It seems as though New York’s transit system will be getting a lot of tech upgrades. By the end of summer, riders will be able to use Google Pay and Apple Pay on NYC’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) transit system.
Ahead of that launch, Google is trying to make it even easier for its users to catch trains. Now, Google Assistant can tell NYC subway riders when their next train is due and more.
If you have an Android phone, any smart speaker, or Smart Display, all you have to do is say, “Hey Google, when is the next 4 train arriving?” Along with telling you when a train comes, Google will provide directions to the platform that you need to be at.
Since standing around at the subway platform wondering when the next train is going to come is one of the more annoying parts of a commute, Google’s new system will definitely be helpful.
However, Google Assistant has to rely on the information given to it by the MTA. The company says that the system is “real-time,” but it’s still unclear if that means it’ll alert riders of delays — which any NYC subway rider can tell you are common.
Prakash Hariramani, Google Pay’s Director for Product Management, wrote in a blog post:
“Starting May 31st, The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will enable the “pay per ride” feature on your phone with a public pilot at select subway stations and Staten Island buses. And we continue to work with The Metropolitan Transportation Authority to bring more features with Google Maps and Google Assistant to make commuting even easier, no matter your destination.”
May is looking like the month of transit upgrades, and it doesn’t seem like Google plans to end there.
