How to Ride the New York City Subway

Visiting New York for the first time is an interesting experience. New Yorkers are like no one else. As polite as they are, they often do not make eye contact, they rush to their destination, and rarely talk to strangers. While visiting New York City for the first time, you will probably use the subway. If you are not careful, you might never get to your destination. The subway in New York City is one of the largest subway systems in the world in terms of track mileage and number of stops (472), and one of the only 24 hour subway systems in the world.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Planning Your Trip

1. Review the route map and find the stations nearest where you wish to go. The New York City Subway has dozens of lines, designated by color, number, and letter, in addition to transfers to PATH trains and connections to the Long Island Rail Road.
   
   • Planning can be difficult. There are a few major hub stations, including Penn Station, Atlantic Terminal, and Grand Central, where you can transfer to virtually any line as well as connect to above-ground commuter trains. If you are new to NYC or are touring, it is best to use something like Google or HERE maps to plan your route.
   • Late-night service is more limited than service during daylight hours.
2. Find the stations nearest your starting point and your destination, and determine the trains to use to get from the former to the latter. You can use MTA's route planner to find connections and nearby stations. Note that it only allows you to plan for one route at a time, not all the routes.
   
   • Unlike other systems, the New York City subway does not have elevators installed in all stations. You may need to find a station that is accessible if you have strollers, luggage, or wheelchairs.
3. Determine the fare required for the trip you will take. New York City Subway currently has a flat fare of US$2.75 for entry, but if you are to transfer to the Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH) trains, buses, or commuter trains, you will end up spending more.
   
4. Use route-planning tools such as Google Maps or competing services. When using these services, you may need to select the public transit option, and you may be shown options other than the Metro. You may also use the scheduler explorer to get a clearer idea of additional options and their timings.
   

[Edit]At the Station

1. Go to the Subway station where you start your trip. You may use your mapping tool to guide you to your station. Subway station entrances usually have huge, green or glass banisters along with stairs or escalators leading down, along with the name of the station. Accessible stations will also have elevators that go down to the mezzanine or platform level.
   
2. Buy a ticket. Ticket machines at each station take cash and change as well as credit and debit cards. You can also obtain a ticket from the station attendant.
   
   • Tickets are sold according to how much money you put on them. If you do not have sufficient fare, you can refill the Metro Card at ticket machines.
   • Many stations also allow you to tap your debit card or mobile phone to enter.
3. Check for announcements about system-wide delays before entering the station. These can be found on MTA's website under "Service Status"^[1]. If there are delays, make plans for alternate routes.
   
4. Swipe your ticket at the entrance reader. If you have balance, the turnstile will unlock, allowing you to enter.
   
   • If you are in a wheelchair, have a station attendant help you. They will open the emergency exit to allow you to pass through after paying.

[Edit]Taking the Train

1. Board the correct train and ride to your destination. Since the New York City subway goes virtually everywhere, you may need to do a lot of transfers to get to your destination.
   
2. Practice good train ettiquette.
   
   • Do not stand in the doorway for long, or try to walk through the doors as they are closing. Be particularly careful about rushing bikes through doorways. Jammed doorways can hold up the train for you and your fellow passengers, and also prevent additional trains from arriving at the station.
   • Federal law requires the seats closest to the doors be made available for the elderly, pregnant women, and handicapped people upon request. Please yield these seats to those in need of them. If there are other vacant seats, use them so that you won't need to vacate your seat on demand.
   • Seating is limited, and some cars may be standing room only.
   • Mind your belongings. Keep them off the seat next to you.
   • Do not lean against the train doors or move between cars while the train is in motion.
3. Exit the train.
   
   • Keep in mind that doors open on different sides at different stations. Small stations will have one platform that services two trains, one going in either direction. Large stations may have two or three platforms in one area, or may have platforms for different lines spaced wide apart.
   • If you miss getting off at your designated station, stay calm and get off at the next station, then ride a train in the opposite direction.
4. Exit the station. Proceed through the same turnstiles to exit.
   
   • Some stations only allow exit at certain turnstiles. These will have stairs or escalators that go right up to street level.

