New York City Subway
Locale	New York City
Transit type	Rapid transit
Began operation	first section of subway: October 27, 1904 first elevated operation: July 3, 1868 first railroad operation: October 9, 1863[1]
System length	229 mi (368 km) route length 656 mi (1056 km) track length (revenue) 842 mi (1355 km) track length (total)
No. The City of New York A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. Year 1868 ( MDCCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. Year 1863 ( MDCCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand of lines	26
No. of stations	468
Daily ridership	5,076,000 (avg. weekday, 2006, including Staten Island Railway)[2]
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) (standard gauge)
Operator(s)	New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA)

Times Square–42nd Street station entrance

The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority^[3], a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit. The Staten Island Railway (aka SIR and formerly known as SIRT is a Rapid transit line operating in the Borough of Staten Island, New York City Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the two parallel rails that make up a railway track. The standard gauge (also named the Stephenson gauge after George Stephenson, or Normal gauge) is a widely-used Rail gauge. The New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA is a Public authority in the U Times Square–42nd Street is the busiest station complex of the New York City Subway, joining four lines (three trunk lines plus the Shuttle) with a free transfer A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway The City of New York The New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA is a Public authority in the U The Metropolitan Transportation Authority ( MTA) is a Public benefit corporation responsible for Public transportation in the U It is one of the most extensive public transportation systems in the world, with 468 reported passenger stations,^[4] (or 422 if stations connected by transfers are counted as one),^[5][6] 229 miles (369 km) of routes^[7] translating into 656 miles (1056 km) of revenue track, and a total of 842 miles (1355 km) including non-revenue trackage. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States ^[8] The subway is also notable for being among the few rapid transit systems in the world to run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. ^[9] It is the only system to hold that distinction among the ten busiest systems in the world in terms of annual passenger traffic. The system itself has more annual boardings than those in cities such as London, Paris, and Mexico City. The London Underground is a Metro system serving a large part of Greater London and neighbouring areas of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire The Mexico City Metro (formally Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro or STC Metro) is a Rubber-tyred metro system that serves ^[10] It has nearly twice as many daily riders as every other rapid transit system in the United States combined. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Though it is known as "the subway", implying underground operations, about 40% of the system runs on above-ground right-of-way (the system is almost entirely underground in Manhattan, as well as portions in the other boroughs), including steel or cast iron elevated structures, concrete viaducts, embankments, open cuts and surface routes. Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York Cast iron usually refers to grey cast iron, but identifies a large group of Ferrous Alloys which solidify with a Eutectic. A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway A viaduct is a Bridge composed of several small spans The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to All of these construction methods are completely grade-separated from road and pedestrian crossings, and most crossings of two subway tracks are grade-separated with flying junctions. Grade separation is the process of aligning a junction of two or more transport axes at different heights ( A flying junction is a Railway junction at which one or more diverging or converging tracks in a multiple-track route cross other tracks on the route by bridge to avoid conflict

Currently, the first phase of the Second Avenue Subway in the Upper East Side of Manhattan is being built to provide relief to the overcrowded IRT Lexington Avenue Line. The Second Avenue Subway ( SAS) is a Rapid transit subway line currently under construction underneath Second Avenue in the borough of The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Lexington Avenue Line is one of the lines of the IRT division of the New York City Subway, stretching from Downtown Brooklyn or Lower Manhattan

Overview

South Ferry station and a 9 train. South Ferry is a station on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. 9 was a designation given to several IRT services of the New York City Subway. (Route number later discontinued in May 2005. )

125th Street station on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line

Subway stations are located throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. The IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line (also known as the Seventh Avenue Line) is a New York City Subway line Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. All services pass through Manhattan, except for the Brooklyn–Queens Crosstown Local (G), which connects Brooklyn and Queens directly without entering Manhattan; the Franklin Avenue Shuttle; and the Rockaway Park Shuttle. The G Brooklyn–Queens Crosstown Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The Franklin Avenue Shuttle is a shuttle service of the New York City Subway operating in Brooklyn. The Rockaway Park Shuttle is a shuttle service of the New York City Subway operating in Queens. Although four of the subway system's stations close late at night and/or on weekends, the New York City subway is among the few rapid transit systems in the world that operate 24 hours a day, along with PATH (connecting New Jersey with Manhattan) and PATCO (linking Philadelphia with southern New Jersey). The Port Authority Trans-Hudson ( PATH) is a Rapid transit railroad linking Manhattan, New York with New Jersey, and providing service New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. The PATCO Speedline is a Rapid transit system operated by the Port Authority Transit Corporation, which runs between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə (Two individual lines of the Chicago 'L' also run at all times. The 'L' (variously and sometimes, styled "L" El EL or L) is a Rapid transit system that serves the city of )^[11]

In 2005, the New York City Subway hit a 50-year record in usage, with ridership of 1. 45 billion. ^[12] In the fourth quarter of 2007, average weekday ridership was 6,432,700 making it the highest figure since such numbers were first recorded in 1970. ^[13] The trend toward higher ridership has continued into 2008; MTA has released figures that subway use was up 6. 8 percent for January and February as energy prices have encouraged riders to use mass transit over automobiles . ^[14]

According to the United States Department of Energy, energy expenditure on the New York City Subway rail service was 3492 BTU/passenger mile (2289 kJ/passenger km) in 1995. The United States Department of Energy ( DOE) is a Cabinet -level department of the United States government responsible for energy policy This compares to 3702 BTU/passenger mile for automobile travel. ^[15] One should note as well that the figure for automobiles is averaged over the entire United States. Driving a car in New York City is probably on the whole significantly less efficient.

Many lines and stations have both express and local service. These lines have three or four tracks: normally, the outer two are used for local trains, and the inner one or two are used for express trains. Stations served by express trains are typically major transfer points or destinations. The BMT Jamaica Line uses skip-stop service on portions, in which two services operate over the line during rush hours, and minor stations are only served by one of the two. The Jamaica Line (earlier also Broadway Line or Broadway (Brooklyn Line) is an elevated Rapid transit line of the B Division of the New Skip-stop is a Public transit service pattern which reduces travel times by not having all vehicles make all designated stops along a route The IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line used skip-stop until May 27, 2005. The IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line (also known as the Seventh Avenue Line) is a New York City Subway line Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

History

Main article: History of the New York City Subway

Map of the 1906 IRT system

An underground transit system in New York City was first built by Alfred Ely Beach in 1869. This article is an expansion of a section entitled '''History''' from within the main article New York City Subway The The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT was the operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904 as well as earlier Elevated railways Alfred Ely Beach ( September 1, 1826 – January 1, 1896) was an American Inventor, Publisher and patent His Beach Pneumatic Transit only extended 312 feet (95 m) under Broadway and exhibited his idea for a subway. The Beach Pneumatic Transit was the first attempt to build an underground Public transit system in New York City, USA. Broadway, as the name implies is a wide avenue in New York City. The tunnel was never extended, although extensions had been planned to take the tunnel southward to The Battery and northwards towards the Harlem River^[16]. Battery Park is a 25-acre (10 hectare public park located at the Battery the southern tip of the New York City borough of Manhattan, facing See also Geography and environment of New York City The Harlem River is a navigable tidal Strait in New York City, USA that It was demolished when the BMT Broadway Line was built in the 1910s. The BMT Broadway Line is a Rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Manhattan, New York City, United

