New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is planning to create a text-message and email notification system to give riders up-to-the-minute information on any service changes and disruptions to the public transportation system. The MTA put out an RFP and hopes to have such a system put in place by next spring. The agency decided that such a system was needed after severe flooding shut down much of the NYC subway system back on August 8th. The proposed system would work for all bus, subway, and commuter-rail passengers in the NYC region. Customers would receive notifications on scheduled track work, alternate train routings, unplanned disruptions, and other emergency conditions. While it might be a scary thought to give the MTA your mobile phone #, the benefits of such a service might outweigh any concerns over privacy and security. Hopefully no one will have access to the mobile phone database that the MTA creates through this system.

[Check it out via Crunch Gear]

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