Subways
Subways
[pic]
R143 subway cars have a computerized feature to
regulate train speed, which will allow trains to run
closer together in the future.
Serves: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and - through MTA Staten Island Railway -
(SIR) Staten Island.
Ridership: 4.5 million on an average weekday; about 1.4 billion a year
As of May 29, 2005
Routes: Numbered routes include the [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic]
Lettered routes include [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic]
The 26 subway routes are interconnected, and many lines feature express trains,
across-the-platform transfers to local trains, and "skip-stop" express service.
*There are three [pic]shuttle services: Franklin Avenue, Rockaway Park,
and 42 Street.
NYC Transit’s Rank Among the World’s Subway Systems 2002
Annual Subway Ridership
1.
Moscow
3.3 billion
2.
Tokyo
2.6 billion
3.
Seoul
2.2 billion
4.
Mexico City
1.4 billion
5.
New York City
1.4 billion
6.
Paris
1.2 billion
7.
London
970 million
8.
Osaka
957 million
9.
St. Petersburg
821 million
10.
Hong Kong
786 million
Number of subway cars: Roughly 6,400 at the end of 2002.
Number of train trips: 1,721,115 annually
Subway car mileage: The fleet travels 347,188,000 miles annually.
As a result of capital improvements and preventive maintenance, the number of miles
subway cars travel without repairs is 16 times greater today than it was in 1982.
Number of miles traveled by an average subway car between repairs: | |
|1982 |7,145 | |
|2002 |114,619 | |
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|Longest Rides |
|With no change of trains: the [pic]train from 207th Street in Manhattan to Far Rockaway in Queens (more than 31 |
|miles). |
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|With a transfer: the [pic]train from 241st Street in the Bronx, with a transfer to the Far Rockaway-bound |
|[pic]Train (more than 38 miles). |
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|Between stations: the [pic]train between the Howard Beach/JFK Airport and Broad Channel stations in Queens (3.5 |
|miles). |
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|[pic] |
|The [pic]train (pictured at the renovated Utica Avenue station, Brooklyn) can take |
|you more than 31 miles without a transfer for the price of a fare. |
|Stations |
|Introduction |
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|From the original 28 stations built in Manhattan and opened on October 27, 1904, the subway system has grown to 468|
|stations, most of which were built by 1930. Their design represents three distinct styles since two private |
|companies – the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT) – and|
|the city-owned Independent Rapid Transit Railroad (IND), built them. |
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|The primary difference among the three types of stations is platform lengths. IRT stations have platforms that are |
|525 feet long; BMT platforms are 615 feet long, and IND platforms are the longest – some measuring 660 feet. |
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|Over the past 20 years, NYC Transit has rehabilitated or upgraded almost half the stations in the system, making |
|sure to rebuild the distinctive tile mosaics of the stations. In addition, MTA Arts for Transit has commissioned |
|and installed artwork in dozens of stations since 1985. |
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|DID YOU KNOW? NYC Transit - with 468 subway stations - has only 35 fewer stations than the combined total of all |
|other subway systems in the country. |
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|Types of stations: Underground (about 60 percent); elevated, embankment, and open-cut. * |
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|Highest station: Smith-9 Sts [pic][pic]in Brooklyn, 88 feet above street level. |
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|Lowest station: 191 St [pic][pic]in Manhattan, 180 feet below street level. |
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|*An open-cut station is built below street level, in a trench-like depression, or "cut." Unlike a station built in |
|a tunnel, most "open-cut" stations are exposed to the outdoors. |
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|Example: Parkside Avenue [pic]station in Brooklyn. |
|[pic] |
|The Flatbush Avenue station, Brooklyn before.... |
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|and after station renovation. |
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|[pic] |
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|Track and Power |
|Track Gauge: (distance between rails) is 4 feet 8.5 inches, the same as that of major American railroads. |
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|Miles of Track: Approximately 660 in passenger service. Counting track used for “non-revenue” purposes (e.g., in |
|subway yards), the number is more than 840 miles. |
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|DID YOU KNOW? Laid end to end, NYC Transit train tracks would stretch from New York City to Chicago. |
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|Power sources: Substations receive as much as 27,000 volts from power plants and convert it for use in the subway. |
|The third (contact) rail uses 625 volts to operate trains. |
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|Types of power: Alternating current (AC) operates signals, station and tunnel lighting, ventilation, and |
|miscellaneous line equipment. |
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|Direct current (DC) operates trains and auxiliary equipment, such as water pumps and emergency lighting. |
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|DID YOU KNOW? The NYC Transit subway system uses enough power annually to light the city of Buffalo for a year. |
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Fares & MetroCard
The fare for a subway or local bus ride is $2. The fare for an express bus ride is $5. If you qualify for reduced fare, you can travel for half fare. Up to three children 44 inches tall and under ride for free on subways and local buses when accompanied by a fare paying adult. Infants (under two years of age) ride express buses free if the child sits on the lap of the accompanying adult.
Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard
Buy as many rides as you want from $4 to $80.
Put $10 or more on your card and receive a 20 percent bonus. For example, a $20 purchase gives you $24 on your card. 12 trips for the price of 10.
You get an automatic free transfer between subway and bus, or between buses.
Buy an unlimited number of subway and bus rides for a fixed price. Choose from a 1-Day Fun Pass, a 7-Day, 30-Day, 7-Day Express Bus Plus, or a 30-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard accepted on JFK AirTrain only.
1-Day Fun Pass
Cost: $7, reduced fare not available
Good for unlimited subway and local bus rides from first use until 3 a.m. the following day. Sold at MetroCard Vending Machines and at neighborhood stores. Not available at station booths.
Where to Buy | Back to top
7-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard
Cost: $24, reduced fare $12
Good for unlimited subway and local bus rides until midnight, 7 days from day of first use.
Where to Buy | Back to top
30-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard
Cost: $76, reduced fare $38
Good for unlimited subway and local bus rides until midnight, 30 days from day of first use. This card is insured against loss when purchased at a vending machine with a credit or debit/ATM card.
Rules of Conduct
MTA New York City Transit subway and bus rules make everyone’s ride better.
Failure to pay the fare or violation of any of the rules can result in arrest, fine, and/or ejection.
|Please do not: |
|Damage subway or bus property – that includes drawing graffiti, or scratchiti |
|Litter or create unsanitary conditions |
|Smoke anywhere on NYC Transit property |
|Drink alcoholic beverages |
|Panhandle or beg |
|Play a radio audible to others |
|Use amplified devices on platforms |
|Use more than one seat |
|Block free movement |
|Lie down |
|Engage in unauthorized commercial activity |
|Enter tracks, tunnels, or non-public areas |
|Carry open bulky items likely to cause inconvenience |
The MTA Network
MTA subways, buses, and railroads move 2.4 billion New Yorkers a year, about one in every three users of mass transit in the United States and two-thirds of the nation's rail riders.
MTA bridges and tunnels carry nearly 300 million vehicles annually — more than any bridge and tunnel authority in the nation.
This vast transportation network — North America's largest — serves a population of 14.6 million people in the 5,000-square-mile area fanning out from New York City through Long Island, southeastern New York State, and Connecticut.
Who Are We?
The MTA network links the diverse parts of New York, enabling residents and visitors to get where they want to go swiftly and at reasonable cost. MTA services offer the region efficient, environmentally sound travel alternatives to gridlocked streets and highways. And the mobility provided by the MTA helps ensure New York's place as a world center of finance, commerce, culture, and entertainment.
While nearly 85% of the nation's workers need automobiles to get to their jobs, four of every five rush-hour commuters to New York City's central business district avoid traffic congestion by taking transit services, most of it operated by the MTA. MTA customers travel on America's largest bus fleet and on more trains than all the rest of the country's subways and commuter railroads combined.