The first underground line of the subway opened on October 27, 1904, almost 35 years after the opening of the first elevated line in New York City, which became the IRT Ninth Avenue Line. Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway The IRT Ninth Avenue Line, often called the Ninth Avenue Elevated, was the first Elevated railway in New York City, first opened in 1868 as the The oldest structure still in use today opened in 1885 as part of the Lexington Avenue Line, and is now part of the BMT Jamaica Line in Brooklyn. The Lexington Avenue Elevated (also called the Lexington Avenue Line) was the first standard Elevated railway in Brooklyn New York, operated in its later The Jamaica Line (earlier also Broadway Line or Broadway (Brooklyn Line) is an elevated Rapid transit line of the B Division of the New Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. The oldest right-of-way, that of the BMT West End Line, was in use in 1863 as a steam railroad called the Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Rail Road. The West End Line, now a subway line in Brooklyn, New York City, is a branch line from the Broadway ( Manhattan)-Fourth Avenue (Brooklyn subway The West End Line or New Utrecht Avenue Line was a Surface transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running along The Staten Island Railway, which opened in 1860, currently utilizes R44 subway cars, but it has no links to the rest of the system and is not usually considered part of the subway proper. The Staten Island Railway (aka SIR and formerly known as SIRT is a Rapid transit line operating in the Borough of Staten Island, New York City The R44 is a model of passenger train car that operates on the New York City Subway and the Staten Island Railway.

By the time the first subway closed, the lines had been consolidated into two privately owned systems, Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT, later Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation, BMT) and Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT). The term privately held company refers to ownership of a business company in two different ways first referring to ownership by non-governmental organizations and second The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT was a Public transit Holding company formed in 1896 to acquire and consolidate lines in Brooklyn and Queens The Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation ( BMT) was an Urban transit Holding company, based in Brooklyn, New York City, United The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT was the operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904 as well as earlier Elevated railways The city was closely involved: all lines built for the IRT and most other lines built or improved for the BRT after 1913 were built by the city and leased to the companies. The first line of the city-owned and operated Independent Subway System (IND) opened in 1932; this system was intended to compete with the private systems and allow some of the elevated railways to be torn down, but was kept within the core of the City due to the low amount of startup capital provided to the Board Of Transportation by the state^[17], which required it to be run 'at cost', necessitating fares up to double the five cent fare popular at the time. The Independent Subway System ( IND or ISS) formerly known as the Independent City–Owned Subway System ( ICOS) or the Independent City–Owned A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway ^[18] In 1940, the two private systems were bought by the city; some elevated lines closed immediately, and others closed soon after. Integration was slow, but several connections were built between the IND and BMT, and they now operate as one division called the B Division. The Independent Subway System ( IND or ISS) formerly known as the Independent City–Owned Subway System ( ICOS) or the Independent City–Owned The Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation ( BMT) was an Urban transit Holding company, based in Brooklyn, New York City, United The B Division is a division of the New York City Subway, consisting of the lines operated with services designated by letters ( A, B, C, Since the IRT tunnel segments and stations are too narrow to accommodate B Division cars, as well as curves too sharp for B Division cars, the IRT remains its own division, A Division. The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT was the operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904 as well as earlier Elevated railways The A Division, also known as the IRT Division, is a division of the New York City Subway, consisting of the lines operated with services designated by numbers ( C Division consists of non-revenue maintenance cars, built to IRT specs in order to provide maintenance to all of the subway system. The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT was the operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904 as well as earlier Elevated railways

The New York City Transit Authority was created in 1953 to take over subway, bus, and streetcar operations from the city, and was placed under control of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 1968. The New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA is a Public authority in the U The Metropolitan Transportation Authority ( MTA) is a Public benefit corporation responsible for Public transportation in the U

In 1934, the BRT, IRT, and IND transit workers unionized into Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union. The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT was a Public transit Holding company formed in 1896 to acquire and consolidate lines in Brooklyn and Queens The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT was the operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904 as well as earlier Elevated railways The Independent Subway System ( IND or ISS) formerly known as the Independent City–Owned Subway System ( ICOS) or the Independent City–Owned Since then, there have been three union strikes. In 1966, transit workers went on strike for 12 days, and again in 1980 for 11 days. The 1966 New York City transit strike was a strike in New York City called by the Transport Workers Union (TWU and Amalgamated Transit Union The 1980 New York City transit strike in New York City (often referred to as the Subway strike) was the first work stoppage at the New York City Transit Authority On December 20, 2005, transit workers again went on strike over disputes with MTA regarding salary, pensions, retirement age, and health insurance costs. Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The 2005 New York City transit strike was a strike in New York City called by the Transport Workers Union Local 100 (TWU That strike lasted just under three days.

Construction methods

When the IRT subway debuted in 1904, typical tunnel construction was the cut-and cover method. The street was torn up to dig the tunnel below, then the street was rebuilt above. This method worked well for digging soft dirt and gravel near the street surface. However, tunnel boring machines were required for thicker sections made of bedrock, such as the Harlem and East River tunnels, which used cast-iron tube, and the segments between 33rd and 42nd streets under Park Avenue, between 116th Street and 120th Street under Broadway, and between 157th Street and Fort George under Broadway and Eleventh Avenue, all of which used either rock or concrete-lined tunnels^[19]. A tunnel boring machine ( TBM) is a machine used to excavate Tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of soil and rock strata. See also Geography and environment of New York City The Harlem River is a navigable tidal Strait in New York City, USA that The East River is a tidal Strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end Park Avenue (formerly Fourth Avenue) is a wide boulevard that carries north and southbound traffic in New York City Borough of Manhattan

Lines and routes

Main articles: New York City Subway nomenclature and List of New York City Subway lines

A 2004 map of the system

Many rapid transit systems run relatively static routings, so that a train "line" is more or less synonymous with a train "route". New York City Subway nomenclature describes terminology used in the New York City Subway system as derived from railroading practice historical origins of the system and __FORCETOC__ IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line (Bronx–Manhattan–Brooklyn 42nd Street Shuttle (Manhattan In New York, routings change often as new connections are opened or service patterns change. The "line" describes the physical railroad line or series of lines that a train "route" uses on its way from one terminal to another.

"Routes" (also called "services") are distinguished by a letter or a number. "Lines" have names.

There are 26 train services in the subway system, including three short shuttles. Each route has a color, representing the Manhattan trunk line of the particular service and is labeled as local or express. A different color is assigned to the Crosstown Line (G) route, since it does not operate in Manhattan, and shuttles are all colored dark gray. The Crosstown Line or Brooklyn–Queens Crosstown Line is a Rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn The G Brooklyn–Queens Crosstown Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. Each service is also named after its Manhattan (or crosstown) trunk line.

Though all but a few subway stations are served on a 24-hour basis, some of the designated routes do not run during the late night hours or use a different routing during those hours. In addition to these regularly scheduled changes, because there is no nightly shutdown for maintenance, tracks and stations must be maintained while the system is operating. In order to accommodate such work, services are sometimes re-routed during the overnight hours or on weekends.

