MTA Launches New ‘Essential Connector’ App to Move Essential Workers During Overnight Subway Closure

New App Pilot Set to Help 11,000 Essential Workers Plan Alternative Travel During MTA Essential Plan Night Service, With Bus Ridership Increasing Up to 76%.

App Supplements MTA’s ‘Essential Connector’ website (mta.info/overnight) and Call Center for Essential Workers to Plan Their Travel.

Download the App at the Apple App Store or Google Play

View Photos of the New App Here

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today launched the ‘Essential Connector’ app to help essential workers plan their alternative travel to or from work during the overnight subway closure from 1 to 5 a.m. Essential workers can use the new app to navigate and take advantage of the MTA’s dramatically enhanced bus service schedule – a 76% increase in overnight trips and 150% boost in the operational fleet – or book an eligible for-hire-vehicle where bus service is not workable at no cost.

The new app supplements the impressive work done by MTA’s internal team to launch the Essential Connector program on May 6, 2020, just days after the overnight closure of the subway was announced. Tapping a station on the new app’s map allows the user to see live bus and train departures, including the last train arrivals of the night and available buses nearby. The app will provide info on current service disruptions and upcoming service changes. Over time the map will become “personalized,” highlighting the stops the user visits most often, making trip planning faster and easier than ever before. Following feedback, the MTA is already working on a second version of the app. The Essential Connector app is now available for download at the Apple App Store or on Google Play.

"Disinfecting trains every 24 hours is critically important to the health and safety of our riders, but in closing the system for four hours each night we knew we couldn't leave overnight essential workers without options,” said NYC Transit Interim President Sarah Feinberg. “Together with our partner Axon Vibe, the New York City Transit team designed and built an app that will help those workers find available buses and other needed transportation. These are immensely challenging times, but I’m proud of our team for moving so quickly to build a user-friendly app that delivers for New Yorkers who rely on mass transit in the overnight hours.”

"This crisis requires the MTA and transit agencies across the country to be resourceful and to look to nontraditional sources for solutions,” said MTA Chief Innovation Officer Mark Dowd. “I am enormously proud of our agency's ability to move quickly to internally create an innovative technology solution in a matter of days to protect our essential workers and help them get to work between 1 to 5 a.m. Our partnership with Axon Vibe is an example of how MTA can bring in a technology provider to supplement the internal work we did to get this program in place. I am also excited that our solution focuses on giving the for-hire-vehicle work to local businesses such as yellow cabs and local car services.”

"The Transit Innovation Partnership was created in response to Governor Cuomo's call for the best innovations to solve the biggest challenges in public transit. This mission is more important than ever, " said Transit Innovation Partnership Executive Director Rachel Haot. "We are honored to partner with the MTA and Transit Tech Lab graduate AxonVibe to serve New York City's heroic essential workers."

Since May 6, overnight subway service has been suspended from 1 to 5 a.m. as the MTA undertakes the most aggressive disinfecting and cleaning program in agency history. The MTA is also leveraging and evaluating innovative new cleaning solutions such as antimicrobial biostats and ultraviolet light to eradicate the COVID-19 virus.

The MTA has significantly enhanced bus service on 61 bus lines during this time, including 11 interborough express routes with additional stops (five routes in the Bronx, three each in Brooklyn and Queens), and 13 new routes that normally don’t offer overnight service (17 in Brooklyn, 13 in Queens, 10 each in the Bronx and Manhattan) under the new MTA Essential Plan Night Service. Thirty-seven routes have added overnight service. The MTA is closely monitoring ridership to add additional service as needed.

To complement these robust investments in bus service, the MTA has also launched the “Essential Connector” program. Essential workers are eligible for one free trip in a for-hire-vehicle per night if a bus trip would:

• take more than 1 hour and 20 minutes, or

• require more than two transfers, or

• require a walk of more than a half mile to or from a bus stop.