It is impossible to place a dollar figure on the MTA's land, equipment, and facilities, located on or under some of the world's most expensive real estate. But the greatest value of the MTA lies in its beneficial impact on the New York region's economy and quality of life. New York ranks near the top among the nation's best cities for business, says Fortune magazine, because it has "what every city desires, a workable mass transit system."
Since 1982 the MTA has been carrying out the largest public works rebuilding project in the country. Funded by federal, state, and local government and by the issuance of debt, the MTA’s most recent capital program has generated an average 31,760 private-sector jobs, $1.3 billion in wages, $100 million in state and local tax revenues, and $3.52 billion in economic activity annually.
MetroCard® and E-ZPass™ revolutionized fare and toll payment on subways, buses, bridges, and tunnels. MetroCard automated fare collection has brought free transfers between subways and buses; multiride bonuses; and weekly, monthly, and daily transit passes, reducing the cost of public transportation for the first time. E-ZPass electronic toll collection has transformed local and regional highway travel, speeding the trips of millions of MTA customers while reducing traffic congestion and pollution.
A public-benefit corporation chartered by New York State in 1965, the MTA is governed by a 17-person Board. Members are nominated by the Governor, with some recommended by New York City's mayor and the county executives of Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, and Putnam counties, with the members representing the latter four casting one collective vote. The Board also has six rotating non-voting seats held by representatives of organized labor and the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee (PCAC), which serves as a voice for users of MTA transit and commuter facilities. All Board members are confirmed by the New York State Senate.
MTA is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of its services on the basis of race, color or national origin as protected by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended (“Title VI”). If you believe you have been subjected to discrimination under Title VI, you may file a written complaint with MTA Office of Civil Rights, 2 Broadway, 16th floor, New York, N.Y. 10004.
|MTA Totals at a Glance |
|2004 operating budget |$8.0 billion |
|Average weekday passengers |7,711,945 |
|Rail and subway lines, and bus routes |343 |
|Rail and subway cars |8,259 |
|Buses |4,895 |
|Track miles |2,058 |
|Bus route miles |2,967 |
|Rail stations |734 |
|Employees |63,884 |
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If you know of any additional accidents please feel free to use the feedback form to send in your additions.
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|10/25/2000 |Out of service train rear-ends another stationary out of service train on middle track of Jerome Ave (#4) line |
| |at Fordham Road. Lead car of rear train (#1370) head end damaged; second car of rear train (#1369) is completely|
| |wrecked, due to jackknife at center of car. No passenger injuries. |
|06/21/2000 |B train derails at DeKalb Ave. Brooklyn, around 10:00 pm. Approximately 70 people injured. First three cars of |
| |southbound train jumped the tracks south of DeKalb requiring approx. 70 feet of track to be replaced. Service |
| |was restored by 6:00 am the next morning. |
|04/12/2000 |A #5 train derails near 59th St. at end of rush hour. Thousands of riders are stranded in the disabled train for|
| |hours while a second train is sent to pick them up. |
|02/03/1998 |Accident on 239th Street Yard lead- collision between two trains. Cars involved 1391-1400; 8832-8833, 8912-8913,|
| |8980-8981, 9152-9153, 9154-9155. No passenger injuries. |
|11/20/1997 |A Jamaica-bound R train rear-ends a G train in a tunnel near the Steinway Street station in Long Island City, |
| |Queens. There were no serious injuries were reported among the approximately 40 victims, who mainly suffered |