The current color system depicted on official subway maps was proposed by R. Raleigh D'Adamo, a lawyer who entered a contest sponsored by the Transit Authority in 1964. D'Adamo proposed replacing a map that used only three colors (representing the three operating entities of the subway network) with a map that used a different color for each line. D'Adamo's contest entry shared first place with two others and led the Transit Authority to adopt a multi-colored scheme. (D'Adamo subsequently earned a master's degree in transportation planning and engineering from Polytechnic University and worked for transit authorities, including a stint at the MTA, and was responsible for organizing and building what today is the Westchester County Bee-Line bus system. )^[20] However, the lines are not referred to by color (e. g. , Blue line or Green line), although the colors are often assigned through their groups (A, C, and E are blue whereas the 4, 5, and 6 are green). The A Eighth Avenue Express is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The C Eighth Avenue Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The E Eighth Avenue Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The 4 Lexington Avenue Express is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The 5 Lexington Avenue Express is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The 6 Lexington Avenue Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway.

A Division (IRT) consists of: Route Line Broadway-Seventh Avenue Local Broadway-Seventh Avenue Express Broadway-Seventh Avenue Express Lexington Avenue Express Lexington Avenue Express Lexington Avenue Local/Express Flushing Local/Express 42nd Street Shuttle

B Division (BMT/IND) consists of: Route Line Route Line Eighth Avenue Express Nassau Street Local Sixth Avenue Express Broadway Express Eighth Avenue Local Broadway Express Sixth Avenue Express Broadway Local Eighth Avenue Local Franklin Avenue Shuttle Sixth Avenue Local Rockaway Park Shuttle Crosstown Local Sixth Avenue Local Nassau Street Express Broadway Local Canarsie Local Nassau Street Express

Projected B Division service:

Route	Line
	Second Avenue Subway (under construction as of 2008; will not be used until the line opens south of 72nd Street)

C Division consists of non-revenue operations, including track maintenance and yard operations. The A Division, also known as the IRT Division, is a division of the New York City Subway, consisting of the lines operated with services designated by numbers ( The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT was the operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904 as well as earlier Elevated railways The 1 Broadway–Seventh Avenue Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The 2 Seventh Avenue Express is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The 3 Seventh Avenue Express is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The 4 Lexington Avenue Express is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The 5 Lexington Avenue Express is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The 6 Lexington Avenue Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The 7 Flushing Local and 7 Flushing Express are Rapid transit services of the New York City Subway, providing local and express services along the full The 42nd Street Shuttle is a New York City Subway shuttle train service that operates in Manhattan. The B Division is a division of the New York City Subway, consisting of the lines operated with services designated by letters ( A, B, C, The Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation ( BMT) was an Urban transit Holding company, based in Brooklyn, New York City, United The Independent Subway System ( IND or ISS) formerly known as the Independent City–Owned Subway System ( ICOS) or the Independent City–Owned The A Eighth Avenue Express is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The M Nassau Street Local is a Rapid transit service of the B Division of the New York City Subway. The B Sixth Avenue Express is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The N Broadway Express is a service of the New York City Subway. The C Eighth Avenue Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The Q Broadway Express is a service of the New York City Subway. The D Sixth Avenue Express is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The R Broadway Local is a service of the New York City Subway. The E Eighth Avenue Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The Franklin Avenue Shuttle is a shuttle service of the New York City Subway operating in Brooklyn. The F Sixth Avenue Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The Rockaway Park Shuttle is a shuttle service of the New York City Subway operating in Queens. The G Brooklyn–Queens Crosstown Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The V Sixth Avenue Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The J Nassau Street Express and Z Nassau Street Express (earlier Jamaica Express) are two Rapid transit services of the B Division of the The W Broadway Local is a Rapid transit service of B Division of the New York City Subway. The L 14th Street–Canarsie Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway, providing local service along the full length of the BMT Canarsie Line The J Nassau Street Express and Z Nassau Street Express (earlier Jamaica Express) are two Rapid transit services of the B Division of the The Second Avenue Subway ( SAS) is a Rapid transit subway line currently under construction underneath Second Avenue in the borough of

Stations facilities and amenities

Entrance to Broad Street station with its red lamps

An entrance to the elevated IRT Flushing Line in Jackson Heights, Queens

The station at Columbus Circle

General

Station and concourse

A typical subway station has waiting platforms ranging from 500 to 600 feet (150 to 180 m) long to accommodate large numbers of people. Broad Street is a station on the BMT Nassau Street Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of Broad and Wall Streets The Flushing Line is a Rapid transit route of the New York City Subway system operated as part of the IRT Division and designated the 7 route Jackson Heights is a Neighborhood in north-western portion of the borough of Queens in New York City, USA. Columbus Circle, named for Christopher Columbus, is a major landmark and point of attraction in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Passengers enter a subway station through stairs towards station booths and vending machines to buy their fare, which is currently stored in a MetroCard. MetroCard redirects here For other cards see MetroCard (disambiguation See also Transportation in New York City The MetroCard After swiping the card at a turnstile, customers continue to the platforms. Some subway lines in the outer boroughs and northern Manhattan have elevated tracks with stations to which passengers climb up via stairs, escalator, or elevator. Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York An escalator is a Conveyor transport device for transporting people consisting of individual linked steps that move up or down on tracks which keep the treads An elevator or lift is a Transport device used to move people or goods vertically from one floor to another

Globe Lamps

At the top of most of the system's subway stations sits a lamp post or two bearing a colored spherical lamp. Before the introduction of the MetroCard in 1994, these lights indicated the station's availability. A green lamp meant that the station was open and running 24 hours a day, a yellow lamp meant that it was open only during the day, while a red lamp meant that it was an exit only. The yellow lamp was eventually phased out, being replaced by red lamps. Today, this color system means: Green=24 hour entrance, Red = non 24-hour entrance. ^[21]

Platforms

Due to the large number of transit lines, one platform or set of platforms often serves more than one service (unlike other rapid transit systems, including the Paris Metro). A passenger needs to look at the signs hung at the platform entrance steps and over each track to see which trains stop there and when, and at the arriving train to see which train it is. There are a number of platform configurations possible. On a 2-track line, a station may have one center platform used for trains in both directions, or 2 side platforms, one for a train each direction. For a 3-track or 4-track line, local stops will have side platforms and the middle one or two tracks will not stop at the station. For most 3- or 4-track express stops, there will be two island platforms, one for the local and express in one direction, and another for the local and express in the other direction. In a 3-track configuration, the center track can be used toward the center of the city in the morning and away from the center in the evening, though not every 3-track line has that express service.

