CLEARBOX SOURCE CASE STUDY
Powering Smarter Transit: How SEPTA Uses Clearbox Source Across 18 Technology Projects
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), one of the nation’s largest transit systems with over 223 million annual riders, has leveraged Marketplace.city since mid-2024 to streamline and accelerate its technology project planning across multiple departments.
From public safety to operator wellness and E-Paper displays, SEPTA has partnered with Marketplace.city on 18 diverse initiatives. The collaboration has delivered actionable vendor insights, expanded solution options, and critical time savings—all tailored to the unique demands of a modern transit agency.
AT-A-GLANCE
-
Location: Philadelphia, PA
- Government Type: Regional Public Transportation Authority
- Population: Nearly 4 million in the five counties SEPTA serves in three states
- Buyer: Chief Innovation Officer and Manager of Business Innovation
- Key parties: Fleet Management, Operations/Driver Services, Public Safety, Facilities/Infrastructure Planning, Procurement/Strategic Sourcing
THE CHALLENGE
Navigating Complex Transit Needs with Limited Resources
SEPTA operates a complex transit network that requires evaluating and implementing innovative technologies across a wide range of use cases—from commuter rail parking enhancements to frontline employee wellness and station safety.
However, traditional procurement and research methods were time-consuming and often lacked the specificity transit agencies like SEPTA need. With limited internal resources and growing pressure to modernize operations, SEPTA needed a partner to accelerate their technology evaluations while ensuring sector-relevant solutions.
THE SOLUTION
A Centralized Platform for Transit-Focused Technology Planning
Since starting with Clearbox Source in June 2024, SEPTA has tapped into the platform to support technology research, vendor discovery, and project scoping. Key projects have included:
- EV Charging at Rail Stations: Marketplace delivered a tailored market landscape of 23 leading vendors, surfaced relevant RFPs and government case studies—including models from BART, MetroLink, and WMATA—and located contracts and licensing structures for space rental agreements.
- Operator Wellness & Driver Alertness: When SEPTA sought tools to support operator mental health, Marketplace identified public safety solutions with peer support and wellness features. When the project evolved to include fatigue detection, Marketplace found four software/hardware tools capable of tracking distraction, drowsiness, and unsafe behaviors in real time.
- Enhancing Rider Experience with Real-Time Bus Stop Displays: Early in the partnership, Marketplace.city supported SEPTA’s ePaper project to provide real-time arrival information and alerts at bus stops. The team delivered a Market Landscape of 10 leading eInk/ePaper solutions, supported the RFP scope development, and promoted the opportunity to top vendors—resulting in double the typical number of responses.
These engagements represent just a portion of SEPTA’s activity across Clearbox Source, with projects spanning fleet management, driver operations, public safety, and infrastructure.
“SEPTA has greatly benefited from Marketplace.city’s ability to simplify and accelerate the way we identify and evaluate new technologies. What used to take weeks of outreach and research can now be accomplished in a fraction of the time. It’s helped our teams work smarter, uncover innovative options we may not have found otherwise, and bring more efficiency to our technology exploration process.”
- Emily Duncan, Manager of Business Innovation, SEPTA
THE OUTCOME
In less than a year, SEPTA has used Clearbox Source on 18 different technology initiatives—demonstrating how a transit agency can streamline planning, expand solution options, and reduce internal lift. The platform has helped SEPTA teams quickly find transit-relevant solutions, access prior agency implementations, and refine project scopes with real-world data. Whether exploring large-scale EV charging deployments or cutting-edge video analytics, SEPTA has been able to move faster and smarter with Marketplace.city as a partner.