Officials from the MTA applauded news from City Hall on Friday, July 2, that New Yorkers can now request outreach assistance for individuals in the subway system via the 311 system. That includes those who are believed to be experiencing homelessness or a mental health crisis. Thanks to an important upgrade to the NYC311 system, subway riders can use the NYC311 app or web portal, or call or text to request homeless and mental health outreach assistance, or to identify non-aggressive panhandling.

 

Prior to the upgrade, the 311 system did not recognize subway stations as a part of the City’s geography. Anyone that called 311 about an individual in the subway system was transferred to 911 to report the occurrence, including non-emergencies, for police response. MTA officials said the agency has long recognized the importance of giving customers and employees the ability to request non-law enforcement assistance or services for those in the subway system who are in need.

 

Sarah Feinberg, interim president of New York City Transit said she wanted to extend her thanks and appreciation to the NYC IT & Telecommunications (DOITT) team for all the hard work that went into what she called a vital upgrade to 311. “Transit has been asking for this upgrade for years – and we are grateful to the City for giving our riders and our employees the ability to request critical City services and assistance on behalf of those who are in the subway system and are in need,” she said.

 

The NYC311 app is available for download in the iOS App Store and Google Play store. To submit a request for an outreach team that can provide assistance to those experiencing homelessness or a mental health crisis, users should open the app, tap “Request” and scroll down to select Homeless Assistance or Homeless Encampment.

 

Select the subway station, and then the line, and then the station. Provide as many details as possible about the location within the station, including the specific platform or entrance, when applicable. Before submitting a report, enter additional detail that may help outreach teams locate, identify, and help the individual. Riders can also submit requests by visiting https://portal.311.nyc.gov/, by calling 311, or by texting 311-NYC (692).

 

To facilitate this latest enhancement, MTA officials said that the agency and the NYC DOITT team collaborated to represent the subway system alongside the street grid within the 311 system. By incorporating line, station, and station-specific platform and entrance data in the 311 system, users can better specify an individual’s location within a station, allowing for quicker response, which gives both the MTA and the City more precise information to use to allocate station and social services resources. This capability will be expanded to include other station elements in a future release.

 

NYC311 is available 24/7, 365 days a year in nearly 180 languages through the call center, online, a mobile app, social media, and by texting 311-NYC (692). NYC311 can also be reached through video relay service at 212-NEW-YORK (639-9675) and through TTY at 212-504-4115.

 

New Yorkers should continue to dial 911 if they see dangerous or illegal activity, or individuals at risk of harming themselves or others, in the subway system.