Abstract

The purpose of the engineering proposal is to create a proposal for a creative engineering innovation with a group of people. Our proposal describes a new turnstiles system for the MTA, and aims to provide a faster, more efficient, and more secure alternative to the current MTA turnstiles, as a way to help people get into stations quicker as well as preventing people from evading the subway fares.

Date: April 30, 2020

To: Sarah Feinberg President of MTA

From: Pawel Subernat, Tanvir Bhuiyan, Gazi Shahi, Matthew Rozario

Subject: FasTrans Turnstiles 

Purpose

NYC has had turnstiles for over 2 decades, FasTrans is here to change that for the better. Commuters of the NYC MTA have experienced many problems with the turnstiles in place. FasTrans is here to maximize speed and efficiency into the NYC subway system by replacing turnstiles with swinging doors and scanners. This will allow many commuters and tourists alike to traverse through the subway system and create less holdups making NYC run smoother. 

Summary

In this proposal FasTrans will be discussing the current state of NYC subway turnstiles which currently use MetroCards. The problem with turnstiles is that it’s not efficient enough for the riders of NYC. They pose many problems that can hold up daily commuters that can prevent them from arriving to their destination on time. FasTrans has developed a plan to change up the turnstiles in favor of swinging doors with scanners that will maximize speed and efficiency for commuters. FasTrans is the best for this because we have worked with various types of turnstiles in congested and professional areas. Our experience will allow us to change these turnstiles for the betterment of NYC. 

Introduction 

Ever since 1994, The New York City subway system has been using the same turnstiles as many see today. At first tokens were used to enter the subway, then in 2003 the use of tokens was eliminated in favor of using the MetroCard. Recently, a new payment program has been implemented known as OMNY (One Metro New York), which allows people to pay their fare with a tap from their smartphone or bank card. This allows commuters to pay directly from their bank account.

     Although the MTA has taken a step forward with OMNY, it’s being implemented slowly across the stations keeping MetroCards as the main form of payment. Now as many commuters know and experience, MTA MetroCards and turnstiles are not always reliable. Turnstiles have a major issue with their magnetic sensors not registering the MetroCard swipe correctly. If the commuters doesn’t swipe “just right” the turnstile can end up with the “please swipe again” message which can hold a person up and consequently hold up all of the people who are trying to swipe in after them. Left handed commuters are more potent to the “please swipe again” message since they use their non-dominant hand to swipe across. Time wasted leads to many people missing their train and all sorts of other delays. The current turnstiles just aren’t efficient enough.

Proposed Program/Innovation 

In order to have the subway turnstiles be more efficient, we will alter the current turnstiles in place. We will have the swipe detectors removed from the top of the turnstile, this will be replaced by two scanners which will be able to read near-field communication (NFC) chips. Instead of the current waist-high turnstiles, we will have four-foot tall plastic doors which will swing open when the fare is paid. 

Scanners

The panel/window of the scanner will be made out of glass and it will have the ability to read information from credit cards with an NFC chip inside of them, (see figure 1). New MetroCards with NFC chips will be created in order for people without credit cards to be able to purchase and refill this new MetroCard and pay the fare. There will be two scanners on each turnstile, placed at an angle, so that people can scan their card using their left or right hand. Once a card is scanned and the fare is paid, a signal will be sent from the scanner to the motors inside of the turnstile, which will control the doors and open them up for the passenger. 

Doors

There will be two plastic doors made out of ABS plastic, and they are four-foot tall, in order to prevent fare evasion, (see Figure 2). The doors are powered by motors inside of the turnstile, which after receiving a signal from the scanners, turn on and open up the doors for the rider. These doors are securely placed in hinges and are hard to remove, so that people can’t deface them. 

Figure 1
Figure 2

Turnstile Body 

We will use the current turnstiles which are already in place and just alter their appearance and functionality by cutting certain parts off and weld some additional pieces onto the turnstiles. The MetroCard scanner will be cut off, and there will be angled cuts in the front of the turnstile which will allow for the two scanners to be placed on the turnstile, (see Figure 3). Two hinges will be welded to each side of the turnstile in order to have the doors connected to the turnstile. The two turnstiles on the ends of the entrance space will be cut in half and welded so that they have the scanner on one side only, (see Figure 4).

