How To Use The Nyc Subway: Boarding And Exiting
In theory, riders are supposed to exit the train before you board. In practice, there is often a scrum and mass chaos ensues. If you are waiting to get on the train, board quickly when riders are no longer exiting the car otherwise people behind you may start to push. Likewise, when you know your stop is coming, move towards the doors and exit quickly.
Choose Between Local Or Express Trains Black Or White Dots
When looking at the subway map you will see that some stops have black dots and others have white dots.
Black dots are “local” stations and the only trains that stop here are trains that make every stop on the line.
White dots are “express” stations and all trains on a line stop here.
In the image above you can see two circles, the blue circle around 86th St. Station and the black circle around 96th St. Station.
You can see that 86 St. Station has a black dot with a 1 underneath it.
This means that 86th St. Station is a local stop and that the 1 Train is a local train .
Notice now that the 96th St. Station has a white dot underneath it and lists the 1 the 2 and the 3 trains?
This means that the 2 and 3 Trains must be express trains because they are only stopping at the stations with a white dot.
Most Common Tourist Mistake: Getting stuck on the express, when he or she needed the local train.
Let’s say you are planning on visiting the Natural History Museum on 81st Street.
As you can see in the image below, 81st Street is serviced by both the B and C trains.
Since there is a black dot, this is a local station and both the B and C are local trains.
The red circle is around 125th St. Station. This station is serviced by both the B and C trains, but also the A and D trains.
Since 125th Street has a white dot, it means that the A and D trains must be express trains since they do not stop at 81st St. Station nor any of the other stations with black dots following 81st Street.
Best Subway Ride Fir The Nyc Experience
I love metros and would be anxious to take trip for pleasure. i would like a recommendation for a trip that inlcudes tracks that go above ground and end up at an intersting destination(
Also if possible can anyone recommnd a short trip out of Grand Central Station so i can enjoy an american railroad expereince.
Arriving NYC 7 th Octomer
Many thanks
By far, one of the most interesting subway rides is the F train to Coney Island. In Manhattan, the ride is that of a standard underground variety. However, a couple of stops into Brooklyn the train emerges and rides high in the sky. If you look to the harbor, you will get a view of the Statue of Liberty. The station at Smith and 9th Streets is the highest in the entire subway system.
From there, the train dips back underground, only to emerge again. This time, you get views into the various back yards and streets of various neighborhoods in Mid-Brooklyn. The train terminates at the new Stillwell Avenue station, which is new and designed to be environmentally friendly. Right across from the station is Nathan’s Famous. Get a couple of franks with mustard and saurkraut and celebrate a wonderful ride. Hit the boardwalk, ride the Cyclone and enjoy the ocean breezes.
Edited: 11 years ago
Mr. Rocker – many of us love the #7, even with the kid with the purple hair. Here is a great blurb on this special line>
I think BrooklynMel hit on the two best and scenic subway MTA rides, including destinations that are fun to get to.
Removed on
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Tips For Getting Around New York City
- If you are traveling around Manhattan during the day, a subway is your best option.
- Between midnight and 6 am and on weekends check trip planning apps to determine how to travel to your destination. Routes and lines get changed during those times.
- Buses are your best option if you are traveling from East to West across the city.
- If it’s a pleasant day try to rent a bike or ride a NYC ferry. You will see more of the city and have fun.
- NYC has many ride sharing options. If you are in a hurry choose a private car. If you have time and want to meet new people order a shared car. You never know who you will meet!
- Driving is tough in the city. It’s also hard to park. Avoid a rental car if possible.
What Happens When The Nyc Subway Isnt Working Due To Construction Or Delays
Service changes are a MAJOR issue, especially on nights and weekends. The MTA does most of their construction then, so youll sometimes encounter stuff like, This F train is running the A track until X destination as the tracks normally available arent working. Instead of the train stopping off at its normal stops, it will function as if its an A train instead of an F train. Annoying and confusing, right?
As much as I love Google Maps, its not great for various service changes with the NYC Subway for now. As a result, its really best to have a good NYC Transit App installed on your phone before you go.
You can check the signage in the subway, but thats more of a desperation move for when you realize that the train isnt coming as you need to go to a totally different track to get your train.
Usually people will give you a heads-up. That said, Google Maps does the job well 90% of the time, but I recommend having a back-up if you see a sign that theres construction on the line that youll be taking every day.
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Is The Subway Risky It May Be Safer Than You Think
New studies in Europe and Asia suggest that riding public transportation is not a major source of transmission for the coronavirus.
