The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and Transit Innovation Partnership today launched a new “COVID-19 Response Challenge” to engage the private tech industry and rapidly evaluate and deploy innovative technologies that make public transit safer, healthier and more responsive to customer and workforce needs in light of the global pandemic.
The Challenge calls for companies to submit proposals by July 30 that address critical pandemic-related health and safety objectives for the New York metropolitan region’s mass transit network. ?MTA is specifically seeking companies that have proven innovative technologies that can safely reduce or eliminate contaminated aerosols from MTA’s public transit system. The other public agencies participating in the COVID Challenge – New York City Department of Transportation, New Jersey Transit, and the Port Authority – are seeking a broader set of solutions. Companies that submit proposals deemed promising by transit, tech and health sector evaluators may have the opportunity to implement their technology with regional transit systems including the MTA.
Areas of interest include thermal monitoring tools, cutting-edge cleaning equipment, and tools to measure and mitigate crowding. The Challenge adds to the MTA’s unprecedented measures to keep the public safe during the pandemic, including the daily disinfection of all stations, train cars and buses in the system, and distribution of masks and hand sanitizer to customers and employees. Companies can learn how to apply at transitinnovation.org.
Areas of interest for the COVID-19 Response Challenge include:
- Thermal monitoring tools and systems to automatically measure body temperatures
- Cutting-edge cleaning materials and equipment such as electrostatic sprayers, new-design air filtration systems, light-based systems and anti-microbial shields
- Approaches to measure and encourage distancing in shared transit spaces
- Tools to measure, communicate and mitigate crowding in trains, buses, stations and other shared spaces
- Tools and frameworks to identify and communicate potential exposure risks
- Tools to measure and support the use of masks and other personal protective equipment
- Innovations in personal protective equipment, including contactless vending and fare card machines, mask and shield designs, sanitizer dispensers, and partitions
- Approaches and technologies to redesign shared spaces and fare collection in vehicles and stations to encourage cleanliness, health, safety and distancing
- Platforms to expand customer feedback and communication opportunities
- Autonomous cleaning robots and robotic equipment to support cleaning crews
- Secure digital services to further support mental and physical health among transit employees, such as counseling, coaching and self-care platforms
- Tools to support remote transit employees such as secure cloud platforms for infrastructure monitoring, situational awareness, operations and service delivery