New York City Subway
Encyclopedia
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
, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
and also known as MTA New York City Transit. It is one of the oldest and most extensive public transportation systems in the world, with 468 stations in operation (421, if stations connected by transfers are counted as single stations); 337 km (209.4 mi) of routes, translating into 656 miles (1,055.7 km) of revenue track; and a total of 842 miles (1,355.1 km) including non-revenue trackage. In 2010, the subway delivered over 1.604 billion rides, averaging over five million (5,156,913 rides) on weekdays, over three million (3,031,289 rides) on Saturdays, and over two million (2,335,077 rides) on Sundays.
The New York City Subway is the fourth busiest rapid transit rail system in the world in annual ridership, after Tokyo's
, Moscow's
, and Seoul's
rapid transit systems, and the busiest in the Americas. It is one of the four systems in the U.S., along with portions of the Chicago 'L'
system, PATH, and PATCO, to offer service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
, Brooklyn
, Queens
and the Bronx
. Staten Island
has a rail line, the Staten Island Railway
, which opened in 1860 and uses R44
subway cars, but has no links to, and is not officially considered part of the subway, though it has been included on all official Subway Maps since 1998.
All services pass through Manhattan except for the Franklin Avenue Shuttle in Brooklyn, Rockaway Park Shuttle in Queens, and Brooklyn–Queens Crosstown Local
( train) connecting Brooklyn and Queens. All but two of the 468 stations of the subway are served 24 hours a day. Contrary to its name, the New York City Subway system is not entirely underground; large portions of the system (especially outside of Manhattan) are elevated, on embankment
s, or in open cuts
. A few stretches of track run at ground level.
In 2005, the New York City Subway hit a 50-year record in usage with a ridership of 1.45 billion. The trend toward higher ridership continued into 2008; MTA released figures that subway use was up 6.8 percent for January and February as higher gasoline prices encouraged riders to use mass transit over automobiles.
The Citizens Budget Commission reported in 2011 that the subway system was among the most cost-efficient in the country, with the lowest cost per passenger trip and second-lowest cost per passenger mile.
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. This compares with 3702 BTU/passenger mile (2427 kJ/passenger km) for automobile travel. However, the figure for automobiles is averaged over the entire United States. Driving a car in New York City is significantly less efficient due to the highly urbanized environment.
Many lines and stations have both express and local services
. These lines have three or four tracks. Normally, the outer two are used for local trains while 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, where two services ( trains) operate over the line during rush hours and many stations are only served by one of the two.
A demonstration for an underground transit system in New York City was first built by Alfred Ely Beach
in 1869. His Beach Pneumatic Transit
only extended 312 feet (95.1 m) under Broadway
in Lower Manhattan
and exhibited his idea for a subway propelled by pneumatic tube
technology. The tunnel was never extended for political and financial reasons, although extensions had been planned to take the tunnel southward to The Battery
and northwards towards the Harlem River
. The Beach subway was demolished when the BMT Broadway Line
was built in the 1910s; thus, it was not integrated into the New York City Subway system.
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
. The Great Blizzard of 1888
helped demonstrate the benefits of an underground transportation system. The oldest structure still in use opened in 1885 as part of the BMT Lexington Avenue Line
in Brooklyn and is now part of the BMT Jamaica Line
. 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.
By the time the first subway opened, the lines had been consolidated into two privately owned systems, the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT, later Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation
, BMT) and the Interborough Rapid Transit Company
(IRT). 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 kept within the core of the City due to the low amount of startup capital provided to the municipal Board of Transportation, the later MTA, by the state. This required it to be run 'at cost', necessitating fares up to double the five cent fare popular at the time.
In 1940, the two private systems were bought by the city and some elevated lines closed immediately while others closed soon after. Integration was slow, but several connections were built between the IND and BMT, and now operate as one division called the B Division
. Since the IRT
tunnel segments are too small
and stations too narrow to accommodate "B" Division cars, and contain curves too sharp for "B" Division cars, the IRT remains its own division, A Division
.
The New York City Transit Authority
, a public authority presided by New York City, was created in 1953 to take over subway, bus, and streetcar operations from the city, and placed under control of the state-level Metropolitan Transportation Authority
in 1968.
In 1934, transit workers of the BRT, IRT, and IND founded the Transport Workers Union of America
, organized as Local 100. Local 100 remains the largest and most influential local of the labor union. Since the union's founding, there have been three union strikes over contract disputes with the MTA, 12 days in 1966
, 11 days in 1980
, and three days in 2005
.
The September 11th attacks resulted in service disruptions on lines running through Lower Manhattan, particularly the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line, which ran directly underneath the World Trade Center
between the Chambers Street and Rector Street stations. Sections of the tunnel, as well as the Cortlandt Street station, which was directly underneath the Twin Towers, were severely damaged by the collapse and had to be rebuilt, requiring suspension of service on that line south of Chambers Street. Ten other nearby stations were closed while dust and debris were cleaned up. By March 2002, seven of those stations had reopened. The rest (except for Cortlandt Street on the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line) reopened on September 15, 2002 along with service south of Chambers Street.
tunnels, which uses cast-iron tubes, segments between 33rd and 42nd streets under Park Avenue
, 116th Street and 120th Street under Broadway, and 157th Street and Fort George under Broadway and Saint Nicholas Avenue, all of which used either rock or concrete-lined tunnels.
About 40% of the subway system runs on surface or elevated tracks, including steel or cast iron elevated structures, concrete viaducts, embankments, open cuts and surface routes. 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 junction
s.
Many rapid transit systems run relatively static routings, so that a train "line" is more or less synonymous with a train "route". In New York, routings change often as new connections are opened or service patterns change. Within the nomenclature of the subway
, the "line" describes the physical railroad track or series of tracks 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 and "Lines" have names. They are also designations for trains, as exemplified in the Billy Strayhorn
song Take the "A" Train. This terminology is also used to a loose extent in the Taipei Metro.
There are 24 train services in the subway system, including three short shuttles
. Each route has a color and a local or express designation representing the Manhattan trunk line of the particular service. The color lime green is exclusively assigned to the Crosstown Line
route since it operates entirely outside Manhattan while the shuttles are all assigned dark gray. The 1
, 6
, 7
, C
, G
, L
, M
and R
trains are fully local; making all stops. The 2
, 3
, 4
, 5
, <6>, <7>, A
, B
, D
, E
, F
, N
and Q
trains have portions of express and local service
. The J train normally operates local on its route, but during rush hour
s it is joined by the Z train. Both operate skip-stop
during rush hours over the same route.
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 service. D'Adamo's contest entry shared first place with two others and led to the Transit Authority adopting a multi-colored scheme. However, the lines and services are not referred to by color (e.g., Blue Line or Green Line), although the colors are often assigned through their groups.
Though the subway system operates on a 24-hour basis
, some of the designated routes do not run or run as a shorter route during late night hours. In addition to these regularly scheduled changes, because there is no nightly system shutdown for maintenance, tracks and stations must be maintained while the system is operating. To accommodate such work, services are usually changed during midday, overnight hours, and weekends.
|}
. The maps are not geographically accurate due to the complexity of the system (i.e. Manhattan being the smallest borough, but having the most lines), but are known to help tourists navigate the city, as major city streets are shown alongside the subway stations serving them. The newest edition of the subway map, which took effect on June 27, 2010, reflects the latest service changes and also makes Manhattan bigger and Staten Island smaller.
Part of the reason for the current incarnation is that earlier diagrams of the subway (the first being produced in 1958), while being more aesthetically pleasing, had the perception of being more geographically inaccurate than the diagrams today. The design of the subway map by Massimo Vignelli
, published by the MTA between 1974 and 1979, has since become recognized in design circles as a modern classic; however, the MTA deemed the map flawed due to its placement of geographical elements.
On September 16, 2011, the MTA introduced a Vignelli-style interactive subway map, aptly called "The Weekender", to its website. As the title suggests, it is a way for riders to get information about any planned work, from late Friday night to early Monday morning, that is going on either on a service(s) or station(s) of the subway during the weekend only.
There are several privately produced schematics which are available online or in published form, such as those by Hagstrom Map. Additionally, the New York City subway map has served as the subject of artistic endeavors. Among these are works by Fadeout Design and by Alexander Chen.
Passengers enter a subway station through stairs towards station booths and vending machines to buy their fare, which is currently stored in a MetroCard. After swiping the card at a turnstile, customers continue to the platforms. Some subway lines in northern Manhattan and the other boroughs have elevated tracks to which passengers climb up to the platforms and station houses via stairs, escalators, or elevators.
There are a number of common platform configurations:
Three four-track express stations have an island platform for the center express tracks and two side platforms for the outside local tracks. These three stations are connected to major railway stations and 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 limit overcrowding by preventing cross-platform interchange
s between local and express services. This occurs at Atlantic Avenue on the IRT Eastern Parkway Line
( trains) with the adjacent express station Nevins Street
, where the connection is to the Atlantic Terminal of the Long Island Rail Road
; and 34th Street – Penn Station on both the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line ( trains) and IND Eighth Avenue Line ( trains), with adjacent express stations at Times Square – 42nd Street and 42nd Street – Port Authority Bus Terminal, where a connection is available to Pennsylvania Station
, one of the two major Manhattan train stations. This does not occur with the connection to New York's other major station, Grand Central Terminal
, at Grand Central on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line
( trains), which has no adjacent express station.
There is one notable 6-track local station, DeKalb Avenue, where trains to or from the Manhattan Bridge
either stop at the outer tracks of one of the island platforms, or pass through and bypass the station on the middle tracks ("express tracks") . Trains to or from the Montague Street Tunnel
stop across the platform from the respective outer track.
tradition continues today. 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. In addition, commissioned art displayed in stations and "art cards", some displaying poetry, are in many of the trains themselves in unused advertisement fixture slots. Some of the art is by internationally known artists such as Elizabeth Murray
's Blooming, displayed at Lexington Avenue / 59th Street station.
(ADA) went into effect, many New York City Subway stations were not designed to be handicapped-accessible. Since then, elevators have been built in newly constructed stations to comply with the ADA. (Most grade-level stations required little modification to ADA standards.) In addition, the MTA identified "key stations," high-traffic and/or geographically important stations, which must conform to the ADA when they are extensively renovated. As of June 2011, there are 89 currently accessible stations; many of them have AutoGate access.
Since 1987, MTA has sponsored the "Music Under New York
" (MUNY) program in which street musicians enter a competitive contest to be assigned to the preferred high traffic locations. 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. For example, Mr. M. Salieu Suso, a kora
player from The Gambia
, plays at Union Square.
In addition, any musician/entertainer may perform in subway mezzanines and platforms. On platforms, there may be no amplifications as this is part of MTA policies:
Performers must not be within 25 feet (7.6 m) of a token booth or 50 feet (15.2 m) from a MTA office/tower, blocking access to an escalator, stairwell, or elevator, interfering with transit services or passenger movement; or in an area where construction is occurring. In addition, performance is prohibited during public service announcements and may be no louder than 85 dBA at 5 feet (1.5 m) away or 70 dBa at 2 foot (0.6096 m) from a token booth. Performances are prohibited in subway cars.
According to the MTA, the New York City Subway is home to 345 retail spaces, making over US$70 million in rent and licensing fees in 2009 for the authority. It is continuing to make efforts in attracting more diverse retailers and vendors to set up shop in the subway system.
, Long Island Rail Road
, AirTrain JFK
, Metro-North Railroad
, New Jersey Transit
and PATH
. Connections to the Staten Island Ferry
and privately operated ferries such as NY Waterway
and New York Water Taxi
, as well as intercity and commuter bus lines at the Port Authority Bus Terminal
and George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
, are also available. Free MetroCard-only transfers to buses are available to the MTA New York City Bus (including the bus rapid transit Select Bus Service
), MTA Bus, MTA Long Island Bus and Bee-Line Bus System
.
