Queens-Midtown and Brooklyn-Battery Tunnels Now GPS-Enabled

Bluetooth-powered Waze Beacons have begun operating in the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and Hugh L. Carey (formerly known as Brooklyn-Battery) Tunnel, allowing vehicles’ GPS functionality to work in the tunnels, the MTA announced Tuesday.

A total of 313 beacons, each with a lifespan of four years, were placed 100 feet apart in the tunnels.

To enjoy this seamless use of their GPS devices in the tunnels, drivers must activate their phone’s Bluetooth at the beginning of the trip. If a Waze user selects a route with beacons and his Bluetooth function is not activated, a prompt will appear.

The MTA said that the beacons do not collect data from vehicles.

“We are excited to bring this innovative technology to our tunnels,” said MTA Managing Director Veronique Hakim. “Together with cashless tolling, this further underscores our commitment to modernizing our facilities so we can better serve customers now and for many years to come.”