Twelve transit tech pilots launch in New York

Twelve technology companies from across the US and Europe have been selected to trial new solutions with New York’s major transport agencies as part of the Transit Tech Lab’s (TTL) seventh annual innovation cycle.

The pilots are designed to help agencies test how new tools might improve ridership, asset inspections, maintenance, and operational performance.

This year’s TTL, the largest cohort to date, is a public-private initiative co-founded by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the Partnership for New York City.

It has become a model for cities seeking to embed structured experimentation into transport systems. Its proof-of-concept model enables growth-stage companies to test their technologies in close collaboration with public sector partners during an intensive eight-week pilot phase.

“The first and most important step in our process is engaging directly with operational staff from our partner agencies across a variety of departments to understand their pressing challenges and priorities for the year ahead,” Stacey Matlen, Director of Innovation at Partnership for New York City, told Cities Today. “For the 2025 challenges, we conducted 25 meetings with 104 staff members from [various agencies] to gather insights into their operational needs. This process, which we conduct each year for all three of our innovation labs, allows for deep buy-in from our partners.”

This year’s challenge areas are “Ridership Improvement” and “Inspection & Maintenance”. Companies were selected from a pool of 112 applicants, with over 200 public sector evaluators scoring submissions against four criteria: impact, product readiness, team strength, and value to operations. The 12 finalists will work with the MTA, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, or NYC Department of Transportation, to conduct minimum viable tests of their technology.

The selected solutions range from flood forecasting and robotic train-mounted inspection systems to digital tools for simplifying transit pass enrolment and streamlining field operations. Companies include Previsico from the UK, Flip AI and Sahay AI from the US, and Matawan from France, among others.

Each team is paired with agency project managers and supported by TTL staff who provide hands-on guidance, including scope development, compliance onboarding, and internal relationship-building.

“During the eight-week proof-of-concept, we work closely with each finalist to help them demonstrate their technology’s value to their agency partner,” said Matlen. “Throughout this period, we provide hands-on support, including guidance on scoping, troubleshooting, and relationship-building, to ensure their technology is best positioned to solve a critical agency challenge.”

Participants also benefit from the TTL’s Executive-in-Residence programme, offering strategic advice from former senior transit officials, and a series of mid-point briefings to help companies engage senior agency stakeholders early in the process. Final presentations will be delivered to leaders from across the region’s transit authorities later this year.

The model is explicitly designed to address a persistent barrier in public-sector innovation: the jump from pilot to scale. TTL has now tested 81 technologies since its 2018 launch, with 30 either commercially scaled or incorporated into agency procurement processes.

The Transit Tech Lab also shares results externally. It publishes an annual public report detailing outcomes from each year’s pilots and has engaged with peers in other cities and countries through conferences and direct consultations.

Final presentations will take place later in 2025, offering agencies an opportunity to assess outcomes and explore opportunities for scale.

“Agencies remain deeply committed to the programme because they’ve seen it work, and they’re eager to continue scaling proven solutions,” said Matlen.

Image: Partnership for New York City