The system maintains two separate fleets of cars, one for the IRT lines and another for the BMT/IND lines. All BMT/IND equipment is about 10 feet (3 m) wide and either 60 in 6 in (18.44 m) or 75 feet (22.9 m) long whereas IRT equipment is approximately 8 in 9 in (2.67 m) wide and 51 in 4 in (15.65 m) long. There is also a special fleet of BMT/IND cars that is used for operation in the BMT Eastern Division, consisting of R42 married pairs and R143 and R160A four-car sets. Due to clearance issues on various sharp curves, 75-foot (23 m) long cars are not permitted on BMT Eastern Division trackage.
Cars purchased by the City of New York since the inception of the IND and the other divisions beginning in 1948 are identified by the letter "R" followed by a number; e.g.: R32
. This number is the contract number under which the cars were purchased. Cars with nearby contract numbers (e.g.: R1
through R9
, or R26
through R29
, or R143
through R160B) may be relatively identical, despite being purchased under different contracts and possibly built by different manufacturers.
The MTA has been incorporating newer subway cars into its stock in the past decade. Since 1999, the R142, R142A, R143, R160A, and R160B fleet have been added into service. These cars feature recorded announcements for station information, closing doors, 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
. Voices include Jessica Ettinger Gottesman, Diane Thompson, Charlie Pellett, and Catherine Cowdery. 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".
The MTA is planning to order 340 subway cars
that feature surveillance cameras for a total of US$750 million by 2015. However, the cameras themselves will not be monitored in real time, but used by law enforcement to detect any criminal activity that could happen in the subway cars.
, Criminal tampering
and Criminal mischief
.
toll booths were of the same size and weight as New York City subway tokens. Since they cost less than one third as much, they began showing up in subway collection boxes regularly. Connecticut authorities initially agreed to change the size of their tokens, but later reneged and the problem went unsolved until 1985, when Connecticut discontinued the tolls on its turnpike. 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."
on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, 7 Subway Extension
to the west side of Manhattan, and Fulton Street Transit Center
in Lower Manhattan.
In August 2006, the MTA revealed that all future subway stations, including ones built for the Second Avenue Subway
and Flushing line extension, will have platforms outfitted with air-cooling systems.
to form a single entity called MTA Subways
. 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
.
In the early 21st century, plans resurfaced for a major expansion, the Second Avenue Subway
. This line had been planned in the 1920s, but was 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.
to install digital next-train arrival message boards, called Public Address/Customer Information Screens (PA/CIS) at 158 of its IRT (numbered line) stations. These signs were to be different from the current LED signs that display 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. 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.
A different system was eventually developed, tested, and installed successfully on the L train. In 2008, system-wide roll-out was pushed back to 2011, with the MTA citing technical problems. However, in December 2009 an initial trial was implemented at three stations along the IRT Pelham Line
( trains) in the Bronx. The announcements are voiced by radio traffic reporter Bernie Wagenblast
and Carolyn Hopkins
, the voice of the New York subway. As of March 9, 2011, the system is now active in about 110 stations all over the New York City Subway.
card payment scheme. Customers had to sign up at a special MasterCard website and use a MasterCard PayPass credit or debit card/tag to participate. Participating stations included:
Originally scheduled to end in December 2006, the MTA extended the trial due to "overwhelming positive response".
Two options are available during this second trial for fare payment:
( train) and the IRT Flushing Line
( trains), 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). Siemens Transportation Systems
is building the CBTC system (a 1959 experiment in automating the 42nd Street Shuttle ( train) ended with a fire at Grand Central on April 24, 1964). In late winter 2008, the MTA embarked on a 5-week renovation and upgrade project on the 7 train between Flushing – Main Street and Woodside – 61st Street to upgrade signaling and tracks for CBTC. On February 27, 2008, the MTA issued an Accelerated Capital Program to continue funding the completion of CBTC for the 7 train and continue onto the Queens Boulevard Line ( trains). The proposed plan is estimated to cost US $1.4 million.(p. 15–16)
The two subway stations that are part of this trial are on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line
. They are the 23rd Street
and the Brooklyn Bridge – City Hall stations. The Help Points at the Brooklyn Bridge – City Hall station are wireless and the 23rd Street station ones are hard-wired, to test which type of transmission is best for the subway. If the test project is successful, then this communications system will replace the existing CAI units on all 468 subway stations in the future.
computer program called "On The Go! Travel Station." It lists any planned work or service changes occurring on the subway, but also includes information to help travelers find landmarks or locales near the stations with an OTG outlet. The first station to test this new technology is Bowling Green
on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line
. Other stations getting this program in the future are Penn Station
(with the LIRR
), Grand Central Terminal
(with Metro-North
), Atlantic Avenue – Pacific Street in Brooklyn
, and Jackson Heights – Roosevelt Avenue / 74th Street – Broadway in Queens
.
, signalling
, wayside train protection and wayside speed control layouts . However, no technical system is free of hazards.
in early days and introduced relay
interlocking
later. Computer-based interlockings
are state-of-the-art systems offering additionally functions. But independently from the applied technology, the interlocking
logic stayed the same: "Control lengths" along the selected route to be set until the target signal plus an additional overlap (safety distance) must be clear of any trains or cars to be able to clear the signal for the according route and target signal. "Single line signal diagrams" show all defined "control lengths" (and routes) for each interlocking tower.
Common automatic and approach signals consist of one signal head showing one of the following signal aspects:
Where different directions are possible, the subway uses both speed and route signalling, but with two different home signal aspect philosophies:
smashed into two trains halted near Jackson Avenue
on the IRT White Plains Road Line
in the Bronx. The deadliest accident, the Malbone Street Wreck
, happened November 1, 1918 beneath the intersection of Flatbush Avenue, Ocean Avenue, and Malbone Street near the Prospect Park
station of the then-BRT Brighton Line
in Brooklyn, killing 93 people.
In order to fight crime, various approaches have been used. In the '60s, for example, Mayor Wagner
ordered an increase in the Transit Police force from 1,219 to 3,100 officers. During the hours at which crimes most frequently occurred (between 8:00pm and 4:00 am), the officers went on patrol in all stations and trains. In response, crime rates decreased, as extensively reported by the press.
In July 1985 however, the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City
published a study showing riders abandoning the subway, fearing the frequent robberies and generally bad circumstances.
To counter these developments, policy that was rooted in the late 1980s and early 1990s was implemented.
In line with this Fixing Broken Windows
philosophy, the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) began a five-year program to eradicate graffiti from subway trains in 1984.
In 1989 the Metropolitan Transportation Authority asked the transit police (then located within the NYCTA) to focus on minor offenses such as fare evasion. In the early nineties, the NYCTA adopted similar policing methods for Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal
.
In 1993, Republican
Mayor
Rudy Giuliani
took office and with Police Commissioner Howard Safir
the strategy was more widely deployed in New York under the rubrics of "zero tolerance" and "quality of life". Crime rates in the subway and city dropped, prompting New York Magazine to declare "The End of Crime as We Know It" on the cover of its August 14, 1995 edition.
Giuliani's campaign credited the success to the zero tolerance policy. The extent to which his policies deserve the credit is disputed.
New York City Police Department Commissioner William J. Bratton
and author of Fixing Broken Windows, George L. Kelling
, however, stated the police played an "important, even central, role" in the declining crime rates.
The trend continued and Giuliani's successor, Mayor Michael Bloomberg
, stated in a November 2004 press release that "Today, the subway system is safer than it has been at any time since we started tabulating subway crime statistics nearly 40 years ago."
Between 1990 and 2003, 343 subway-related suicides have been registered out of a citywide total of 7,394 (4.6%) and subway-related suicides increased by 30%, despite a decline in overall suicide numbers.
Several planned stations in the New York City Subway may possibly feature platform screen doors
. This includes the 7 line extension
, and Second Avenue Subway
. Although these doors are designed to improve airflow in stations, they also prevent people from falling or jumping onto the tracks.
On April 3, 2009, the NYPD issued a directive to officers stating that it is legal to take pictures within the subway system so long as it is not accompanied with suspicious activity.
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:
introduced a new policy of randomly searching passengers' bags as they approached turnstiles. The NYPD claimed that no form of racial profiling
would be conducted when these searches actually took place. 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. "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." The searches were upheld by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
in MacWade v. Kelly.
On April 11, 2008, MTA received a Ferrara Fire Apparatus
Hazardous Materials Response Truck, which went into service three days later. It will be used in the case of a chemical
or bioterrorist
attack.
Najibullah Zazi
and alleged co-conspirators were arrested in September 2009 and pled guilty to being part of an al-Qaeda plan to engage in suicide bombings on the New York City subway system during rush hour that month.
The MTA faced a budget deficit of US$1.1 billion in 2009. Fare increases (three times from 2008–2010) and service reductions (including the elimination of two part-time subway lines, increased weekend headways on other lines, and shortening, rerouting, or elimination of many bus routes) were enacted to balance the deficit.
The Second Avenue Subway will relieve pressure on the Lexington Avenue line (4/5/6) when its first segment begins operating in 2016, but no such relief is planned for other crowded lines. However, the Long Island Railroad East Side Access
project is expected to bring many more commuters to the Lexington Avenue Line at about the same time, further overwhelming its capacity. 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, until automation of the subways using CBTC allows trains to run with less headway.
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. Despite these improvements, the transit system continues to experience flooding problems.
On August 8, 2007, after more than 3 inches (76.2 mm) of rain fell within an hour, the subway system flooded, causing every line to either be disabled or seriously disrupted, effectively halting the morning rush. 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 (44.5 mm) per hour; the incident's severity was aggravated by the scant warning as to the severity of the storm. (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.
On August 27, 2011, due to the approach of Hurricane Irene
, the MTA suspended subway service at 12:00 noon in anticipation of heavy flooding on tracks and in tunnels. It was the first weather-caused shutdown in the history of the system. Service was restored by Monday, August 29.
In addition, as part of a $130 million and an estimated 18 month project, the MTA began installing new subway grates in September 2008 in an attempt to prevent rain from overflowing into the subway system. The metallic structures, designed with the help of architectural firms and meant as a piece of public art, are placed atop existing grates but with a 3 to 4 in (76.2 to 101.6 mm) sleeve to prevent debris and rain from flooding the subway. The racks will at first be installed in the three most flood-prone areas as determined by hydrologists, including Jamaica
, TriBeCa
and the Upper West Side
. Each neighborhood is scheduled to have its own distinct design, some featuring a wave-like deck which increases in height and features seating (Jamaica), others with a flatter deck that includes seating and a bike rack.
The New York City Subway system is infested with rats. Rats are sometimes seen on platforms, and are commonly seen foraging through garbage thrown onto the tracks. They are believed to pose a health hazard, and on rare instances have been known to bite humans. Subway stations notorious for rat infestation include Chambers Street, Jay Street – MetroTech, West 4th Street, and Spring Street
.
Decades of efforts to eradicate or simply thin the rat population in the system have been unsuccessful. In March 2009, the Transit Authority announced a series of changes to its vermin control strategy, including new poison formulas and experimental trap designs. In October 2011, the MTA announced a new initiative to clean 25 subway stations, along with their garbage rooms, of rat infestations.
and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 2006, Columbia University's school of public health
found noise levels averaged 95 decibel (dB)
inside subway cars and 94 dB on platforms. Daily exposure to noise at such levels for as little as 30 minutes can lead to hearing loss. Noise on one in 10 platforms exceeded 100 dB. Under WHO and EPA guidelines, noise exposure at that level is limited to 1.5 minutes. A subsequent study by Columbia and the University of Washington
found higher average noise level in the subway (80.4 dB) than commuter trains including the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH)
(79.4 dB), the Metro-North (75.1 dB) and Long Island Railroad (LIRR) (74.9 dB). Small numerical increases on the decibel scale can translate into large increases in sound intensity; specifically, it is a logarithmic scale
: sound at 95 dB is 10 times more intense than at 85 dB and 100 times more intense than at 75 dB, and so forth. In the second study, peak subway noise registered at 102.1 dB.