[Edit]Tips

• If you're not sure of where to go, ask somebody! Don't be afraid to ask strangers for directions. Most New Yorkers don't mind helping others out, so just ask and, in general, many New Yorkers are very polite people and willing to help.
• If you feel uncomfortable due to another rider(s), trust your gut instinct and move to the last door of the car. When the train arrives at the next station, get out of that car and into the next car.
• When getting on an escalator, remember: if you intend to stand, stay on the right. Leave the left clear for those who want to climb up or down.^[2]
• The first car is often less crowded than other cars on subway trains.
• Keep your wallet in your front pocket, or at the bottom of your bag.
• If you are traveling on the subway at night, it is recommended for you to stay in the "Waiting Area," denoted by a yellow and black sign, so that you are in sight of the station agent if anything happens.
• Only stand in front of the train car doors when you have a few stops. If you have to stay on a certain train for 2 or more stops, either take a seat or move in. Blocking car doors is prohibited.
• If you are heading for a local station but want to travel faster, you could take the express train to the last express station before your destination and transfer to the local train. However, if a local train is present at an express station or is arriving to one, board it instead as you might end up taking the same exact train in the future.
• If you have a backpack, please remove it and hold it in your hands before entering the train.
• Have a lot of MetroCards with money on them? If they are "PREVALUED" or "FULL FARE" cards (not Unlimited-Ride) and they all have money on them, you may bring up to 7 cards at a time to a station booth and ask the station agent to combine the cards. The final card you give the station agent will be the one with all of the money from the other cards.
• Make sure you have all the information for your trains before you leave. Just because two trains are the same color or go through the same tunnel does not necessarily mean that they are interchangeable.
• At all stations that serve numbered lines, the 42 Street Shuttle, and the L line, there are countdown clocks that will announce and display trains that will be arriving at that platform or station, depending on the location of the sign. These signs will also announce service alerts in real-time. Most stations that have lettered lines have waiting areas in which LED signs will sound a siren and display the direction of the train when it is arriving, usually the borough or terminal (if in the borough); these signs are absent at mono-directional entrance mezzanines.
• MetroCards are very fragile. Bending, heating, or getting them wet will damage or ruin them. If your card doesn't work after several tries, take it to the station agent and request a replacement. If the station agent cannot fix it or make a replacement card for you, they will give you a Business Reply Envelope to mail your card in.
• Mind your manners. Say "please" and "excuse me." Believe it or not, most arguments occur because one person wasn't polite.
• Make sure to put enough money in your MetroCard, in case you get on the wrong subway train and have to take another or the fare is more than you think. In general, you may stay in the subway system and ride all trains for as long as you like. No stations have "paid" transfers except when designated by station signs and announcements on-board (an example would be "A free transfer is also available to the F train by walking over to the Lexington Avenue - 63 Street Station and using your MetroCard" on any Broadway or Lexington Avenue Line train). Thereon, you will have to swipe your MetroCard at the transfer station and a fare will not be deducted, though you must do it within 2 hours of your first swipe to get in the system. Otherwise, you will pay again.
• At terminal stations, the first train in is the first train out (usually) unless that train is heading to the yard. Do not go into the latest train that came into the station. Instead, walk into the earliest train that came in unless directed to by platform signs. Trains that will be departing instead of heading for the yard will have one-half of an end-car door open.
• Remember to give up your seat as a courtesy to elderly, pregnant, or disabled passengers. Special "Priority Seating" at both ends of a subway car must be vacated when an elderly or disabled passenger needs a seat. It's the law!
• If you're lost or confused, ask any MTA employee (e.g.:the conductor or station agent in the station booths) for directions. Note: Some stations do not have station agents at all, so check the map, politely ask another passenger—most New Yorkers are really helpful if you approach them in a non-threatening manner and are polite.
• For official directions accounting for all planned service changes, go to the MTA TripPlanner+. Hop Stop is another great website to check out. It's the "map quest" for the subway system. Also try onNYturf which overlays the lines on a maps so you can see exactly where the entrances and lines run.
• It's best to purchase an Unlimited-Ride time limit of 7-days ($31) if you will be taking 12 or more rides during your stay (day passes are no longer sold). It will save you money. The same goes if you are staying for 30-days and will incur more than 43 trips; get a 30-Day Unlimited ($116.50).
• You only get about 20 seconds to get on a train. Do not hold train doors open. If the train doors begin to close as you get to the train, just get off and get on the next train. Headways range from 7-10 minutes during rush-hours, 15 minutes during weekends, and up to 20-30 minutes during late-nights. Be sure that the train you will be boarding is the same line and direction. Multiple trains of varying lines may stop at a single platform.
• Get a MetroCard first before you think of riding the subway.
• The color of the train does not matter. You don't say the yellow line, you say the N, Q, R, or W line. The color simply indicates the trunk line. This this case, the Broadway Line.
• On a map stations that all trains (local and express) stop at are labeled with a white dot and black outline while local-only stations are labeled with a black dot and white outline. For example, all trains (local and express) stop at 14th Street-Union Square station (therefore it has a white circle with a black outline) while only local trains stop at 8th Street-NYU (therefore it has a black circle with a white outline).