| |minor head and neck injuries. All of the injured were treated and released. The cars, which were estimated |
| |traveling at about 10 miles per hour at the time of the collision, suffered only limited damage. |
|07/14/1997 |A Flatbush Ave. bound #2 train derailed south of the Franklin Avenue Station at the point where the Nostrand |
| |Avenue Line branches off from the Eastern Parkway Line. Service was shut down on the #2 between Atlantic Avenue |
| |and Flatbush Avenue and on the #4 from Franklin Avenue to New Lots Avenue. Of the 120 people on the train, only |
| |three were injured. The consist was (s) 9203-2, 9087-6, 9073-2, 9052-3, 8885-4 (n). R-33 8884 was wedged into |
| |the wall and cut up on the spot. Its mate 8885 was converted to a work car. |
|07/03/1997 |At 10:20 pm a Queens-bound A train derails under St. Nicholas Avenue in Harlem, just north of the 135th Street |
| |Station as it is going over a switch. Mayor Giuliani reports: "It's an absolute miracle no one was killed or |
| |seriously injured. What I saw was unbelievable. The last car as smashed in half, just ripped apart." 15 people |
| |were injured and service on the A and D was terminated at 59th Street and C service suspended entirely. The |
| |Transit Authority was forced to run shuttle trains on the D from 205th to 161st Street in the Bronx, and on the |
| |A from 207th Street to 168th Street, in conjunction with shuttle bus service. |
|11/24/1996 |Derailment south of Hunts Point Avenue (Pelham line) on Track M. Car 1716 repaired and returned to service. 1909|
| |was a total writeoff due to mid-carbody damage. |
|08/13/1996 |A Brooklyn-bound D train of R-68s derailed while it was pulling out of the DeKalb Avenue station in Brooklyn. |
| |There were no injuries among the 350 passengers. It has not been determined if track work in the area of the |
| |derailment caused the incident. This was the first derailment of 1996, and the seventh since 1991. |
|08/22/1995 |18 people were injured when a 6 train bypassed a red signal and struck another train stopped at Brooklyn |
| |Bridge-City Hall station, New York state investigators said. |
|06/05/1995 |Major collision on the Williamsburg Bridge. At about 6:12 am a Manhattan bound M train which had stopped near |
| |the Brooklyn tower of the bridge was hit from behind by a J train. The motorman of the J train, on his final run|
| |of an overnight shift, was killed and over 50 passengers were injured. The M train’s consist was (s) |
| |4622-3,4611-0,4587-6,4665-4 (n) . The J train’s consist was (s) 4461-0, 4489-8, 4536-7, 4452-3 (n). The ends of |
| |cars 4461 (J train) and 4664 (M train) were demolished. Cars 4460, 4489-8 received moderate damage. |
| |Investigators conclude that the J train ran a red signal at high speed, and that the spacing of signals and poor|
| |performance of the trains brakes contributed to the crash. |
|02/09/1995 |An M train carring no passengers smashes into a Manhattan bound B train near the Ninth Ave. station in Brooklyn.|
| |The motorman and 6 people aboard the B train suffered minor injuries. Investigators blame the motorman of the M |
| |train, who intentionally "keyed by" a red light - a procedure that allows him to bypass it - before accelerating|
| |around a sharp curve and into the B train. |
|12/21/1994 |Edward Leary explodes homemade bomb that sent a fireball whooshing through a subway car, injuring himself and 47|
| |others. The crude bomb went off while the subway train was parked in a station. |
|09/28/1994 |A work train rear-ended another work train on the IRT line at Graham Ave. in Brooklyn. Investigators determined |
| |that the motorman, who had worked 16 hours straight in violation of Transit Authority regulations, passed two |
| |stop signals. |
|08/15/1994 |11 people are injured when the last car of a southbound B train derails near Ninth Avenue in Sunset Park, |
| |Brooklyn, and slams into a tunnel wall. Someone in a control tower mistakenly activated a switch to send the |
| |train from the local to the express track, while the train was passing over it, and a mechanism designed to |
| |prevent that from happening failed. |
|10/07/1993 |At 5:20 AM a Manhattan bound L train collided with another L train in the Graham Avenue Station. The Manhattan |
