicated financial and technical resources to execute a successful pilot

Value: solution presents a new way of deriving more value from existing transit assets, the ability to allow the MTA cleaning crews to more safely do their jobs, and/or an opportunity to more efficiently manage infrastructure, operations and/or customer service