public transportation
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Via's personal ride-hailing will shut down next week
Via is shutting down its ride-hailing services after December 20th to shift its attention to mass transit.
Canada will invest billions to electrify mass transit
The Canadian government is spending $2.75 billion CAD to electrify mass transit systems across the country.
Toronto will test Olli driverless shuttles to boost its transit system
Toronto is exploring autonomous transit by testing Olli driverless shuttles in spring 2021.
Google Maps may offer routes connecting bikes and cars to public transit
Google Maps code hints that the app may soon provide routes that link 'first mile' transportation to public transit.
Intel is reportedly close to buying transit app creator Moovit
Intel is said to be close to buying Moovit, whose transit app know-how could be crucial for self-driving cars.
Via's largest on-demand transit service to date launches in Sacramento
Via just launched one of its most ambitious on-demand public transportation projects yet. The company has teamed up with Sacramento Regional Transit to roll out an expanded version of SmaRT Ride, billed as the "largest on-demand microtransit system" in the US. A total of 42 shuttle buses ferry passengers in nine zones across Sacramento, supplementing the existing bus and rail coverage. Like Via's other services, you just need to use an app or call a number to hail a ride and wait at a virtual bus stop for a shared vehicle.
Uber is adding public transit tickets to its app in Las Vegas
Uber users in Las Vegas will soon be able to purchase public transit tickets through the app. Making it the second city where the service has brought public transit into its fold.
VW will roll out self-driving electric shuttles in Qatar's capital
If you visit Qatar in the next few years, you might find yourself riding in a driverless vehicle. Volkswagen and Qatar have struck a deal that will bring self-driving electric vehicles to the public transportation network in the capital city of Doha before the end of 2022. A total of 35 autonomous ID Buzz vans will carry up to four people each on semi-fixed routes in the Westbay area, while Scania buses will handle larger groups. VW's MOIA and Audi's AID will handle the software needed to run the service.
Transit's Apple Watch app returns after two-year hiatus
More than a few well-known developers pulled their Apple Watch apps in the past couple of years due to technical obstacles or just a lack of interest, but one of those apps has come roaring back. As promised back in September, Transit has re-launched its Apple Watch app after a nearly two-year break -- and with significant improvements, to boot. The popular public transportation tool is now a native app, of course, but it also gives you considerably more detail than just arrival times, including future arrivals and a map indicating where to go. This isn't the only app that can help you take mass transit, but it could be vital if you're racing to catch a can't-miss bus or train.
Google's Waze-like app for public transit hits five more cities
Last year, Google incubator Area 120 announced a public transit app that works in a similar way to Waze. Users of Pigeon report transit information to help others know if they're likely to face delays or other issues. Until now, it's only been available in New York City, but as of today, it's going live in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
Lyft now offers public transit directions in the Bay Area
Lyft's public transit directions are available on the company's home turf. Its app now includes routes, schedules and trip planning for public transportation in the San Francisco Bay Area, giving you an easier way to minimize car use. You can grab a Muni bus after riding a Bay Wheels bike, or save the ridesharing car for the last hop after a Caltrain trip. The company noted that "many" of it most popular bike share stations and ridesharing points in the region are near bus and train stops, making this a logical extension -- this just streamlines the experience for those travelers.
Via's on-demand van service comes to Apple's backyard
Via's on-demand vans have been available in a handful of cities, but now the company is aiming for a particularly obvious market: Silicon Valley commuters. The city of Cupertino and Via are launching an alternative public transportation network on October 29th that will let locals hail a Mercedes shuttle van to travel within the city, including to and from Apple Park -- helpful for staff who want a relatively inexpensive ride to work. You'll also find a "satellite zone" of service around the Sunnyvale CalTrain station to help commuters complete their trips.
Lyft unifies transportation options inside its app
Lyft is countering Uber's moves by making it easier to find every transportation option inside its app -- including the ones that won't give the company a dime. It's rolling out updates that unify transportation searches, whether it's bikes, scooters, rideshares, rentals or mass transit. The standard search now displays every choice within view rather than defaulting to ridesharing, and lets you compare options once you've set a destination. Tabs let you narrow the searches if you're only interested in one option.
