Newly installed LinkNYC on Smith Street in front of Bar Great Harry
Just one block away, another one at Douglass and Smith
In front of Bird, also on Smith Street
Just a bit further down Smith Street, yet another.
And one of the newly installed ones on Court Street.
A map of all the LinkNYC kiosks recently installed in BoCoCa
During the summer, quite a few LinkNYC kiosks have been installed in and around Carroll Gardens. It is all part of an initiative to replace New York City's old payphone infrastructure with state of the art public communications network. Eventually, "at least 7,500 Link kiosks will be installed across all five boroughs over the next eight years," according to LinkNYC's web site.
The 9.5 ft tall kiosks offer the public "high-speed Wi-Fi, phone calls to anywhere in the U.S., device charging, a touch screen tablet for access to city services, maps and directions, and a 911 Emergency Call button."
The kiosk's side also feature two 55-inch high-definition displays, which will be used to display public service announcements and advertisement. The free service is paid for by the advertisement revenue. According to its web site: "LinkNYC’s advertising platform will also generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for New York City. The project is also expected to create 100 to 150 new full-time jobs in manufacturing, technology and advertising."
Obviously, the revenue is nothing to sneeze at, and the project is expected to create between 100 to 150 new full time jobs in technology, manufacturing and advertisement, according to the City.
The access to free wi-fi for those who can't afford it is also a huge benefit of this free service.
However, one wonders why it is necessary to have so many kiosks grouped together.
In our immediate area, 11 such stations have, or are ready to be activated along Court Street and Smith Street. They are so concentrated, that there is actually one on almost every block from Sackett to Warren Street along Smith Street.
Doesn't that seem a bit excessive?
Despite the benefits of the free services offered by LinkNYC, the system has already come under scrutiny regarding the risks of data collection and access to personal information.
In several neighborhoods, local residents have complained that people congregate at the kiosks to drink and do drugs, as well as deal drugs. Last year, the operators of the kiosks, CityBridge, L.L.C., had to shut down the browser capability on the kiosks, after some users started watching pornography right on the sidewalk.
“These kiosks are often monopolized by individuals creating personal spaces for themselves, engaging in activities that include playing loud explicit music, consuming drugs and alcohol, and the viewing of pornography," Councilman Corey Johnson, who represents Greenwich Village, Chelsea and part of Midtown, told the New York Times in 2016.
At the meeting, members of the Community Board received dvds featuring video clips documenting the criminal activity, littering and noise at this particular kiosk from one resident living right next to it. They were also presented with a letter that states, in part:
"We face becoming unwilling witnesses to a drug deals, meet‐ups and other illegal activities. Activities we, as law‐abiding citizens understandably want no part of. We encounter individuals under the influence of narcotics or, even worse, those who are mentally and emotionally volatile (often due to withdrawal from narcotics). To say we are living in “terror” may be an overstatement, but there is an element of truth to it nonetheless."
Nothing of the sort has been reported here in our neighborhoods in relation with these Link NY kiosks, as far as we know. We did want to start a conversation regarding their recent installation and want to hear from our neighbors:
How do you feel about them? Have you used one yet? Do you live near one? How about their location and numbers? Too many? Not Enough?
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