The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is seeking proposals from transportation companies to advance the “Late-Shift” pilot program with the goal of improving mobility for New Yorkers working the late shift by connecting them with the subway system outside of Manhattan during overnight hours.
“With increasing numbers of people moving away from the traditional 9-5 Manhattan-centric work schedule, we want the MTA to evolve to best support New York’s continually diversifying economy,” said MTA chief innovation officer Mark Dowd. “We are seeking to leverage new mobility technologies to enable more New Yorkers to benefit from the public transportation network during the overnight hours, and to enhance the experience of overnight subway customers in low-cost ways.”
The pilot program will focus on areas in New York that are more than a half-mile from the nearest subway station and have limited bus service, and will be conducted in two phases: phase I will center on data collection and analysis to determine the structure of the pilot, and phase II will determine the location, time frame and business terms of the pilot program.
Congressman Max Rose said: “I’m glad to see that the MTA is moving forward with micro transit and other innovative transit solutions, particularly in transit deserts such as Staten Island and South Brooklyn. My constituents need access to mass transit around the clock and if they finally get a credible option between accessible mass transit and the nightmare that is their daily commute today, we’ll see decreased congestion, increased ridership, and increased investments in our mass transit network. I hope that the MTA expands on what I expect to be a successful pilot with service for all commuters, not just late-night.”
The deadline for submission of Phase I proposals is February 18. Phase 2 is expected to begin in early March. The MTA anticipates selecting a “late-shift” pilot program partner by the end of March 2020.