PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — SEPTA is looking to modernize the system it uses to provide real-time information for subway and trolley riders, and wants companies to submit ideas on how it can provide that data.
SEPTA riders can use apps to track the location of buses and Regional Rail trains, but not the rest of the system.
"The T trolley tunnel doesn't have real-time in the tunnel. And on the L and the B we have limited real-time on the L and no real-time information on the B," said Kate Monroe, SEPTA’s customer experience director for information.
"When they were built, they weren't designed to produce the real-time information that we're now trying to get out of them. So it's a combination of those lines being underground and also some of the really legacy technology and infrastructure."
SEPTA has issued what's called a request for information (RFI) about technology that can provide real-time vehicle tracking information that can be integrated to all digital platforms.
Monroe said SEPTA is eager to hear from companies large and small. The RFI is open until Nov. 23.