In a few cases, a 4-track station has an island platform for the center express tracks and two side platforms for the outside local tracks. This occurs only at three stations near major railway stations where the next station along the line is also an express station with the more common platform configuration. The purpose of splitting the platforms is to prevent through riders from adding to the station's crowding by transferring from local to express or from express to local. This occurs at Atlantic Avenue on the 2/3/4/5 Lines with adjacent express station Nevins Street, and 34th St. Atlantic Avenue–Pacific Street is a New York City Subway station complex shared by the IRT Eastern Parkway Line, the BMT Brighton Line and The Eastern Parkway Line is one of the lines of the IRT division of the New York City Subway, stretching from Downtown Brooklyn south along Flatbush Nevins Street is an express station on the IRT Eastern Parkway Line of the New York City Subway. -Penn Station on both the 1/2/3 Lines and A/C/E Lines, with adjacent express stations at 42nd Street. 34th Street&ndashPenn Station is a station on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. 34th Street&ndashPenn Station is a station on the IND Eighth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of 34th Street This does not occur at Grand Central on the 4/5/6 Lines, which has no adjacent express station. Grand Central–42nd Street is a major station complex in the New York City Subway, and was the second busiest station in 1994 The Lexington Avenue Line is one of the lines of the IRT division of the New York City Subway, stretching from Downtown Brooklyn or Lower Manhattan Almost everywhere expresses run, they run on the inner one (of 3) or two (of 4) tracks, and locals run on the outer two tracks. There is one notable 6-track station, DeKalb Avenue, where trains to or from the Manhattan Bridge either stop at the outer tracks of one of the island platforms ("local tracks"), or pass through the station on the middle tracks ("super express tracks"). DeKalb Avenue is a station shared by the BMT Fourth Avenue Line and the BMT Brighton Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection The Manhattan Bridge is a Suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan (at Canal Street with Trains to or from the Montague Street Tunnel stop across the platform from the respective outer track ("express tracks"). The Montague Street Tunnel carries the and trains of the New York City Subway under the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn

Artwork

Many stations are decorated with intricate ceramic tile work, some of it dating back to 1904 when the subway first opened for business. The subway tile artwork tradition continues today. Many New York City Subway stations are decorated with colorful ceramic plaques and tile mosaics The Arts for Transit program oversees art in the subway system. Permanent installations, such as sculpture, mosaics, and murals; photographs displayed in lightboxes, and musicians performing in stations encourage people to use mass transit. Art History Mosaics of the 4th century BC are found in the Macedonian palace-city of Aegae, and they enriched the floors of Hellenistic A mural is a Painting on a wall ceiling or other large permanent surface A photograph (often shortened to photo) is an Image created by Light falling on a light-sensitive surface usually Photographic film or an electronic Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. In addition, commissioned posters are displayed in stations and "art cards", some displaying poetry, are in many of the trains themselves in unused advertisement fixture slots. A poster is any piece of printed Paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface Advertising is a form of Communication that typically attempts to persuade potential Customers to Purchase or to consume more of a particular Brand Some of the art is by internationally-known artists such as David Hockney. David Hockney, CH, RA, (born 9 July 1937 is an English Artist, based in Los Angeles California, United States ^[22]

Accessibility

Most stations are not handicapped accessible. The disability rights movement aims to improve the Quality of life of people with disabilities. The exceptions are newly constructed or extensively renovated stations called "key stations", as required by the ADA. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA is the short title of United States ( codified at et seq See New York City Subway accessibility for more details. This is a list of Rapid transit stations on the New York City Subway system

Entertainment

Since 1987, MTA has sponsored the Music Under New York program in which street musicians enter a competitive contest to be be assigned the preferred high traffic locations, example - 42nd Street station. Music Under New York (MUNY is a program sponsored by the Metropolitan Transit Authority which allows musicians and street performers to legally perform in New York Subway Each year applications are reviewed and approximately 70 eligible performers are selected and contacted to participate in live auditions, held for one day.

At present, more than 100 soloists and groups participate in MUNY providing over 150 weekly performances at 25 locations throughout the transit system

Link to current roster: [5]

Link to current locations: [6]

Any performer may use the Subway terminals and platforms to perform under the First Amendment Right of Free Speech, although not necessarily in the preferred high traffic locations. ^[23]

Restrooms

Restrooms are rare in the subway system. Any establishments built in the past have since been closed to the public and have been converted to storage spaces or for employee use only. However, there are a few major stations that have operating restrooms, including on the concourse of the A, C, and E lines of Times Square, Chambers St., Jamaica-179 St., Roosevelt Avenue, Lexington Avenue-59th St., Atlantic Ave and Kings Highway in Brooklyn station and the Flushing Main Street Station. Times Square–42nd Street is the busiest station complex of the New York City Subway, joining four lines (three trunk lines plus the Shuttle) with a free transfer Chambers Street is a station on the BMT Nassau Street Line of the New York City Subway. Jamaica–179th Street is a station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street is a New York City Subway station complex served by the IRT Flushing Line and the IND Queens Boulevard Line Lexington Avenue/59th Street is a New York City Subway station complex shared by the IRT Lexington Avenue Line and the BMT Broadway Line. ^[24] The Dekalb Avenue station in Brooklyn has a public restroom and so does the 36th Street station in Brooklyn.

Retail

Occasionally on some platforms are found newspaper stands, selling all manner of items including newspapers and food. A newsagent ( British English) newsagency ( Australian English) or newsstand ( American English) is often a small business that sells A newspaper is a written Publication containing News, information and Advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called Newsprint. Food is any substance usually composed primarily of Carbohydrates Fats water and/or Proteins that can be eaten or drunk by an The MTA has also been installing retail spaces within paid areas in selected stations, including Times Square and at 42nd St.-Bryant Park, on the concourse of the B, D, F, and V lines. 42nd Street–Bryant Park is a station on the IND Sixth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway at Bryant Park in Manhattan.

Connections

Connections are available at designated stations to Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road, AirTrain JFK, Metro-North Railroad, New Jersey Transit and PATH. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 AirTrain JFK is an 81- Mile (13- km) People mover system in New York City that connects John F The Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, or MTA Metro-North Railroad, or more commonly Metro-North, is a Suburban commuter rail service The New Jersey Transit Corporation (usually shortened to New Jersey Transit, NJ Transit or NJT) is a statewide Public transportation system serving The Port Authority Trans-Hudson ( PATH) is a Rapid transit railroad linking Manhattan, New York with New Jersey, and providing service

Car types and details

A digital sign on the side of a R142 4 train

The NYC subway uses two sizes of cars - the A division, listed above, uses narrower cars that have three sets of doors on each side, used in consists of up to 11; the B division, listed above, uses wider cars that have four sets of doors on each side, in consists of up to 10. R142 is the model class of the newest generation of IRT cars for the New York City Subway. The 4 Lexington Avenue Express is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway.

