"The MTA has officially kicked off a pilot program that will pipe 30-second audio ads into select subway and commuter rail stations every 10 minutes. The spots will be capped at 75 decibels, roughly the volume of a loud conversation, a vacuum or heavy traffic. The MTA hopes that these ads will generate income to keep the system running."
"For now, the pilot is limited to entertainment and sports, like ads for upcoming movies and TV shows, concerts and live events and video games. Only one advertiser will take over a station per day, so you'll hear the same thing again and again depending on how long you're waiting for your train."
"The agency says rider feedback will determine whether the program sticks around. The reaction, so far, is to be expected. Commenters ran wild on a local Instagram post, with one commenter summing up the collective response: 'Save yourself research and just know the feedback is: NO.'"
The MTA has initiated a pilot program introducing 30-second audio advertisements into select subway and commuter rail stations, broadcasting every 10 minutes at 75 decibels—equivalent to the volume of a loud conversation or heavy traffic. The agency aims to generate income to support system operations. Currently, ads are limited to entertainment and sports content, including movies, TV shows, concerts, and video games, with one advertiser per station daily. The MTA has not disclosed participating station locations. The pilot runs through June 1, 2026, with rider feedback determining the program's continuation. Initial public response has been predominantly negative, with riders expressing strong opposition to the initiative.
#mta-advertising-pilot #subway-audio-ads #public-transportation-revenue #noise-pollution #rider-feedback
Read at Time Out New York
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]