New York City is difficult to explore with a car and parking can be nightmarish. But fortunately, the New York City Subway is very efficient and easy to use. It is one of the oldest metros in the world having first opened in 1904 and is the largest metro system in America today. See here for a fun discussion about tunnels under NYC.
It is busy - being one of the most used metro systems in the world and is designed to be very easy to use. But for people not from a large city with a large metro system it may be confusing at the start, here are some things everyone should know about using the New York City Subway.
About The York City Subway
- First Opened: October 27, 1904
- Number Of Stations: 424 (Counting Transfers As Single Stations)
- Boroughs Connected: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx
- Staten Island: Staten Island Is Connected With Public Transport With A Ferry
- Open: 24/7, Every Day Of the Year
- Busiest: In The Western Hemisphere And In The Western World (The Busiest Are In Asia)
- Miles: 248 Miles Of Routes
- On-Time Performance: 89%
Most metros around the world stop operating in the wee hours of the morning, the New York metro, however, runs 24 hours every day.
Paying For The Rides
To pay for the fare, one must swipe their MetroCard or tap a contactless payment card. One can also use one's smartphone for the payment or use an OMNY reader. Almost all fares are paid by MetroCard or OMNY. The fare is a flat fee and it doesn't matter how far one travels on the metro. Accordingly, one must only scan one of the above payment methods on entering the metro but not on exit.
- Single-Use Cards: $3.00
- Unlimited Ride Cards: Option Of 7-Day and 30-Day Cards
- MetroCard: Reusable "Pay Per Ride" Card, Cost $2.75
The main system of payment has been the MetroCard since 1993, but these are being replaced and phased out by OMNY - a contactless fare payment system. One can pay on OMNY via debit/credit cars, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and new technology like radio-frequency identification cards. The MetroCard will remain in place until 2023.
The New York Metro is color-coded and is easy to read and interpret. An official map of the subway system can be viewed here.
All the lines are colored and named and the maps are very easy to read. While on the trains the stations are announced and if it is a transfer station, all the lines that meet at the station are announced. So don't sweat, if one needs the green line, for example, at the transfer station it will be announced that it is the transfer to the green line. There are signs and maps everywhere telling the passengers where to find their trains.
Connection With New Jersey
The competition between New Jersey and New York City is well known and the New York City subway system does not cross state lines and connect with New Jersey. But that doesn't mean that they aren't connected with public transport. Connecting their two metro systems is the responsibility of the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH). This connects Newark, Harrison, Jersey City, and Hoboken with Lower and Midtown Manhattan.
Like the NYC Subway, it runs round the clock all year long and it connects the two systems crossing the Hudson River.
Safety On The NYC Subway
Safety is the responsibility of the New York City Transit Police. Following the 2005 bombings on the London metro, the New York City Transit Police increased their security and randomly search passenger's bags. They have kept the metro free from terrorist attacks and one can ride the metro in confidence. They have foiled planned attacks in the past - including Najibullah Zazi and others in 2009. For more information on safety on the NYC subway see here.
Apps For NYC Transport
If visiting New York City, it is highly recommended to download the city transport apps. These are highly accurate and tell the user the best way to get anywhere at any time of the day. They combine different services like metro, ferries, and buses - getting around in the megacities has never been easier. Some of the apps include:
- 511NY: Free And Official One-Stop App With All Traffic And Transit Data
- GoCentroBus: The Only Official Transit App From Central And Great For NYC
- Google Maps: Google Maps Coverage Of NYC Transport Is Comprehensive
- MTA BusTime: Works Well For NYC And Shows Buses In Real-Time
- Exit Strategy NYC: Even Provides Suggestions Of Where To Enter The System And Stand On The Platform Etc.
- NYCMate: Services The Tri-State Area And Is Comprehensive
- City Maps 2Go: Also Works In Many Countries Around The World