Trains are marked by the service label in either black or white (for appropriate contrast) on a field in the color of its mainline. The field is enclosed in a circle for most services, or a diamond for special services, such as rush-hour only expresses on a route that ordinarily runs local. Rollsigns also typically include the service names and terminals. A rollsign, roll sign, bus blind, destination blind or destination film is a mechanical display used When the R44 and R46 cars were rebuilt the rollsigns on the side of the cars were replaced with electronic LCD signs while the front service sign remained as a rollsign, while the rebuilt R32 cars retained rollsigns on the sides, a digital light display was placed in the front. The R44 is a model of passenger train car that operates on the New York City Subway and the Staten Island Railway. The R46 is a New York City Subway car that operates on the IND and BMT routes of the New York City Subway. The R32 is a New York City Subway car model built in 1964 by the Budd Company in Philadelphia for the IND / BMT B Division All cars built since 1992, including the R110A, R110B, R142, R142A, R143, R160A, and R160B are equipped with digital signs on the front, sides, and interior (except for the R110B, which has rollsigns on the front). R-110A (contract R130 was a prototype class of New York City Subway cars delivered in 1992 R110B was a class of New York City Subway cars built by Bombardier of Canada for service on the IND and BMT (B Division lines R142 is the model class of the newest generation of IRT cars for the New York City Subway. The R142A, along with the R142 is the newest generation of cars for the New York Subway 's IRT division The R143 is a Standard gauge Subway car design used on the B Division of the New York City Subway in the United States. The R160A is a class of 760 New York City Subway cars being built by Alstom Transportation. The R160B is a heavy-rail subway car model for New York City Transit Authority ( New York City Subway) built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. R110B was a class of New York City Subway cars built by Bombardier of Canada for service on the IND and BMT (B Division lines

These newer cars also feature recorded announcements for door closings, stations, and other general messages in lieu of conductor announcements, although live conductor announcements can still be made. The recordings began in the late 1990s and featured Bloomberg Radio on-air speakers, who volunteered at the request of their employer and future city mayor Michael Bloomberg. WBBR is a Radio station, broadcasting at 1130 AM in New York City. Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman and the Mayor of New York City. Voices include Jessica Gottesman (now at 1010 WINS radio), Charlie Pellett, and Catherine Cowdery. WINS (1010 kHz known on-air as "Ten-Ten WINS", is a radio station in New York City, owned by CBS Radio. With regards to why certain messages are voiced by males and others by females, MTA spokesperson Gene Sansone said in 2006 that, "Most of the orders are given by a male voice, while informational messages come from females. Even though this happened by accident, it is a lucky thing because a lot of psychologists agree that people are more receptive to orders from men and information from women". ^[25]

Rolling stock

Main article: New York City Subway rolling stock

The interior of an F train during morning rush hour

A R142A series car on the 4 service

A Vaktrak track vacuuming train

Driver's cab of an R160 N train

The New York City subway has the world's largest fleet of subway cars. The New York City Subway is a large Rapid transit system and has a large fleet of Rolling stock. The F Sixth Avenue Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The R142A, along with the R142 is the newest generation of cars for the New York Subway 's IRT division The N Broadway Express is a service of the New York City Subway. Over 6,400 cars (as of 2002) are on the NYCT roster. A typical New York City Subway train consists of 8 to 11 cars, although shuttles can have as few as two, and the train can range from 150 to 600 feet (46 to 183 m) long. As a general rule, trains on the A Division lines inherited from the IRT (designated with numbers, plus the 42nd Street Shuttle) are shorter and narrower than the trains that operate on the B Division lines inherited from BMT/IND (designated with letters). The A Division, also known as the IRT Division, is a division of the New York City Subway, consisting of the lines operated with services designated by numbers ( The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT was the operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904 as well as earlier Elevated railways The B Division is a division of the New York City Subway, consisting of the lines operated with services designated by letters ( A, B, C, The Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation ( BMT) was an Urban transit Holding company, based in Brooklyn, New York City, United The Independent Subway System ( IND or ISS) formerly known as the Independent City–Owned Subway System ( ICOS) or the Independent City–Owned The A Division and B Division trains operate only in their own division; operating in the other division is not allowed. The A Division, also known as the IRT Division, is a division of the New York City Subway, consisting of the lines operated with services designated by numbers ( The B Division is a division of the New York City Subway, consisting of the lines operated with services designated by letters ( A, B, C, This is mainly because the IRT sections have narrower tunnel segments, tighter curves, and tighter platform clearances than the BMT/IND sections. A Division trains would have an unacceptably large gap between the platform and train if they were allowed in the B Division, while B Division trains would not fit in the A Division tunnels and stations. The A Division, also known as the IRT Division, is a division of the New York City Subway, consisting of the lines operated with services designated by numbers ( The B Division is a division of the New York City Subway, consisting of the lines operated with services designated by letters ( A, B, C, The B Division is a division of the New York City Subway, consisting of the lines operated with services designated by letters ( A, B, C, The A Division, also known as the IRT Division, is a division of the New York City Subway, consisting of the lines operated with services designated by numbers ( The safety train stop mechanism between divisions is also incompatible, it being located on opposite sides of the track and train in each division. Part of a railway signalling system a train stop or trip stop (sometimes called a tripper) is a train protection device that automatically Service and maintenance trains, however, are comprised of A Division cars and do not carry passengers, and these can operate on either division. The safety train stop is built on both sides, so it can operate on both divisions.

The system maintains two separate fleets of cars, one for the IRT lines, another for the BMT/IND lines. The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT was the operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904 as well as earlier Elevated railways The Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation ( BMT) was an Urban transit Holding company, based in Brooklyn, New York City, United The Independent Subway System ( IND or ISS) formerly known as the Independent City–Owned Subway System ( ICOS) or the Independent City–Owned All BMT/IND equipment is about 10 feet (~3. 0 meters) wide and either 60 feet 6 inches (18. 4 m) or 75 feet (~22. 8 meters) long whereas IRT equipment is approximately 8 feet 9 inches (~2. 67 m) wide and 51 feet 4 inches (~15. 5 m) long. There is also a special fleet of BMT/IND cars that is used for operation in the BMT Eastern Division, which is the J, L, M and Z trains. New York City Subway nomenclature describes terminology used in the New York City Subway system as derived from railroading practice historical origins of the system and The J Nassau Street Express and Z Nassau Street Express (earlier Jamaica Express) are two Rapid transit services of the B Division of the The L 14th Street–Canarsie Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway, providing local service along the full length of the BMT Canarsie Line The M Nassau Street Local is a Rapid transit service of the B Division of the New York City Subway. The J Nassau Street Express and Z Nassau Street Express (earlier Jamaica Express) are two Rapid transit services of the B Division of the The BMT Eastern Division has sharper curves and shorter platforms, so these trains can only use eight 60-foot (18 m) long cars. As of December 2007, R42 married pairs, R143 4-car sets and R160A 4-car sets are assigned to the BMT Eastern Division. The R42 is a New York City Subway car built in 1969&ndash70 It was the last IND - BMT car built for the subway until the R143 in 2001 The R143 is a Standard gauge Subway car design used on the B Division of the New York City Subway in the United States. The R160A is a class of 760 New York City Subway cars being built by Alstom Transportation. 75-foot (23 m) long cars, like the R44, R46, R68 and R68A are not permitted on BMT Eastern Division trackage. The R44 is a model of passenger train car that operates on the New York City Subway and the Staten Island Railway. The R46 is a New York City Subway car that operates on the IND and BMT routes of the New York City Subway. The R68 is a type of New York City Subway car. The 425-car contract was a joint venture of Westinghouse AM-Rail Company ANF Industrie of Paris and other R68A is a class of New York City Subway cars that were built in Kobe Japan by Kawasaki Rail Car Company.

