Clear-Vu Lighting Launches clearNET as a Transit Tunnel IoT Platform
New York manufacturer opens its wireless mesh network to a full range of environmental
sensors, giving transit agencies real-time visibility across tunnel infrastructure
CENTRAL ISLIP, NY – April 20, 2026 – Clear-Vu Lighting Inc. (“Clear-Vu” or the Company), a U.S.-based manufacturer of LED tunnel and infrastructure lighting systems, today announced the availability of clearNET as a full transit IoT monitoring platform. Originally deployed as the wireless control and monitoring layer for Clear-Vu’s MTLx tunnel lighting system, clearNET is now available as an open sensor infrastructure for transit tunnel environments.
clearNET is a wireless mesh network built for transit tunnels, continuously monitoring every fixture, battery, and integrated sensor and delivering real-time data to agency maintenance and operations teams, without new cabling or service disruption.
The announcement reflects where transit agencies are headed: away from intermittent manual inspections inside active tunnels, and toward continuous, asset-level monitoring that generates actionable data for maintenance and capital planning teams. For agency leaders managing aging infrastructure under constrained budgets, the ability to know the condition of every safety-critical asset in real time – without sending employees into active tunnels – represents a meaningful operational shift.
“Transit agencies have been asked to do more with less for a long time, and the pressure is only increasing. When we developed clearNET, we weren’t just solving a lighting problem – we were building the infrastructure layer that transit tunnels never had,” said Daniel Lax, CEO and Founder of Clear-Vu Lighting. “Continuous monitoring, real-time control, and an expandable sensor backbone, all running over existing electrical infrastructure. That’s what we’re making available to agencies today.”
What clearNET Does
Each clearNET node monitors fixture health, driver status, battery condition, and power at the individual asset level. Integrated thermal sensors provide continuous heat detection across the tunnel network, replacing manual inspection protocols with automated alerts. Structured data output integrates directly with enterprise asset management (“EAM”) platforms, enabling condition-based maintenance and risk-informed capital planning.
The platform’s 900MHz frequency was selected specifically for tunnel use: it travels reliably around curves and obstructions, spans up to 3,000 feet between nodes, and does not interfere with Communications-Based Train Control (“CBTC”) systems. A single gateway supports up to 2,000 nodes across run lengths exceeding 1.5 miles, with no new data cable required. For agencies operating legacy tunnel infrastructure, this is a significant advantage: clearNET installs over existing electrical infrastructure without requiring costly civil or cabling upgrades.
Current sensor integrations include thermal monitoring and water ingress detection. The node architecture also supports ambient temperature, smoke, gas, and hazardous materials sensors, making clearNET a platform agencies can grow into as monitoring needs evolve and technology advances.
Deployed and Proven
clearNET has been operating in revenue service in the MTA/NYCT Canarsie Tunnel since 2019, where it was the first IoT-based wireless monitoring system ever deployed in a subway tunnel environment. On that project, the combined clearNET and MTLx system is projected to generate nearly $3 million in capital and operating savings over 10 years, driven by the elimination of centralized battery room infrastructure, removal of manual inspection requirements, and zone-level lighting control that converts maintenance window setup time into productive work time.
Clear-Vu has been a supplier to the MTA since 2012, with clearNET deployments across the Canarsie and Rutgers tunnels. That track record – more than a decade inside the largest and most complex transit system in North America – is the foundation on which this platform expansion is built.
clearNET nodes are housed in IP66-rated polycarbonate enclosures with tamperproof fasteners, and comply with NYCT Specification 16ES requirements for steel dust, salt fog, vibration, temperature, and pressure impulse. The system was engineered to survive the environments where it has to perform.
Since 2008, Clear-Vu has built a track record that few manufacturers in the transit lighting space can match – deploying Buy America compliant systems across some of the most demanding subway infrastructure in North America, and continuing to advance the technology that keeps tunnels safe. To learn more, visit clearvulighting.com.
About Clear-Vu Lighting
Clear-Vu Lighting is a third-generation, New York-based manufacturer of intelligent LED tunnel and transit lighting systems. The company’s MTLx fixture is the only dual-mode tunnel light with integrated battery backup, delivering both emergency egress and work lighting from a single unit. Its clearNET IoT platform gives agencies real-time visibility across entire tunnel networks, replacing manual inspections with remote monitoring and predictive maintenance.
With 130 employees, 100,000 square feet of ISO 9001 certified production, and over 200,000 Buy America compliant fixtures deployed across some of the nation’s largest and most demanding transit systems, Clear-Vu is setting the standard for how agencies light and manage critical underground infrastructure. Learn more at clearvulighting.com.
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