The MTA “Essential Connector” Call Center, (718) 330-1234, and Essential Connector website, mta.info/overnight, will continue to provide convenient and accessible options for essential workers. Essential workers are also encouraged to register for the “Essential Connector” program via the app or the web to provide MTA a better understanding of how essential workers are planning their trips during the shutdown of subway service.

The Essential Connector App is the product of a partnership between MTA, the Transit Innovation Partnership and Axon Vibe, one of the many startups that MTA is successfully integrating into its operations to bring innovative approaches to the MTA. As part of the plan to shut down late night subway service, MTA asked Axon Vibe to work with them to create the “Essential Connector” app in under a week. Axon Vibe is one of the four finalists selected for the inaugural class of Transit Tech Lab following a global competition in fall of 2018, in which nearly 100 companies participated.

Prior to creating the Essential Connector App, Axon Vibe was working with the MTA and the Transit Tech Lab on testing how their smartphone app technology could improve service and customer communications by enabling the MTA to deliver personalized communications based on the commuting behavior of users who opt into that service. In the event of service changes, the MTA would be able to proactively notify the impacted users (taking into consideration their location and other context) and provide alternative transportation suggestions based on riders’ anticipated destination and commuting preferences.

SBB launches test version of the new mobility app SmartWay

Press Release, 17 December 2019 Download PDF

SBB is launching the test version of its new mobility app

The SmartWay app aims to meet rapidly changing mobility requirements in densely populated ur-ban areas. This means, for example, all available mobility options can be viewed at a glance. Passengers will also have easy access to all mobility providers in just one click in future. SmartWay is the next generation of mobility and promotes sustainable mobility. SBB is now looking for test users to help make further improvements to the app. The test version will be launched on 17 December as an iOS version in the app store and as an Android version in the Google PlayStore.

New mobility platforms simplify travel. Various modes of transport –such as cars, bi-cycles, trams, buses, trains and e-scooters –can be combined as required. This makes transport easier to use and simplifies planning. SBB and its partners hope this will help to foster the modal shift to public transport and the customer-friendly improvement of the occupancy rate. SBB is now looking for test users to help to further improve the individual features of the new SmartWay test app. The app is being developed in cooperation with PostBus and the technology start-up Axon Vibe. Tried-and-tested features will then be incorporated into the SBB Mobile app.

SmartWay learns from users’ travel patterns by constantly showing them all transport options available and relevant connections nearby. In one click passengers can also view departure tables with current public transport timetable information –combined with connection queries for various mobility providers. The locations and availability of shared mobility, such as e-scooters, carsharing schemes and bicycles, is also indicated. The live ticker provides passengers with the latest updates in the event of incidents. All public transport travelcards (GA Travelcard, Half Fare Travelcard, seven25 and regional Travelcards) can also be shown with SmartWay.

Booking services with a single account

The first end-to-end booking of a sharing provider will be integrated in the next up-date which is scheduled for January 2020. This will allow users to book and use services with just one account or payment method. This means various apps, logins and payment methods are no longer required. Further providers will be integrated on an ongoing basis. SBB will continually aim to make further improvements to SmartWay over the coming months. The test app is currently available in German and English while French and Italian versions will also be introduced in future.

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The future of mobility using tailored solutions

The mobility of the future will be based on tailored digital solutions aimed at ensuring optimal use of the full range of services covering all public and private transport providers. SBB gives top priority to providing its customers with user-friendly ac-cess to sustainable mobility services. The long-term appeal and competitiveness of rail transport will be based on simple, digitised services. SBB has been operating the most successful mobility app in the public transport sector for a number of years in SBB Mobile which has over three million active users. By developing mobility platforms, SBB aims to make personalised and individual support across the full range of mobility services more customer-friendly and efficient and to lead the way globally. Proven SmartWay features are also set to be made available to passengers in future via SBB Mobile.

