The New York Subway was maintained by the City of New York and is considered the seventh busiest transit in the world. It has become one of the more unique images of the city with offering 24 hour service each day of the year. It is leased by the NYC Transit Authority and is one of the first public transit systems in history. It consists of more than 460 operational stations and more than 842 miles of track with millions of daily commuters.
History
The creation of the New York Subway was to transport New Yorkers to different locations of the city to minimize congestion. The first routes were created by railroads that ran from Manhattan to Brooklyn. There were two privately owned systems that were contracted; Interborough Rapid Transit Subway and Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company. Interborough Rapid Transit opened the first line in 1904. This was a solution for the congested streets and to help with the distant areas that were in need of development.
In 1904 the first subway route was built running from City Hall to the Bronx. Over the course of the years many other routes were added. It was in 1932 when the very first city owned line was opened. Independent Subway System was solely intended to compete with the two privately owned companies so that deconstruction of the elevated railways would be underway.
Stations, Lines and Cars
More than 460 stations are located throughout the boroughs of Brooklyn, Manhattan, Bronx, Staten Island and Queens. The Staten Island Railway however is not considered part of the New York City Subway line. The system is not considered an underground system since most all tracks are elevated with only a small portion running underground.
The stations are divided up by Staten Island, Early Elevated, IND, BMT and IRT. IRT consists of 8 different lines ranging from the east side to grand central. Staten Island only has the Staten Island Rapid Transit that is a 4 Mile, 21 Station commuter rail line. 10 lines are included with the BMT stations and 6 with IND.
All cars used are in accordance with the system with two division of cars; A Division which are the numbered lines and B Division which are the lettered lines. Currently as of now there are eight different fleets used for all lines that fall into either A Division or D Division.
MetroCard
MetroCards are the most common way of riding the subway. Purchasing one of these cards allows passengers to save money by paying for their fare on the subway itself. Fares are reduced or discounted for all MetroCard holders. Balances can also be checked in the stations at Metro Check card readers. This is the most convenient method for subway passengers to commute.
The New York City Subway is the most reliable transit systems today. Locals and visitors utilize the subway to reach their destination of the urban culture city each day for its efficient means of transportation.
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