Straphangers Campaign 2008 Survey of Subway Station Payphones

METHODOLOGY

This survey is intended as a follow-up to eight previous NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign payphone surveys conducted between 1999 and 2007.

In November 2001 and again in August 2002, we released reports in which we tested all payphones in 100 randomly selected New York City Transit subway stations, as well as those in the 25 most-used stations. In addition, in February 1999, we released a report in which we tested the payphones in 100 randomly selected subway stations; in February 2004 we released a report on the testing of all payphones in 100 randomly selected MTA Metro-North, LIRR and New York City Transit stations. In December 2000 and again in February 2005 the campaign tested payphones in the 25 most-used subway stations. In May 2006, Straphangers Campaign released a report on the testing of payphones in 100 randomly selected subway stations, along with those in the 15 most-used stations. In February 2007, the campaign released a report in which we tested all payphones in 100 randomly selected New York City Transit subway stations, as well as those in the 25 most-used stations. This current survey is identical in methodology to those conducted for our 2001, 2002 and 2007 reports.

This report documents the findings of two separate subway payphone surveys—one in which Straphangers Campaign tested all payphones in 100 randomly selected subway stations and one in which we tested all payphones in the top 25 most-used subway stations. This report reflects the observations on the functionality of 1183 subway payphones at 112 New York City Transit stations.¹

The Straphangers Campaign trained and deployed nine volunteers over the period between June 30 and September 23, 2008. Volunteers were instructed to test every payphone in each station of the sample and record all data on survey forms.

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 number;
• The coin slot was blocked;
• Coins deposited did not register; or
• The telephone would not return a coin after no call was connected.

All data was consolidated and analyzed in the aggregate in the period following the surveys.

1.  Survey of payphones in 100 randomly selected stations

Campaign staff selected 100 of the system’s 468 stations by a random drawing, and deployed volunteers to each of these stations. For this portion of our survey, 921 payphones were tested throughout 100 stations. We found that 684 payphones (74%) were fully functional, significant at the .05 level within plus/minus 4%. A complete list of the stations selected can be found at table three.  

In our 2007 report, we found that 71% of the phones tested in our sample of 100 randomly selected subway stations functioned correctly. The difference in findings between the 2007 survey and this one reflects a statistically significant increase.

2.  Survey of payphones in 25 most-used subway stations

During the survey period, six of the largest subway stations were undergoing construction and/or improvement projects, and were not tested by our survey team.² The list of those stations tested consists then of 25 of the most-used 31 stations. In the random selection of 100 subway stations, 13 of these most-used 25 stations were incidentally selected for observation. Thus, in order to complete the second portion of our report, Straphangers Campaign volunteers additionally surveyed 12 of the remainder of the top 25 most-used stations. See table one for a complete list of large stations tested.

In these 25 stations, a total of 638 payphones were tested. Of these, our surveyors found that 491 (77%) of these were found in functioning order. While this figure cannot be directly compared to findings in previous reports, it appears consistent with our 2007 survey of payphones in the top 25 most-used stations, in which we found 78% functionality.

Among the 20 stations common to the 2007 survey and this one, we found that payphone functioning rates deteriorated in ten stations and improved in ten. 

3.  Independent Auditing and New York City Passenger Environment Survey

One other regularly scheduled survey also measures payphone performance in MTA stations. 
New York City Transit conducts its own semi-annual telephone rating in its respected Passenger Environment Survey (PES). During the second half of 2008, PES surveyors found 93% of phones to be functioning properly.

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 1-800 test number.

A monthly audit conducted by a private company commissioned by the MTA found that 25% of telephones had “service affecting troubles” for the period July to September 2008. 

While the scope and implementation of this survey differ from methods used by the Straphangers Campaign, we believe the methodology of the commissioned study to be largely in line with that used in this survey.

4.  Credits

The NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign wishes to acknowledge volunteers and staff who conducted this year’s surveys:

Adam Torres
Cate Contino
Emma Ewusi
Farrah Ricketts
Jason Chin-Fatt
Jaylene Vega
Jenelle K. Teesdale
Josephine Nsengiyumva
Kristian Bailey
Lauren Hamid-Shapiro
Melissa Lynch

 

 

 

News Release

Table 1 Best to Worst: Percentage of Functioning Payphones in 25 Most-Used Stations

Table 2 Comparison of Functioning Payphones in 20 Most-Used Subway Stations, 2007-2008

Table 3 List of 100 Randomly Selected Subway Stations, 2008

Chart 1 Why Straphangers Campaign Rated 237 out of 921 Payphones as Non-Functioning,
survey of all payphones in 100 randomly selected MTA NYCT subway stations

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