Traveler's Guide to New York City Public Transportation

New York City's efficient subway system has been the travel method of choice for residents since the turn of the last century and is still whisking several million New Yorkers to their destinations efficiently and safely each day. Now New York's famous subway system and local buses are open to you as well.

New York's underground trains, known as the subway, operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is no set schedule as the trains arrive at platforms continuously to service the large population. During morning and evening rush hours, trains may run as little as one minute apart and you may see a train waiting in a tunnel for the one at the station to leave.

Mechanical switches and signal lights assure passenger safety. If a train overruns a signal, a mechanical arm will release air in the brake lines and bring the train to an emergency halt. The New York Subway system is among the safest rail systems in America.

Trains are patrolled by police and transit employees and many stations are under video surveillance. Crime is not common. If you need assistance, look for a New York City police officer or an MTA employee. These employees are identifiable through the words "MTA" on their uniforms and caps. All trains with the exception of a single line, the Canarsie Shuttle or "L" line are operated by two man crews that include a motorman who drives the train, and a conductor who visually checks to make sure no one is trapped in the doors before the train departs.

In the unlikely event that someone is caught in the doors and dragged, an emergency cord at the end of the train allows a passenger to manually stop the train. This cord is never to be used for any other reason because the train will remain stalled until the air brakes can be recharged, a considerable delay. If an ill passenger needs assistance or if you wish to report a disturbance, seek help from an MTA employee on the train or platform or near the token booth. All of them have radios and will promptly call police, ambulance or fire department. Never use an emergency cord for this purpose.

Fares for the subway train and surface buses are purchased through automated vending machines located in train station before entering the system. Fares are paid in advance and do not change according to the distance traveled. It is possible to travel from one end of New York to another, a distance of several hours, on a single fare so long as you do not exit. Some newsstands and stores also sell the transit passes known as Metrocards. The advertisement for these fare cards features a yellow card with blue lettering. Look for it.

Pamphlets describing the fares are available from a station agent or outside token booths (enclosed kiosks near the turnstiles where passengers enter). A variety of fare cards are available ranging from a single use card that does not offer a free bus transfer to unlimited passes offering up to a month of unlimited travel. Fares can be paid per day or per-use. Per-use passes include quantity discounts.

Tourists should consider buying an unlimited daily, weekly or 14-day pass. This option gives unlimited access to subways and local surface buses. If you buy an unlimited transit pass, you may transfer between buses and trains as many times as you like. A standard per-use pass allows you one free transfer between the subway and a bus line within a 2-hour period.

Some passes include access to express buses as well, but express buses are primarily used by local residents commuting into Manhattan from outer boroughs such as Queens, Brooklyn or the Bronx.

A combination of subway and local surface bus travel is adequate for most tourists and is cheaper than using express buses or cabs. While it can be a comfort to take a cab after a midnight pub crawl, this expense is unnecessary during day time hours. Stick to the subway or local bus. It's faster as well as far more cost-effective.

Each subway line is identified by either a number or letter. Although the lines running down each major Avenue are each assigned their own colors-Lexington Avenue trains are green for example-do not ask a New Yorker about the "green line" or the "blue line." Asking for a subway line by color will earn you a puzzled look and will mark you as a rube. The correct way to ask for transit directions is by the letter or number of the train line.

New York City local bus lines are assigned a label that tells which borough a line originates in and a number. For example, there is both a Q60 bus and an M60 bus. Although both lines travel between Queens and Manhattan, they are different routes and their home depots are located in two different parts of the city. When you need to find a bus, use both the letter and number to avoid confusion.

Once you have entered the system, you may transfer freely between any line without additional payment so long as you do not leave the subway. Once you have exited, you will pay another fare unless you have purchased an unlimited pass. Subway maps are posted throughout the system and are available free upon request from a station agent. Bus maps are available on all local buses as well. Just ask the driver.

Many local businesses and some museums also provide small fold-down maps of Manhattan subway lines as a benefit to their customers. If you pass a branch of Sovereign Bank, ask a manager whether they have any on hand. Duane Reade, a major pharmacy with branches throughout the city is also an excellent source of guidebooks and inexpensive maps of the transit system and city streets.

Computers and hand-held devices allow you to access an excellent array of up-to-date transit information. Hopstop www.hopstop.com/ gives you complete-door-to-door routing information. The Metropolitan Transit Authority of New York www.mta.info/nyct/index.html has maps, service advisories (the system is 100 years old, trains sometimes do break down) and information on the latest fares. Mapquest www.mapquest.com/ and Google Maps maps.google.com/ give you access to free, up-to-date maps and phone directories.

The extreme East and West sides of Manhattan are not close to any of the major subway lines. If there is a hot club in the meatpacking district that you want to check out or if you wish to visit the United Nations, you will need to take a bus from the subway.

The bus stops are marked with metal signs that tell what routes run along each major street or avenue. East-West routes are crosstown. As you travel East, the numbers of the avenues will become lower. The higher-numbered avenues are on the West side

The Downtown bus or train travels South towards Wall Street and the Battery. As you travel downtown, the street numbers will become lower. The Uptown bus or train travels north towards Harlem and the Bronx. As you travel uptown, the street numbers will become higher. Study a map of Manhattan early in your stay. You will be traveling like a native in no time.

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