Delancey Subway Station Receives ‘MTA Help Point’ Intercom
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The “MTA Help Point” technology was first unveiled three years ago, and implemented in two stations on the IRT line (23rd Street and Brooklyn Bridge). These glowing towers on subway platforms are part of a system-wide intercom network for passengers to access basic travel information or summon help during emergencies. By pressing the button, you can immediately connect with Rail Control Center.
From the original press release:
Each Help Point will be individually addressable, so that in the case of an emergency, personnel at the Rail Control Center will be able to pinpoint exactly where in the station the call originated. Not only will the new Help Point units improve response times, but the digital audio will provide much clearer sound than is available from the customer assistance intercoms used in subways now.
“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 major step beyond the Customer Assistance Intercoms now in our stations.”
The control panel contains a red emergency button and a green information button along with a speaker and microphone. Emergency calls are routed to the subway Rail Control Center while information calls are sent to the station agent.
Until recently, we hadn’t spotted any such units in the Lower East Side stations. Now, the F stop at Delancey/Essex has one. It’s located near the area once occupied by a station agent booth, at the south side entrance.
According to a Daily News article from September 2012, the MTA Help Point kiosks will be available throughout the city subway system by the end of 2014. We’ll see if that actually happens.
Meanwhile, the following is a dated video of the Help Point in action.
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