Feature Will Help Customers See Subway Options Near COVID-19 Vaccination Sites
See the map at map.mta.info
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today launched a new feature on its popular Live Subway Map that will allow customers to easily find the locations of COVID-19 vaccination sites. Riders accessing the map, which launched in a beta phase last year, will now see which subway stations are located closest to vaccination sites. Tapping the new vaccine icon at the bottom right of the screen unveils the location of the vaccine centers, and clicking on a specific vaccine site provides accurate information about the type of vaccine provided at the center, restrictions on who is eligible, cost, and a link to schedule an appointment.
"We know that many New Yorkers rely on public transit to get to a vaccination site," said New York City Transit Interim President Sarah Feinberg. "Just as we did by launching new bus routes in Queens and Brooklyn last week, this new feature represents yet another way in which New York City Transit is thinking outside the box to make sure that the people of this city can seamlessly access the vaccination sites."
"When we debuted the Live Subway Map in October, we promised that it would evolve and take on new functions over time," said MTA Chief Customer Officer Sarah Meyer. "Today is an example of just that. We're proud to play a small role in helping untold numbers of New Yorkers find out how to get up to date, accurate subway directions to their vaccination sites. As more sites open and the numbers of New Yorkers eligible for receiving the vaccine grows, we'll continue to adapt and help keep the map up to date with the latest information."
“In the face of a global pandemic, we see a responsibility to help people however we can — and digital tools have the power to bridge the information gap,” said Felipe Memoria, founding partner at Work & Co. The Brooklyn-based technology and design firm was behind this new feature after having built the groundbreaking Live Subway Map.
The Live Subway Map is a first of its kind guide to navigating the subway system in real time. Riders can see service changes, emergency alerts and train movements as they happen. The map can be accessed at map.mta.info and serves as the primary interactive means for helping customers navigate their trips on the subway system. The data powering the MTA's Vaccine Locator feature is the same as New York City's vaccine website.
The Live Subway Map and the new vaccination site locator update were designed entirely pro bono by Work & Co, and can be accessed at map.mta.info.
OTHER FEATURES OF THE LIVE SUBWAY MAP LAUNCHED LAST OCTOBER
Automatically updating train lines: Train lines redraw themselves using real-time data to illustrate current and accurate train service status. Sections of train lines fade out where a train line is not running and are denoted with dashes if trains are running in a single direction.
Moving trains: The user sees trains moving that help signal to users that the map is live and also reflect real-time locations of trains throughout the subway system.
Zoom-In features: Greater map detail is exposed as the user zooms in, including the ability to see individual train lines, subway entrances, station names, and street locations and names.
Subway accessibility: The new map highlights accessible stations and provides updates to accessibility related equipment like elevators and escalators.
Emergency alerts: The map uses the MTA’s data feed to convey official MTA communications for emergencies.
Airports: The map visualizes both of NYC’s major airports and the primary means of accessing them via the MTA system. The map indicates which train lines connect with buses and the AirTrain to be able to access the airports. Users can tap or click on an airport to learn even more about how to access the airport using public transportation.
Add to homescreen for quick reference: iPhone and Android users can add the map to their homescreen to access the map more quickly. The web-based map then behaves like a standalone app. Future integration with the MYmta app may be developed.
Dynamic and shareable URL: The URL stores the location a user is looking at, the zoom level they are on, the train line they've filtered by, and whether or not accessibility mode is turned on. This allows users to share exactly what they are looking at with each other, or, to save or bookmark a unique URL based on their preferred train line.