Customer Experience

How can we improve customer experience by better communicating service changes, reducing delays, and augment safety and cleanliness initiatives?

To promote paid transit ridership, NYC regional agencies are seeking tools to enable a faster, more efficient, cleaner, and safer transit experience.

Technologies may include:

  • Tools, including gamification, to encourage paid ridership.

  • Improved methods for customer facing communication to convey schedule diversions, delays, alternative transit options, and onboard train announcements.

  • Tools to improve processing of customer feedback, including processes to manage internal response and more timely communications back to customers.

  • Predictive analytical tools to estimate average outage time for common delays.

  • Tools to detect, prioritize, and maintain safety and cleanliness in stations and vehicles.

  • Improved tools to facilitate paratransit operations including improving the processing and evaluation of paper-based eligibility requests and improving communication of issues relevant to paratransit customers.

  • Tools to help commuter rail lines understand passenger flows and predict customer travel patterns flows to better optimize schedules.

  • Tools to optimize work in the right of way via improving planning, coordinating outages, managing equipment, and prioritizing flagging resources.

  • Augmented reality/virtual reality technologies to digitize safety, operations, maintenance, and construction training.

Challenge Finalists

BusPas

PARTNER AGENCY
NJ TRANSIT

Provides next-generation wayside signage that delivers real-time, ADA-compliant passenger information. The company also uses AI and Computer Vision to provide decision-making insights (e.g., shelter cleanliness). 

Convo Communications

PARTNER AGENCY
Metropolitan Transportation Authority, NJ TRANSIT, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Transforms interactions for deaf sign language users into seamless experiences, ensuring communication autonomy with mobile devices.

GoodMaps

PARTNER AGENCY
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, NJ TRANSIT

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. 

Urban Solar

PARTNER AGENCY
NYC Department of Transportation, NJ TRANSIT

Provides ultra-low power displays that deliver ADA-compliant real-time information and messaging to transit users at bus stops with <10 second latency content updates and dusk-dawn screen illumination while operating solely on battery power for up to 5 years between battery replacements.

Velocia

PARTNER AGENCY
Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

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.

Timeline

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Applications Due

MARCH 25-28, 2024

Pitch Day & Demo Day (In-Person Event)

APRIL 29, 2024

Proof of Concepts Begin

MAY 21-22, 2024

Mid-Point Check-Ins and Leadership Meetings (In-Person Event)

JUNE 25-26, 2024

Final Presentations and Pilot Selections (In-Person Event)

OCTOBER 2024

Pilot Period Begins

Information Session

RECORDED: FEBRUARY 1, 2024, 1:00 PM ET

Learn more about the Transit Tech Lab, the application process, and hear from transit agency subject matter experts.

Resources

MTA’s long term goals for improving customer experiences via accessibility, maintenance, and modernization efforts.

MTA's most recent results from their bi-annual customer survey.

Comprehensive set of strategies to help mitigate fare evasion.

MTA’s plan to reduce track trespassing.

PANYNJ’s strategies for providing world class customer service at airports.

Terms & Conditions

Please review our Terms & Conditions which govern participation in the Transit Tech Lab.

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Access to decision makers

As an entrepreneur, your time is valuable. We understand that you need quick product feedback and access to customers. The Transit Tech Lab facilities introductions to decision makers and cuts through red tape.

Transparent structure

We enable testing with large, hard to reach public sector customers and provide a transparent structure with accelerated go/no-go decisions.

Scalable results

If you can make it in New York City, you can make it anywhere. Participating in the Transit Tech Lab gives your company global credibility to scale your product.

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