Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
In New York, the MTA announced this week that it is adding 9,000 more digital screens to help better direct commuters.
Also announced was the deployment of a new software system, called Mercury, described as a new communications platform that enables location-specific, targeted content to be sent to screens outside, in stations and on the platforms throughout the subway system.
Mercury allows the the MTA with to display location-specific service information on screens in stations throughout the system, including planned and unplanned service changes, dynamic service alternatives, train arrival information at nearby stations, last train departure times before overnight service changes, and nearby bus routes. A future upgrade will allows the screens to be used to alert riders at street level when stations become crowded due to service changes or delays.
We understand that this is all part of the effort started back in 2018 to modernise the system put in place with Outfront Media.vice information for customers while generating advertising revenue for the agency.
Janno Lieber, president of MTA Construction and Development was quoted as saying “Now, for the first time, we’re able to tailor customer messaging to specific lines and stations That’s gives us a tremendous tool to convey COVID-relevant safety information, so we are pushing to deliver digital screens to hundreds of stations during this period of lower ridership.”
There are currently 5,434 screens in the MTA system, the majority of which are in the subway system, with the plan to add more than 9,000 additional screens over the next 12 to 14 months an all 472 New York City Subway stations are expected to include these new digital screens by 2023.
We have never heard of the vendor involved in the software, the so-called ‘rider engagement platform’, a company called Postlight.
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