Now when people lose a NY MetroCard, they can fill out an online form for a refund. The MTA's eFix website accepts claims for 30-day unlimited cards and seven day Express Bus Plus MetroCards bought with a credit or debit card at an MTA vending machine. According to the NY Post, the MTA will refund [Full Story…]
#MTA Holds First Video Conference Hearings
November 9, 2012 at 3:02 pm
Recently, the MTA hosted its first video conference hearing in light of the recent proposal of fare hikes for the subway and tolls. However, according to The NY Post, only two people showed up to the event to record their feelings about the hikes on camera. One of the speakers, Kendra Bennett, [Full Story…]
#MTA Announces Smartphone App for Countdown Clocks
October 25, 2012 at 11:34 am
The MTA announced that by the end of the year the subway countdown clocks for numbered lines will be available on smartphones and computers. Riders will be able to view this information for next day train times by downloading an MTA app or by going to their website, according to the NY Daily [Full Story…]
Uber and Square End Their NY Taxi Programs
October 18, 2012 at 8:28 am
Both Uber and Square are halting their taxi pilot programs in NY. Both companies have tried negotiating with the Taxi and Limousine Commission in NY to allow riders to use their products. Uber currently has an app that lets people hail black cars and vans, but according to The Verge, had to ask [Full Story…]
Schumer Calls for Truck-Specific GPS Standards
September 27, 2012 at 1:04 pm
Senator Chuck Schumer said that last year 43 commercial trucks smashed into overpasses and had other accidents on roads in NY last year when GPS systems sent them down roads that they shouldn't have been on. According to the NY Daily News, Schumer also noted that the majority of accidents occurred [Full Story…]
Help Point Intercoms Being Installed in Subway Stations #MTA
September 26, 2012 at 2:38 pm
Recently, the MTA announced that Help Point intercom's will be installed in 102 stations by the end of 2014. These intercom's will allow passengers to receive basic travel information or request emergency help. Eventually the devices will be present in all subway stations. NY Transit President [Full Story…]
NY Boosts Digital and Tech Initiatives for Small Businesses #nyctech
September 25, 2012 at 11:38 am
In early 2011, NY's Digital Roadmap was founded in order to forward the technology sector in the city. Rachel Hoat was hired by Michael Mayor Bloomberg as the NY Chief Digital Officer, and the head of NY Digital, the department in charge of completing the goals of the roadmap. According to WNYC's [Full Story…]
New Cab Hailing App for Disabled #AccessibleDispatch
September 20, 2012 at 5:21 pm
Recently, city officials announced the new "Accessible Dispatch" system for wheelchair users in Manhattan. The system, according to The Wall Street Journal, will allow these users to set up a cab ride using either a phone app, the internet, phone, text, or by calling 311. This initiative results [Full Story…]
Opposition to Proposed Apps for Taxi Rides
September 18, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Though there has been support for a taxi hailing app in NY, there has also been criticism of the idea. According to Metro, some drivers think that having an app that would allow users to hail and pay for cabs on their smartphones would result in fewer cabs for spontaneous hailing, or lead to cab [Full Story…]
NY Airports Get Help from Avatars
August 12, 2012 at 2:09 pm
Recently, La Guardia Airport unveiled its first avatar, named Marie. Tom Bosco, the airport's general manager, told The New York Times that, "She never complains, she’s pretty, she’s got a good personality,” he said. “She’s a little bit shallow though.” Marie appears as a 6-foot tall, [Full Story…]
Google Maps Adds NY Subway Changes Feature
August 2, 2012 at 4:54 pm
Google Maps now shows planned service alerts for NY subways. According to Google's Lat Long Blog, this upgrade on Google Maps shows scheduled maintenance on all 468 subway stations. To view the planned service changes, click the station in question and a display box will pop up that details [Full Story…]
New Bus Line for Brooklyn’s Tech Triangle
August 2, 2012 at 12:34 pm
NY State Senator Daniel Squadron, announced recently that the MTA is going to create a new line in 2013 to support the growing "tech triangle." Squadron told MetroFocus that, “Brooklyn’s tech industry is changing the face of New York — and now, we’ll have a bus route that will allow [Full Story…]
Schumer Proposes “Nerd Bus Route”
August 1, 2012 at 3:38 pm
Today, Senator Chuck Schumer requested that the MTA implement a bus system that connects Cornell NYC's tech campus to the Brooklyn Tech Triangle. Recently, the MTA announced two new routes: the Brooklyn Tech Triangle route and the Williamsburg Waterfront route. The routes were created to help [Full Story…]
LIRR Announces Downloadable Ticket Pilot
August 1, 2012 at 2:35 pm
Now LIRR commuters will be able to download tickets to cellphones or print them out during a pilot project during a golf tournament next month, according to The Times Ledger. The debut will be limited to the duration of the Barclays PGA Tour, from August 21 to August 26. The pilot is being run [Full Story…]
NY DOT Workers Use Tablets to Increase Efficiency, Lower Costs
July 15, 2012 at 12:11 pm
The NY DOT city transportation workers in charge of construction projects use tablets to access and review construction permits, as this shift to paperless operations has proved much faster than the process of lugging permits from site to site, according to StateTech Magazine. Inspectors used to [Full Story…]
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