The Transit Tech Lab recently announced three winners of the COVID-19 Response Challenge. The winners will implement high-tech solutions across the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the Port Authority for New York & New Jersey. The Lab is part of The Transit Innovation Partnership – a public-private initiative formed by the MTA and the Partnership for New York City.
The Challenge received over 200 global applicants, from which some were selected to participate in an eight-week accelerator to learn about the MTA and modify their technology to meet the transit system’s needs. Following the accelerator, the MTA selected the most promising companies to deploy a 12-month, unpaid pilot with the transit system. The winning companies showed promising results after the pilot and will now scale their solutions across their respective partner agencies.
The companies that are deploying their products in a one-year pilot are:
- Beyond (New York, NY) – demonstrated preliminary examples of how their individually leased folding electric bikes and scooters could be safely mobilized on public transit;
- Cityswift (Galway, Ireland) – has a platform that provides capacity levels for trains and buses; and,
- Kinnos (Brooklyn, NY) – has a proprietary colorized powder formula that dissolves into liquid bleach. With the use of the additive, the Port Authority measured a 63% improvement in disinfection coverage within a facility.
“These pilots demonstrate the private sector’s ongoing support of public agencies amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Natalia Quintero, Senior Vice President of Innovation at the Partnership for New York City. “The Lab looks forward to working with pilot winners to evaluate how each tool can bring customers back to public transit safely and efficiently. We want to especially thank our partners at the MTA and Port Authority for their commitment to integrating innovative tools that mobilize customers returning to mass transit.”