Payphone Survey 2005 - Methodology

This report is intended as a follow-up to the Straphangers Campaign subway payphone reports of 2000, 2001 and 2002, in which we surveyed all MTA payphones located in the 25 most-used stations. In replicating these previous surveys, campaign volunteers tested 540 payphones at the 25 stations. A complete breakdown of the methodology used is listed below.

The Straphangers Campaign trained and deployed 30 volunteers over the period between September 20 and December 22, 2004. Volunteers were instructed to test each payphone in the subway station and record all data on hand-held electronic devices.

A telephone was rated as “non-functioning” if any of the following applied:

• The handset was missing or unusable;
• There was no dial tone;
• Surveyors were unable to connect to a 1-800 test number;
• The coin slot was blocked;
• Coins deposited did not register; or
• The telephone would not return a coin after no call was connected.

Among the 24 stations common to the 2002 survey and this one, we found that payphone functioning rates improved in 14 stations, deteriorated in six, and remained the same in one. Each change is statistically significant. One station — 42nd Street/Times Square — was undergoing capital improvement in 2002 and was not considered in that year's report.

Currently Verizon is under contract with MTA New York City Transit to guarantee 95% of phones to be "fully operative and in service at all times."

New York City Transit conducts its own semi-annual telephone rating in its respected Passenger Environment Survey (PES). Results cited in the PES are not comparable to those in this report, as PES surveyors do not use a coin to test the functioning of a telephone. PES rates a telephone as functioning if the surveyor notes an undamaged handset and is able to contact a specific 800 test number.

The Straphangers Campaign wishes to thank the volunteers who participated in this survey: Jose Mane, Luzangee Ryan, Ken Marin, Amye Rubinschneider, Marwa Amer, Chastity Norman, Mark Griffith, Kristen Morith, Tara E. Van Der Linden, Elizabeth Demek, Brandon Arroyo, Yves Antenor, Nikita Niki Forou, Lourdes Carrasco, Cynthia Cintron, Tanisha Clark, Richard Tsai, Robyn Citizen, Kaytrue Ting, Matt Frye, Junior E. Septimus, Charity Carbine, Lourdes Carrasco, Jose Medina, Roberto Asencio, Amaury Mandol, Melissa Reburiano, Dan Botting, Rose Auguste and Toyin Ajasin.

news release | table 1 | table 2 | chart 1

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