The transportation industry is changing and ultimately affecting the way we move around, that’s for sure. In this week’s installment of Picks of the Week, we’ve pulled articles that focus on public transit, particularly how mobile ticketing is influencing the industry, autonomous vehicles, iOS beta updates, and more.

Get your transportation fix in with some of Passport’s most-read articles of the week:

The NYC subway’s getting a facelift

The NYC subway system is getting a facelift. Ok, maybe not a real life facelift complete with stitches and blood and stuff, but a transformation it definitely needs to sustain itself for the large amount of riders. The subway system will be getting a $27 billion facelift – so you could say it really needs to be on point. Governor Cuomo announced this week that the Metropolitan Transportation Association (MTA) will be redesigning their cars and stations. The new cars look will feature: more interior/exterior color to the cars, more room to breathe in cars (think wider doors, digital time displays, and larger gangway entries), the ability to plug in phones / devices with GPS and charging stations throughout the cars. As for the stations, the platforms will feature: wayfinding information, enhanced lighting, countdown clock, service announcements, neighborhood maps, and more.

Transit In Motion EBook

Exclusive insight into transit technology; where it’s been, where it’s going, and the innovations to come. As the transit industry gains major traction, particularly mobile ticketing – gain valuable information into what mobile ticketing is and how exactly it will improve transportation. Industry professional, Robyn Chiarelli, weighs in on how transit will change in the future and how mobile ticketing can play a major role in the transition. “Mobile ticketing allows people to have the power in their own hands,” said Robyn Chiarelli, Executive Director at Downtown Fort Lauderdale Transportation Management Association.

How DevOps is shaping the future of networking (and your business)

Autonomous cars have continued to dominate headlines. Companies like Google, Ford, and Baidu are working rigorously to develop cars that can drive themselves and won’t’ be distracted by phones, kids, and all the other disruptors. The cars mainly rely on light detection and ranging (LIDARS) to detect their route, which means that the cars rely on LIDARS to gain sensory information, however, they’re not the best to rely on since they pick up on not only pedestrians, but leaves on branches, windows on buildings, and more that can really distract the autonomous car. Yes, it’s working now when there’s not a ton of self driving cars, but will be a major issue when the maps need to be updated and there’s more drivers on the road. Civil Maps believes they solved this issue. Find out how…

What is mobile ticketing…and why does it matter?

As the transit industry advances, from the Omnibus to now having the ability to pay for fares with your phone, it’s clear that there will be major changes. Mobile ticketing is here and that means that the future possibilities are endless. But what exactly is mobile ticketing and why does it matter to you? Let’s just say that it can ultimately help you better prepare for trips, plan and track transit in real-time, and you have the ability to handle everything from the convenience of your smartphone. Awesome, right? Mobility will never be the same…

Apple releases new betas for iOS, macOS, watchOS and yes, even tvOS
Apple recently released the third beta for the next release of iOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS. With the final version of these being released in the fall, testing is in full force. For Apple, they like to release the updates in stages. “The new versions first hit the developer servers so that only people paying $99 a year for a developer account can test it out.” What we’re really interested in is how these updates will help further enhance Apple Maps, particularly our thoughts on iOS10. With the ability for developers to test the betas, we’re excited to see how these updates will transition into the final versions in the fall.