A request for proposals has been issued by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which is looking for transportation companies to advance the Late-Shift Pilot Program to improve mobility for New Yorkers working the late shift by connecting them with the subway system outside of Manhattan during overnight hours.
Late shift employment, often in major industries such as healthcare, food services and hospitality/leisure, is expected to grow faster than the overall economy over the next five to 10 years, according to the MTA. The subway system operates 24/7, positioning New York to attract investment in these industries and stimulate job creation.
The MTA is seeking companies that have the potential to offer shared-mobility services connecting New Yorkers who are traveling during the overnight hours with the subway system. Real-time train arrival data and OMNY, the MTA’s new tap-and-go fare payment system, may offer further complementary ways to create seamless overnight travel.
“With increasing numbers of people moving away from the traditional 9-5 Manhattan-centric work schedule, we want the MTA to evolve to best support New York’s continually diversifying economy,” said MTA Chief Innovation Officer Mark Dowd. “We are seeking to leverage new mobility technologies to enable more New Yorkers to benefit from the public transportation network during the overnight hours, and to enhance the experience of overnight subway customers in low-cost ways.”
The request-for-proposals process will begin by looking at areas in The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island that are more than a half-mile from the nearest subway station and have limited bus service with arrivals less frequent than every 20 minutes overnight. Criteria for participating subway stations will be evaluated throughout the course of the request for proposals process.
The shared mobility late-shift request for proposal is being conducted in two phases. Phase I will center on data collection and analysis to determine the structure of the pilot. During Phase II, the location, timeframe and business terms of the pilot program will be determined. The deadline for submission of Phase I proposals is Feb. 18. Phase 2 is expected to begin in early March. The MTA anticipates selecting a late-shift pilot program partner by the end of March 2020.
