A new report from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) provides public transit agencies with a resource for understanding, evaluating and deploying Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning tools across their operations.
The “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in Public Transit: A Primer” and four companion pieces (AI Guidance Briefs) provide agencies with a roadmap for responsible AI implementation and real-world applications for agencies to use. Officials said the publications draw on a survey of transit agencies and staff interviews to capture current and planned AI applications across eight functional domains: back office, operations, customer support, maintenance, safety and security, customer analytics, planning, and fares and ticketing.
“Public transit agencies of all sizes are deploying AI to make service more reliable, more efficient, and more responsive to riders,” Paul P. Skoutelas, APTA President and CEO, said. “These resources give our member organizations a clear picture of where the industry stands and a practical roadmap for moving forward responsibly—from the largest metro systems to small rural providers.”
According to the guide, customer support and customer analytics are the most common areas of AI deployment at the moment. APTA said that when analysis includes public transit agencies’ plans to deploy AI, back office and operational functions move to the top of the list with 50 and 47 percent of the survey respondents, respectively.
The primer also includes real-world examples of AI/ML use, including how the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York increased maintenance productivity and decreased material costs using an AI-powered predictive maintenance system for its bus fleet; and how Riverside Transit Agency in California used a disruption management tool to automatically push real-time detour updates to riders and operators which improved schedule reliability.
“What stands out in this research is the breadth of practical applications already underway,” Skoutelas said. “Agencies are piloting, learning, and scaling—and that pragmatic approach is exactly what will help public transit deliver even better outcomes for riders and communities.”
Findings were drawn from an online survey of 32 APTA member transit agencies, supplemented by interviews with agency staff and a review of publicly available documentation on agency AI deployments.