" publicity campaign. In the musical On the Town, the character Miss Turnstiles is based on the Miss Subways campaign. In one scene, the musical shows three sailors taking an uptown train at Times Square.
The campaign was resurrected in 2004, for one year, as "Ms. Subways". It was part of the 100th anniversary celebrations. Featuring young models, entertainers and others, the monthly campaign, which included the winners' photos and biographical blurbs on placards in subway cards, featured such winners as Mona Freeman
and prominent New York City restaurateur Ellen Goodman
.
is a term attributed to any series of baseball games between New York City teams, called thus as opposing teams can travel to compete merely by using the subway system along with the fact that subways are adjacent and visible to their respective stadiums. 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. Today, the term is used to describe the rivalry between the Yankees and the New York Mets
. During the 2000 World Series
, cars on the 4 train (which stopped at Yankee Stadium) were colored white with blue pinstripes, while cars on the 7 train (which stopped at Shea Stadium
) were colored orange and blue, the Mets' team colors.
Historical information
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system owned by the City of New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and leased to the New York City Transit Authority
New York City Transit Authority
The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City...
, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
and also known as MTA New York City Transit. It is one of the oldest and most extensive public transportation systems in the world, with 468 stations in operation (421, if stations connected by transfers are counted as single stations); 337 km (209.4 mi) of routes, translating into 656 miles (1,055.7 km) of revenue track; and a total of 842 miles (1,355.1 km) including non-revenue trackage. In 2010, the subway delivered over 1.604 billion rides, averaging over five million (5,156,913 rides) on weekdays, over three million (3,031,289 rides) on Saturdays, and over two million (2,335,077 rides) on Sundays.
The New York City Subway is the fourth busiest rapid transit rail system in the world in annual ridership, after Tokyo's
Tokyo Subway
The is an integral part of the world's most extensive rapid transit system in a single metropolitan area, Greater Tokyo. While the subway system itself is largely within the city center, the lines extend far out via extensive through services onto suburban railway lines.- Networks :As of June...
, Moscow's
Moscow Metro
The Moscow Metro is a rapid transit system serving Moscow and the neighbouring town of Krasnogorsk. Opened in 1935 with one line and 13 stations, it was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union. As of 2011, the Moscow Metro has 182 stations and its route length is . The system is...
, and Seoul's
Seoul Metropolitan Subway
The Seoul Metropolitan Subway or Metropolitan Subway in Seoul, in Seoul, South Korea, is one of the most heavily used rapid transit systems in the world, with well over 8 million trips daily on the system's thirteen lines...
rapid transit systems, and the busiest in the Americas. It is one of the four systems in the U.S., along with portions of the Chicago 'L'
Chicago 'L'
The L is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs. It is operated by the Chicago Transit Authority...
system, PATH, and PATCO, to offer service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Overview
The system's stations are located throughout the boroughs of ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
and the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
. Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
has a rail line, the Staten Island Railway
Staten Island Railway
The Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority, publicly known as MTA Staten Island Railway or SIR, is the operator of the lone rapid transit line in the borough of Staten Island, New York City, USA...
, which opened in 1860 and uses R44
R44 (New York City Subway car)
The R44 is a New York City Transit car model that debuted in 1971 and currently operates on the Staten Island Railway.-History:The R44 was the first 75-foot car for the New York City Subway. It was introduced for the B Division under the idea from New York City Transit that a train of eight cars...
subway cars, but has no links to, and is not officially considered part of the subway, though it has been included on all official Subway Maps since 1998.
All services pass through Manhattan except for the Franklin Avenue Shuttle in Brooklyn, Rockaway Park Shuttle in Queens, and Brooklyn–Queens Crosstown Local
IND Crosstown Line
-External links:*...
( train) connecting Brooklyn and Queens. All but two of the 468 stations of the subway are served 24 hours a day. Contrary to its name, the New York City Subway system is not entirely underground; large portions of the system (especially outside of Manhattan) are elevated, on embankment
Embankment (transportation)
To keep a road or railway line straight or flat, and where the comparative cost or practicality of alternate solutions is prohibitive, the land over which the road or rail line will travel is built up to form an embankment. An embankment is therefore in some sense the opposite of a cutting, and...
s, or in open cuts
Cut (earthmoving)
In civil engineering, a cut or cutting is where soil or rock material from a hill or mountain is cut out to make way for a canal, road or railway line....
. A few stretches of track run at ground level.
The Citizens Budget Commission reported in 2011 that the subway system was among the most cost-efficient in the country, with the lowest cost per passenger trip and second-lowest cost per passenger mile.
According to the United States Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
, energy expenditure on the New York City Subway rail service was 3492 BTU
British thermal unit
The British thermal unit is a traditional unit of energy equal to about 1055 joules. It is approximately the amount of energy needed to heat of water, which is exactly one tenth of a UK gallon or about 0.1198 US gallons, from 39°F to 40°F...
/passenger mile (2289 kJ/passenger km) in 1995. This compares with 3702 BTU/passenger mile (2427 kJ/passenger km) for automobile travel. However, the figure for automobiles is averaged over the entire United States. Driving a car in New York City is significantly less efficient due to the highly urbanized environment.
Many lines and stations have both express and local services
Express train
Express trains are a form of rail service. Express trains make only a small number of stops, instead of stopping at every single station...
. These lines have three or four tracks. Normally, the outer two are used for local trains while 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
BMT Jamaica Line
The Jamaica Line is an elevated rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It runs from the Williamsburg Bridge southeast over Broadway to East New York, Brooklyn, and then east over Fulton Street and Jamaica Avenue to...
uses skip-stop
Skip-stop
Skip-stop is a public transit service pattern which reduces travel times and increases capacity by not having all vehicles make all designated stops along a route. Skip-stops are used in both rail transit and bus transit operations.-Rail operation:...
service on portions, where two services ( trains) operate over the line during rush hours and many stations are only served by one of the two.
History
Alfred Ely Beach
Alfred Ely Beach was an American inventor, publisher and patent lawyer, born in Springfield, Massachusetts.-Early years:Beach was born in Springfield, Massachusetts and was the son of a prominent publisher, Moses Beach...
in 1869. His Beach Pneumatic Transit
Beach Pneumatic Transit
The Beach Pneumatic Transit was the first attempt to build an underground public transit system in New York City, USA.-History:In 1869, Alfred Ely Beach and his Beach Pneumatic Transit Company of New York began constructing a pneumatic subway line beneath Broadway...
only extended 312 feet (95.1 m) under Broadway
Broadway (New York City)
Broadway is a prominent avenue in New York City, United States, which runs through the full length of the borough of Manhattan and continues northward through the Bronx borough before terminating in Westchester County, New York. It is the oldest north–south main thoroughfare in the city, dating to...
in Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
and exhibited his idea for a subway propelled by pneumatic tube
Pneumatic tube
Pneumatic tubes are systems in which cylindrical containers are propelled through a network of tubes by compressed air or by partial vacuum...
technology. The tunnel was never extended for political and financial reasons, although extensions had been planned to take the tunnel southward to The Battery
Battery Park
Battery Park is a 25-acre public park located at the Battery, the southern tip of Manhattan Island in New York City, facing New York Harbor. The Battery is named for artillery batteries that were positioned there in the city's early years in order to protect the settlement behind them...
and northwards towards the Harlem River
Harlem River
The Harlem River is a navigable tidal strait in New York City, USA that flows 8 miles between the Hudson River and the East River, separating the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx...
. The Beach subway was demolished when the BMT Broadway Line
BMT Broadway Line
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 States. , it is served by three services, all colored yellow: the on the express tracks and the on the local tracks...
was built in the 1910s; thus, it was not integrated into the New York City Subway system.
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
IRT Ninth Avenue Line
The IRT Ninth Avenue Line, often called the Ninth Avenue El, was the first elevated railway in New York City. It opened in 1868 as the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway, a cable-hauled line. It ceased operation in 1940....
. The Great Blizzard of 1888
Great Blizzard of 1888
The Great Blizzard of 1888 or Great Blizzard of '88 was one of the most severe blizzards in United States' recorded history. Snowfalls of 40-50 inches fell in parts of New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut, and sustained winds of over produced snowdrifts in excess of...
helped demonstrate the benefits of an underground transportation system. The oldest structure still in use opened in 1885 as part of the BMT Lexington Avenue Line
BMT Lexington Avenue Line
The Lexington Avenue Elevated was the first standard elevated railway in Brooklyn, New York, operated in its later days by the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation, and then the City of New York.The original line, as it existed at the end of 1885, traveled...
in Brooklyn and is now part of the BMT Jamaica Line
BMT Jamaica Line
The Jamaica Line is an elevated rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It runs from the Williamsburg Bridge southeast over Broadway to East New York, Brooklyn, and then east over Fulton Street and Jamaica Avenue to...
. The oldest right-of-way, that of the BMT West End Line
BMT West End Line
The BMT West End Line is a line of the New York City Subway, serving the Brooklyn, communities of Borough Park, New Utrecht, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Coney Island. The D train operates on the line at all times, providing service to Manhattan and the Bronx via the IND Sixth Avenue Line...
, was in use in 1863 as a steam railroad called the Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Rail Road.
By the time the first subway opened, the lines had been consolidated into two privately owned systems, the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT, later Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation
Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation
The Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation was an urban transit holding company, based in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, and incorporated in 1923. The system was sold to the city in 1940 and today, together with the IND subway system, form the B Division of the New York City Subway...
, BMT) and the Interborough Rapid Transit Company
Interborough Rapid Transit Company
The Interborough Rapid Transit Company was the private operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT was purchased by the City in June 1940...
(IRT). 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
Independent Subway System
The Independent Subway System , formerly known as the Independent City-Owned Subway System or the Independent City-Owned Rapid Transit Railroad, was a rapid transit rail system in New York City that is now part of the New York City Subway...
(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 kept within the core of the City due to the low amount of startup capital provided to the municipal Board of Transportation, the later MTA, by the state. This required it to be run 'at cost', necessitating fares up to double the five cent fare popular at the time.
In 1940, the two private systems were bought by the city and some elevated lines closed immediately while others closed soon after. Integration was slow, but several connections were built between the IND and BMT, and now operate as one division called the B Division
B Division (New York City Subway)
The B Division is a division of the New York City Subway, consisting of the lines operated with services designated by letters , in addition to the Franklin Avenue Shuttle and Rockaway Park Shuttle...
. Since the IRT
Interborough Rapid Transit Company
The Interborough Rapid Transit Company was the private operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT was purchased by the City in June 1940...
tunnel segments are too small
Structure gauge
The structure gauge, also called the minimum clearance outline, is the minimum height and width of tunnels and bridges as well as the minimum height and width of the doors that allow a rail siding access into a warehouse...
and stations too narrow to accommodate "B" Division cars, and contain curves too sharp for "B" Division cars, the IRT remains its own division, A Division
A Division (New York City Subway)
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 and the 42nd Street Shuttle. These lines and services were operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company before the 1940 city takeover...
.
The New York City Transit Authority
New York City Transit Authority
The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City...
, a public authority presided by New York City, was created in 1953 to take over subway, bus, and streetcar operations from the city, and placed under control of the state-level Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
in 1968.
Transport Workers Union of America
Transport Workers Union of America is a United States labor union that was founded in 1934 by subway workers in New York City, then expanded to represent transit employees in other cities, primarily in the eastern U.S. This article discusses the parent union and its largest local, Local 100,...
, organized as Local 100. Local 100 remains the largest and most influential local of the labor union. Since the union's founding, there have been three union strikes over contract disputes with the MTA, 12 days in 1966
1966 New York City transit strike
The 1966 New York City transit strike was a strike in New York City called by the Transport Workers Union and Amalgamated Transit Union after the expiration of their contract with the New York City Transit Authority . It was the first strike against the TA; pre-TWU transit strikes in 1905, 1910,...
, 11 days in 1980
1980 New York City transit strike
The 1980 New York City transit strike in New York City was the first work stoppage at the New York City Transit Authority since 1966. 34,000 members of Transport Workers Union Local 100 walked off their jobs on April 1, 1980, in a strike with the goal of increasing the wage for contracted workers...
, and three days in 2005
2005 New York City transit strike
The 2005 New York City transit strike was a strike in New York City called by the Transport Workers Union Local 100 . Negotiations for a new contract with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority broke down over retirement, pension, and wage increases. The strike began at 3:00 a.m. EST on...
.
The September 11th attacks resulted in service disruptions on lines running through Lower Manhattan, particularly the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line, which ran directly underneath the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
between the Chambers Street and Rector Street stations. Sections of the tunnel, as well as the Cortlandt Street station, which was directly underneath the Twin Towers, were severely damaged by the collapse and had to be rebuilt, requiring suspension of service on that line south of Chambers Street. Ten other nearby stations were closed while dust and debris were cleaned up. By March 2002, seven of those stations had reopened. The rest (except for Cortlandt Street on the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line) reopened on September 15, 2002 along with service south of Chambers Street.
Construction methods
When the IRT subway debuted in 1904, the typical tunnel construction method was cut-and-cover. The street was torn up to dig the tunnel below before being rebuilt from above. This method worked well for digging soft dirt and gravel near the street surface. However, mining shields were required for deeper sections, such as the Harlem and East RiverEast River
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. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
tunnels, which uses cast-iron tubes, segments between 33rd and 42nd streets under Park Avenue
Park Avenue (Manhattan)
Park Avenue is a wide boulevard that carries north and southbound traffic in New York City borough of Manhattan. Through most of its length, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Avenue to the east....
, 116th Street and 120th Street under Broadway, and 157th Street and Fort George under Broadway and Saint Nicholas Avenue, all of which used either rock or concrete-lined tunnels.
About 40% of the subway system runs on surface or elevated tracks, including steel or cast iron elevated structures, concrete viaducts, embankments, open cuts and surface routes. 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 junction
Flying junction
A flying junction or flyover 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 with other train movements. A more technical term is "grade-separated junction"...
s.
Lines and routes
Many rapid transit systems run relatively static routings, so that a train "line" is more or less synonymous with a train "route". In New York, routings change often as new connections are opened or service patterns change. Within the nomenclature of the subway
New York City Subway nomenclature
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 engineering, publicity, and legal usage...
, the "line" describes the physical railroad track or series of tracks 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 and "Lines" have names. They are also designations for trains, as exemplified in the Billy Strayhorn
Billy Strayhorn
William Thomas "Billy" Strayhorn was an American composer, pianist and arranger, best known for his successful collaboration with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington lasting nearly three decades. His compositions include "Chelsea Bridge", "Take the "A" Train" and "Lush Life".-Early...
song Take the "A" Train. This terminology is also used to a loose extent in the Taipei Metro.
There are 24 train services in the subway system, including three short shuttles
S (New York City Subway service)
Three services in the New York City Subway are designated as S . These are short services that connect passengers to longer services:* Franklin Avenue Shuttle...
. Each route has a color and a local or express designation representing the Manhattan trunk line of the particular service. The color lime green is exclusively assigned to the Crosstown Line
IND Crosstown Line
-External links:*...
route since it operates entirely outside Manhattan while the shuttles are all assigned dark gray. The 1
1 (New York City Subway service)
The 1 Broadway – Seventh Avenue Local is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored red on station signs, route signs and the official subway map, since it uses the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line for its entire route....
, 6
6 (New York City Subway service)
The 6 Lexington Avenue and Pelham Local and Lexington Avenue Local and Pelham Express are two rapid transit services of the New York City Subway. The 6 local has a circle shape while the ' express has a diamond shape...
, 7
7 (New York City Subway service)
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 length of the IRT Flushing Line...
, C
C (New York City Subway service)
The C Eighth Avenue Local is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored blue on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map, since it runs on the IND Eighth Avenue Line through Manhattan....
, G
G (New York City Subway service)
The G Brooklyn–Queens Crosstown Local is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is the only full-time non-shuttle service that does not enter Manhattan...
, L
L (New York City Subway service)
The L 14th Street – Canarsie Local is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway, providing service along the entire length of the two-tracked BMT Canarsie Line...
, M
M (New York City Subway service)
The M Sixth Avenue Local is a rapid transit service of the B Division of the New York City Subway. It is colored orange on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map, since it runs on the IND Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan....
and R
R (New York City Subway service)
The R Broadway Local is a service of the New York City Subway. It is colored yellow on the route sign and on station signs and the NYC Subway map, as it represents a service provided on the BMT Broadway Line in Manhattan.The R service operates at all times...
trains are fully local; making all stops. The 2
2 (New York City Subway service)
The 2 Seventh Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored red on station signs, route signs, and the official subway map, since it uses the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line through most of Manhattan....
, 3
3 (New York City Subway service)
The 3 Seventh Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored red on station signs, route signs and the official subway map, since it uses the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line through most of Manhattan....
, 4
4 (New York City Subway service)
The 4 Lexington Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored green on station signs, route signs, and the official subway map, since it uses the IRT Lexington Avenue Line in Manhattan....
, 5
5 (New York City Subway service)
The 5 Lexington Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored green on station signs, route signs, and the official subway map, since it uses IRT Lexington Avenue Line in Manhattan....
, <6>, <7>, A
A (New York City Subway service)
The A Eighth Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. Its route bullet is colored blue on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map since it runs on the IND Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan....
, B
B (New York City Subway service)
The B Sixth Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored orange on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map, since it runs over the IND Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan....
, D
D (New York City Subway service)
The D Sixth Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored orange on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map, since it uses the IND Sixth Avenue Line through Manhattan....
, E
E (New York City Subway service)
The E Eighth Avenue Local is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored blue on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map, since it runs on the IND Eighth Avenue Line through Manhattan....
, F
F (New York City Subway service)
The F Sixth Avenue Local is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored orange on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map, since it runs on the IND Sixth Avenue Line through Manhattan....
, N
N (New York City Subway service)
The N Broadway Local is a service of the New York City Subway. Its route bullet is colored yellow, which appears on station signs and the NYC Subway map, as it represents a service provided on the BMT Broadway Line through Manhattan....
and Q
Q (New York City Subway service)
The Q Broadway Express is a service of the New York City Subway. It is colored yellow on the route sign, on station signs and the official subway map, as it represents a service provided on the BMT Broadway Line through Manhattan....
trains have portions of express and local service
Express train
Express trains are a form of rail service. Express trains make only a small number of stops, instead of stopping at every single station...
. The J train normally operates local on its route, but during rush hour
Rush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
s it is joined by the Z train. Both operate skip-stop
Skip-stop
Skip-stop is a public transit service pattern which reduces travel times and increases capacity by not having all vehicles make all designated stops along a route. Skip-stops are used in both rail transit and bus transit operations.-Rail operation:...
during rush hours over the same route.
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 service. D'Adamo's contest entry shared first place with two others and led to the Transit Authority adopting a multi-colored scheme. However, the lines and services are not referred to by color (e.g., Blue Line or Green Line), although the colors are often assigned through their groups.
Though the subway system operates on a 24-hour basis
24/7
24/7 is an abbreviation which stands for "24 hours a day, 7 days a week", usually referring to a business or service available at all times without interruption...
, some of the designated routes do not run or run as a shorter route during late night hours. In addition to these regularly scheduled changes, because there is no nightly system shutdown for maintenance, tracks and stations must be maintained while the system is operating. To accommodate such work, services are usually changed during midday, overnight hours, and weekends.
| A Division A Division (New York City Subway) 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 and the 42nd Street Shuttle. These lines and services were operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company before the 1940 city takeover... (IRT Interborough Rapid Transit Company The Interborough Rapid Transit Company was the private operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT was purchased by the City in June 1940... ) consists of:
|
B Division B Division (New York City Subway) The B Division is a division of the New York City Subway, consisting of the lines operated with services designated by letters , in addition to the Franklin Avenue Shuttle and Rockaway Park Shuttle... (BMT Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation The Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation was an urban transit holding company, based in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, and incorporated in 1923. The system was sold to the city in 1940 and today, together with the IND subway system, form the B Division of the New York City Subway... /IND Independent Subway System The Independent Subway System , formerly known as the Independent City-Owned Subway System or the Independent City-Owned Rapid Transit Railroad, was a rapid transit rail system in New York City that is now part of the New York City Subway... ) consists of:
|
||
| Franklin Avenue Shuttle | |||
| Rockaway Park Shuttle | |||
|}
Subway map
The current official transit maps of the New York City Subway are based on a 1979 design by Michael Hertz AssociatesMichael Hertz Associates
Michael Hertz Associates is a New York City graphic design firm, best known for its 1979 design of the New York City subway map and the station and subway car signage systems that the map engendered. The 1979 map, with some modifications, remains in use today...
. The maps are not geographically accurate due to the complexity of the system (i.e. Manhattan being the smallest borough, but having the most lines), but are known to help tourists navigate the city, as major city streets are shown alongside the subway stations serving them. The newest edition of the subway map, which took effect on June 27, 2010, reflects the latest service changes and also makes Manhattan bigger and Staten Island smaller.
Part of the reason for the current incarnation is that earlier diagrams of the subway (the first being produced in 1958), while being more aesthetically pleasing, had the perception of being more geographically inaccurate than the diagrams today. The design of the subway map by Massimo Vignelli
Massimo Vignelli
Massimo Vignelli is a designer who has done work in a number of areas ranging from package design to furniture design to public signage to showroom design through Vignelli Associates, which he co-founded with his wife, Lella...
, published by the MTA between 1974 and 1979, has since become recognized in design circles as a modern classic; however, the MTA deemed the map flawed due to its placement of geographical elements.
On September 16, 2011, the MTA introduced a Vignelli-style interactive subway map, aptly called "The Weekender", to its website. As the title suggests, it is a way for riders to get information about any planned work, from late Friday night to early Monday morning, that is going on either on a service(s) or station(s) of the subway during the weekend only.
There are several privately produced schematics which are available online or in published form, such as those by Hagstrom Map. Additionally, the New York City subway map has served as the subject of artistic endeavors. Among these are works by Fadeout Design and by Alexander Chen.
Stations facilities and amenities
Station and concourse
Many stations have mezzanines. These allow for passengers to enter from multiple entrances and proceed to the correct platform without having to cross the street before entering. They also allow for crossover between the uptown and downtown platforms.Passengers enter a subway station through stairs towards station booths and vending machines to buy their fare, which is currently stored in a MetroCard. After swiping the card at a turnstile, customers continue to the platforms. Some subway lines in northern Manhattan and the other boroughs have elevated tracks to which passengers climb up to the platforms and station houses via stairs, escalators, or elevators.
Globe lamps
At most of the system's entrances and exits 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 phased out and replaced by red lamps, which takes over the role of both a part-time entrance and exit-only.Platforms
A typical subway station has waiting platforms ranging from 500 to 600 ft (152.4 to 182.9 ) long. Due to the large number of transit lines, one platform or set of platforms often serve more than one service. Passengers need to look at the overhead signs 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 one it is.There are a number of common platform configurations:
- On a double track line, a station may have one center island platformIsland platformAn island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
used for trains in both directions, or 2 side platformSide platformA Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
s, one for a train in each direction. - For lines with three or four tracks with express service, local stops will have side platforms and the middle one or two tracks will not stop at the station. On these lines, express stations have two island platforms, one for the local and express in one direction, and another for the local and express in the other direction. Each island platform provides a cross-platform interchangeCross-platform interchangeA cross-platform interchange is a type of interchange between different lines in a metro system. The term originates with the London Underground; such layouts exist in other networks but are not commonly so named...
between local and express services. 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. In a 3-track configuration, the center express 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.
