Case study · White Plains Station, NY
Metro-North trials NaviLens where it matters most: at every elevator.
At White Plains —the refurbished Metro-North station with 12,000 riders a day— NaviLens marks every important jump with a code: street, parking, platforms, machines, restrooms and Help Point.
12,000
Weekday riders boarding trains at White Plains
$95M
Full station refurbishment (Metro-North, 2021)
Harlem line
Key Metro-North station towards Grand Central
42
Languages the NaviLens app reads the information in
The client
MTA · Metro-North Railroad
White Plains Station
Metro-North Railroad is the MTA's commuter network connecting New York with the upstate area and Connecticut. White Plains is one of the busiest Harlem-line stations, with around 12,000 riders a day and a full $95M refurbishment completed in 2021.
On top of that accessible baseline —new elevators, accessible restrooms, audio and dynamic info— the MTA now layers voice wayfinding with NaviLens as a pilot, announced to riders by an official sign: «We're testing NaviLens at White Plains Station».
§ The challenge
Let the rider pick the right elevator and arrow on the first try.
- 01
A three-level puzzle station
White Plains connects street, concourse, parking and platforms via multiple elevators and stairs. Knowing which elevator leads to which level —and which train— is not trivial without vision.
- 02
Ticket Office vs Ticket Machine
In the concourse, two opposite arrows separate «Ticket Office» and «Ticket Machine». The sign is overhead, small and English-only: an easy decision to miss for low-vision riders or tourists.
- 03
Help Point, restrooms and services
The blue Help Point totem, the accessible restrooms and the Metro-North ticket machines are points where disabled riders need quick, audio-based confirmation.
§ The solution
A code at every decision, announced by the MTA.
Metro-North has seeded NaviLens codes at the critical points of White Plains: main entrance, the three elevators (street, parking, tracks), ticket machines, Help Point and restrooms.
Next to some of the codes there's an official blue MTA sign explaining the pilot and asking for feedback from low-vision riders — the rollout is public and participatory.
§ Elevators
Three elevators. Three different codes.
§ Concourse and services
Entrance, ticket office, machines and Help Point.
§ Timeline
From a $95M refurbishment to a NaviLens pilot.
- 2018
Refurbishment project announced
Metro-North announces plans to refurbish White Plains with a focus on accessibility, technology and customer experience for the station's 12,000 daily riders.
- Nov 2021
Refurbished station reopens ($95M)
After the full refurbishment, the station reopens with Wi-Fi, USB chargers, new elevators, accessible restrooms and a fully updated concourse.
- Pilot in progress
«We're testing NaviLens at White Plains Station»
Metro-North places NaviLens codes at the station's critical points —entrance, elevators to street, parking and platforms, ticket machines, restrooms and Help Point— and an official sign next to the codes invites low-vision riders to try it and share feedback.
- 2024-2025
Aligned with the MTA's systemic rollout
The Metro-North pilot brings to the Harlem line the same visual language of NaviLens codes that the MTA is deploying in the Manhattan and Bronx subway and on Bx12-SBS, M23-SBS and M66 buses.
§ What they said
What the MTA and the local press say.
“NaviLens for riders with low vision. We're testing NaviLens at White Plains Station.”
“This is an accessible station with an elevator, tactile warning strips, and audiovisual passenger information systems.”
“The revitalized White Plains station will have a more customer friendly focus, making commuting easier and more pleasant for the 12,000 customers who board trains there on an average weekday.”
§ Results
A commuter station you can navigate by listening to it.
Street → Platform
Codes at every hop: street, parking, concourse, platform
Elevators
Three labelled elevators: to street, to parking and to tracks/trains/tickets
Audio + AR
NaviLens (blind / low vision) and NaviLens GO (everyone else), in 42 languages
§ And your network?
Your next station can also speak.
Tell us about your network, your pain points and the KPIs you want to move. We’ll show you how NaviLens would fit —with comparable cases.
