MTA wants AI cameras on the front of subway trains to spot people on the tracks

The MTA is looking for a company to build and test a camera system mounted on the front of a subway train that would use artificial intelligence to spot people, objects or hazards on the tracks ahead and warn the train operator, according to a contract solicitation the agency posted on Oct. 30 as Gothamist reported.

The pilot is budgeted at $5 million to $10 million, fully paid by the MTA, and the contract would run 730 days, the solicitation says. The goal is to prove the technology works well enough to be deployed later on the MTA's subway fleet, including work trains that don't carry passengers.

What the cameras would do

• Look down the track: a "forward-facing camera" system carried on the train would use AI and machine learning to detect intrusions on the right of way and send tailored alerts inside the cab, according to the MTA document.
• Watch the platform edge: the technology would also track erratic movement by riders near the edge of platforms, Gothamist reported.
• Check the track itself: the MTA also wants it to monitor and assess track conditions that could become hazards.
• Test first, then decide: the system would be shown in a lab, then installed and tested on a train. When testing ends it will be removed while the MTA decides whether to roll it out systemwide, Gothamist said.

Timeline

The MTA is using a two-step process: a request for qualifications to pick a shortlist, then proposals from the finalists. A virtual pre-bid conference is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 16, and the solicitation lists Dec. 9 as the due date, according to the notice. Contract goals call for 15% minority-owned, 15% women-owned and 6% service-disabled veteran-owned business participation.

A second track-safety pilot at stations

This is the MTA's second AI track-safety bid this year. In April, the agency sought a design-builder for a separate "Track Intrusion Detection System" prototype at two stations, one underground and one elevated, meant to flag people falling or stepping onto the tracks, dropped objects and unusual crowding near the platform edge, according to an earlier MTA notice and THE CITY. That station pilot was estimated at $10 million to $50 million.

Why it matters

"This project is part of the MTA's commitment to explore emerging technologies aimed at strengthening safety and improving service reliability across the transit system," MTA spokesperson Michael Cortez said in a statement to Gothamist.

Track deaths and injuries have been a long-running problem. A track worker was killed this year after being struck by a train, and dozens of people have died in recent years after being shoved or going onto the tracks, Gothamist reported. The MTA formed a track trespassing task force in 2021, a year it reported 68 trespassing deaths, and has installed metal platform barriers at more than 150 stations.