Three four-track express stations have an island platform for the center express tracks and two side platforms for the outside local tracks. These three stations are connected to major railway stations and 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 limit overcrowding by preventing cross-platform interchange
Cross-platform interchange
A cross-platform interchange is a type of interchange between different lines in a metro system. The term originates with the London Underground; such layouts exist in other networks but are not commonly so named...
s between local and express services. This occurs at Atlantic Avenue on the IRT Eastern Parkway Line
IRT Eastern Parkway Line
IRT Eastern Parkway Line and New Lots Line can refer to:* IRT Eastern Parkway Line* IRT New Lots Line...
( trains) with the adjacent express station Nevins Street
Nevins Street (IRT Eastern Parkway Line)
Nevins Street is an express station on the IRT Eastern Parkway Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Flatbush Avenue, Fulton Street and Nevins Street in Brooklyn, it is served by the 2 and 4 trains at all times, the 3 train at all times except late nights, and the 5 train...
, where the connection is to the Atlantic Terminal of the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
; and 34th Street – Penn Station on both the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line ( trains) and IND Eighth Avenue Line ( trains), with adjacent express stations at Times Square – 42nd Street and 42nd Street – Port Authority Bus Terminal, where a connection is available to Pennsylvania Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
, one of the two major Manhattan train stations. This does not occur with the connection to New York's other major station, Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
, at Grand Central on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line
IRT Lexington Avenue 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 north to 125th Street in East Harlem. The portion in Lower and Midtown Manhattan was part of the first subway line in New York...
( trains), which has no adjacent express station.
There is one notable 6-track local station, DeKalb Avenue, where trains to or from the Manhattan Bridge
Manhattan Bridge
The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan with Brooklyn . It was the last of the three suspension bridges built across the lower East River, following the Brooklyn and the Williamsburg bridges...
either stop at the outer tracks of one of the island platforms, or pass through and bypass the station on the middle tracks ("express tracks") . Trains to or from the Montague Street Tunnel
Montague Street Tunnel
The Montague Street Tunnel carries the trains of the New York City Subway under the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. It opened to revenue service on Sunday, August 1, 1920 at 2 am with a holiday schedule, the same day as the 60th Street Tunnel. Regular service began...
stop across the platform from the respective outer track.
Artwork
Many stations are decorated with intricate ceramic tile work, some of it dating back to 1904 when the subway first opened. The subway tile artworkNew York City subway tiles
Many New York City Subway stations are decorated with colorful ceramic plaques and tile mosaics. Of these, many take the form of signs, identifying the station's location. Much of this ceramic work was in place when the subway system originally opened on October 27, 1904...
tradition continues today. 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. In addition, commissioned art displayed in stations and "art cards", some displaying poetry, are in many of the trains themselves in unused advertisement fixture slots. Some of the art is by internationally known artists such as Elizabeth Murray
Elizabeth Murray (artist)
Elizabeth Murray was an American painter, printmaker and draughtsman. Her works are in many major public collections, including those of the Solomon R...
's Blooming, displayed at Lexington Avenue / 59th Street station.
Accessibility
Since the majority of the system was built before 1990, the year the Americans with Disabilities ActAmericans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
(ADA) went into effect, many New York City Subway stations were not designed to be handicapped-accessible. Since then, elevators have been built in newly constructed stations to comply with the ADA. (Most grade-level stations required little modification to ADA standards.) In addition, the MTA identified "key stations," high-traffic and/or geographically important stations, which must conform to the ADA when they are extensively renovated. As of June 2011, there are 89 currently accessible stations; many of them have AutoGate access.
Entertainment
Music Under New York
' is one of the many visual and performing arts programs administered by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Office that increases the attractiveness of transit facilities for customers...
" (MUNY) program in which street musicians enter a competitive contest to be assigned to the preferred high traffic locations. 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. For example, Mr. M. Salieu Suso, a kora
Kora (instrument)
The kora is a 21-string bridge-harp used extensively in West Africa.-Description:A kora is built from a large calabash cut in half and covered with cow skin to make a resonator, and has a notched bridge. It does not fit well into any one category of western instruments and would have to be...
player from The Gambia
The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
, plays at Union Square.
In addition, any musician/entertainer may perform in subway mezzanines and platforms. On platforms, there may be no amplifications as this is part of MTA policies:
Performers must not be within 25 feet (7.6 m) of a token booth or 50 feet (15.2 m) from a MTA office/tower, blocking access to an escalator, stairwell, or elevator, interfering with transit services or passenger movement; or in an area where construction is occurring. In addition, performance is prohibited during public service announcements and may be no louder than 85 dBA at 5 feet (1.5 m) away or 70 dBa at 2 foot (0.6096 m) from a token booth. Performances are prohibited in subway cars.
Restrooms
Restrooms are rare in the subway system as only 129 open restrooms are in 77 of the system's 468 stations. Most station rest rooms previously open to the public have been closed to the public and 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 42nd Street – Port Authority Bus Terminal, Chambers Street, 57th Street, Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue, and Lexington Avenue / 59th Street.Retail
Some platforms have newspaper stands that sell various items including newspapers and food. The MTA also installed retail spaces within paid areas in selected stations, including the station concourses of the Times Square complex and the Sixth Avenue concourse at 42nd Street – Bryant Park.According to the MTA, the New York City Subway is home to 345 retail spaces, making over US$70 million in rent and licensing fees in 2009 for the authority. It is continuing to make efforts in attracting more diverse retailers and vendors to set up shop in the subway system.
Connections
Rapid transit and rail connections are available at designated stations to AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
, AirTrain JFK
AirTrain JFK
AirTrain JFK is a 3-line, -long people mover system and elevated railway in New York City providing service to John F. Kennedy International Airport...
, Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
, New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
and PATH
Port Authority Trans-Hudson
PATH, derived from Port Authority Trans-Hudson, is a rapid transit railroad linking Manhattan, New York City with Newark, Harrison, Hoboken and Jersey City in metropolitan northern New Jersey...
. Connections to the Staten Island Ferry
Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry service operated by the New York City Department of Transportation that runs between the boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island.-Overview:...
and privately operated ferries such as NY Waterway
NY Waterway
NY Waterway, or New York Waterway, is a private transportation company running ferry and bus service in the Port of New York and New Jersey and in the Hudson Valley...
and New York Water Taxi
New York Water Taxi
New York Water Taxi is a water taxi service based in Red Hook, Brooklyn offering commuter and sightseeing service mainly to points along the East River and Hudson River...
, as well as intercity and commuter bus lines at the Port Authority Bus Terminal
Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the main gateway for interstate buses into Manhattan in New York City...
and George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
The George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter bus terminal located at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan in New York City, New York....
, are also available. Free MetroCard-only transfers to buses are available to the MTA New York City Bus (including the bus rapid transit Select Bus Service
Select Bus Service
Select Bus Service , marked on the buses as +selectbusservice, is a brand used by MTA Regional Bus Operations for bus rapid transit service.-History:...
), MTA Bus, MTA Long Island Bus and Bee-Line Bus System
Bee-Line Bus System
The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc...
.
Rolling stock
As of June 2011, the New York City Subway has 6,292 cars on the 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 ft (45.7 to 182.9 ) in length. Trains not in revenue service can be up to 12 cars long.The system maintains two separate fleets of cars, one for the IRT lines and another for the BMT/IND lines. All BMT/IND equipment is about 10 feet (3 m) wide and either 60 in 6 in (18.44 m) or 75 feet (22.9 m) long whereas IRT equipment is approximately 8 in 9 in (2.67 m) wide and 51 in 4 in (15.65 m) long. There is also a special fleet of BMT/IND cars that is used for operation in the BMT Eastern Division, consisting of R42 married pairs and R143 and R160A four-car sets. Due to clearance issues on various sharp curves, 75-foot (23 m) long cars are not permitted on BMT Eastern Division trackage.
Cars purchased by the City of New York since the inception of the IND and the other divisions beginning in 1948 are identified by the letter "R" followed by a number; e.g.: R32
R32 (New York City Subway car)
The R32 is a New York City Subway car model built in 1964-65 by the Budd Company in Philadelphia for the IND/BMT B Division. These cars were the first mass-produced stainless steel cars built for the New York City Subway. The two previous Budd orders, the BMT Zephyr and the R11 contract, were...
. This number is the contract number under which the cars were purchased. Cars with nearby contract numbers (e.g.: R1
R1 (New York City Subway car)
The R1 was the very first New York City Subway car type built for the IND. 300 cars were manufactured between 1930 and 1931 by American Car and Foundry Company, numbered 100 through 399. Future passenger stock orders – including contracts R4, R6, R7, R7A, and R9 – were virtually identical, with...
through R9
R9 (New York City Subway car)
thumb|right|300px|R9 1802 in passenger service on the [[V |V]] train in December of 2007 for a special holiday eventThe R9 was a New York City Subway car which was built in 1940 for the IND and its successors, which included the NYC Board of Transportation and the New York City Transit...
, or R26
R26 (New York City Subway car)
The R26 was a New York City Subway car built in 1959 by American Car and Foundry . They were made for the IRT and were the first cars to be built in married pairs, which consists of two cars coupled together at the non-operating end...
through R29
R29 (New York City Subway car)
The R29 was a New York City Subway car built in 1962 by the St. Louis Car Company for the IRT division . They have very similar appearances to the R26 and 28 cars with the exceptions that they were built by a different company and permanently paired with link bars, not couplers...
, or R143
R143 (New York City Subway car)
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 cars are primarily used on the L service. The New York City Transit Authority owns 212 R143 cars, numbered 8101 to 8312, and built for an average cost of about $1.5 million...
through R160B) may be relatively identical, despite being purchased under different contracts and possibly built by different manufacturers.
The MTA has been incorporating newer subway cars into its stock in the past decade. Since 1999, the R142, R142A, R143, R160A, and R160B fleet have been added into service. These cars feature recorded announcements for station information, closing doors, 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
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
. Voices include Jessica Ettinger Gottesman, Diane Thompson, Charlie Pellett, and Catherine Cowdery. 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".
The MTA is planning to order 340 subway cars
R179 (New York City Subway car)
The R179 is a planned New York City Subway car.-Background:The R179 contract, which originally consisted of 420 cars, was intended to replace the R44s, but due to structural integrity issues in the the New York City Transit fleet, its retirement was facilitated by the rest of the R160 order...
that feature surveillance cameras for a total of US$750 million by 2015. However, the cameras themselves will not be monitored in real time, but used by law enforcement to detect any criminal activity that could happen in the subway cars.
Fares
Token and change
From the inauguration of IRT subway services in 1904 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 (nickel). On July 1, 1948, the fare was increased to 10 cents (dime), 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 phased out in 2003 when the fare rose to $2.00.Token sucking
It was a common scam to circumvent the payment of fares by jamming the token slot in an entrance gate with paper. A passenger would insert a token into the turnstile, be frustrated when it did not open the gate, and have to spend another token to enter at another gate. A token thief would then suck the token from the jammed slot with their mouth. This could be repeated many times as long as no police officers spotted the activity. Token booth attendants would often coat the token slots with soap to discourage "token sucking". Token sucking (also known as stuff 'n' suck) was charged under Theft of servicesTheft of services
Theft of services is the legal term for a crime which is committed when a person obtains valuable services — as opposed to goods — by deception, force, threat or other unlawful means, i.e., without lawfully compensating the provider of said services...