Figure 3
Figure 4

Software

The software in the turnstiles will have to be updated and will have to be able to control the messages from the scanners to the motors powering the doors. The motors powering the doors will be fast motors which will open and close quickly, so multiple people can’t walk through them at once. 

Conclusion

All of these components together make up the improved design of the turnstile. With the scanners being on two sides of the entrance, this allows for a more efficient way of entering onto the platform as there won’t be miss swipes and both left and right-handed people will be satisfied as the scanners will be on both sides. The tall plastic doors will be able to prevent fare evasion, as they will be secured in their place and only move when the motor opens them for a rider. Also the swinging doors will allow only for people to enter, people who are exiting will have to use the door on the side, therefore there will be less traffic at the turnstiles. In case of a fire, the doors will automatically swing open and stay open for people to leave through them.  Figures 5 and 6 demonstrate how the turnstiles will look, all aligned together.

Figure 5
Figure 6

Timeline

Start DateEnd DateDescription of Task
January 2021February 2021Hold conferences explaining the timeline of the project and discuss important events that need to be considered regarding the MTA’s schedule
March 2021November 2021Add new electronic system involving scanners in all train stations in Brooklyn
December 2021May 2022Add doors and the new innovation of turnstiles to the stations in Brooklyn
June 2022July 2022Begin preparing for implementing changes in Manhattan
August 2022April 2023Install new fare software and scanners in all train stations in Manhattan
May 2023October 2023Add new turnstile equipment for train stations in Manhattan
November 2023January 2024Conduct research on Brooklyn and Manhattan stations to determine how effective the new models of turnstiles are
February 2024March 2024Release surveys to Brooklyn and Manhattan residents to find out how satisfied they are with the new changes
April 2024May 2024Begin adjusting plans for Queens stations based on survey results
June 2024April 2025All train stations in Queens will have updated fare software and scanners ready for use
May 2025November 2025Add turnstile doors and other necessary parts to prevent fare evasion in Queens
December 2025January 2026Start improvising plans for the stations in Bronx
February 2026October 2026All stations in Bronx will now have the most recent software for contactless fare system
November 2026April 2027Turnstiles have been modified and scanners have been updated
May 2027September 2027Make any necessary changes to stations that need to be improved
October 2027November 2027Alert MTA commuters that all necessary modifications have been made
—December 2027PROJECT COMPLETE

Budget

Qualifications 

We have past experience in developing turnstiles in various places such as JFK and the office lobby at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, and we’d like to help resolve this ongoing problem with the MTA’s turnstiles. We have worked with various turnstile vendors, such as Hayward Turnstiles, Avant-Garde Systems, and Vertex Security to develop quick, efficient and secure turnstiles throughout NYC. Our team is multifaceted in that we bring the necessary skills and experiences to resolve this issue. Our lead designer and manager, Pawel Subernat, has had years of experience in CAD design as a mechanical engineer and has done research on the favorability of the current MTA turnstiles. As our manager, he oversees everything that goes on and makes sure that we are on track to completing any projects given to us. He carries out any necessary research in order to determine when there is a specific issue at hand that needs to be resolved and what methods were used in the past that can be improved upon. Tanvir Bhuiyan and Gazi Shahi hold the programming prowess as IT security consultants to properly set up NFC tags within the turnstiles to ensure secure passage through them. Tanvir is also in charge of our finances and business, determining our expenses and business plan for each project. Gazi is in charge of finding potential clients and discussing ideas for future projects as well as contacting our vendors to have our turnstile designs mass produced. Matthew Rozario, also a mechanical engineer, is involved in product development and develops prototype turnstiles using the CAD designs we create and assesses them to see if they would fit for real world applications. He is in charge of approving prototypes and sending our designs to our vendors to have them mass produced. He is also involved in marketing and assists Gazi in delivering effective pitches to our clients and investors with his booming voice and charisma.

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OMNY

http://web.mta.info/mta/news/books/pdf/190520_1400_CPOC.pdf

https://www.haywardturnstiles.com/learning-center/how-much-does-a-turnstile-cost-price/

https://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/Fare_Collection_in_the_Subway 

https://www.cardrates.com/news/nfc-beginners-guide-future-credit-cards/