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Further information/instructions for test users:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.sbb.ssm.mobilitaetsapp

https://apps.apple.com/ch/app/smartway/id1478128796?l=en www.sbb.ch/smartway

www.sbb.ch/smartway

SBB and Axon Vibe develop new mobility platform

Media Release, 27 August 2019 Download PDF

SBB development partnership with Lucerne-based start-up company

SBB and the Lucerne-based start-up company Axon Vibe have signed a five-year agreement for a strategic development cooperation. Together, the partners intend to develop and market the world's leading personalised and inter- modal mobility app.

In the future, travellers will be able to plan and book a wide range of mobility services via a single, intermodal platform. Different mobility options such as car, bicycle, tram, train or e-scooter will merge with each other. They will be able to be combined and booked easily and according to the individual needs of travellers. Mobility will be- come more efficient and easier to plan. Personalised travel recommendations in real- time - comparable to car navigation systems – will facilitate the optimal design of personal mobility.

Together with the Lucerne-based company Axon Vibe, SBB intends to develop the world's leading and most trustworthy mobility app. Axon Vibe is recognised as one of the most innovative companies in the fields of smart mobility and artificial intelligence. SBB has carefully selected the company on European level based on its experience in this area.

Rail travel is expected to become even more attractive, safer and more punctual in the future. Digital platforms and the simplification of services will become increasingly important. The past 10 years have been marked by rapid developments in this area. In this partnership, SBB intends to make a significant contribution to advancing developments on the digital level.

With SBB Mobile, SBB has been operating Switzerland’s most successful mobility app in public transport for years with over three million active users. With this new development and the partnership with Axon Vibe, SBB is responding to the current and future needs of the mobile society and wants to make personalised and individual guidance and support in the overall mobility more customer-friendly, efficient and world leading.

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Axon Vibe's predecessor was sold to Google in 2006 and contributed significantly to the development of Google Maps, nowadays the most popular car navigation system. With the development of a comprehensive and smart mobility platform - a comparable solution for guidance in public transport combined with modern mobility services - Axon Vibe is making a substantial contribution to solving the transportation and environmental challenges of densely populated areas around the globe.

MTA Announces Plan to Test Innovative Solutions to Bus and Subway Challenges

Media Release, 30 July 2019

Four companies chosen for MTA pilot projects through the Transit Tech Lab

NEW YORK – At a press conference today, leadership from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the Partnership for New York City jointly announced the successful completion of the Transit Tech Lab, an accelerator program that enables tech companies to test and introduce new products designed to improve transit services. Starting today, four of the six companies graduating from the accelerator will begin pilots with the MTA to implement products that address key subway and bus challenges.

“As the MTA experiences a period of historic reform, transformation, and innovation, we’re leveraging this new model for evaluating and introducing technologies that address some of our most critical challenges. The result is an inaugural Transit Tech Lab that far surpassed our expectations,” said Patrick Foye, Chairman & CEO of the MTA. “We are eager to develop these mobility technologies over the next year to improve subway and bus service for riders across New York City.”

“Thanks to the leadership of the MTA and the ingenuity of Transit Tech Lab finalists, New York City’s transit riders will benefit from mobility technologies designed to improve operations and customer service,” said Natalia Quintero, Director of the Transit Tech Lab.

Following a global competition last Fall, in which nearly 100 companies participated, six finalists were selected for the inaugural class of the Transit Tech Lab. Over eight weeks, the companies worked closely with New York City Transit and MTA personnel to test how their products could improve service and customer communications.

Two companies will advance to the pilot phase for the subway challenge:   

·       Axon Vibe provides smartphone app technology that enables public transport operators to deliver personalized communications based on users’ commuting behavior. If service is changed, MTA can proactively notify the impacted users (taking into consideration their location and context) and provide alternative transportation suggestions based on rider’s anticipated destination and commuting preferences.

·       Veovo instantly measures the number of passengers moving through a subway station to identify crowding and make service more efficient. The MTA can use this information to improve the deployment of staff to stations, change train distribution and plan more efficient station design.  

