The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NY) is on track to provide real-time information for all Staten Island buses by the end of the year. Yesterday the MTA board approved a contract with VeriFone, Inc., to install the necessary hardware to support the Bus Time application. “Today, our transit system is quickly catching up with our 21stRead… Read more »
Daimler car-sharing subsidiary car2go may expand to Washington (DC). According to Greater Greater Washington, the program may bring 300 cars to the nation’s capital as early as this fall. Car2go’s dynamic model differs from conventional car-sharing programs like Zipcar in several ways. Zipcar (and other programs) have dedicated spaces for each car in the fleet;Read… Read more »
Fare evasion apparently pays for New York City subway riders, according to a report from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NY). The New York Daily News reports that passengers entered the subway 18.5 million times without paying in 2009 — and police issued just 120,000 tickets. This means that scofflaws can expect to get caught onceRead… Read more »
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority may install solar panels at several facilities, including the Boston Engine Terminal, Readville Yard, and Iron Horse Park. The agency is currently studying the feasibility of installing the solar photovoltaic arrays as part of a larger energy conservation program. “There’s no downside I can see, as long as they canRead… Read more »
More social media changes are coming to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (DC). The agency recently scooped up the Twitter handle @WMATA and will be migrating users from the current official feed, @MetroOpensDoors. Since hiring Dan Stessel as chief spokesman earlier this summer, WMATA has increased its social media presence. TBDOnFoot writes about theRead… Read more »
Last week’s sudden resignation of Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NY) CEO Jay Walder could leave some of the agency’s tech projects in doubt. According to the New York Post, projects in jeopardy could include a new open fare system to replace MetroCard, expansion of the subway countdown clock system, and new subway passenger communication system calledRead… Read more »
After an increase in serious crimes at one of its rapid transit stations, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority plans to add more surveillance cameras inside and outside the station to help improve public safety. MBTA police reported 11 serious crimes at the Jackson Square station during the first six months of 2011, compared to 16Read… Read more »
As Boston (MA) gets ready to roll out Hubway, its bicycle-sharing program, pundits are wasting no time in voicing their opinions. In The Boston Globe, op-ed columnist Anthony Flint sees the positives in Hubway and envisions a city where drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians can happily share the road: Our streets are shared space, a conceptRead… Read more »
Starting August 1, University of Pittsburgh faculty, staff and students will start tapping their university ID cards on the Port Authority of Allegheny County’s (PA) newly installed fareboxes. This is the first large-scale test of the ConnectCard system, which has been in the works for at least a couple of years. After the initial pilotRead… Read more »
Last week the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority took a major step on its path to a new electronic fare system. A board committee approved a $9 million contract with LTK Engineering Services to manage installation of the system; the full board is expected to vote on Thursday. The $100 million project will allow passengers toRead… Read more »