Here’s some good news. There’s now free wifi service in the East Broadway subway station. We headed over there a few minutes ago to check it out. It’s fast! The installation is part of the MTA’s plan to bring wireless to all 277 underground stations throughout its system. A private firm, Transit Wireless, is partnering with AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, and Royal Caribbean International. The service also allows callers to make 911 calls when necessary.
The SPaCE Block Association advocated for early installation of wireless service as part of the group’s overall campaign to improve the East Broadway station. Although the station was not high on the priority list, State Sen. Daniel Squadron was able to nudge the MTA and to get service activated this year.
h/t Dominic Berg.
It is wonderful news, especially added to all of the improvements that the MTA has made to our station – escalator replacement, painting (and scraping), tile repair, mitigation of the flooding issues, general improvement in cleanliness. Senator Squadron and Assemblyman Silver advocated for these improvements and there they are. Sometimes the system works!
is it only on the train platform level? or as soon as you go below ground level even before you pay?
…except that the escalator broke down again today. It would be nice (and more useful) if the MTA – with the help of our pols – set up “next train arriving” signs in the Delancey / Essex street to avoid the mad and dangerous rush for the F/M uptown trains (the F/M uptown share most Manhattan stations uptown, but do not share a platform at this station – signs notifying passengers if the next uptown train is an M or an F would be a huge help).
They were working on repairing the escalator last night.