, Criminal tampering
Tampering (crime)
Tampering can refer to a variety of forms of sabotage but the term is often used to mean intentional modification of products in a way that would make them harmful to the consumer. This threat has prompted manufacturers to make products that are either difficult to modify or at least difficult to...
and Criminal mischief
Mischief
Mischief is a vexatious or annoying action, or, conduct or activity that playfully causes petty annoyance. Young children, when they hear of mischief, think of practical jokes....
.
Token War with Connecticut
There was some controversy in the early 1980s when enterprising transit riders discovered that tokens purchased for use in the Connecticut TurnpikeConnecticut Turnpike
The Connecticut Turnpike, known now as the Governor John Davis Lodge Turnpike, is a freeway in Connecticut that runs from Greenwich to Killingly. It is signed as Interstate 95 from the New York state line at Greenwich to East Lyme, and then as Interstate 395 from East Lyme to Plainfield...
toll booths were of the same size and weight as New York City subway tokens. Since they cost less than one third as much, they began showing up in subway collection boxes regularly. Connecticut authorities initially agreed to change the size of their tokens, but later reneged and the problem went unsolved until 1985, when Connecticut discontinued the tolls on its turnpike. 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."
MetroCard
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 vending machine. 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 subway stations were added in 2001. With the addition of unlimited-ride MetroCards in 1998 (for 7-day and 30-day periods, later 1-day "Fun Pass" and 14-day periods, both of which have been discontinued), the New York City Transit system was the last major transit system in the United States with the exception of BART in San Francisco to introduce passes for unlimited bus and rapid transit travel.Renovation and expansion plans
Current expansion projects include the Second Avenue SubwaySecond Avenue Subway
The Second Avenue Subway is a planned rapid transit subway line, part of the New York City Subway system. Phase I, consisting of two miles of tunnel and three stations, is currently under construction underneath Second Avenue in the borough of Manhattan.A plan for more than 75 years, the Second...
on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, 7 Subway Extension
7 Subway Extension
The 7 Subway Extension — Hudson Yards Rezoning and Development Program is the plan to extend the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway, which carries the 7 train service, westward from its current terminus at Times Square, adding one new station at 34th Street – Eleventh Avenue...
to the west side of Manhattan, and Fulton Street Transit Center
Fulton Street Transit Center
The Fulton Street Transit Center is a $1.4 billion project under construction of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , a public agency of the state of New York...
in Lower Manhattan.
In August 2006, the MTA revealed that all future subway stations, including ones built for the Second Avenue Subway
Second Avenue Subway
The Second Avenue Subway is a planned rapid transit subway line, part of the New York City Subway system. Phase I, consisting of two miles of tunnel and three stations, is currently under construction underneath Second Avenue in the borough of Manhattan.A plan for more than 75 years, the Second...
and Flushing line extension, will have platforms outfitted with air-cooling systems.
Operations
Pending legislation would merge the subway operations of MTA New York City Transit with Staten Island RailwayStaten Island Railway
The Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority, publicly known as MTA Staten Island Railway or SIR, is the operator of the lone rapid transit line in the borough of Staten Island, New York City, USA...
to form a single entity called MTA Subways
MTA Subways
MTA Subways is a proposed organizational unit of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York, which would be responsible for operations of the New York City Subway and MTA Staten Island Railway....
. The Staten Island Railway operates with R44
R44 (New York City Subway car)
The R44 is a New York City Transit car model that debuted in 1971 and currently operates on the Staten Island Railway.-History:The R44 was the first 75-foot car for the New York City Subway. It was introduced for the B Division under the idea from New York City Transit that a train of eight cars...
subway cars on a fully grade-separated
Grade separation
Grade separation is the method of aligning a junction of two or more transport axes at different heights so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other. The composition of such transport axes does not have to be uniform; it can consist of a...
right-of-way
Right-of-way (railroad)
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 trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
, but is typically not considered part of the subway, and is connected only via the free, city-operated Staten Island Ferry
Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry service operated by the New York City Department of Transportation that runs between the boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island.-Overview:...
.
In the early 21st century, plans resurfaced for a major expansion, the Second Avenue Subway
Second Avenue Subway
The Second Avenue Subway is a planned rapid transit subway line, part of the New York City Subway system. Phase I, consisting of two miles of tunnel and three stations, is currently under construction underneath Second Avenue in the borough of Manhattan.A plan for more than 75 years, the Second...
. This line had been planned in the 1920s, but was 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
Chinatown, Manhattan
Manhattan's Chinatown , home to one of the highest concentrations of Chinese people in the Western hemisphere, is located in the borough of Manhattan in New York City...
, the East Village
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
, and the Upper East Side
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
, but they are each quite short and thus remain unused.
Technology
Train arrival times
In 2003, the MTA signed a $160 million contract with Siemens Transportation SystemsSiemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
to install digital next-train arrival message boards, called Public Address/Customer Information Screens (PA/CIS) at 158 of its IRT (numbered line) stations. These signs were to be different from the current LED signs that display 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. 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.
A different system was eventually developed, tested, and installed successfully on the L train. In 2008, system-wide roll-out was pushed back to 2011, with the MTA citing technical problems. However, in December 2009 an initial trial was implemented at three stations along the IRT Pelham Line
IRT Pelham Line
The IRT Pelham Line is a rapid transit line on the New York City Subway, served by the 6 and <6> trains. It was built as part of the Dual Contracts expansion and opened in 1919. It is both elevated and underground, with Whitlock Avenue being the first elevated station...
( trains) in the Bronx. The announcements are voiced by radio traffic reporter Bernie Wagenblast
Bernie Wagenblast
Bernhard Robert Wagenblast is the founder and editor of the Transportation Communications Newsletter , an e-mail publication with over 7,000 subscribers as of January 2008 which is distributed via Yahoo Groups and Google Groups Monday through Friday...
and Carolyn Hopkins
Carolyn Hopkins
Carolyn Hopkins is an American public service announcer. Hopkins' recorded voice announcements are heard in major transportation systems around the world.Hopkins recorded announcements range from service status updates to safety tips...
, the voice of the New York subway. As of March 9, 2011, the system is now active in about 110 stations all over the New York City Subway.
2006 PayPass only trial
The MTA signed a deal with MasterCard only in the first few months of 2006 to test out a new RFIDRadio Frequency Identification
Radio-frequency identification is a technology that uses radio waves to transfer data from an electronic tag, called RFID tag or label, attached to an object, through a reader for the purpose of identifying and tracking the object. Some RFID tags can be read from several meters away and beyond the...
card payment scheme. Customers had to sign up at a special MasterCard website and use a MasterCard PayPass credit or debit card/tag to participate. Participating stations included:
- IRT Lexington Avenue LineIRT Lexington Avenue LineThe 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 north to 125th Street in East Harlem. The portion in Lower and Midtown Manhattan was part of the first subway line in New York...
( trains) from either 138th Street stations in the Bronx to Borough Hall, Brooklyn, - Court Square – 23rd Street in Queens for the trains,
- and Court Square for the trains.
Originally scheduled to end in December 2006, the MTA extended the trial due to "overwhelming positive response".
2010 PayPass and PayWave trial
In light of the success of the first Paypass pilot project in 2006, another trial was started by the MTA. This one started on June 1, 2010 and ended on November 30, 2010. The first two months started with the customer just using the MasterCard PayPass debit or credit card. However, this trial was the debut of having a rider use the VISA PayWave debit or credit card to enter the system, which started on August 1, 2010. For six months, a rider could use either a MasterCard Paypass or VISA PayWave credit/debit card to pay for a fare on the following locations or routes:- the IRT Lexington Avenue subway line ( trains) from 138th Street – Grand Concourse or Third Avenue – 138th Street stations in the Bronx to Borough Hall station in BrooklynBrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, - the M14, M23, M79, M86, M101, M102, M103, and the BxM7 NYC Transit bus routes,
- most of the Port Authority Trans-HudsonPort Authority Trans-HudsonPATH, derived from Port Authority Trans-Hudson, is a rapid transit railroad linking Manhattan, New York City with Newark, Harrison, Hoboken and Jersey City in metropolitan northern New Jersey...
(PATH) train stations (except for Christopher StreetChristopher Street (PATH station)The Christopher Street PATH station, opened on February 25, 1908, is located on Christopher Street , on the west side of Greenwich Village in the New York City borough of Manhattan.-Layout:...
and 9th Street); and, - #6 (Ocean Avenue - Journal Square), #80 (Newark Avenue), and #87 (King Drive) New Jersey Transit bus routesNew Jersey Transit Bus OperationsNew Jersey Transit Bus Operations is the bus division of New Jersey Transit, providing bus service throughout New Jersey along with service along one light rail line, with many routes going to New York City and Philadelphia.-History:...
. - A new route service was added at a unknown date. Here, one can now try this trial to use the Newark Liberty International AirportNewark Liberty International AirportNewark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
's AirTrainAirTrain NewarkAirTrain Newark is a 3-mile monorail system connecting Newark Liberty International Airport to the Newark Liberty International Airport train station on the Northeast Corridor rail line of New Jersey Transit and Amtrak...
monorailMonorailA monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
system to terminals A, B, and C and the long-term parking areas of the airport. However, it is only good for going to the airport, away from the Newark Liberty International AirportNewark Liberty International Airport (NJT station)Newark Liberty International Airport Station is a Northeast Corridor line station in the New Jersey Transit rail system in the Dayton area of Newark, New Jersey. Also called the RAILink station, it provides travelers access to Newark Airport via public transport. There is no bus service, parking...
New Jersey TransitNew Jersey Transit rail operationsNew Jersey Transit Rail Operations is the rail division of New Jersey Transit. It provides regional rail service in New Jersey, with most service centered around transportation to and from New York City, Hoboken, and Newark...
train station. This service does not apply heading to exit the airport and towards the mentioned Newark Liberty International Airport station.
Two options are available during this second trial for fare payment:
- "pay-as-you-go" RFID card scan at select turnstiles or locations; or,
- pre-funded fares via a pilot website called the "NY/NJ Transit Trial" for multiple and unlimited ride discounts. Effective October 16, 2010, pre-funded fares are not available in the trial website.
Automation
In the mid-2000s, the MTA began the process of automating the subway. Beginning with the BMT Canarsie LineBMT Canarsie Line
The Canarsie Line is a rapid transit line of the BMT Division of the New York City Subway system, named after its terminus in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn...
( train) and the IRT Flushing Line
IRT Flushing 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...
( trains), the MTA has plans to eventually automate a much larger portion, using One Person Train Operation
One Person Train Operation
One-man operation , driver-only operation or one person operation is a method of train or bus operation in which the vehicle is operated by the motorman or driver alone without a conductor.-Japan:...
(OPTO) in conjunction with Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC). Siemens Transportation Systems
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
is building the CBTC system (a 1959 experiment in automating the 42nd Street Shuttle ( train) ended with a fire at Grand Central on April 24, 1964). In late winter 2008, the MTA embarked on a 5-week renovation and upgrade project on the 7 train between Flushing – Main Street and Woodside – 61st Street to upgrade signaling and tracks for CBTC. On February 27, 2008, the MTA issued an Accelerated Capital Program to continue funding the completion of CBTC for the 7 train and continue onto the Queens Boulevard Line ( trains). The proposed plan is estimated to cost US $1.4 million.(p. 15–16)
Help Point
The MTA set up another technology pilot project for the New York City Subway called "Help Point" in April 5, 2011. Help Point is a new digital-audio communications system that lets a rider access it, in case of an emergency or needing subway information for travel directions. The top button is labeled red for emergencies towards the Rail Control Center. The bottom button is labeled green towards a MTA station agent for any inquiries. All units are equipped with a microphone to speak into and a speaker to hear answers to the rider from a MTA worker. Also, the units are ADA-compliant.The two subway stations that are part of this trial are on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line
IRT Lexington Avenue 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 north to 125th Street in East Harlem. The portion in Lower and Midtown Manhattan was part of the first subway line in New York...
