New York City commuters have reason to cheer–the city is getting its first touchscreen subway maps, six months after they were supposed to debut, according to an article by Gizmodo.
The first batch of 18 MTA On the Go kiosks were installed in the Grand Central Terminal subway station, with eight located along the uptown and downtown routes of the 4/5/6 lines and the other 10 spread throughout the mezzanine above. More kiosks are expected to be rolled out to other stations over the next several months.
The 47-inch screens provide real-time train arrival and departure timings, information on service delays and outages, and safety and security reminders. Commuters can visualize their journeys by tapping their destinations on the screens, which will map out their routes including any transfers along the way.
MTA collaborated with New York-based design and technology consultancy firm Control Group on the project. It was funded by the company, who hope to recover its investment in the form of ad revenue.
As the screens have just been launched, there is no word yet on whether they are a success, but they look set to catch on in the coming months are more people become aware of them.
Check out more photos of the interactive maps below.
[via Gizmodo, images via Control Group]