Cars purchased by the City of New York since the inception of the IND and for the other divisions beginning in 1948 are identified by the letter "R" followed by a number; e. The City of New York The Independent Subway System ( IND or ISS) formerly known as the Independent City–Owned Subway System ( ICOS) or the Independent City–Owned g. : R32. The R32 is a New York City Subway car model built in 1964 by the Budd Company in Philadelphia for the IND / BMT B Division This number is the contract number under which the cars were purchased. Cars with nearby contract numbers (e. g. : R1 through R9) may be virtually identical, simply being purchased under different contracts. The R1 subway car was the first order of original passenger stock for the IND New York City Subway. The R9 was a New York City Subway car which was built in 1940 by two separate orders from different manufacturers Subway car models begin with the letter "R" and are followed by the last 2 or 3 digits of the contract number under which they were purchased. The "R" stands for Revenue service as originally used by the IND, however, it can also stand for Rolling Stock, or Rapid Transit, since the "R" is used on contracts for the purchase of anything that deals with subway and work cars (e. g. cars, wheels, other parts).

When the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company entered into agreements to operate some of the new subway lines, they made the decision to design a new type of car, 10 feet (3. The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT was a Public transit Holding company formed in 1896 to acquire and consolidate lines in Brooklyn and Queens 0 m) wide and 67 feet (20 m) long, the subject of several patents, whose larger profile was more similar to that of steam railroad coaches, permitting greater passenger capacity, more comfortable seating and other advantages. Steam railroad is a term used in the United States to distinguish conventional heavy Railroads from Street railways Interurban streetcar lines This article is about passengers in commercial transportation for other uses see Passenger (disambiguation A passenger is a term broadly used The BRT unveiled its design to the public in 1913 and received such wide acceptance that all future subway lines, whether built for the BRT, the IRT or eventually, the IND, were built to handle the wider cars.

As a result, while most of the IRT lines could accommodate the larger BMT/IND equipment with modifications to the station platforms and trackside furniture, this is not deemed feasible, because the original, narrower, subway includes portions of both IRT Manhattan mainlines, as well as a critical part of the Brooklyn lines. Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. This could be remedied, but at very great expense. On the other hand, it would be relatively easy to convert many of the Bronx lines for BMT/IND operation; some of the plans for the Second Avenue Subway have included a conversion of the IRT Pelham Line. The Second Avenue Subway ( SAS) is a Rapid transit subway line currently under construction underneath Second Avenue in the borough of The IRT Pelham Line is a Rapid transit line on the New York City Subway, served by the train

The MTA has also been incorporating newer subway cars into its stock in the past decade. Since 1999, the R142, R142A, R142S, R143, R160A, and R160B have been added into service. R142 is the model class of the newest generation of IRT cars for the New York City Subway. The R142A, along with the R142 is the newest generation of cars for the New York Subway 's IRT division The R142A, along with the R142 is the newest generation of cars for the New York Subway 's IRT division The R143 is a Standard gauge Subway car design used on the B Division of the New York City Subway in the United States. The R160A is a class of 760 New York City Subway cars being built by Alstom Transportation. The R160B is a heavy-rail subway car model for New York City Transit Authority ( New York City Subway) built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. ^[26][27]

Fares

7 train arriving at Vernon Blvd. and Jackson Ave. station (43s)

An NYCTA token from the mid-20th century

Token and change

Main article: New York City transit fares

From the inauguration of IRT subway services in 1904^[28] until the unified system of 1948 (including predecessor BMT and IND subway services), the fare for a ride on the subway of any length was 5 cents. The fares for services operated under the brands of MTA Regional Bus Operations (Regional Bus ( NYC Bus, LI Bus, MTA Bus, and operators providing On July 1, 1948, the fare was increased to 10 cents, and since then has steadily risen. When the New York City Transit Authority was created in July 1953, the fare was raised to 15 cents and a token issued. Until April 13, 2003, riders paid the fare with tokens purchased from a station attendant. The tokens were changed periodically as prices changed. For the 75th anniversary of the subway in 1979 (also called the Diamond Jubilee), a special token with a small off-center diamond cutout and engraved images of a 1904 subway car and kiosk were issued. Many were purchased for keepsakes and were not used for rides. The last iteration of tokens featured a hole in the middle, and after they were phased out, many became featured in home made jewelry.

Of course, many sought to circumvent the tokens in order to ride for free. A popular scam was to jam the token slot in an entrance gate with paper. A rider would innocently drop a token in, be frustrated when it did not open the gate, and have to spend another token to enter at another gate. The token thief would then race out from hiding, and suck the token from the jammed slot with their mouth. This could be repeated many times so long as no police officers spotted the activity. A police officer (also known as a policeman or policewoman) is a warranted employee of a Police force. Often token booth attendants would coat the token slots with soap to discourage "token sucking". Token sucking is a Crime involving the theft of Subway tokens Token suckers would jam the coin slots on subway Turnstiles and wait for would-be passengers ^[29]

There was some controversy in the early 1980s when enterprising transit riders discovered that tokens purchased for use in the Connecticut Turnpike toll booths were of the same size and weight as New York City subway tokens. The Connecticut Turnpike, formally known as the Governor John Davis Lodge Turnpike, is a Freeway in Connecticut that runs from Greenwich to Since they cost less than one third as much, they began showing up in subway collection boxes regularly. ^[30] Connecticut authorities initially agreed to change the size of their tokens^[31], but later reneged, and the problem went unsolved until 1985 when Connecticut discontinued the tolls on its turnpike. ^[32] At that time, the MTA was paid 17. 5 cents for each of more than two million tokens that had been collected during the three year "token war". ^[32]

MetroCard

Main article: MetroCard (New York City)

In 1994, the subway system introduced a fare system called the MetroCard, which allows riders to use cards that store the value equal to the amount paid to a station booth clerk or to a vending machine. MetroCard redirects here For other cards see MetroCard (disambiguation See also Transportation in New York City The MetroCard MetroCard redirects here For other cards see MetroCard (disambiguation See also Transportation in New York City The MetroCard The MetroCard was enhanced in 1997 to allow passengers to make free transfers between subways and buses within two hours; several MetroCard-only transfers between subways were also added. The token was phased out in 2003. The same year, the MTA raised the basic fare to $2 amid protests from passenger and advocacy groups such as the Straphangers Campaign. The Straphangers Campaign is a New York City -based transit advocacy group that focuses on critiquing the operations and planning activities of the New York In 2008, the MTA increased the prices of unlimited MetroCards, but left the base fare at $2. 00.

SmartLink

Main article: SmartLink (card)

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, a joint transportation operation between New York and New Jersey, started distributing SmartLink cards for seniors in Fall of 2006. SmartLink is a Radio Frequency Identification Chip enabled credit card sized smartcard that can be used as a fare payment method on the PATH transit system The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey ( PANYNJ) is a bi-state Port district, established in 1921 (as the Port of New York Authority) through New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. These RFID "smart" cards are expected to become the standard card for use in the NY-NJ area for mass transit. Radio-frequency identification ( RFID) is an automatic identification method relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or The card is also expected to allow for use in stores.

