EVALUATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLE-COUNTING TECHNOLOGIES

Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH), a subsidiary of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, is a heavy rail rapid transit system that serves commuters in Hoboken, Newark, Jersey City, and Manhattan. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and dramatic declines in ridership, PATH officials sought to address passenger concerns around safety, health, and overcrowding by engaging a team to evaluate the feasibility and procurement of a Car Density Information System (CDIS). Since a CDIS requires new hardware to monitor congestion on each train car and new software to relay information to passengers in real time, the team conducted extensive research and engaged with potential vendors and relevant stakeholders to ascertain the most vital criteria for assessing a range of technological solutions. Based on its findings, the team developed a robust scorecard and comprehensive report with recommendations to guide PATH’s procurement process of people counting solutions and other technologies necessary for PATH’s desired system improvements.