News

Kiosks connect subway riders with MTA

April 5, 2011

Intercom kiosks are the newest way for New York City subway riders to get in touch with Metropolitan Transit Authority personnel.

According to a press release, the Help Point kiosks are being tested at two subway stops in Manhattan. The control panel contains a red emergency button and a green information button, a speaker and microphone. The subway Rail Control Center takes emergency calls, and station agents answer the information calls.

"These units have a fresh new appearance that will make the Help Points easy to identify. The sound will be crisp, clear and easy to understand, which is an important feature especially in the subway environment," said NYC Transit President Thomas F. Prendergast. "As designed, the Help Points are a major step beyond the Customer Assistance Intercoms now in our stations."

Help Point replaced a previous generation of customer-assistance devices that proved problematic, according to a press release The older devices lacked digital audio, which sometimes made it hard to hear and be heard. Also, few riders knew they existed because their indistinct design blended with their surroundings.

If the Help Point program is successful, MTA officials said they will consider expanding the kiosks to the system's 468 subway stations.