MTA looks to bring AI-assisted, multilingual announcement system to subways

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is replacing its “garbled” audio systems, some of which haven’t been updated in 40 years, Stephen Nessen writes for Gothamist. The agency put out a request to vendors for ways to upgrade the transit system’s communication technology, which includes everything from audio announcements to visual displays, and has put aside $800 million for the new systems.

Gothamist reports:

The MTA is seeking a new announcement system that has better “audibility, intelligibility, and relevance,” according to documents posted on its website. The request calls for a speaker and amplifier system that is "intelligent" and can adjust its volume based on the amount of noise on the platform. The agency also wants the public address system to be AI-assisted and capable of delivering messages in multiple languages.

Currently, 76 of MTA's 472 subway stations are completely disconnected from the rail control center, preventing these stations from getting real-time updates about service. The audio announcements at these stations are made by employees, who convey information they hear secondhand from workers at the rail control center. This system “leads to poor and delayed information to our customers and worse, these announcements are not at all connected to any of the station countdown clocks or visual signage infrastructure, which can result in irrelevant or even conflicting information,” reads the document on the MTA’s website.