Imagine a bustling New York City subway system where fare evasion is no longer an issue. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, that's precisely what the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) aims to achieve through a groundbreaking initiative involving artificial intelligence technology in modern subway gates.
Currently, three competing companies are in a fierce battle to secure a massive $1.1 billion contract aimed at revamping the turnstiles of New York City's subway system. For many years, transit officials have pointed fingers at these traditional turnstiles for the ongoing problem of fare evasion.
In an exciting development, these firms have recently introduced new gate designs—characterized by tall doors rather than the conventional waist-high turnstiles—at ten subway stations over the past two months as part of a pilot program. MTA Chair Janno Lieber announced during a state budget hearing in Albany that the program is set to grow, with plans to extend to an additional twenty subway stations in the near future.
Among the innovations being tested, at least two of the competing companies are incorporating some level of artificial intelligence technology aimed specifically at tracking fare evaders. Cubic, the firm responsible for the now-obsolete MetroCard system and the current subway turnstiles, has also built many of the modern fare gates currently being evaluated. However, Cubic has faced criticism from both MTA officials and regular commuters over delays and issues related to the introduction of the MTA's OMNY tap-to-pay system, which was also crafted by them.
"Cubic has not always been the ideal partner or software developer, and we interact with their systems daily," MTA Chair Janno Lieber openly stated during the hearing. "While we believe most of the challenges have been resolved, there are still a few issues we need to address honestly."
In response to these criticisms, Anthony Louh, Cubic’s director of business development, expressed confidence that the challenges encountered during the OMNY rollout have equipped the company to handle the extensive fare gate redesign project more effectively.
Currently, Cubic's redesigned gates are under trial at high-traffic stations such as Atlantic Terminal, Port Authority, and Hoyt-Schermerhorn. The company has announced plans to introduce these gates at the 125th Street station on the A, B, C, and D lines in the upcoming week.
These innovative gates will feature surveillance technology designed to automatically alert authorities whenever a fare evader is detected. According to officials, the equipment includes cameras that capture a five-second video clip when an individual bypasses payment. This footage then utilizes artificial intelligence to generate a physical description of the suspected fare-beater, which is sent directly to the MTA for further action.
However, it’s worth noting that two other companies, Conduent and STraffic, are also competing for the same lucrative contract and have each installed their own advanced fare gates in various subway stations as part of the MTA’s pilot initiative. Conduent has previously implemented similar modern fare gates in Philadelphia's subway system and, like Cubic, promotes its own form of AI technology that gathers data on riders who attempt to evade fares.
A representative from STraffic has yet to provide feedback regarding their proposals. In a statement, MTA spokesperson Eugene Resnick assured the public, "The pilot program continues, and we will evaluate the results at the appropriate time to determine which vendors will be chosen to supply fare gates for the future."
The goal for the MTA is ambitious: to finalize a deal that would see these new entry points installed at 150 out of the subway's 472 stations.
Moreover, the MTA is exploring additional avenues to implement AI technology within the subway system. Last year, they announced their collaboration with AI companies to develop software capable of identifying and flagging "problematic behavior" among passengers. But here's where it gets controversial: how far should technology go in monitoring and managing public behavior? What are your thoughts on using AI in this manner? We’d love to hear your opinions and any experiences you might want to share in the comments!