Two companies will advance to the pilot phase for the bus challenge: 

·       Preteckt studies vehicle data from buses to predict system failures at least 48 hours before the Check Engine light is activated and the bus must be removed from service. Preteckt’s insights have the potential to reduce time spent on maintenance, prevent service disruptions and reduce fleet costs.

·       Remix provides software for designing transit systems that enables MTA planners to more quickly and efficiently produce the bus network redesign outlined in the Fast Forward NYC Plan. To ensure equitable access and support public engagement, Remix’s technology uses public demographic data and generates easy-to-understand transit maps for community feedback.  

The Transit Tech Lab is managed by the nonprofit Transit Innovation Partnership, led by Rachel Haot, previously the first Chief Digital Officer for New York City and the first Chief Digital Officer for New York State, and the Partnership Fund for New York City, led by Maria Gotsch. It is modeled after the highly successful FinTech Innovation Lab that the Partnership Fund has run for the past nine years and played a critical role in establishing New York City as a hub for the global financial technology industry. The goal of the Transit Tech Lab is to establish New York as the center of innovation for mobility, particularly as it relates to public transit.

About the Transit Innovation Partnership
The Transit Innovation Partnership is a public-private initiative formed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Partnership for New York City with the mission to make New York the global leader in public transit. A board of leaders from academia, business, civic organizations and government guides the Transit Innovation Partnership, which brings together diverse stakeholders to realize public-private projects that improve transit performance and customer service. Focus areas include technology and process innovation in infrastructure, data, operations, customer service and revenue generation. Learn more at transitinnovation.org.

About the Partnership for New York City

The Partnership for New York City represents the city’s business leaders and largest employers. We work with government, labor and the nonprofit sector to promote economic growth and maintain the city’s prominence as a global center of commerce and innovation. Through the Partnership Fund for New York City, the Partnership contributes directly to projects that create jobs, improve economically distressed communities and stimulate new business creation.

Axon Vibe Brings Swiss Quality to MTA’s Transit Tech Lab

Media Release - 25 February 2019

MTA Taking National Lead in Transit Innovation – the smart mobility platform Axon Vibe, among the six finalists!

NEW YORK – The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the Partnership for New York City have jointly announced the  finalists accepted to the Transit Tech Lab, an accelerator program that allows tech companies to introduce New York’s transportation agencies to new products designed to improve transit services.

Through a global competition in which almost 100 companies participated, six technology companies have been selected for the eight-week program. They will work with MTA personnel to customize their products to address needs of the transit agencies and its customers.

During the Transit Tech Lab, the MTA will be able to evaluate innovative products offered by the participating companies—at no cost to the MTA—and entrepreneurs will work to customize their products to address challenges facing New York. At the end of the eight-week Lab, the MTA can decide to move forward with a one-year pilot of those technologies that are found to offer the best solutions.

The companies selected for the Lab were evaluated by MTA and tech sector experts. They were required to submit working versions of their technologies and to have proven track records of successfully integrating with customers.

The subway challenge called for solutions that better predict and prevent subway delays and reduce the burden on customers. One of the selected companies is:

• Axon Vibe: A global smart mobility platform that analyzes and predicts real-world passenger travel patterns by leveraging smartphone data. Axon Vibe enables public transport agencies worldwide to deliver personalized and contextual communications regarding transit-related delays, incidents and third-party offers to passengers through a smartphone app, while respecting their privacy.

Founded in 2014, Axon Vibe is a team of highly qualified and passionate software engineers, data scientists, location analytics experts, psychologists and communication specialists. Axon Vibe‘s fast growing business is backed by private and corporate Swiss investors. 

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Partnership for New York City
Ashley Greenspan / agreenspan@pfnyc.org / +1 212-493-7511

Axon Vibe
Roman Oberli / roman.oberli@axonvibe.com / +41 79 544 33 69