New MTA Customer Service Centers Bring Services Closer to Subway Riders

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As station agents step out of their subway booths, those booths will be transformed into dedicated Customer Service Centers, the first three of which were unveiled by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) this week. In Brooklyn and the Bronx, riders got a sneak peek at what is to come for subway stations across the five boroughs. The new centers are designed to be larger than traditional subway booths and to make more services accessible to riders at the stations they use.

new MTA Customer Service Center at the Coney Island subway station

Currently, there are certain tasks that straphangers can only perform by visiting the MTA’s Stone Street facility next to MTA headquarters in lower Manhattan. That will change with the advent of the new Customer Service Centers. Once opened, station agents will be able to assist customers with switching to OMNY and applying for the Reduced-Fare program. Riders will also be able to submit complaints, get updates and information on travel delays, receive assistance with wayfinding through the transit system, and complete other tasks that once required a trip into Manhattan.

Digital kiosks at the Coney Island subway station — *Marc A. Hermann / MTA*

The new centers will be staffed by station agents 24/7. Agents in the centers will receive dedicated training on OMNY equipment and new customer service functions. In addition to helpful agents, the centers will also have self-service digital kiosks where riders can access MTA websites.

Customer Service Centers will be created by converting existing subway booths or by completely new build-outs. Aesthetic changes to the help points include new lighting and sleek new branding on signs and canopies that feature classic design elements of subway signage.

An MTA worker wearing a bright yellow vest that says "Customer Service" — *Marc A. Hermann / MTA*

The first three customer service centers are now open at Coney Island-Stillwell Av and Atlantic Av-Barclays Center Brooklyn, and at 161 St-Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Twelve more MTA Customer Service Centers are set to open across all five boroughs throughout the remainder of 2023. See more photos of the unveiling in the gallery below: