NYMTA40

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will pilot two new technologies later this year to improve passenger and public safety.

Following the successful completion of the pilot programme, the technologies pedestrian turn warning system and a collision avoidance system will be installed across the city in the fourth quarter of this year.

The new technologies will be installed on 1,600 buses from mid-2018.

The pilot programme was launched after the technologies were field tested, during which time MTA had identified some possible enhancements.

The transportation authority is collaborating with manufacturers to implement the identified possible enhancements for the complete full-scale launch of the pilot programme.

New York Governor Andrew Mark Cuomo said: "Increasing safety is a critically important part of our drive to enhance, renew and improve the MTA,"

"These upgrades will leverage new technology to make our streets safer, protect pedestrians and motorists, and build a stronger mass transit system."

MTA chairman and CEO Thomas Prendergast said: "The MTA is working constantly and breaking new ground to make our bus operations as safe as possible for riders, pedestrians and the rest of the community."

The pedestrian warning system gets triggered automatically when a bus takes a right or a left hand turn. An external audio warning alerts pedestrians and bicyclists that the bus is turning.

During the field test, this system was deployed on four buses, of which two operated in Manhattan, one in Brooklyn and a fourth in Queens.

The collision avoidance technology has a smart sensor-based camera system that alerts the bus operator to the presence of vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians on the front and sides of the bus and provides visible and audible warnings.

During the field test, the collision avoidance system was installed in two buses operating in Brooklyn.


Image: A rendering of a New York bus. Photo: Courtesy of governor.ny.gov