Serves: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and through mta staten Island Railway (sir) Staten Island. Ridership
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- Busiest Stations Annually (1994)
- Route Miles
- Mainline Track Miles (for Passenger Service)
- Other Track Stats
- Longest Rides
Stations
Busiest Stations Annually (1994)
Route Miles
(Note: "Other" refers to open cut, embankment and surface track) Mainline Track Miles (for Passenger Service)
Including the 186 miles of track in New York City Transit's yards, shops and storage areas, the entire system consists of 842 track miles. If laid end to end, this track would stretch from New York City to Chicago. The subway's track gauge (distance between rails) is the same as that of most major American Railroads: 4' 8 1/2". Other Track Stats
PowerAlternating current (AC) operates signals, station and tunnel lighting, ventilation and miscellaneous line equipment. Direct current (DC) is used to operate trains and such auxiliary equipment as water pumps and emergency lighting. The system's 214 electrical-power substations receive high and low-voltage electrical current from the New York Power Authority. Substations may receive as much as 27,000 volts from the power plants and then convert it for use in the subway. The subway's contact (third) rail requires 625 volts for operating trains. Power is distributed throughout the system via 2,500 miles of cable. These cables pass beneath 7,651 manholes located throughout the city. The power required to operate the subway system during peak hours is about 495,900 kilowatts. Annually, the subway uses 1.8 billion kilowatt hours - enough to light up the City of Buffalo for a year. Longest RidesLongest ride on the system with no change of trains: Take the A train (31 miles from 207th Street in Manhattan to Far Rockaway in Queens. Longest ride on the system with a transfer: Take the 2 train from 241st Street in the Bronx, and transfer to the Far Rockaway-bound A train. You'll travel over 38 miles. Longest between-station stretch: 3.5 miles on the A train between Howard Beach/JFK Airport and Broad Channel stations (Queens). So, you're in New York City from out of town and you have some time to kill riding the subway. Here are some tips and some subway fan's ideas for where to go and see the best sights. Is it safe? Yes. You'll find the New York subway is not what you're familiar with from seeing it on TV. It isn't the crime ridden, graffiti infested thing it once was. Overall crime rates are way down and the subway system's maintenance standards are relatively high (certainly compared to the low point in the early 1980s). What neighborhoods/stations should I avoid? This is really a matter you need to answer for yourself depending on how comfortable you are in different types of areas. Use common sense. Keep your wallet put away and your camera close at hand. Don't get in people's way. Don't bring anything with you that you don't need. If you're traveling from overseas, find some other safe place for your passport. If you look and act like you know you don't belong somewhere, you're an easier target. While there is very little risk of getting mugged, play it safe. As for what areas are safer than others, chances are you are not going to be exiting the subway in those areas and walking around anyway. All the trains are safe during "daytime" hours (loosely defined, daytime is 5:00 am to midnight). There are some areas that I feel wary leaving trains and milling around the stations, most particularly the A, C, and G lines in Brooklyn. I feel that the elevated stations seem more safe than the underground stations. The rule of thumb is: don't leave the stations if you aren't familiar with the area! This is not to say that exploring is inherently unsafe. Just use some common sense. After all, late at night, when ridership and train frequency declines, you'll be back in your hotel room anyway. As you ride around, you'll undoubtedly need to stop off for food and comfort breaks. I can personally vouch for the outer terminals of the 1 (Van Cortlandt Park), 6 (Pelham Bay Park), 7 (Flushing Main Street), A (Rockaway Park), B/D/F/N (Stillwell Avenue), B/D (205th Street), J/Z/E (Jamaica). These are safe areas with plenty of food places to enjoy a mid-ride repast. Before you embark on your journey, buy a Metrocard Fun Pass (good for one person for boardings all day long), and familiarize yourself with the map of the system so you have a rough idea of where you're going and where you need to make transfers. This will avoid you being caught without a fare or looking like you don't know where you are or where you are going. The New York City Transit Authority (also known as NYCTA, NYCT or simply the TA for Transit Authority) is a New York State Authority that operates buses and subway trains in New York City. As part of a public image campaign, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has assigned "popular" names to each of its affiliates and subsidiaries. These popular names differ from the legal names, which are used in all contracting and legal matters, and are used on public notices, maps, publications, vehicles and stations. The popular name of the New York City Transit Authority is MTA New York City Transit. Current plans are to split MTA New York City Transit into MTA Subways (which would also take over MTA Staten Island Railway) and MTA Bus (which would also take over MTA Long Island Bus, and has already taken over from several private operators). The Transit Authority, a public benefit corporation, was created in 1953 pursuant to Title 9 of Article 5 of the Public Authorities Law, as amended (the "TA Act"), for the purposes of acquiring the transit facilities then operated by the City and operating them "for the convenience and safety of the public." These facilities included the surface lines (buses and, until 1956, streetcars) and the IRT, BMT, and IND subways; before that date these services were managed by New York City's Board of Transportation. A major impetus of the formation of the NYCTA was to remove transit policy, and especially the setting of the transit fare, from City politics. In 1968 the NYCTA, and its subsidiary, the Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority (MaBSTOA), were placed under the control of, and are now "affiliates" of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public benefit corporation chartered by the New York State Legislature in 1965. Although the Chairman and Members of MTA, by statute, are also the Chairman and Members of the Transit Authority and Directors of MaBSTOA, and the Executive Director of MTA is, ex officio, Executive Director of the Transit Authority, the Transit Authority has its own management structure which is responsible for its day-to-day operations. The executive personnel of the Transit Authority and MaBSTOA report to the President of the Transit Authority. Over the years, NYCTA has been upgrading its network image, including safer trains and stations, new MetroCard Vending Machines, easier-to-read maps, and cleaner trains. Much of the fleet was filthy and covered in graffiti in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, and the cars had many breakdowns. Since 1989, all cars have been graffiti-free, and are well-maintained and air-conditioned or heated as necessary. Upgrading the rail fleet includes replacement of older cars. With the phase out of the Redbird cars, the oldest equipment running on the IRT Division lines are the R62s, from 1983, which are only at mid-service life. Planning is underway for the selective replacement of cars in the 1964-1974 R32, R38, R40, R40M, R42, & R44 IND/BMT cars. The current NYCTA fare for local and limited stop buses and trains is $2, increased from $1.50 on May 4, 2003 Express Buses are $5.00 one way. For more information on fares see below. The MetroCard is the main form of fare payment, which is a magnetic stripe card purchasable in any amount from $2 to $80. 1-day, 7-day, and 30-day unlimited cards are also available. The famous token was phased out by 2003 and is now a collector's item. In November 2004, despite the recent fare increase to $2, the NYCTA announced it had plans to raise the fare again, and also close token booths at various subway stations. Subway riders argue that closing booths will make them vulnerable at night, and strand disabled riders and people with bikes and strollers. Looking to the future, NYCTA is planning on replacing its older fleet of cars, some which date to the early 1960s. Plans also include the extension of the IRT Flushing Line to Manhattan's West Side by 2012, and a Lower Manhattan Transportation Center at the new World Trade Center. Download 357.98 Kb. Share with your friends:
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