| |bound train was composed of eight R-42's , (W) 4882-3, 4905-4, 4892-3, 4915-4. The train in the station was |
| |composed of eight slant R-40's (W)4427-6, 4431-0, 4437-6, 4416-7. 45 people are injured. Officials find that the|
| |motorman of the rear train intentionally "keyed by" a red signal. |
|08/28/1991 |Five people are killed and more than 200 injured when a southbound No. 4 train derails going over a switch just |
| |north of Union Square. Service on the Lexington Avenue IRT, was disrupted for six days as transit workers toiled|
| |around the clock to clean up the wreckage. The motorman, Robert Ray, who was drunk and going more than 40 mph |
| |where the speed limit was 10 mph, is later convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 15 years in prison. It was|
| |the worst subway accident in 63 years. (Photo courtesy New York City Transit) |
|12/28/1990 |Electrical fire in tunnel near Clark Street, Brooklyn kills two and injures 188. |
|07/26/1990 |36 people are injured when a B train rear-ends an M train in Borough Park, Brooklyn. |
|06/18/1989 |An “A” train derailed on a crossover north of 59 Street-Columbus Circle. R-44 215, the seventh car in the train |
| |hit the retaining wall and was badly damaged. R-44 281 received some light damage. The consist was (s) |
| |374-375-333-208-284-281-215-176 (n). |
|06/04/1987 |Train overshoots end of track at 179th St., Queens, and hits end of tunnel. No passenger injuries. |
|07/03/1981 |A subway motorman was killed and more than 135 passengers were injured when an IRT train crashed into the rear |
| |of a train stopped in a Brooklyn tunnel. |
|11/24/1979 |Rear-ending accident at Morris Park, Dyre Avenue line. |
|05/18/1978 |R-33’s 9014-9015 were slightly damaged in a derailment within 207th St. Yard. |
|05/22/1975 |Collision on the center track of the Astoria Line near 30th Avenue (Grand Avenue) Station. R-30s 8507 and 8545 |
| |were badly damaged. The car bodies were reportedly transported by truck to the Corona Yard. (They must have been|
| |removed from the el by crane.) The damaged end of 8507 was cut off and transported to the Coney Island Yard. |
| |R-30 8507 was later scrapped but 8545 returned to service around June of 1977. The mate of 8507, #8506, ended up|
| |part of the Transit Museum collection. |
|10/25/1973 |Fire in master controller unit of car 9203, in Pelham line tunnel near Longwood Avenue station. Fire also |
| |affected car 9224 which had a large floor section cut out during firefighting (it was subsequently scrapped). |
| |The following train ended up rear-ending the disabled train due to low visibility caused by the smoky fire. |
|10/04/1973 |Southbound #4 train derails near Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, around 10:00 pm. All four tracks closed due to |
| |subsequent fire. Service restored around midnight. Consist: s-8756-7,6620,6677,7615,6632,7600,7128,6226,5998-n. |
|09/12/1973 |A southbound #3 train derailed south of Borough Hall, Brooklyn, at 4:45 pm. Consist: |
| |s-7319,5966,5967,5975,7305,5748,5718,8610-1-n. |
|08/28/1973 |A 20 foot long chunk of a concrete ceiling duct in the Steinway Tunnel near 1st Avenue hit the first car (R36 |
| |9759) of a Queens bound 7 train at about 4:50 PM. One person in the first car was killed, 18 injured. |
|08/23/1973 |A northbound #2 train derailed in the Clark Street tunnel heading toward Manhattan at 12:08pm. Full service was |
| |not restored til the next day. Consist: n-8793-2,5823,5859,7693,7081,8735-4,8711-0-s. |
|08/11/1973 |"State of the Art" SOAC cars derail during testing at US DOT test track in Pueblo, Colorado. Train rams standing|
| |freight cars alongside test track; the operator is killed. The cars seriously damaged but rebuilt and arrive in |
| |New York City for testing on April 18, 1974. |
|08/06/1973 |Southbound #4 train derails at Rogers Junction, Brooklyn at 6:15am. Service resumed by 10:00 am. Consist: |
| |s-8910-1,8718-9,7133,8956-7,8789-8,7633-n. |
|05/18/1973 |A northbound #5 Lexington Av Express derailed south of Grand Central-42 Street Station about 10PM. The first |
