NYC Subway and the Transit System

Subway tokens were phased out in 2003 in favor of the MetroCard.

Photo by EyOne via Wikimedia Commons

Using the turnstile: Swipe the MetroCard through the card reader. Look for the message light that reads OK and shows the remaining balance on your card. Then, you can push on the turnstile to enter the gate. A message appears if the cash balance on the card is low. NOTE: If you have trouble with the card reader, swipe the card through the machine again, either faster or slower, and clean the magnetic stripe on the back of the card.

$2.25 per ride with reduced fares described below. Travel to any destination for the same price — from Coney Island to Forest Hills, or just one stop — the subway is often the fastest way to get around town, especially during rush hour.

$ 4.50 minimum: Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard (multi-user)
7% bonus added to the card when you pay $10 or more
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$ 29.00 : 7-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard (single-user)
$ 104.00 : 30-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard
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JFK AirTrain MetroCard (one-way or round-trip tickets)
$25 JFK 10-trip (Good for 6 months)
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$ 2.50 : SingleRide ticket (two hours only)

MTA vending machines[Image by Alphachimp,on Wikimedia Commons]

Buy new cards or add money to your existing MetroCard. When using a credit card to make a payment, the machine will ask for your five-digit zip code. If you are visiting from another country, enter: 99999 to authorize your transaction. Go to the MTA website to learn more about MetroCard Vending Machines (opens in new window).

Take the train to the new and "improved" Coney Island to see the famous Mermaid Parade celebrated in June! Featuring an illustration from the Subway Sun, the new "Reach the Beach" towel measures an impressive 59 x 35 inches and is made of 100% cotton.

My friend gave me the mermaid towel for Christmas and it's a huge, bath-sheet size with a thick, deep-piled fabric. It's my best towel now at the beach and so I try to keep it in good condition. The directions say that the towel needs to be put into the dryer to set the ink. After that, the colors still look good after about four or five seasons.

Another plush beach towel for Coney Island (take the D train).

Working on the Railroad Poster | New York City Transit Museum

One of my favorite posters in the Arts in Transit series features "sandhogs" and track workers laying the steel rails in the tunnels beneath New York City. The transit system goes through a constant cycle of maintenance and rehabilitation. In fact, there are more than 200 pumps operating around the clock to siphon the water out of the subway tunnels that sit below the water level of the surrounding rivers.

Generally, there are two kinds of MetroCards. The Unlimited Ride MetroCard is good if you need the card twelve times or more in a week. For anything else, the Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard still offers a discount when you spend at least $10 (4 rides). MetroCards can be refilled, but it's a good idea to get new card every so often to keep it fresh. Every card has an expiration date printed on the back. Go to the MTA website to compare the Unlimited Ride vs. Pay-Per-Ride (Regular) MetroCard.

Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard
Buy this kind of card when you're going to use the subway only occasionally. Get as many rides as you want from $4.50 to $80. A seven percent bonus is automatically added to the card when you spend $10 or more. This is the only card that admits up to 4 people at one time. So, when you buy a $10 Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard, you can get a family of four through the subway turnstile or onto the bus at the same time, and with the bonus, you'll have free credit left on the card for the next time.

Unlimited Ride MetroCard
This is the card you want to buy for a short vacation in New York. Get an unlimited number of subway and bus rides for a fixed price. Seven percent bonus when you spend $10 or more. Choose a 7-day or 30-day Unlimited Ride MetroCard. Note: The Unlimited Ride cards are only good for one person - the cards cannot be used again at the same station or same bus route for 18 minutes.

JFK AirTrain
A separate MetroCard is used on the AirTrain to JFK International Airport AirTrain (opens in new window) for the ride between the subway and the airport. Receive discounted fares for the 10-trip or the monthly AirTrain MetroCard.

Beneath the surface, subway station platforms and corridors serve as a stage to musicians and street performers. Hundreds of shops conduct business underground, selling newspapers and magazines to waiting passengers. Above ground, city buses are the cheapest way to see the sights in New York City at a slower pace, rather like riding a large whale lumbering thorough the streets with schools of taxis weaving around obstructions.

