Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Surprise: Subway Intercoms Don't Always Work
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Aug 10, 2010
Modified Aug 10, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Aug 10, 2010
Modified Aug 10, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Remember those six felonies a day that happen in the subway? Well God forbid you have the press the emergency intercom for help, because in the subway, no one can hear you scream. That's because the emergency intercoms, like most everything in the system, take a long time to fix. An average of 11 days, to be specific. Andrew Albert, the riders' representative on the MTA board said, "It's unacceptable. There's a real safety concern."
In the first six-months of the year, there were 1,264 "trouble tickets" issued for faulty intercoms in subway systems and elevators. However, inspections confirmed malfunctions only 350 times, meaning either the subway workers have no idea what they're doing, or people need to make sure they know how to work the damn things before bitching to the MTA.
However, straphangers could easily be convinced that the intercoms aren't working because there aren't many people on the other line. The intercoms are supposed to connect to the station booths, which are becoming increasingly vacant. If nobody answers at the booth, the call gets rerouted to the rail control center. But don't worry, according to this video, emergencies "seldom occur" within the system, and when they do, MTA employees "will be there to keep you informed." And here we thought they'd just stand by and watch.
Tagged
emergency intercom
MTA
repairs
station agent
subway
Jaya Saxena
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Forest Hills Stadium can keep its concerts under deal with neighbors
Neighbors had complained of traffic and loud concerts for years.
By
Ryan Kost
Published Oct 22, 2026 at 2:49 p.m. ET
NYC Council to grill Mamdani officials on collapsed Hunts Point Produce Market deal
Council Speaker Julie Menin called the $650 million plan "mission critical."
By
Elizabeth Kim
News
NYC Council to grill Mamdani officials on collapsed Hunts Point Produce Market deal
Council Speaker Julie Menin called the $650 million plan "mission critical."
By
Elizabeth Kim
NYPD arrests 17-year-old in fatal Midtown subway platform shooting
By
Charles Lane
Ex-Adams aide accused of pocketing kickbacks from community program funds
By
Samantha Max
MTA to begin 6-year project to upgrade signal tech on A and C lines in Brooklyn and Queens
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .