Public Invited to View Best Transit APP Finalist Presentations

BOSTON – The MBTA is inviting the public to view presentations from finalists in the T's contest to select and officially endorse the best app for accessing real-time MBTA information. The event will be held Friday, August 12, at the State Transportation building, 2nd floor Conference Room 1, from noon to 2 p.m.

The contest, which was announced last month, was created by the MBTA in order to evaluate and select from the best third-party apps that help commuters in Boston navigate all facets of the public transportation system. Friday's public forum will allow developers to showcase their apps while interacting with T customers.

With public opinion driving the selection process, those who use the apps every day are choosing which apps they find to be most useful. A single endorsed app will allow for more seamless customer service. The partnership will ensure that the winning app has the most reliable and up-to-date information about the transit system for its riders.

"Our customers are always on the go, and useful apps help connect riders to the information they need to improve their commutes," said MBTA General Manager Brian Shortsleeve. "We're excited to thoroughly examine these innovative mobile tools and encourage travelers to log on and share their opinions of their favorite apps."

The MBTA will select the endorsed winner on September 6th and will feature the selected app prominently on the MBTA website for a full year.

Here are the kinds of features the MBTA expects a winning app to provide customers:

* Customizable in-app alerting
* Innovative means of customer feedback within app
* Integration with our mobile ticketing provider, Masabi
* Advanced data collection that continues to respect to our customer's privacy
* Accessibility and accessible trip planning information

For additional information on the app showcase, go to www.mbtaapps.com
For the showcase agenda go to the Eventbright page