The metro in New York, as well as in many other major cities on the planet, is one of the most popular ways to travel within the city. With the help of high-speed trains of the subway, you can cover a huge distance in a matter of minutes, getting from one end of the metropolis to the other. While a similar journey on alternative transport - cars, taxis, buses - will take at least twice as long.
At the same time, the New York subway has a number of striking features that make it stand out from the rest of the planet's subways. Today we will talk about these features, as well as the rules for using the most popular public transport in the American metropolis.
Travel rules and payment features
Unlike many other subways on the planet, passengers have to pay their fares upon exiting. This is very convenient, since it allows not only to save precious time for those who are late, but also to make the fare payment process more understandable. Payment is made using special cards.
You will need it as soon as you find yourself at the special turnstile. Even if you have any difficulties with its use, the metro employees are always ready to help you, who will prompt and show you how to pay for the fare. There are also some nuances, which we will talk about a little later.
The usual metro card itself costs only $ 1 and provides for the possibility of replenishing the account through special terminals. If you plan to use the subway more than once, we advise you to purchase reusable payment cards (unlimited), which give you the right to use this type of transport for several days - from one day to a month. At the same time, the number of trips is not limited in any way, which allows active tourists, businessmen and other categories of citizens to save money on moving around the city.
There are also some nuances in using an unlimited card. So, between the cycles of its use, at least 15 minutes must pass, which excludes the passage of two or more passengers on the metro with one card. But for organized groups of tourists, you can use another option: buy one ordinary payment card for all, from the account of which the fare is deducted every time it enters the opening of the turnstile.
We buy MetroCard
You can buy a card to pay for travel in the metro both in cash and with a bank card. This can be done in the metro or in many places in the city - kiosks, shops, and other retail outlets. Since this type of transport is very popular, this should not be a problem.
But when using cards issued by Russian banks, difficulties may arise. For example, in some cases, the terminal asked to enter a certain zip code, which not everyone knows. In this case, you can do two things: wait a few seconds in the hope that the payment will go through without entering these cherished numbers, or try to enter the first available numbers.
But if you are not sure, the easiest way is to make a payment in cash, saving both time and nerves. It is worth doing the same when using a payment terminal to replenish an account.
If you have chosen a regular card to pay for travel, do not forget to top up it. You can deposit any amount that you plan to spend, it is possible to replenish your account while using the payment. But the unlimited card does not need to be replenished. The fare is already included in the price, and you can use this pass immediately after purchase. By the way, after the expiration date, such a pass turns automatically into a regular metro card, which you can safely replenish and use it further. It is very convenient and practical.
We pay through the turnstile
To pay for metro services, just swipe the card over a special reader. The first attempts to use payment methods often fail. If the owner of a regular card swipes incorrectly on the reader, he will lose an amount equal to the payment for one trip. But holders of unlimited cards can become a hostage of the situation, because its misuse will be the reason for the temporary blocking of MetroCard (15-20 minutes). You can solve this misunderstanding by contacting the cashier and explaining the situation.
You will be notified that you have done everything correctly by the green signal of the turnstile and the inscription “Go”. Otherwise, you will not be missed by a special mechanism.
Features of the movement of trains
For Russian tourists who are accustomed to the fact that all train trains run along the same route, making stops at the same stations, there is a surprise in the New York subway. The fact is that at the same station you can get on trains that run on completely different routes, it is possible to get to radically opposite points of the city. This, on the one hand, is very convenient, but on the other, you will have to wait longer for the composition you need.
In order not to get confused and, as a result, choose the right train, you should learn to understand the train numbers, study each route and the frequency of running of trains. It is difficult only at first glance, but you will be able to figure it out in a few minutes! The scheme can be bought in any metro booth, in kiosks near the station exits, and can also be installed as a special application on your smartphone. Please note: formulations can be numbered both in numbers and in Latin letters. For example, "A", "Q", "1", etc. These designations are used to number metro lines and passenger trains.
By the way, when studying the train traffic patterns, you can pay attention to the fact that some stations are indicated by white circles, and some by black ones. The first say that only "express trains" stop there, and the second indicate the place of pick-up / drop-off of passengers who travel on "local trains". This should also be taken into account when boarding the subway.
Transplants
MetroCard holders enjoy another bonus. Within two hours, they have the right to make transfers from the metro to the bus or vice versa. This gives, albeit insignificant, but nevertheless pleasant savings. For example, if $ 2.25 is charged for the metro from your payment account, then when boarding the bus you will have to pay only $ 3.25 (despite the fact that the standard bus fare is $ 5.5).
Also, customers of the New York subway have the right to make an unlimited number of transfers from one subway line to another. And they are all free!
Metro opening hours
Another memorable feature of the New York subway is the subway schedule. Despite the fact that many stations operate around the clock, some routes stop accepting passenger trains at night and even on weekends. This should be taken into account by everyone who is planning a business or sightseeing trip around the metropolis.
To find out the opening hours of each metro station, you need to study the train schedule. To do this, just go to the MTA website and enter the route you are interested in. If you forgot to do this and found yourself on the other side of the city from the hotel where you were staying, do not despair. Indeed, in New York there are many other ways to get to your destination, even late at night or on a weekend!
As for the rest, the metro operates daily throughout the entire calendar year. More than 4 million people use the services of the carrier every day.people, among whom you can find not only vulnerable segments of the population, but also successful businessmen, politicians, municipal officials.
We also recommend:
- New York City Guide
- What to see in New York in 3 days
- Times Square in New York, USA
- Manhattan Bridge, New York, USA
- Eternal Flame Falls, New York, USA
- Memorial 9/11 in New York
- Grand Central Terminal in New York, USA
Interesting information
In total, the New York subway has over 6 thousand trains, each of which consists of 6-11 cars. Despite the low cost of metro travel (only $ 2.25), the penalty for travel without a ticket against this background is quite large and amounts to $ 100.
The New York subway can be confidently called the motley and most unusual in the world. In the carriages you can find not only the typical Russian sellers of "consumer goods", but also musicians, magicians, artists and writers. Watching their vivid performances, you can easily skip the desired station. So be careful!
