Riders can fill out MTA customer survey about safety, service and fares

NEW YORK (PIX11) — Ask riders what they think about commuting, and you’re going to get an earful. Twice a year, the MTA conducts an online customer survey.

Agency officials are ready for the comments. They said the ideas and information will help plan future projects.

Vincent is a daily rider and said he appreciates the system. He always wants to see more notifications about changes and delays.

“There’s always room for improvement,” he said.

Communication, service, and safety are regular themes and concerns.

“In the past 18 months, we have made progress, and customers have noticed increasing satisfaction on the last two biannual surveys. From a renewed focus on cleaning, especially in subway stations and cars, speeding up service by adding camera enforcement to additional buses and increasing service on eight subway lines, and keeping our customers safe with subway crime down from 2022 while ridership is up, we are listening to our customers and making transit better,” said NYC Transit President Richard Davey.

The spring 2023 survey had about 80,000 customer responses, with 110,000 points on subway lines and 25,000 on bus routes.

Personal security and station conditions topped the concerns.

“I don’t expect every New Yorker to be totally satisfied. We can always do better right now. This helps focus us on where we should spend our time and resources,” Davey said.

Station agents are spending more time on platforms. They can assist with questions and the most recent new item to appear in the system: the OMNY vending machine.

“I could use a phone, although I choose not to. I could use an ATM or a credit card. This card is durable,” said Esteban, a daily rider. He wants to see more options and fare discounts.

The MTA is trying to get more riders to use the tap-and-go system known as OMNY. About half of the rides are still taken via MetroCard.

“Since our last survey, we have launched new fare options for the commuter rails, launched a new service alerts system and have made many other enhancements systemwide. Customer satisfaction is a top priority, and we hope many riders will take a moment to participate in the survey and encourage others to do the same,” said MTA Acting Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara.

Installation of OMNY vending machines will continue through 2024 in all 472 stations.

They’re currently at these subway stations: