Boston transit agency to try urine sensors on elevators

BOSTON (AP) — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is going to tackle the nuisance of public urination with technology. The MBTA is launching a pilot program this summer in which urine detection sensors will be placed in four downtown elevators. The data will be collected for several months with a goal of creating a system that can alert transit ambassadors to dispatch a cleaning crew. The MBTA said public urination is not only unsanitary but can also damage elevators. The sensors are not a new concept. Nearly a decade ago, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority launched a program that triggered strobe lights, alarms and alerts to MARTA police when urine was detected.