These posters have traveled hundreds of miles on the tracks and roads of the busy New York City transit system. Millions of sleepy New Yorker's traveled to work or important meetings accompanied by these attractive images. The MTA sponsors the Arts in Transit program every year for artists to create signs like these for the transit system.

See more original transit posters and images of great architecture in the Subway Series.

Underground Gallery Poster

Layers of New York City buildings and tunnels exposed in this illustration by Carlo Stanga. The Chrysler Building and the former Pan American Airlines Building are pictured at the top of the image (with other, oddly placed NYC landmarks), sitting over Grand Central Station and the layers of subway tunnels and tracks of the Long Island Railroad.

Maps and schedules are available online for all subway and bus routes. Subway maps are free for the asking at ticket booths that are located at major stations stops in Manhattan and the five boroughs. Ask the bus driver for a free map showing the MTA bus routes, which includes a list of scheduled stops. Maps are also posted at bus stops, subway ticket booths and often on station platforms. Get copies of historic subway maps and read about the latest revision to the MTA map of the New York City subway.

Use your MetroCard on buses and subways, and get an automatic free transfer between subways and buses, or between buses (two hour time limit). This is especially valuable when you need to travel north or south AND across town to reach your destination.

Different types of MetroCards are used for the separate AirTrain service to JFK International Airport and for Express Bus service to the outer boroughs. The cost of a SingleRide ticket is $2.50. Pay for this paper ticket with cash only at vending machines and use the card within 2 hours of purchase.

In Flight (Fish) Poster | New York City Transit Museum

One of the most memorable posters inside the subway cars, this fantastic fish carries some interesting commuters over the towering skyscrapers in midtown Manhattan. An alien (from another planet) stands in the center of the train, and one commuter is dangling out the back. Part of the Arts in Transit program from the MTA. Poster measures 9 1/2" x 44" on heavyweight paper.

Use your MetroCard to ride on buses and subways, and get an automatic free transfer between subway and bus (or bus to subway), and between buses. This is especially valuable when you need to travel north or south AND across town to reach your desination.

Half-price "Reduced Fare" MetroCards are available for people over 65 years young or disabled. Reduced Fare is not available during peak periods, 6-10 AM and 3-7 PM.

You can also use your MetroCard for discounted admission to attractions around the city. See the MetroCard Promotions at the MTA website page for the latest discounts and deals that you get for using your MetroCard. You can also find a very good list of Top attractions in New York City, with links to official websites for all the major museums, parks, theaters, sports stadiums and more cultural listings.

Begin the tour of the transit system with an exploration of the historic Map of the New York City Subway that was redesigned and updated in 2010. Watch as the map goes through many transformations over the years as a reflection of the many changes to one of the largest cities in the world.

A Subway Guide covers the three original branches of the subway system that have been incorporated into the greater Metropolitan Transit Authority. The IRT subway network has the numbered trains 1 - 7. "Take the "A" Train" and you'll be riding on the IND subway system. The Q and R subway trains on the Broadway Line run on the BMT subway tracks.

Like any city, New York is made up of a wonderful diversity of neighborhoods. If you live in New York City or want to give someone an entire neighborhood, New York City Subway Station Maps are actual posters from the transit system that you will find outside the token booths and at bus stops at every major station stop.

The MTA has taken up the task of completing a subway project that was abandoned many years ago. Get current news about the construction project for the 2nd Avenue Subway and express your opinion about this controversial transportation issue in New York City.

Find the latest edition of New York City Guide Books and Walking Tours of architecture, museums, culture and history in the metropolitan region. Choose from a fine-tuned selection of detailed Neighborhood Maps, New York City Subway Maps and larger Manhattan Maps. Zoom out to see all five Boroughs in New York and the New York metropolitan area extending to New Jersey, Connecticut, Long Island and West Chester.

Popular guide books and walking tours of architecture, museums, culture and history.