The MTA’s longstanding tradition for attempting new and expensive technology that usually winds up in the wastebasket continues unabated. Their latest brainstorm, resulting in the loss of $14 million, was supposed to “revolutionize” bus travel. Commuters would not only know when the next bus was due to arrive but would also be able to monitor where the scheduled bus was currently located along their particular route, by means of the internet, hand-held device or mounted screens.
The contract for this nifty idea was awarded in 2005, installed on 185 Manhattan buses, and was tested in 2007. A few months later, due to critical inaccuracies, the project was abandoned: the nifty idea now dismally dead.
This latest failure is actually a sequel to the MTA’s earlier excursion into revolutionized bus travel. In 1996, the system failed because the masterminds who configured the satellite relays neglected to take into account NYC’s skyscraper canyon. Signals were lost in the steel and glass and the buses (along with the masterminds) were lost in a high-tech snafu. An MTA spokesperson explained that it’s just another issue that’s difficult to predict. (I agree: It’s easy to overlook the fact that this city has a few skyscrapers.)
“After nearly 20 years, there’s been zero progress. And that’s pathetic,” said Queens Councilman John Liu.
Source: NY1
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