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NYC wants tech companies to help with its biggest transit problems
Anyone in New York City can tell you that the public transit system, from the subway to the buses, is a mess. Overcrowding, traffic congestion and widespread delays are constant issues that commuters have to deal with. So the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), alongside the Partnership for New York City, is asking for some help, and it has created an accelerator focused on tech solutions to NYC's transit problems.
Los Angeles will be the first US city to use subway body scanners
Los Angeles will be the first US city to start equipping its subways with body scanners. But the Southern California metropolis isn't using the bulky, slow-operating models that populate US airports: Instead, LA's Metropolitan Transit Authority will deploy portable trunk-sized scanners that can survey people from 30 feet away at a rate of 2,000 individuals an hour.
Google incubator's New York City subway app offers Waze-like alerts
Crowdsourced navigation apps like Waze are helpful for avoiding the real-world hazards that conventional apps don't mention. But what if you use mass transit -- why can't you get alerts that go beyond official route closures and delays? You can now, if you live in New York City. Google incubator Area 120 has released an invitation-only Pigeon app for iOS that offers NYC subway directions based both on real-time train positions and user-submitted feedback. If a train faces an extended delay or there's a glut of people at a given station, you can switch lines and stops to make your commute a little faster (or at least, less painful).
New York approves surcharge for Uber and Lyft rides in Manhattan
As part of the budget that New York lawmakers passed last Friday, ride-hailing services and taxis face a new fee if they drive in Manhattan. These aren't nickel-and-dime increases, either: Uber, Lyft and the like face a $2.75 charge for each ride, taxis get a $2.50 increase and group ride services like Via and uberPOOL will be charged $0.75 per customer. It's meant to combat congestion and help fund subway repair and improvements, providing an expected $400 million per year going forward for the MTA.
NYC subways get tap-to-ride turnstiles starting late 2018
New York City's plan to modernize its mass transit payments is getting underway... although you definitely won't want to chuck your MetroCard any time soon. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is greenlighting a hefty $573 million contract that will install NFC-equipped fare systems across NYC. The plan should start installing readers in 600 buses and 500 subway turnstiles starting in late 2018, so you may tap your phone or card sooner than you might have thought (there was talk of a rollout in 2021). The rollout won't reach every corner of the city (plus Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North trains) until late 2020, though, so it won't be consistently convenient for a while.
Subway hopes touchscreens will bust up its sales slump
It couldn't be that their bread used to contain the same chemicals as yoga mats. It certainly isn't the fact that their high-profile spokesman of 15 years is now serving 15 more in federal prison on charges of sex with minors and child pornography. No, no, no. Obviously the reason that Subway's sales have been in a three-year slump, one of the worst in company history, is that their restaurants aren't sufficiently high tech.
All NYC subway stations will have cell service by January 9th
When officials recently vowed that all New York City underground subway stations would have cellular coverage sometime in early 2017, they weren't joking. Governor Cuomo has revealed that all active stations will have service from AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon on January 9th. That's on top of WiFi, which went live just before 2016 came to a close. The only exceptions are four stations that are either in mid-renovation or about to go through renovations, but they'll have live service as soon as the makeovers are finished.
All New York City underground subway stations now have WiFi
Officials vowed that all of New York City's underground subway stations would have WiFi by the end of 2016, and they're meeting that goal... if only at the very last minute. As of New Year's Eve, every one of the 279 stations now has internet access thanks to Transit Wireless. WiFi is a long time in coming (the first stations went online in 2011), but it's important if you either have spotty phone reception or a WiFi-only device that would otherwise go dark.
Transit's app now tells you when to hurry for the bus
Sure, your existing phone apps can tell you when to catch the bus and when to hop off, but public transportation fans know that's only half the story. What if the driver is quicker than you expected, or a delay ruins your subway connection? Transit might just save the day. It's updating its Android and iOS apps with a Go routing feature that could take some of the uncertainty out of commuting. You'll get on-screen and voice notifications when it's time to head out or disembark, but it gets truly interesting when things go haywire. Transit will tell you to hurry up if your departure time suddenly skips ahead, create a new itinerary if you miss a ride and warn you if a bus takes a surprise detour.
New York: Don't use your Galaxy Note 7 on the subway
Samsung just can't catch a break. On top of aviation regulators and safety officials warning against using pre-recall versions of the Galaxy Note 7, New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority now says that Note 7 owners are "urged" against using or charging their phone on buses and trains. You should turn it off before entering the station, the MTA says. This isn't a formal ban, but it's safe to say that you'll be a persona non grata if the Authority catches you using the fire-prone handset on the subway.
'Brand New Subway' game lets you redesign NYC transportation
Despite the robustness of New York City's famous subway system, every rider will lose their patience at some point or another. High fares! Inconveniently distant stops! Irregular schedules! Good news, grumbling commuters: now you can redesign the city's public transportation with the Brand New Subway game.
