New MTA Campaign Asks "What's New?"

We had hoped the MTA would revive Poetry in Motion, a collaborative campaign between the MTA and Poetry Society of America that brought the likes of Dylan Thomas and Emily Dickinson to the New York City subway walls in the early 90s, but not all of our wishes can be granted, especially when it comes to transportation in this city. Instead, the MTA has rolled out a new advertising campaign that sets up a simple question: "What's new?" To which at least one New Yorkers has taken the time to reply, "Higher prices!" as City Room noticed once already in graffiti form.

Seen already on local 1 trains, the new campaign offers the following answers to its own question: "Less mystery," "Connecting more with you," "Better connections," "Better trips," "Better info," etc.

Spokesman Jeremy Soffin is aware the MTA's reputation has recently taken a blow, telling City Room, "There was a feeling that the M.T.A. hadn't been as effective as we could be in communicating things that are going on to our customers... This is a way of trying to improve that."

[atimm@villagevoice.com]