- Read in app
Five months after the coronavirus outbreak engulfed New York City, riders are still staying away from public transportation in enormous numbers, often because they are concerned that sharing enclosed places with strangers is simply too dangerous.
But the picture emerging in major cities across the world suggests that public transportation may not be as risky as nervous New Yorkers believe.
In countries where the pandemic has ebbed, ridership has rebounded in far greater numbers than in New York City yet there have been no notable superspreader events linked to mass transit, according to a survey of transportation agencies conducted by The New York Times.
Those findings could be evidence that subways, commuter railways and buses may not be a significant source of transmission, as long as riders wear masks and train cars or buses never become as intensely crowded as they did in pre-pandemic rush hours.
If the risks of mass transit can be addressed, that could have sweeping implications for many large American cities, particularly New York, where one of the biggest challenges in a recovery will be coaxing riders back onto subways, buses and suburban trains a vast system that is the backbone of the regions economy.
Yellow Lines: R N Q W
The Q train includes the three newest stops in the NYC subway system, the long awaited Second Avenue Subway. These are the cleanest subway stations: 72nd Street, 86th Street and 96th Street. The R local and N express run from Queens to Brooklyn, and in Manhattan stop in Chinatown and Soho. The W local also starts in Queens and ends in lower Manhattan.
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Nyc Subway Fare History:
The New York Subway fare has increased precipitously in recent years, well ahead of the rate of inflation. The fares listed below track the price history for single fares on the New York subway since 1904. Since 1997 other changes that have impacted directed comparison have included the ability to transfer from subway to subway, subway to bus and bus to subway. Also discounts for multiple purchases have been introduced. According to the MTA only 2.1% of all fares are for single rides. The price to ride the New York Subway has stayed ahead of inflation, but many of the services have been reduced. The cost of some of the major projects including Second Avenue line construction weighed heavily on the MTA Budget, sending it into the red.
Use Letters And Numbers Not Colors
When looking at the map, you will see the different lines in different colors and numbers.
New Yorkers don’t call the train lines by their colors, so make sure you are choosing the subway line that you need by letter or number.
That’s because even though the blue line shows lines A, C, and E, these train routes eventually split up and you may end up somewhere completely different from where you intended to go.
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Know How The Weather Affects The Train
Despite the fact that it rains and snows a lot in New York, it appears that nobody told the trains. Snow will change your plans, and so will rain even moreso, so know that if its currently flooding on the streets then its likely flooding in the train stations and the trains are likely going to be disrupted.
This can lead to dramatic delays and dangerous situations if youre caught in a flooding station so avoid heading on the train at the height of a storm and stick to the bus or another form of above-ground transport.
Summer heat will also affect your travel dramatically but in a different way: It will make it super stinky and gross to be down there. Youll want to limit the amount of time youre on the train or in a subway station during the height of summer, so plan ahead before you enter.
Comparison Between The Bus And The Subway In New York
They are two different means of transportation and they dont offer the same possibilities.
The quickest: the subway. Is faster than the bus because the latter stops at every block and traffic lights. To travel east-west: the bus. Its rides are essentially east-west, where there is no subway. The best way to discover New York: the bus. From the subway tunnels you wont appreciate the cityscape The best way to meet New Yorkers: the bus. There are far fewer tourists on the bus The most comfortable: the subway, you always find a place to sit, unless if youre travelling at peak hours. The most detailed: the bus because it has more stops than the subway. The cheapest: tied because they are the same price except the Express Bus.
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Nyc Subway Fares: How They Work
When the New York City subway first began operating in 1904, a single ride cost 5 cents, and riders used a paper ticket to enter the system. Now, 115 years later, the fare has increased by 5,400 percent, and MetroCardswhich were introduced in the 1990sare soon to be phased out.
Last year, the MTA also rolled out OMNYaka One Metro New Yorkits new tap-to-pay fare collection system, which allows riders to use a contactless credit or debit card, or an app, to enter the subway. Its expected to be in use at more than 150 stations by the end of January, and is currently available at some major hubs like Penn Station and Union Square.
At its simplest, the base fare for entering the subway is $2.75. But there are many ways that fares can be collected heres a brief overview:
Pay-per-ride MetroCard: Self-explanatory you fill a MetroCard with a certain amount of money, and each time you swipe to get on the subway, $2.75 is deducted. You can add up to $80 at a time. If you buy a new MetroCard rather than refilling an old one, youll be charged $1 for the new card.