. They are the 23rd Street
23rd Street (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)
23rd Street is a local station on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Park Avenue South and 23rd Street in Manhattan, it is served by 6 trains at all times, <6> trains during weekdays in the peak direction, and 4 trains during late night...
and the Brooklyn Bridge – City Hall stations. The Help Points at the Brooklyn Bridge – City Hall station are wireless and the 23rd Street station ones are hard-wired, to test which type of transmission is best for the subway. If the test project is successful, then this communications system will replace the existing CAI units on all 468 subway stations in the future.
On The Go! Travel Station
On September 19, 2011, the MTA set up another pilot project, an online, interactive touchscreenTouchscreen
A touchscreen is an electronic visual display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The term generally refers to touching the display of the device with a finger or hand. Touchscreens can also sense other passive objects, such as a stylus...
computer program called "On The Go! Travel Station." It lists any planned work or service changes occurring on the subway, but also includes information to help travelers find landmarks or locales near the stations with an OTG outlet. The first station to test this new technology is Bowling Green
Bowling Green (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)
Bowling Green is a station on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line of the New York City Subway, located at Broadway and Battery Place , in the Financial District of Manhattan...
on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line
IRT Lexington Avenue 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 north to 125th Street in East Harlem. The portion in Lower and Midtown Manhattan was part of the first subway line in New York...
. Other stations getting this program in the future are Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
(with the LIRR
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
), Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
(with Metro-North
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
), Atlantic Avenue – Pacific Street in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, and Jackson Heights – Roosevelt Avenue / 74th Street – Broadway in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
.
Safety and security
Crime, train accidents, suicides and threats of terrorism all impact the subway system.Train movement safety
Safe train operation on the whole New York City Subway is ensured by a combination of interlockingInterlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...
, signalling
Railway signalling
Railway signalling is a system used to control railway traffic safely, essentially to prevent trains from colliding. Being guided by fixed rails, trains are uniquely susceptible to collision; furthermore, trains cannot stop quickly, and frequently operate at speeds that do not enable them to stop...
, wayside train protection and wayside speed control layouts . However, no technical system is free of hazards.
Interlocking
Like the railways, the subway used mechicanical interlockingInterlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...
in early days and introduced relay
Relay
A relay is an electrically operated switch. Many relays use an electromagnet to operate a switching mechanism mechanically, but other operating principles are also used. Relays are used where it is necessary to control a circuit by a low-power signal , or where several circuits must be controlled...
interlocking
Interlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...
later. Computer-based interlockings
Interlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...
are state-of-the-art systems offering additionally functions. But independently from the applied technology, the interlocking
Interlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...
logic stayed the same: "Control lengths" along the selected route to be set until the target signal plus an additional overlap (safety distance) must be clear of any trains or cars to be able to clear the signal for the according route and target signal. "Single line signal diagrams" show all defined "control lengths" (and routes) for each interlocking tower.
Signalling
New York City Subway generally distinguishes signals into:- Automatic signals, controlled only by train movements
- Approach signals, like automatic signals, can be forced to switch to stop aspect by interlocking tower
- Home signals, route set by interlocking tower
- additional signals (call-on, dwarf, marker, sign, time signals)
Common automatic and approach signals consist of one signal head showing one of the following signal aspects:
- stop (one red light); with special rules for call-on and timer signals
- clear, next signal at clear or caution (one green light)
- proceed with caution, be prepared to stop at next signal (one yellow light)
Where different directions are possible, the subway uses both speed and route signalling, but with two different home signal aspect philosophies:
- IRT sections with older signalling:
- - one signal head for each possible route ahead (with main route above diverging routes)
- migrated IRT sections, BMT and IND divisions:
- - upper signal head for speeds
- - lower signal head for routes (with main route shown green and diverging route shown yellow)
Train protection
Subway trains are stopped mechanically at all signals showing "stop" aspects by automatic train stops located on the right side of IRT tracks and the left side of BMT/IND tracks; all cars are equipped with tripcocks. Althoug this is a simple principle of train stops, that wayside trippers must not be removed to trip ("stop") position until it is guaranteed that the train has fully passed the signal with all its cars.Speed control
Speed control on the subway ensured by "Time Signals": A timer is started as soon as the train passes a certain point and will clear the signal ahead as soon as the predefined time elapsed; the minimum time is calculated from the speed limit and the distance between start of timer and signal. "Time Signals" are distinguished into "Grade Timer" for speed supervision at grades, curves or in front of buffer stops, and in "Station Timer" for low-speed entrance into stations in order to reduce train headways.CBTC
Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) is the state-of-the-art system for signalling, Automatic Train Protection and speed control being installed in the subway system within its current big automation project.Train accidents
Including the predecessors of the New York City Subway, at least 55 train accidents have been recorded since 1918, when a train bound for South FerrySouth Ferry (IRT elevated station)
South Ferry was an elevated station at the southern terminal of the IRT Second, Third, Sixth and Ninth Avenue Lines. Two tracks came from the combined Second and Third, and two from the Sixth and Ninth, making four tracks at the terminal, with platforms on the outside and between each pair of tracks...
smashed into two trains halted near Jackson Avenue
Jackson Avenue (IRT White Plains Road Line)
Jackson Avenue is a local station on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Jackson and Westchester Avenues in Melrose, Bronx, it is served by the 2 train at all times, and the 5 train at all times except late nights and rush hours in peak...
on the IRT White Plains Road Line
IRT White Plains Road Line
The White Plains Road Line is a rapid transit line of the IRT division of the New York City Subway, serving the central Bronx. It is mostly elevated, and served both subway and elevated trains until 1952...
in the Bronx. The deadliest accident, the Malbone Street Wreck
Malbone Street Wreck
The Malbone Street Wreck, also known as the Brighton Beach Line Accident of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company , was a rapid transit railroad accident that occurred November 1, 1918, beneath the intersection of Flatbush Avenue, Ocean Avenue, and Malbone Street, in the community of Flatbush, Brooklyn...
, happened November 1, 1918 beneath the intersection of Flatbush Avenue, Ocean Avenue, and Malbone Street near the Prospect Park
Prospect Park (BMT Brighton Line)
Prospect Park is an express station on the BMT Brighton Line of the New York City Subway. Located at Empire Boulevard and Flatbush Avenue in Flatbush, Brooklyn, near the border of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, it is served by the Q and Franklin Avenue Shuttle trains at all times and the B train on...
station of the then-BRT Brighton Line
BMT Brighton Line
The BMT Brighton Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Local service is provided at all times by the Q train. The Q is joined by the B express train on weekdays...
in Brooklyn, killing 93 people.
Crime
The subway carries up to 1.5 billion passengers a year. Crime rates have shown variations over time, with a drop starting in the '90s and continuing today.In order to fight crime, various approaches have been used. In the '60s, for example, Mayor Wagner
Robert F. Wagner, Jr.
Robert Ferdinand Wagner II, usually known as Robert F. Wagner, Jr. served three terms as the mayor of New York City, from 1954 through 1965.-Biography:...
ordered an increase in the Transit Police force from 1,219 to 3,100 officers. During the hours at which crimes most frequently occurred (between 8:00pm and 4:00 am), the officers went on patrol in all stations and trains. In response, crime rates decreased, as extensively reported by the press.
In July 1985 however, the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City
Citizens Crime Commission of New York City
The Citizens Crime Commission of New York City is an independent, non-profit, nonpartisan organization focused on criminal justice and public safety policy reform....
published a study showing riders abandoning the subway, fearing the frequent robberies and generally bad circumstances.
To counter these developments, policy that was rooted in the late 1980s and early 1990s was implemented.
In line with this Fixing Broken Windows
Fixing Broken Windows
The broken windows theory is a criminological theory of the norm setting and signaling effect of urban disorder and vandalism on additional crime and anti-social behavior...
philosophy, the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) began a five-year program to eradicate graffiti from subway trains in 1984.
In 1989 the Metropolitan Transportation Authority asked the transit police (then located within the NYCTA) to focus on minor offenses such as fare evasion. In the early nineties, the NYCTA adopted similar policing methods for Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
.
In 1993, Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Mayor
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
took office and with Police Commissioner Howard Safir
Howard Safir
Howard Safir was New York City Fire Commissioner from 1994 to 1996 and New York City Police Commissioner from 1996 to 2000.Safir was appointed New York City's 29th Fire Commissioner of the City of New York by Mayor Rudolph W...
the strategy was more widely deployed in New York under the rubrics of "zero tolerance" and "quality of life". Crime rates in the subway and city dropped, prompting New York Magazine to declare "The End of Crime as We Know It" on the cover of its August 14, 1995 edition.
Giuliani's campaign credited the success to the zero tolerance policy. The extent to which his policies deserve the credit is disputed.
New York City Police Department Commissioner William J. Bratton
William J. Bratton
William Joseph "Bill" Bratton CBE is an American law enforcement officer who served as the chief of police of the Los Angeles Police Department , New York City Police Commissioner, and Boston Police Commissioner....
and author of Fixing Broken Windows, George L. Kelling
George L. Kelling
George L. Kelling is an American criminologist, Professor at Rutgers University, a Research Fellow at Harvard University, and an Adjunct Fellow at the Manhattan Institute. He previously taught at Northeastern University....
, however, stated the police played an "important, even central, role" in the declining crime rates.
The trend continued and Giuliani's successor, Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
, stated in a November 2004 press release that "Today, the subway system is safer than it has been at any time since we started tabulating subway crime statistics nearly 40 years ago."
Suicides
A portion of subway-related deaths in New York consists of suicides committed by jumping in front of an oncoming train. Exact numbers are not available, as the cause of death is listed as "unknown" in cases where no witness was present and no suicide note found.Between 1990 and 2003, 343 subway-related suicides have been registered out of a citywide total of 7,394 (4.6%) and subway-related suicides increased by 30%, despite a decline in overall suicide numbers.
Several planned stations in the New York City Subway may possibly feature platform screen doors
Platform screen doors
Platform screen doors and platform edge doors at train or subway stations screen the platform from the train. They are a relatively new addition to many metro systems around the world, with some platform doors retrofitted rather than installed with the metro system itself. They are widely used in...
. This includes the 7 line extension
7 Subway Extension
The 7 Subway Extension — Hudson Yards Rezoning and Development Program is the plan to extend the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway, which carries the 7 train service, westward from its current terminus at Times Square, adding one new station at 34th Street – Eleventh Avenue...
, and Second Avenue Subway
Second Avenue Subway
The Second Avenue Subway is a planned rapid transit subway line, part of the New York City Subway system. Phase I, consisting of two miles of tunnel and three stations, is currently under construction underneath Second Avenue in the borough of Manhattan.A plan for more than 75 years, the Second...
. Although these doors are designed to improve airflow in stations, they also prevent people from falling or jumping onto the tracks.
Photography
After the September 11 attacks in New York, the MTA was extremely wary of anyone taking photographs or recording video inside the system and proposed banning all photography and recording in a meeting around June 2004. 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, though many police officers and transit workers still confront or harass people taking photographs or video.On April 3, 2009, the NYPD issued a directive to officers stating that it is legal to take pictures within the subway system so long as it is not accompanied with suspicious activity.
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.
Terrorism prevention and foiled plot
On July 22, 2005, in response to bombings in London, the New York City Transit PoliceNew York City Transit Police
The New York City Transit Police Department was a law enforcement agency in New York City that existed from 1953 to 1995. The roots of this organization go back to 1936 when Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia authorized the hiring of Special Patrolmen for the New York City Subway system...
introduced a new policy of randomly searching passengers' bags as they approached turnstiles. The NYPD claimed that no form of racial profiling
Racial profiling
Racial profiling refers to the use of an individual’s race or ethnicity by law enforcement personnel as a key factor in deciding whether to engage in enforcement...
would be conducted when these searches actually took place. 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. "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." The searches were upheld by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals...
in MacWade v. Kelly.
