Gone are the days of being blindsided with NYC transit service delays–now you can at least be prepared for those delays with email and text alerts (though is ignorance actually bliss??)
The MTA announced this past Monday, July 10, that their new MTA Service Alerts is now live, bringing real-time service updates straight to your phone.
The service was created to provide straphangers with timely updates on any service announcements regarding train, subway, and bus routes–including delays, reroutes, and cancellations. Those who sign up can totally personalize their experience, from choosing certain days, time periods, and lines to receive alerts for to whether they’d like to receive alerts via text, email, or both.
Email alerts will be formatted similarly to alerts already seen on the MTA’s website and in-system screens, and text alerts will be sent from 511-682, reserved exclusively for the MTA.
New Yorkers are always on the move, and with MTA Service Alerts, MTA customers will be able to travel confidently with the most current information that may impact their specific journeys. This new approach to service alerts will ensure that we are communicating directly to customers about relevant service impacts consistently and simply across channels and will provide customers enhanced opportunities to receive timely updates on planned work. – MTA Acting Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara.
Elevator and escalator alerts along with MTA bridges and tunnel alerts remain available in the legacy MyMTAAlerts system.
This isn’t the only way the MTA is making improvements to the overall system–they just rolled out a second R211 subway car and recently unveiled new high-tech customer service centers.
You can sign up for the alerts here.