One of the best ways you can get around in the City of New York is by taking the subway. New York City has the largest subway system in the entire world, and with 468 stations on 26 subway lines, you are certain to find a subway station wherever you are, just as sure as you are in finding a subway station near wherever it is you are going to in New York City.
The New York City subway system serves the boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx; Staten Island has its own separate railway system. Because there are so many lines being served by the system, riding the subway can be quite confusing for a visitor to New York City. If you are such a visitor, how can you make sure that you are riding the right train?
The trains servicing the subway lines of New York City go through different routes, and each route is identified by letters or numbers. The letter or the number of the route as well as the stops the train makes is displayed at the front and the side of every train. There is also a sign on the platform at the station telling passengers which route is taken by the trains that stop by that sign.
In addition to letter and number identifiers, you can also find a subway map posted at the Customer Information Center bulletin board placed near the main booth of every subway station. You can also ask for a free map from the subway station’s agent, or download it from the official website of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the agency managing the public transportation system of New York City. The website is http://www.mta.info.
As stated above, there are 468 subway stations dotting four of the five boroughs of New York City. The stations are identified aboveground by a set of stairs going down to the entrance. There is also a sign stating if the entrance is open and if an agent is available to sell MetroCards, the ticket needed to get into the subway. These MetroCards are swiped on the turnstiles at the entrance to the station. There are some stations that are not manned by station agents; in order for passengers to gain entrance to these stations, the passengers are required to have purchased a MetroCard already.
The New York City subway stations are open 24 hours a day, every day of the week. There are fewer trains going through the stations when it is not the rush hours, and some of these trains may be shorter, meaning that they may have fewer cars. The local trains stop at every station along their route, while express trains skip some stations to save time. When it is already the off-hours, like late at night or early in the morning, the passengers are advised to wait by the off-hour waiting area near the main booth so the station agent can see them. This is to ensure the safety of the passengers at the station at night.
The best way to get around New York City is by taking the subway. Grab a chance to ride the subway when you are visiting New York City.