Unlimited ride MetroCard: Pay a set amount$33 for a week, or $127 for a monthand you can ride the subway as often as you like. There is a 18-minute waiting period to swipe again once youve entered a subway station or boarded a bus. If you take the subway more than a couple of times per day, this is likely to be the more cost-effective route. The $1 new card fee also applies here.
What Are The Subway And Buses Fares In New York
The cost of a SingleRide ticket is $3 . You can purchase a : Regular Metrocard : If you decide to purchase a Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard, you can buy as many rides as you want. It can be used by up to 4 people at once for the same trip. Your MetroCard can hold any combination of unlimited rides and dollar value! The number of trips is limited to the amount of money you bought or put on your MetroCard.
Unlimited Ride MetroCard: This MetroCard allows an unlimited number of subway and bus rides for a fixed price during 7 days . You can also choose a 30-Day or 7-Day Express Bus Plus MetroCard . It is interesting because in New York, the subway runs 24 hours a day. The card can only be used by one person.*Note: $1 fee applies to each new MetroCard purchase.
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Dont Believe What You See
Countdown clocks sometimes tell you when the next train is arriving. And sometimes they dont. I rely on the app SubwayTime to tell me when the next train is coming. Google Maps can even give semi-accurate info. BUT dont rely on Google Maps to plan a subway trip. Some of the suggestions have you exiting a station and going to another or going out of your way.
In The Subway Station
While select stations have Information Booths staffed by MTA agents , most stations are unmanned. Subway maps and information are posted near the entrance, as well as on the train platforms. An interactive map is available here, which can be printed as a PDF.
Read station signs carefully, noting the subway line and route, direction , and local orexpress trains. In general, local trains run on the outer track , and express trains run on the inside track. While waiting for the train, listen for system announcements, and always stand behind the yellow strip at the platforms edge.
Many subway stations are equipped with cellular network access and free WiFi. Check here for a list of WiFi-enabled stations.
Part of most New Yorkers daily routine: the subway platform Photo: Jeff Dobbins
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How Much Is A Metrocard 2020
Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard is available in $5.50, $11.00, $22.00, $27.50, $41.75, and $67.50 denominations. Unlimited Ride MetroCard passes are also available. The 7-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard, the 30-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard, and the 7-Day Express Bus Plus MetroCard costs $33, $127, and $62, respectively.
A Brief History Of The Nyc Subway
The subway system as we know it started running on October 27, 1904, but New Yorks experiment with mass transit began 77 years earlier. In 1827, Abraham Brower began running a horse-drawn bus that could hold 12 people, which he called Accommodation, on Broadway.
Other attempts followedincluding, famously, Alfred Ely Beachs pneumatic tube that propelled people along a quarter-mile of track below City Hallbut it wasnt until the 1870s, when the first elevated trains began running on the west side of Manhattan, that the citys transit revolution truly began.
The el, as it was known, altered the look of New York so greatly that its hard to envision how radically the streetscape of the city changed in such a short time, as James Nevius writes in his history of the el. Other, less transformative modes of rapid transit, including electric trolleys and cable-power rail , soon followed. The el also brought people into the outer boroughs, and thus had a hand in expanding development outside Manhattan.
But after the subway opened and city denizens grew accustomed to underground rail, the elevated trainswhich were noisy, cast shadows on the street, and spewed dust into the airbecame less popular, and they were all but dead by the mid-20th century.
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Where Can You Ride The Subway
Everywhere. Well, almost. There are 472 subway stations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx and Queens. A New York City subway map shows you just how extensive the coverage is. Staten Island doesnt have a subway, though you can take the subway to the Staten Island Ferry and pop over to the island for free.
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How To Ride On The New York Subway
Using the New York Subway is easy. Firstly, youll need a subway map to give you an overview of all of the trains and stations. You can download my free Erics New York app for an offline map on your phone or as a PDF. Free maps are also available at many of the stations. On the map, you can find your destination and the closest subway stop. If the stop has a black dot its a local train, if it has a white dot its an express train. Local trains stop at all stops, express trains stop at a few stops. If you need to travel to New Jersey, check PATH Train.
Once youve figured out which line you need to take, you can head to the nearest subway station. All stations are clearly marked with the entrance to the track heading north or south .
Note: The schedules can change a lot during weekends due to planned construction works. Always read the notices carefully that hang at stations. They will guide you to an alternative route.
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