NYC's next subway cars have WiFi and USB ports built-in
The New York City subway system is gearing up for a major overhaul meant to bring a "modernized look and feel" to lighting, wayfinding and subway cars by the year 2020. At a press conference on Monday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's $27 billion, five-year plan to add 1,025 new subway cars, more informative digital screens, better security features and -- most importantly for anyone who needs to get some work done underground – WiFi and USB charging ports in the cars and stations.
Japan and trains: The love affair
Snowfall causing train delays is nothing new. In the UK, where I'm from, this happens with hilarious, infuriating regularity. But last week, the first snow of 2016 brought Tokyo's central railway lines and Metro to a halt: hour-long delays between stations normally located minutes apart, packed platforms and a lot of complaints. That's because Japan's railway system typically works flawlessly, from the immaculately clean trains that service the distant southern isles of Japan to the experimental high-speed, floating maglev cars that might hit 372 miles per hour. If you love trains, you'll love Japan. And I just love them.
Uber's latest app partnership helps you catch the bus
For many, the biggest problem with public transit is simply reaching it. A 15 minute bus ride isn't very fast if it'll take you 30 minutes to walk to the stop, after all. That's where Uber and TransLoc think they can help. They're teaming up to give you a mix of both ridesharing and public transit directions in TransLoc's Rider app. Ideally, you'll never have to hoof it longer than necessary, or hail a car for the entire journey -- you can take a relatively low-cost trip that will still get you to your destination in a timely fashion. The experimental feature will only be available in mid-February in the Memphis and Raleigh-Durham areas, but it won't be shocking if there are more cities before long.
New York City's whole subway system gets WiFi in 2016
Forget having to remember which New York City subway stations have WiFi -- by the end of this year, you won't have to pick and choose. State governor Andrew Cuomo has promised that every underground station will get WiFi by the end of the year, guaranteeing at least some kind of internet access while you're waiting for your train. Complete cellular service will come slightly later, with end-to-end access ready by early 2017. Either is heartening news if you regularly commute underground, since Transit Wireless (which is handling the service) had previously targeted late 2017 for full WiFi service.
Citymapper travel app tells you the best place to get on the train
While Apple and Google are incorporating more public transport data into their operating systems, standalone apps like Citymapper continue to lead the way in terms of features. Already in 28 cities, the travel app combines bus routes and live times, train timetables and cycle paths, but from today it'll also help you navigate your way around an unfamiliar metropolis with its new "Where to Get On the Train" feature.
Uber 'reviews' its own app to justify London surge pricing
Uber often defends its "surge" price increases by explaining capitalism, but it took a new tack after a controversial surge in London. The city was gripped by a tube strike yesterday that brought train service to a standstill, forcing commuters to find other ways to get to work. The sudden demand for buses, taxis and ridesharing services kicked Uber's app into surge mode, causing fares to triple at one point. That produced a lot of righteous anger in social media and the press, prompting the company to release an article "reviewing" its own app against others to show that surges are a good thing.
Apple Transit maps could be coming to iOS 9
9to5Mac, citing unnamed sources, reports that Apple is potentially gearing up to release its updated Transit service -- the same one it nixed immediately before last year's WWDC event -- with iOS 9. Transit acts as an add-on layer to Apple's existing Maps program providing accurate navigation instructions for public transportation systems. This functionality hasn't been available as a part of the official built-in app ever since Apple switched to its own service instead of using Google's.
Amazon's riding the New York subway to speed up deliveries
Despite its incredible reach, Amazon has always had to play catch-up with brick and mortar retailers when it comes to getting products in customers' hands. If you're in a pinch, you can normally visit a local store and walk out with exactly what you need. Amazon has taken steps to cut waiting times with same-day deliveries in some cities and then one-hour shipments via Prime Now. The only problem with promising such a short delivery period in some of the world's busiest cities is that traffic can be a nightmare. So to get orders to customers in Manhattan, the Financial Times reports that the company has begun loading small pushcarts with packages and taking them on a more efficient means of transport: the New York subway.
Chicago's subways are getting speedy LTE data
Just because you have cellular service in the subway doesn't mean you have good service -- in many cases, your data goes in the dumps when your train ventures underground. That won't be a problem in Chicago for much longer, though. The city has reached a deal with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon that will have the carriers paying to bring LTE data to Chi-town's subway tunnels. When the upgrade is complete sometime later this year, you should have fast internet access all the way from O'Hare Airport to the Blue and Red Lines downtown. This upgrade was ultimately necessary given that wireless networks are preparing for a future where everything goes through LTE, but it's good to know that you'll soon have an easy time streaming music on the way home from a Cubs game. [Image credit: Chris Smith, Flickr]