NY MTA launches cell phone transit delay alert service

An ambitious free e-mail and text-messaging system that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York launched yesterday will allow riders to stay informed about transit delays with "near-real-time" alerts on cell phones and handheld devices, MTA officials said.Newsday reports.

The new system has the capacity to send out 1 million text messages every five minutes, giving updates about delays on commuter-rail and subway lines and traffic congestion on the MTA's bridges and in the agency's tunnels.

Riders can visit the MTA's Web site at mta.info and sign up for the system, which allows them to tailor alerts to their specific commutes and choose the times during the day when they receive the messages.

emily | 4:36 PM | New SMS Services |
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