NY News

NYC Introducing New Transit Payment System

New York City is replacing the MetroCard in an effort to modernize the transit system and minimize waits at ticket lines.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority committee recently approved a $573 million contract to install a new payment system at more than 500 subway turnstiles and 600 buses throughout the city, some of which will be ready for use as soon as next year. The entire city will be switched over the the new system by 2020.

Chairman of the transit authority Joseph J. Lhota explained: “It’s the next step in bringing us into the 21st century, which we need to do. It’s going to be transformative.”

“The millennial generation, those who are more prone to new technology, will be our greatest users in the early stages,” he continuing, adding that card users will surely “want to be a part of it when they realize that 5.8 to 6 million people in NYC are getting on the subway every day.”

Riders Alliance executive director John Raskin said: “First things first: moving to a modern fare system is a convenience for riders. It allows them to benefit from the extraordinary innovations the private sector is undertaking these days.”

 

NY News

NYC To Welcome Self-Driving Cars in 2018

New York City is ushering in a new era of cars in collaboration with General Motors. Starting in 2018, a number of self-driving Chevy Bolts will take to the streets within a 5-mile section of NYC. The city has previously opposed the inclusion of automated cars in the city traffic, but recent developments in GM’s Cruise Automation technology has turned the tables.

According to Governor Andrew Cuomo, the testing will take place in a designated area under the direct supervision of engineers. There will also be a police escort for cars on the road, as well as several other rules to ensure safe transportation.

Cruise Automation CEO Kyle Vogt explained: “Testing in New York will accelerate the timeline to deploying self-driving cars at scale.” Manhattan is a place which offers “new opportunities to expose our software to unusual situations, which means we can improve our software at a much faster rate,” he said.

NYC traffic conditions will certainly pose a challenge for the software, but testing and further development will better prepare the cars for an urban environment.