MARTA commuters, rejoice. Curbed reports that the Atlanta transit agency is teaming up with IBM to update MARTA with Internet of Things technology to improve operations.
IBM plans to help MARTA derive insights from the massive amounts of data it holds to help optimize the agency’s tech-based assets including trains, buses, and streetcars, according to the press release.
“[MARTA] is working with IBM to implement a predictive maintenance solution to improve reliability of assets, minimize costs, and create a Transit Asset Management [TAM] tool that provides asset inventory, condition assessment, performance measures, and decision support.”
“[MARTA] is working with IBM to implement a predictive maintenance solution to improve reliability of assets, minimize costs, and create a Transit Asset Management [TAM] tool that provides asset inventory, condition assessment, performance measures, and decision support,” according to the release.
By utilizing data mining, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, MARTA can ideally adopt a more proactive approach to safety and maintenance.
"It's critical for companies to think about how effective their maintenance practices are. With the launch of its new Asset Performance Management solutions, IBM is helping organizations make insight-driven decisions with an integrated portfolio of advanced analytics and AI capabilities to help them improve operational effectiveness and efficiency," said Kareem Yusuf, Ph.D., general manager, IBM Watson IoT. "Maximo APM is designed to enhance an organization's existing Enterprise Asset Management system by addressing all aspects of asset performance including health, predictive maintenance and repair optimization."
The potential economic downside of “unplanned downtime” is massive, with a total MARTA system crash costing firms up to $260,000 per hour, per analysis firm Aberdeen Group.
“MARTA is on track to become the first North American public transit agency to achieve ISO 55000 certification (an international asset management standard),” said Remy Saintil, director of facilities at MARTA, in a statement. “Collaborating with IBM provides MARTA with the innovation from a technology icon, which fortifies us as an industry leader in Transit Asset Management.”
