MTA station agents are saying goodbye to their booths as they move into new customer service roles.

Beginning Thursday, all 2,200 station agents wearing neon yellow vests began assisting commuters outside their service booths—except for the agents inside the nine customer service centers across the system. 

What You Need To Know

  • Beginning Thursday, all 2,200 station agents wearing neon yellow vests began assisting commuters outside their service booths

  • Agents will still be inside nine customer service centers across the system 24/7

  • Station agents will receive a dollar more an hour, while aiming to enhance customer experience

Nelson Chang has been a station agent for the last four years. 

“They still have problems with the machines or having problems with the directions, ‘Where is uptown? Where is downtown?’ By speaking to one of us,” Chang explained, “they don’t have to flip their map or figure out the machine. We can help them instantly.”

Booths, like the one at 74th Street-Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, will be manned 24/7 and provide services that perviously commuters had to travel to MTA headquarters for. 

Six more are set to open before the end of the year. 

“You are able to sign up for reduced-fare metro cards. So for seniors for example, you are actually able to link your OMNY card or a credit or debit card to a metro card as well,” said New York City Transit President Richard Davey.

The transition to the cashless fare system, OMNY, made the role of booth agents somewhat obsolete.

The deal between their union and the agency gives agents an extra dollar an hour while aiming to enhance commuter experience.

“I think it is good that they interact with the public rather than be locked up in there,” said Queens commuter Gurhan Heineirt.

According to the MTA, station agents will also act as eyes and ears for the agency and report any maintenance issues as well as contact authorities when needed.