[Edit]Warnings

• If you are unfamiliar with the subway system, briefly study your subway map in a quiet shop or another place where there are not many people, or check the MTA site online. In New York City, looking like a tourist can make you an easy target for theft or other crime; however, it should also be noted that New York City's violent crime rate is actually quite low, comparable to that of a city with a population of about 200,000.
• Always allow riders to exit the car before you board. Platform markers and station announcements on the Lexington Avenue Line remind you of that.
• If you are riding late at night, try to find a populated car—ideally the conductor's car (the conductor is almost always in the middle of the train (the 5th car from the front in an 8 car train and the 6th car from the front in a 10 car train), but some lines have the conductor in the front car or the back car). Some lines might only have the train operator that opens and closes the doors, especially during "off-hours."
• Do not hold or lean against subway doors.
• Subways aren't the cleanest places in the world. Make sure to look at a seat before sitting in it. Sometimes there's a reason that it's empty: refuse, waste or even something really disgusting.
• Don't surf the subways (ride outside the train). Stay alive and ride inside.
• Be aware that many stations have separate platforms and entrances for trains going in opposite directions. You will have to pay twice if you use the wrong entrance or if you missed your stop and try to backtrack from one of these stations. This warning is less likely to apply to transfer (stations with a transfer to another line), express, and some stations that have unsigned crossovers or underpasses.
• Keep your belongings on your person at all time. Don't place your bags or packages on an empty seat even if the train is empty. NYC Transit Police will issue tickets for that (following the anti-terrorism campaign "If You See Something, Say Something"). You will find yourself with a court appearance and can expect to pay up to a $500 fine.
• Don't be an idiot and try to duck under the turnstiles. Failing to pay your fare is a $100 penalty per offense.
• Riding, moving, or standing between cars is prohibited in the subway. You will get caught and fined by the NYC Transit Police for that.
• Avoid staring or making prolonged eye contact with another passenger. You might convey the wrong image. Be polite and friendly at all times, and apologize if you bump into another commuter (though in New York it's not uncommon for the person you accidentally jostled to say "Sorry!" to you first).
• If you see an empty car on a train that is usually crowded (like the 4, 5, or 6 train), there is usually a reason why (rat, vomit etc.).
• MetroCards are magnetic. Do not place them near any electronic device (Phone, MP3 player, etc.) or magnet as this may demagnetize the MetroCard, resulting in the turnstile not clicking when you swipe your MetroCard at the turnstile. If your MetroCard has been demagnetized, see the station agent. If the station agent cannot do anything about that card, a Business Reply Envelope will be given for you to mail your MetroCard in.
• If you can't get a seat, hold on to the railings so you don't fall over when the train is moving. Older trains have handrails and poles along the seats, center, and near the vents while newer trains also have overhead handrails in the center of the car.
• Dropped something on the subway tracks? Leave it. Never go down onto the tracks for any reason. Your safety is more important. Tell a police officer, an MTA employee, or use a station "Help Point" or "Customer Assistance Intercom."
• If you are on a new train and have an emergency (medical, fire, criminal), there are red buttons scattered throughout the walls of the subway cars when you can contact the conductor directly for help.
• Take some extra money for emergencies. This is always a good idea if you're going to be in any big city, and even if you won't be riding the subway. The city is a nice place, but there is crime there and someone might steal your money. To be safe, keep an extra $20–$50 in a very safe place, such as your shoe, inside your shirt, or in your bra.
• Keep your reading material in check and close to your person. Don't open the newspaper on the train—keep it neatly folded. If it is too crowded, read your paper later.
• If you need to stop and get your bearings, make sure to do so out of the flow of foot traffic and away from staircases. Otherwise, you might be blocking traffic and could get jostled or possibly hurt.
• Read the subway rules which are posted in the stations, trains, and online and avoid things such as occupying more than one seat, playing loud music, etc.
• Unless it is an emergency in the station, do not pull the emergency brake. Stickers in subway cars offer detailed instructions on how to handle fire, medical, police, and evacuation situations.^[3]

[Edit]References

1. ↑ https://new.mta.info/
2. ↑ https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-23444086
3. ↑ http://mentalfloss.com/article/56462/what-happens-when-you-pull-emergency-brake-subway