SUBWAY CELL PHONES:

MTA TO CONSIDER PLAN FIRST PROPOSED BY WEINER

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WEINER CALLED FOR EMERGENCY SUBWAY CELL SERVICE IN 2003

New York City – The MTA says that later this month it will consider a plan to bring emergency cell service to New York City subways.

It’s a move that Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly calls “a good idea.”

And it was first proposed by Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Queens & Brooklyn), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, back in March of 2003.

Weiner is the author of legislation—the Subway Cell Access Act--that would require every commercial mobile service provider to build the infrastructure required to provide 9-1-1 cell service on every subway platform in the nation.

Last week, Weiner pledged as Mayor to bring emergency cell phone service to New York City subways as part of his transit security plan.

“If someone sees something suspicious on the subway but they can’t tell anyone about it, it doesn’t do much good,” said Rep. Weiner. “Providing emergency cell phone service in the subways will transform millions of straphangers from commuters to vital cogs in the effort to keep the subways and New York City safe.”

Weiner has proposed a six-part transit security plan, including more transit cops on the beat, providing federal funding for anti-terrorism police, expanding use of digital surveillance cameras, strengthening security on Amtrak’s northeast corridor, building transit redundancy with high speed ferries, and bringing emergency cell service to subway platforms.