On April 11, 2008, MTA received a Ferrara Fire Apparatus
Ferrara Fire Apparatus
Ferrara Fire Apparatus, Inc. is an American manufacturer of emergency service equipment, primarily fire engines, based in Holden, Louisiana, founded by Chris Ferrara. The facility was built by Firmin Construction Corporation...
Hazardous Materials Response Truck, which went into service three days later. It will be used in the case of a chemical
Chemical warfare
Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...
or bioterrorist
Bioterrorism
Bioterrorism is terrorism involving the intentional release or dissemination of biological agents. These agents are bacteria, viruses, or toxins, and may be in a naturally occurring or a human-modified form. For the use of this method in warfare, see biological warfare.-Definition:According to the...
attack.
Najibullah Zazi
Najibullah Zazi
Najibullah Zazi is an Afghan-American who was arrested in September 2009 as part of the 2009 U.S. Al Qaeda group accused of planning suicide bombings on the New York City subway system, and has pled guilty as have two other defendants. U.S...
and alleged co-conspirators were arrested in September 2009 and pled guilty to being part of an al-Qaeda plan to engage in suicide bombings on the New York City subway system during rush hour that month.
2009–2010 budget cuts
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. All but one of the "A" Division Lines as well as the and trains are beyond capacity.The Second Avenue Subway will relieve pressure on the Lexington Avenue line (4/5/6) when its first segment begins operating in 2016, but no such relief is planned for other crowded lines. However, the Long Island Railroad East Side Access
East Side Access
East Side Access is a public works project being undertaken by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City, designed to bring the Long Island Rail Road into a new East Side station to be built below and incorporated into Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan...
project is expected to bring many more commuters to the Lexington Avenue Line at about the same time, further overwhelming its capacity. 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, until automation of the subways using CBTC allows trains to run with less headway.
Subway flooding
Service on the subway system is occasionally disrupted by flooding from rainstorms, even minor ones. Rainwater can disrupt signals underground and require the electrified third railThird rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
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. Despite these improvements, the transit system continues to experience flooding problems.
On August 8, 2007, after more than 3 inches (76.2 mm) of rain fell within an hour, the subway system flooded, causing every line to either be disabled or seriously disrupted, effectively halting the morning rush. 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 (44.5 mm) per hour; the incident's severity was aggravated by the scant warning as to the severity of the storm. (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.
On August 27, 2011, due to the approach of Hurricane Irene
Hurricane Irene (2011)
Hurricane Irene was a large and powerful Atlantic hurricane that left extensive flood and wind damage along its path through the Caribbean, the United States East Coast and as far north as Atlantic Canada in 2011...
, the MTA suspended subway service at 12:00 noon in anticipation of heavy flooding on tracks and in tunnels. It was the first weather-caused shutdown in the history of the system. Service was restored by Monday, August 29.
In addition, as part of a $130 million and an estimated 18 month project, the MTA began installing new subway grates in September 2008 in an attempt to prevent rain from overflowing into the subway system. The metallic structures, designed with the help of architectural firms and meant as a piece of public art, are placed atop existing grates but with a 3 to 4 in (76.2 to 101.6 mm) sleeve to prevent debris and rain from flooding the subway. The racks will at first be installed in the three most flood-prone areas as determined by hydrologists, including Jamaica
Jamaica, Queens
Jamaica is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States. It was settled under Dutch rule in 1656 in New Netherland as Rustdorp. Under British rule, the Village of Jamaica became the center of the "Town of Jamaica"...
, TriBeCa
TriBeCa
Tribeca is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York in the United States. Its name is an acronym based on the words "Triangle below Canal Street", and is properly bounded by Canal Street, West Street, Broadway, and Vesey Street...
and the Upper West Side
Upper West Side
The Upper West Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, that lies between Central Park and the Hudson River and between West 59th Street and West 125th Street...
. Each neighborhood is scheduled to have its own distinct design, some featuring a wave-like deck which increases in height and features seating (Jamaica), others with a flatter deck that includes seating and a bike rack.
Litter and rodents
Litter accumulation is a perennial problem in the subway system. In the 1970s and 1980s, dirty trains and platforms, as well as graffiti were a serious problem. The situation has improved since then, but the 2010 budget crisis has threatened to curtail trash removal from the subway system.The New York City Subway system is infested with rats. Rats are sometimes seen on platforms, and are commonly seen foraging through garbage thrown onto the tracks. They are believed to pose a health hazard, and on rare instances have been known to bite humans. Subway stations notorious for rat infestation include Chambers Street, Jay Street – MetroTech, West 4th Street, and Spring Street
Spring Street (IND Eighth Avenue Line)
Spring Street is a local station on the IND Eighth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at Spring Street and Sixth Avenue in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, it is served by the C and E trains, the former of which is replaced by the A train during late nights.This underground...
.
Decades of efforts to eradicate or simply thin the rat population in the system have been unsuccessful. In March 2009, the Transit Authority announced a series of changes to its vermin control strategy, including new poison formulas and experimental trap designs. In October 2011, the MTA announced a new initiative to clean 25 subway stations, along with their garbage rooms, of rat infestations.
Noise
New York subway trains produce high levels of noise that exceed guidelines set by the World Health OrganizationWorld Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 2006, Columbia University's school of public health
Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
The Columbia Mailman School of Public Health is one of the schools of Columbia University in New York City. It is one of the first schools of public health recognized by the Council on Education for Public Health and remains a leading academic and research institution. The beginnings of the school...
found noise levels averaged 95 decibel (dB)
Decibel
The decibel is a logarithmic unit that indicates the ratio of a physical quantity relative to a specified or implied reference level. A ratio in decibels is ten times the logarithm to base 10 of the ratio of two power quantities...
inside subway cars and 94 dB on platforms. Daily exposure to noise at such levels for as little as 30 minutes can lead to hearing loss. Noise on one in 10 platforms exceeded 100 dB. Under WHO and EPA guidelines, noise exposure at that level is limited to 1.5 minutes. A subsequent study by Columbia and the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
found higher average noise level in the subway (80.4 dB) than commuter trains including the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH)
Port Authority Trans-Hudson
PATH, derived from Port Authority Trans-Hudson, is a rapid transit railroad linking Manhattan, New York City with Newark, Harrison, Hoboken and Jersey City in metropolitan northern New Jersey...
(79.4 dB), the Metro-North (75.1 dB) and Long Island Railroad (LIRR) (74.9 dB). Small numerical increases on the decibel scale can translate into large increases in sound intensity; specifically, it is a logarithmic scale
Logarithmic scale
A logarithmic scale is a scale of measurement using the logarithm of a physical quantity instead of the quantity itself.A simple example is a chart whose vertical axis increments are labeled 1, 10, 100, 1000, instead of 1, 2, 3, 4...
: sound at 95 dB is 10 times more intense than at 85 dB and 100 times more intense than at 75 dB, and so forth. In the second study, peak subway noise registered at 102.1 dB.
Public relations
The Board of Transportation and then New York City Transit Authority (MTA New York City Transit) has had numerous events that promote increased ridership of their transit system.Miss Subways
From 1941 to 1976, the Board of Transportation/New York City Transit Authority sponsored the "Miss SubwaysMiss Subways
Miss Subways was a title accorded to individual New York City women between 1941 and 1976. The woman who was "Miss Subways" at any one time appeared on posters placed on New York City Subway trains, along with a brief description of her...
" publicity campaign. In the musical On the Town, the character Miss Turnstiles is based on the Miss Subways campaign. In one scene, the musical shows three sailors taking an uptown train at Times Square.
The campaign was resurrected in 2004, for one year, as "Ms. Subways". It was part of the 100th anniversary celebrations. Featuring young models, entertainers and others, the monthly campaign, which included the winners' photos and biographical blurbs on placards in subway cards, featured such winners as Mona Freeman
Mona Freeman
Mona Freeman is an American film actress. The 5' 1" blonde was a model while in high school, and after becoming the first "Miss Subways" of the New York City transit system, eventually signed a movie contract with Howard Hughes. Her contract was later sold to Paramount Pictures. After 1944, she...
and prominent New York City restaurateur Ellen Goodman
Ellen Goodman
Ellen Goodman is an American journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning syndicated columnist.- Career :Goodman worked as a researcher and reporter for Newsweek magazine between 1963 and 1965, and has worked as an associate editor at the Boston Globe since 1967.In 1998, Goodman received the Elijah...
.
Subway Series
Subway SeriesSubway Series
The Subway Series is a series of Major League Baseball games played between teams based in New York City. The term's historic usage has been in reference to World Series games played between New York teams...
is a term attributed to any series of baseball games between New York City teams, called thus as opposing teams can travel to compete merely by using the subway system along with the fact that subways are adjacent and visible to their respective stadiums. Subway Series is a term long used in New York, going back to series between the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
or New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
and the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in the 1940s and '50s. Today, the term is used to describe the rivalry between the Yankees and the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. During the 2000 World Series
2000 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 2000 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe opener fell on two anniversaries. Twenty-five years prior, Boston Red Sox's catcher Carlton Fisk ended Game 6 of the 1975 World Series with his famous home run off the left field foul pole in Fenway Park in Boston to beat...
, cars on the 4 train (which stopped at Yankee Stadium) were colored white with blue pinstripes, while cars on the 7 train (which stopped at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
) were colored orange and blue, the Mets' team colors.
See also
- Graphical New York City Subway timeline
- List of closed New York City Subway stations
- List of metro systems
- List of United States rapid transit systems by ridership
- Metro systems by annual passenger ridesMetro systems by annual passenger ridesThe most-used metro systems in terms of passenger rides per year:# Tokyo Subway 3.161 billion # Moscow Metro 2.348 billion # Seoul Subway 2.048 billion...
- New York City Subway in popular cultureNew York City Subway in popular cultureThe New York City Subway is often seen as an integral part of the city and has had a place in popular culture for at least three quarters of a century...
- Second Avenue SubwaySecond Avenue SubwayThe Second Avenue Subway is a planned rapid transit subway line, part of the New York City Subway system. Phase I, consisting of two miles of tunnel and three stations, is currently under construction underneath Second Avenue in the borough of Manhattan.A plan for more than 75 years, the Second...
- Transportation in New York CityTransportation in New York CityThe transportation system of New York City is a cooperation of complex systems of infrastructure. New York City, being the largest city in the United States, has a transportation system which includes the largest subway system in the world, measured by track mileage; the world's first mechanically...
- Unused New York City Subway service labelsUnused New York City Subway service labelsThe New York City Subway currently uses various letters and numbers to designate the routes that trains use over the differing lines in the system. Along with the color corresponding to the route's trunk line, these form a unique identifier for the route, easing navigation through the complex...
External links
General information- MTA NYC Transit Subways (Official site with maps and schedules)
- Nycsubway.org (A thorough treatment of the current system and history, including historic and track maps)
- NYCT Subway Service@NYCTSubwayScoop: The official New York City Subway TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
web feed page - NYC Subway on Facebook: The official New York City Subway FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page - MTA Arts for Transit: The official MTA art guide
- MTAinfo: The official MTA YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
web page - MTAPhotos' Photostream: The official MTA FlickrFlickrFlickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
web photo page - New York Subway daily operations visualized (Java applet, unofficial; official subway map use licensed by MTA on 9/29/2011)
Historical information
- MTA's own time line of events
- Early Days of the NYC Subway – slideshow by Life magazine
- The New York City Subway: A Century by John Stern
- Abandoned Stations (A thorough treatment of the history of the abandoned subway stations)
- The Subway Issue – special October 2010 regional news section by The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
- "America's Newest Subway, First Built In Model", October 1931, Popular Science