Future plans

Operations

Pending legislation would merge the subway operations of MTA New York City Transit with Staten Island Railway to form a single entity called MTA Subways. Legislation (or " Statutory law " is law which has been promulgated (or " Enacted quot by a Legislature or other Governing The Staten Island Railway (aka SIR and formerly known as SIRT is a Rapid transit line operating in the Borough of Staten Island, New York City For more information go to MTA New York City Transit MTA Subways is a proposed organizational unit of the Metropolitan Transportation ^[33] The Staten Island Railway operates with R44 subway cars on a fully grade-separated right-of-way, but is typically not considered part of the subway, and is connected only via the free, city-operated Staten Island Ferry. The R44 is a model of passenger train car that operates on the New York City Subway and the Staten Island Railway. Grade separation is the process of aligning a junction of two or more transport axes at different heights ( A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted – through an Easement or other mechanism – for Transportation purposes such as for a Rail line or The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger Ferry service operated by the New York City Department of Transportation that runs between Manhattan and Staten

In the early 21st century, plans resurfaced for a major expansion, the Second Avenue Subway. The Second Avenue Subway ( SAS) is a Rapid transit subway line currently under construction underneath Second Avenue in the borough of This line had been planned as early as the 1920s but has been delayed several times since. Construction was started in the 1970s, but discontinued due to the city's fiscal crisis. Some small portions remain intact in Chinatown, the East Village, and the Upper East Side, but they are each quite short and thus remain unused. ||-||-||-||}The Chinatown neighborhood of Manhattan &mdash (紐約華埠 a borough of New York City &mdash is an Ethnic enclave with a large The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. ^[34]

Stations

In August 2006, the MTA revealed that all future subway stations, including ones built for the Second Avenue Subway, the No. 7 line extension, and the new South Ferry station, will have platforms outfitted with air-cooling systems. The Second Avenue Subway ( SAS) is a Rapid transit subway line currently under construction underneath Second Avenue in the borough of NYCS-bull-trans-7dsvg]]The 7 Subway Extension — Hudson Yards Rezoning and Development Program is the New York City Also all underground stations would have cell-phone accessibility.

Technology

New train arrival signs on the L train

RFID trial on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line

Train arrival times

In 2003, the MTA signed a $160 million contract with Siemens Transportation Systems to install digital next-train arrival message boards at 158 of its IRT (numbered line) stations. The Lexington Avenue Line is one of the lines of the IRT division of the New York City Subway, stretching from Downtown Brooklyn or Lower Manhattan The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT was the operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904 as well as earlier Elevated railways These signs were to be different from the current LED signs that are only capable of displaying the current date and time. However, many problems arose with the software used in Siemens programming, and the MTA stopped payment to the company in May 2006. ^[35] The MTA threatened to drop Siemens, but about a month later Siemens announced they had fixed the problem. The signs were scheduled to begin operation in late 2007. ^[36]

A different system has been developed and installed successfully on the L line and is currently under testing. The L 14th Street–Canarsie Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway, providing local service along the full length of the BMT Canarsie Line ^[37] As of September 2007, 24 stations have this capability. ^{[38] (p. 61)}

Paypass trial

The MTA also signed a deal with Mastercard in the first few months of 2006 to test out a new RFID card payment scheme. MasterCard Worldwide ( is a multinational corporation based in Purchase, New York, USA. Radio-frequency identification ( RFID) is an automatic identification method relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or ^[39] Customers had to sign up at a special Mastercard website and had to use a Mastercard Paypass credit or debit card/tag to participate. MasterCard Worldwide ( is a multinational corporation based in Purchase, New York, USA. Participating stations included:^[40]

• IRT Lexington Avenue Line from 138 St. in the Bronx, to Borough Hall, Brooklyn,
• 23rd St.-Ely Avenue in Queens for the E line,
• and 45th Road-Court House Square for the 7 line. The Lexington Avenue Line is one of the lines of the IRT division of the New York City Subway, stretching from Downtown Brooklyn or Lower Manhattan Court Street–Borough Hall is a New York City Subway station complex shared by the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line, the IRT Eastern Parkway Line 23rd Street–Ely Avenue is a station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. The E Eighth Avenue Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. 45th Road–Court House Square is an elevated station on the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway. The 7 Flushing Local and 7 Flushing Express are Rapid transit services of the New York City Subway, providing local and express services along the full

Originally scheduled to end in December of 2006, the MTA extended the trial due to "overwhelming positive response". ^[41]

Automation

In the mid-2000s, the MTA began a 20-year process of automating the subway. Beginning with the BMT Canarsie Line (L) and the IRT Flushing Line 7^[42], the MTA has plans to eventually automate a much larger portion, using One Person Train Operation (OPTO) in conjunction with Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC). The Canarsie Line (sometimes referred to as the 14th Street&ndashCanarsie Line) is a Rapid transit line of the BMT Division of the New York City Subway The L 14th Street–Canarsie Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway, providing local service along the full length of the BMT Canarsie Line The Flushing Line is a Rapid transit route of the New York City Subway system operated as part of the IRT Division and designated the 7 route The 7 Flushing Local and 7 Flushing Express are Rapid transit services of the New York City Subway, providing local and express services along the full Communication-based train control (CBTC is an automated control system for railways that ensures the safe operation of rail vehicles using data communication between various control Siemens Transportation Systems is building the CBTC system. (A 1959 experiment in automating the 42nd Street Shuttle in New York City ended with a fire at 42nd Street–Grand Central on April 24, 1964. The 42nd Street Shuttle is a New York City Subway shuttle train service that operates in Manhattan. Grand Central–42nd Street is a major station complex in the New York City Subway, and was the second busiest station in 1994 Events 1479 BC - Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. ) In late Winter of 2008, the MTA embarked on a 5 week renovation and upgrade project on the 7 line between Flushing–Main Street and Woodside–61st Street to upgrade signaling and tracks for CBTC. The 7 Flushing Local and 7 Flushing Express are Rapid transit services of the New York City Subway, providing local and express services along the full Flushing–Main Street is the northern Terminal station on the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway, located at Main Street and Roosevelt Woodside–61st Street is an elevated station on the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway. On February 27, 2008, the MTA issued an Accelerated Capital Program to continue funding the completion of CBTC for the 7 line and continue onto the Queens Boulevard Line. Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The proposed plan is estimated to cost US $1. 4 million. ^{[43](p. 15-16)}

Safety & security

Photography

The police reserve the right to inspect passenger bags at any time

After the September 11th attacks in New York, the MTA was extremely wary of anyone taking photographs or recording video inside the system. The MTA proposed banning all photography and recording in a meeting around June 2004. ^[44] However, due to strong response from both the public and from civil rights groups, the rule of conduct was dropped. In November 2004, the MTA again put this rule up for approval, but was again denied. ^[45] However, some police officers and transit workers still confronted people who were not authorized personnel. ^[46]

Currently, the MTA Rules of Conduct, Restricted Areas and Activities section states that anyone may take pictures or record video, provided that they do not violate MTA regulations:

Section 1050. 9 Restricted areas and activities.