NYC's automated subway routing had glitches for 'months' before Friday
When New Yorkers were stuck without access to multiple subway lines for 90 minutes on July 19th, that was really just the culmination of ongoing woes. The City has obtained Metropolitan Transportation Authority reports showing that the NYC subway system's Automatic Train Supervision has been failing frequently in recent months, with 13 failures since June. The technology controls switches and routing on its own, and failures force the MTA to rush out human operators that can offer manual control like they do on most lettered lines.
Lyft adds NYC subway directions to its app
Lyft's support for public transportation will soon include one of the biggest mass transit systems on the planet. The ridesharing firm is rolling out access to real-time New York City subway directions through its app over the months ahead, giving locals a one-stop directory for some of the most common transportation options in town. You'll still have to pay with your MetroCard (or a tap of your phone), but you could use just one app to take a Lyft car to an urgent meeting, the subway for your return and a Citi Bike for the last leg of the journey.
Volvo's self-driving buses and trucks will run on NVIDIA tech
Volvo's self-driving trucks will have some familiar hardware under the hood. The automaker has signed a deal with NVIDIA that will use the chip company's Drive platform to "train, test and deploy" a slew of large self-driving vehicles that include buses, freight trucks, mining trucks and beyond. They'll both build on NVIDIA's hardware platform and use its software to handle everything from sensor data through to path planning.
Samsung Pay will work on some NYC trains and buses starting today
A momentous thing is happening in New York City today: They're finally fixing the subway! Just kidding, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) is rolling out contactless payments for select stations and bus lines. (Because that will address overcrowding, broken air conditioners and aging signal systems!) We already knew that Apple, Google and Fitbit's payment systems would each be supported, and today we're learning that Samsung is a-go too. If Samsung's press release seems light on details, that's because it's the MTA that's charting a course toward a new system that only uses contactless payment methods. The agency's plan is called One Metro New York, or OMNY for short, and today's limited roll-out represents just one early step. The big milestone for 2020 will be enabling mobile ticketing through a forthcoming OMNY app. That move alone would help bring the MTA in line with other public transportation systems, including New York's own Metro North and Long Island Railroad. Looking further ahead, in 2021, the MTA plans to issue a new card that's meant to ultimately replace the yellow swipeable one we use today. That will be available at unspecified retail locations to start, and will expand to vending machines in subway and commuter rail stations by 2022. And, if all goes according to plan, the MTA will retire the swipeable card in 2023. For now, OMNY is only available on Staten Island buses and 4, 5, and 6 stations between Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center and Grand Central. Again, you can use it with other payment systems too, including Apple Pay, Google Pay and Fitbit Pay. It'll also work with contactless credit and debit cards. Check it out if you're so inclined, and remember: be safe, don't look anyone in the eye and avoid the pole-dancing rats.
Fitbit devices can pay for your NYC bus or subway ride
Add Fitbit to the growing list of device makers that will support tap-to-pay in New York City's mass transit system. When the city's contactless fare pilot program starts on May 31st, Fitbit Pay-equipped wearables like the Versa Special Edition, Charge 3 Special Edition and Ionic will let you pay per ride on the MTA's Staten Island buses as well as the 4, 5 and 6 subway lines running between Grand Central and Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center. You could use your watch to track your gym session one moment and get a ride home the next, in other words.
Apple Pay will work on NYC subways and buses starting May 31st
Ever since I moved to New York City nearly ten years ago, I've had to buy physical MetroCards to ride the subway almost every day. But last week, for the first time ever, I didn't have to swipe my card to get trough the turnstile and catch my train. Instead, the entire process was done on an iPhone, thanks to a demo I tried of the Apple Pay Express Transit feature -- one that will start rolling out to MTA subway and bus stations on Friday, May 31st. This contactless system, which also works with Apple Watch, is as seamless as you might expect: You just hold your device next to the screen on an upgraded tap-to-pay turnstile and, within a second, you'll see a message on the reader that says "GO" and you're on your way.
iOS 12.3 code hints at support for more forms of mass transit
Apple's plans to expand support for mass transit now appear likely to hinge around its next big iOS 12 update. Tap Down Under has found code within iOS 12.3 that hints at support for EMV payment cards (think credit cards like AmEx, Mastercard and Visa) within Apple Pay Express Transit, letting you pay for public transportation fares in New York and other areas where EMV is an option. You could set a preferred card for transportation if you don't want to use your usual card for subway rides.