| |eight cars of the ten car train derailed. The consist was (n) 6239,7912,7771,7093,6633,7733,5822,6598,7071,7260 |
| |(s). Car 6239 sideswiped the wall and car 7771 hit the northbound local rail. #6239 is now part of the Transit |
| |Museum collection; #7771 is now a school car at Rockaway Parkway (Canarsie) Yard. |
|01/06/1971 |Accident at 59 Street/Colombus Circle involving R-10 #3283 hitting R-42 #4798 on NB crossover. |
|08/01/1970 |Tunnel fire near Bowling Green kills 1, injures 50. The one death occured when a woman, who returned to the |
| |train to retreive her purse, died of smoke inhalation. |
|07/17/1970 |An Manhattan bound E train keyed by a red signal north of the Hoyt-Schmerhorn Street and rammed a halted A |
| |train, injuring 37. The E train consisted of 10 R-6’s, (n) 986-1161-1183-1318-1055-1141-944-958-905-1136 (s). |
| |The A train consisted of 10 R-10’s, (n) 3065-3173-3076-3309-3234-3327-3089-3080-3338-3133-3062 (s). Cars 986 and|
| |3062 were damaged. |
|05/20/1970 |An empty Brooklyn bound GG train running on the southbound local track (D1) crashed into another GG train west |
| |of Roosevelt Avenue that was crossing from the southbound express track (D3) to the southbound local track (D1).|
| |The empty GG had left Continental Avenue at 7:13 AM and developed brake trouble. Passengers were discharged at |
| |Woodhaven Boulevard and the first two cars were cut out. The motorman then operated the train from the third car|
| |with the conductor signaling with a flashlight from the front of the train. |
| | |
| |Because of the stalled train southbound EE and GG trains were routed to the express track (D3) and then crossed |
| |back over to the local track (D1) west of Roosevelt Avenue. The home signal tripper on the local track (D1) was |
| |working but as the empty train was running with the first two cars cut out it did not engage the trip cock in |
| |time. The empty train rammed into the train crossing over to the local track between the 6th and 7th cars. |
| | |
| |Two passengers were killed and 77 injured. The motorman, conductor, and an inspector were held responsible by an|
| |inquiry. |
| | |
| |The consist of the empty train was (s) 4501-0, 4043-2, 3992-3, 4548-9 (n). Note that this was a mixed consist of|
| |R-38, R-40M and R-42. R-40M 4501 was badly damaged. |
| | |
| |The rerouted GG train had cars (s) 6344-6492-6318-6469-6304-6468-6315-6355 (n). 6304 was so badly damaged that |
| |she was cut up on the spot. 6468 was moderately damaged. The other six R-16s were back in service in a week. |
|02/27/1970 |An IRT train hit a bumper at the Pelham Bay Park station (Bronx), injuring 7. An inquiry found that the train |
| |apparently came into the station too fast. |
|12/29/1969 |A southbound IRT train derails near east 180th St. in the Bronx, injuring 48. An inquiry found that the motorman|
| |misread a signal and failed to slow his train. Car 5815 cut up and scrapped on spot. |
|04/21/1964 |Suspicious fire at the Grand Central shuttle platform destroys several train cars including the "SAM" test train|
| |7509, 7513, 7516. Shuttle & SAM |
|06/19/1955 |Two Sea Beach express trains collided at Stillwell Ave. in the only known accident involving Triplexes. Units |
| |6043C and 6078 A and B suffered extensive damage and were scrapped. 6078C was grafted onto 6043B and renumbered |
| |6043C. The number of injuries and/or fatalities is unknown. |
|08/27/1938 |IRT collision at 116th Street kills 2, injures 51. |
|08/24/1928 |Derailment in Times Square kills 16, injures 100. |
|08/06/1927 |Two bombs explode, one in the 28th St IRT (Lex Line) station and the 28th St (B'way) BMT station. "[The bombs] |
| |injured many persons, one of them it was believed, fatally." (NYT 8/6/1927). |
|11/01/1918 |A dispatcher, filling in for striking motormen, loses control while entering the tunnel at Malbone Street |
| |(Empire Boulevard) and 97 are killed, with 200 injured. (The worst accident in subway history.) The Malbone |
| |Street Wreck. |
The names IRT, BMT, and IND were the names of the three competing transit agencies prior to city takeover in the 40s. The following is a rough guide.
The Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) subway opened in 1904. The city contracted construction of the line to the IRT Company, ownership was always held by the city. The IRT built, equipped, and operated the line under a lease from the city. Its route followed today's 4-5-6 line from City Hall to Grand Central, then turned west and followed today's shuttle line, and then north at Times (Longacre) Square following the 1-2-3 lines to 145 Street and Broadway. Service to the Bronx was established in 1905 (actually the Bronx portion opened in 1904 from 149 St 3rd Avenue to Bronx Pk as a branch of the 3rd Avenue El, while the Harlem River Tunnel was being completed). The line was quickly extended to Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, in 1908. The IRT also leased the Manhattan Railway elevated lines - the 2nd, 3rd, 6th, and 9th Avenue Elevated lines in Manhattan and the Bronx for 999 years!
The Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit (BMT, formerly the Brooklyn Rapid Transit, BRT) was the rapid transit company which built, bought, or assumed control of the Brooklyn elevated lines (the Culver, West End, Lexington, Myrtle, Broadway, Fulton St and Fifth Ave Els, of which the Culver, West End, Broadway and part of the Myrtle still exist, and the ground-level extensions to southern Brooklyn, of which the Sea Beach and Brighton Beach were rebuilt for subway service. A portion of the Fulton Street El also remains as it was rebuilt as an extension of IND A train service to the Rockaways in the 1950s.
Beginning in 1913, the city embarked on a project called the Dual Contracts, under which the city built additional lines that were operated as part of the IRT and BMT systems. Finished mostly by 1920, some of the new lines (the Flushing and the Astoria lines in Queens) had trains operated by both companies. The Dual Contracts IRT lines were the Seventh Ave (south from Times Square) and Lexington Ave (north from Grand Central) lines, the Jerome, White Plains Road and Pelham Bay Park branches in the Bronx, and the Brooklyn lines beyond Atlantic Ave. The BMT lines were the Broadway Subway and Nassau Street Subway in Manhattan, the 14th St-Eastern District line from Manhattan to Brooklyn, and Fourth Ave, West End, and Culver lines in Brooklyn. Connections were also made to the company's Sea Beach and Brighton Beach lines.
The Independent Subway (IND) was formed by the City in the 1920s as an "independent" system that was not connected to the IRT or BMT lines. When no private operator could be found, the City's Board of Transportation began operation itself. This system consisted of entirely subway construction with only one elevated portion, a short section over the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. The IND lines were the 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue trunk lines in Manhattan, the Queens Boulevard subway in Queens, the Concourse subway in the Bronx, the Fulton Street subway in Brooklyn, the Brooklyn/Queens Crosstown, and the line in Brooklyn via Smith/9th Sts. to Church Avenue. Certain IND lines underpinned existing IRT and BMT elevated lines (6th Av and Fulton St).