Photography, filming or video recording in any facility or conveyance is permitted except that ancillary equipment such as lights, reflectors or tripods may not be used. Members of the press holding valid identification issued by the New York City Police Department are hereby authorized to use necessary ancillary equipment. All photographic activity must be conducted in accordance with the provisions of this Part. Full section

Terrorism

On July 22, 2005, in response to bombings in London, the New York City Transit Police introduced a new policy of randomly searching passengers' bags as they approached turnstiles. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The following is a timeline of the 7 July 2005 London bombings and 21 July 2005 London bombings. The New York City Transit Police Department, officially established in 1953 was a Transit police department responsible for the protection of New York City Subway The NYPD claimed that no form of racial profiling would be conducted when these searches actually took place. Racial profiling is the inclusion of racial or ethnic characteristics in determining whether a person is considered likely to commit a particular type of crime or The NYPD has come under fire from some groups that claim purely random searches without any form of threat assessment would be ineffectual. "This NYPD bag search policy is unprecedented, unlawful and ineffective," said Donna Lieberman, Executive Director of the NYCLU. The New York Civil Liberties Union ( NYCLU) is an organization in the United States founded to defend civil liberties and civil rights "It is essential that police be aggressive in maintaining security in public transportation. But our very real concerns about terrorism do not justify the NYPD subjecting millions of innocent people to suspicionless searches in a way that does not identify any person seeking to engage in terrorist activity and is unlikely to have any meaningful deterrent effect on terrorist activity. "^[47]

On April 11, 2008, MTA received a Ferrara Fire Apparatus Hazardous Materials Response Truck, which went into service on April 14. Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Ferrara Fire Apparatus Inc is an American manufacturer of emergency service equipment primarily fire engines, based in Holden Louisiana, founded by A dangerous good is any Solid, Liquid, or Gas that can harm people other living Organisms property or the environment Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in It will be used in the case of a chemical or bioterrorist attack. Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of Chemical substances to kill injure or incapacitate an enemy. For the use of biological agents in warfare see Biological warfare. ^[48]

Passenger safety

Passenger accidents occur infrequently on the transit system. Platform gaps between the train and the platform typically range from 3-5 inches (7-13 centimeters). The maximum gap width on a straight platform is 6 inches (15 centimeters). ^[49] Slips and falls have also declined. However, people do get minor injuries attempting to slip through the train doors as conductors are closing them.

See also: New York City Transit Police

Criticisms

Capacity constraints

Several subway lines have reached their operational limits in terms of train frequency and passengers, according to data released by the Transit Authority. The New York City Transit Police Department, officially established in 1953 was a Transit police department responsible for the protection of New York City Subway All but one of the "A" Division Lines, and the E and L lines are at capacity; crowding on the Lexington Avenue trains exceeds design limits. ^[50] Crowding on subway lines results in delays and if congestion-based pricing for automobile travel to Manhattan is implemented, subway crowding is predicted to worsen. New York Congestion pricing was a proposed Traffic congestion fee for vehicles traveling into or within the Manhattan central business district of The Second Avenue Subway will begin to relieve pressure on the Lexington Avenue line when its first segment begins operating in 2013, but no such relief is planned for other crowded lines. The Second Avenue Subway ( SAS) is a Rapid transit subway line currently under construction underneath Second Avenue in the borough of Because new subway construction can require years to plan and complete, the Transit Authority can only turn to increased bus service to manage demand in the short run.

Subway flooding

Service on the subway system is occasionally disrupted by flooding from both major and minor rainstorms. Rainwater can disrupt signals underground and can require the electrified "third rail" to be shut off. Since 1992, $357 million has been used to improve 269 pump rooms. As of August 2007, $115 million has been earmarked to upgrade the remaining 18 pump rooms. The project is expected to be completed in 2010. ^[51] Despite these improvements, the transit system continues to experience flooding problems.

Rain from the drainage pipes comes into the subway car

On August 8, 2007, after slightly more than 3 inches (76 mm) of rain fell within an hour, the subway system flooded, causing every line to either be disabled or seriously disrupted that effectively halted the morning rush. Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. (An incident of similar magnitude occurred in September 2004. ) This was the third incident in 2007 in which rain disrupted service. The system was disrupted on this occasion because the pumps and drainage system can handle only a rainfall rate of 1. 75 inches (44 mm) per hour; the incident's severity was aggravated by the scant warning as to the severity of the storm. ^{[38] (p. 10)} In late August 2007, MTA Engineer Phil Kollin announced new plans to create a system that would pump water away from the third rail. This new pumping system is scheduled to be in place by 2009.

Subway Map

The official maps of the New York Subway are based on a design by Michael Hertz Associates. A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, Regions, and Themes The maps are relatively (though not entirely) geographically accurate, with the major exception of Staten Island, the size of which has been greatly reduced. This causes them to appear, in the eyes of some observers, as unnecessarily cluttered and unwieldy compared to the more traditional type of plan used for most urban rail and metro maps; a schematic, or diagram. A schematic is a diagram that represents the elements of a System using abstract graphic Symbols rather than realistic pictures A diagram is a 2D geometric symbolic Representation of Information according to some Visualization technique

Part of the reason for the current incarnation is that earlier diagrams of NYC Subway (the first being produced in 1958), while perhaps being more aesthetically pleasing, had the public perception of being inaccurate. The most iconic design of New York Subway map by Massimo Vignelli which was published by the MTA between 1974-1979 and has since become recognised in design circles as a modern classic was deemed too difficult to use by the MTA, hence the current version. Massimo Vignelli (born 1931 in Milan, Italy) is a designer who has done work in a number of areas ranging from package design to furniture design to

There are now several privately produced schematics which are available online.

Public relations

The MTA has had numerous events that promote increased ridership of their transit system.

Ms. Subways

From 1941 to 1976, the transit authority sponsored the "Miss Subways" publicity campaign. Miss Subways was a title accorded to individual New York City women between 1941 and 1976 It was resurrected in 2004, for one year, as "Ms. Subways". Featuring young models, entertainers and others, the monthly campaign, which included the winners' photos and biographical blurbs on placards in subway cards, numbers actress Mona Freeman, and prominent New York City restaurateur Ellen Goodman (born Ellen Hart). Mona Freeman (born Monica Freeman on June 9, 1926 in Baltimore Maryland) is a former American movie actress

Subway series

Subway series is a term attributed to any World Series contest between New York City teams, called thus as opposing teams can travel to compete merely by using the subway system. For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. Subway series is a term long used in New York, going back to series between the Brooklyn Dodgers or New York Giants and the New York Yankees in the 1940s and '50s. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York.

2012 Olympics bid

See also: New York City 2012 Olympic bid

In cooperation with the City of New York, the MTA posted the NYC2012 logo on train cars in 2005 to garner support for the Olympic bid. The New York City 2012 Olympic bid was one of the five short-listed bids for the 2012 Summer Olympics, ultimately won by London 2012.

See also

• 2005 New York City transit strike
• Graphical New York City Subway timeline
• List of New York City Subway stations
• List of rapid transit systems
• List of United States rapid transit systems by ridership
• New York City Subway in popular culture
• Transportation in New York City
• Metro systems by annual passenger rides

References

External links

• MTA NYC Transit Subways (official site with maps and schedules)
• MetroCard Calculator
• nysubway.info (Direction Finder for NYC through the subway system)
• www.nycsubway.org (a thorough treatment of the current system and history, including historic and track maps)
• MTA's own timeline of events
• Abandoned Stations (a thorough treatment of the history of the abandoned subway stations)
• OnNyTurf.com (Google Maps hack of the subway system)
• www.nysubway.com (Articles on getting to the airports, subway safety, online Metrocard Sales)
• NYC Transit Forums (A discussion forum on NYC transit and subways)