The trains of the BMT and IND lines are longer and wider than those of the IRT lines. Therefore an BMT/IND style train cannot fit into an IRT tunnel (the numbered lines and the 42nd Street Shuttle). An IRT train CAN fit into a BMT/IND tunnel but since it is narrower the distance from car to platform is unsafe. Cars from the IRT division are moved using BMT/IND tracks to Coney Island Overhaul Shops for major maintenance on a regular basis.
After city takeover of the bankrupt BMT and IRT companies on June 1, 1940, many of the elevated lines were closed, and a slow "unification" took place, marked notably by establishment of several free transfer points between divisions in 1948 and a few points of through running between IND and BMT lines beginning in 1954 (the connection of the BMT Culver line to the IND at Ditmas Avenue, and the BMT Broadway 60th Street tunnel to the IND Queens Boulevard line). In 1956, the IND connected with the ex-BMT Fulton St El for access to the Rockaways. The Chrystie Street connection in Manhattan, which opened in November, 1967, unified the Manhattan Bridge lines of the BMT with the Sixth Avenue lines of the IND, such that trains from Brooklyn now had access to all of the BMT and IND trunk lines in Manhattan (6th, 8th, Broadway, and Nassau St.). The 63rd Street Tunnel connection will form another link between the Broadway BMT Subway and Sixth Avenue IND Subway and the Queens Boulevard IND Subway (work to be completed by 2001).
Officially, the names IRT, BMT, and IND are no longer used, and the old systems are now designated as the "A Division" (ex-IRT lines), "B-1 Division" (BMT lines), and "B-2 Division" (IND lines), following the Chrystie St Connection opening in 1967. The distinction between the B divisions is blurred because of the unification projects noted above. There is one exception: the IND lacks a number of the sharp curves that one would find on the BMT (such as Crescent St - J, Graham Av - L).
Stations
|Underground stations |277 |
|Elevated Stations |153 |
|Embankment Stations |29 |
|Open Cut Stations |9 |
|Total |468 |
| | |
|Turnstiles |31,180 |
|Token Booths |734 |
|Fare-Control Areas |735 |
|Elevators (for customer use) |60 |
|Escalators |161 |
| | |
Busiest Stations Annually (1994)
|Station |Routes |No. of Fares |
|1. Times Square |A,C,E,N,R,S,1,2,3,7,9 |35.6 million |
|2. Grand Central |4,5,6,7,S |31.5 million |
|3. 34th St-Herald Square |B,D,F,N,Q,R |23.3 million |
|4. Penn Station-34th St |1,2,3,9 |19.3 million |
|5. 34th St-Penn Station |A,C,E |17.2 million |
|6. 51st St-Lexington |E,F,6 |16.0 million |
|7. Chambers St/World Trade Ctr |A,C,E,2,3 |15.3 million |
|8. 14th St-Union Square |L,N,R,4,5,6 |15.2 million |
|9. Broadway-Fulton St |A,C,J,M,Z,2,3,4,5 |14.0 million |
|10. 47-50th Sts/Rockefeller Ctr |B,D,F,Q |13.7 million |
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Route Miles
|Borough |Underground |Elevated |Other |Total |
|Manhattan |67 |4 |0 |71 |
|Queens |15 |20 |7 |42 |
|Bronx |12 |18 |3 |33 |
|Brooklyn |43 |28 |13 |84 |
|Total |137 |70 |23 |230 |
| | | | | |
(Note: "Other" refers to open cut, embankment and surface track)
Mainline Track Miles (for Passenger Service)
|Underground: |443 |
|Elevated: |156 |
|At grade/open cut: |57 |
|Total: |656 miles |
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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
|Bridges |68 |
|Underwater Tunnels |14 |
|Tunnel Length |145 miles |
|Tunnel Lighting |442 miles |
|Fan Plants |199 |
| | |
|Signals |11,450 |
|Signal Equipment (in miles) |740 |
|Automatic Train Stops |9,800 |
|Relays |250,000 |
|Switches |2,637 |
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Power
Alternating 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 Rides
Longest 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.
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