The New York City Subway system, a large rapid transit system operating in New York City and operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), is one of the most extensive public transportation systems in the world. Depending on various methods of counting subway stations, there are between 416 and 475 stations; the MTA reports 468. There are 656 miles (1056 km) of revenue track, with additional non-revenue trackage in shops and yards allowing for a total of 842 miles (1355 km) of track.
There is pending legislation that would merge the subway operations of MTA New York City Transit with Staten Island Railway to form a single MTA Subways. [1] The Staten Island Railway operates with R44 subway cars on a fully grade-separated right-of-way, but is typically not considered part of the subway, and is only connected via the free, city-operated Staten Island Ferry.
Though it is known as "the subway," implying underground operations, about forty percent of the system runs on above-ground rights-of-way, including steel and occasionally cast iron elevated structures, concrete viaducts, earthen embankments, open cuts and, occasionally, surface routes. All of these modes are completely grade-separated from road and pedestrian crossings, and most crossings of two subway tracks are grade-separated with flying junctions.
History
- Main article: History of the New York City Subway
While the first underground line of the subway opened in 1904, the first elevated line (the IRT Ninth Avenue Line) had opened almost 35 years earlier. The oldest structure that is still in use (albeit reinforced) opened in 1885 as part of the Lexington Avenue Line, and is now part of the BMT Jamaica Line in Brooklyn. The oldest right-of-way, that of the BMT West End Line, was in use in 1863 as a steam railroad called the Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Rail Road. Subway cars (R44s) operate on the Staten Island Railway, opened in 1860, but that is not usually considered part of the Subway.
By the time the first subway opened, the lines had been consolidated into two privately-owned systems, Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT, later Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation, BMT) and Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT). The city was closely involved; every line built for the IRT, and most other lines built or improved for the BRT after 1913, were built by the city and leased to the companies (via the original Contracts 1 and 2 for the IRT subway, and the Dual Contracts for later extensions and widenings). The first line of the city-owned and operated Independent Subway System (IND) opened in 1932; this system was intended to compete with the private systems and allow some of the elevated railways to be torn down.
In 1940, the two private systems were bought by the city; some elevated lines were immediately closed, and others closed soon after. Integration was slow, but several connections were built between the IND and BMT, and they now operate as one division, Division B. Due to the IRT being narrower, it has remained its own division, Division A.
The New York City Transit Authority was created in 1953 to take over subway (and bus/streetcar) operations from the city, and was placed under control of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 1968.
In 1934, the BRT, IRT, and IND transit workers unionized into Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union. Since then, there have been three union strikes. In 1966, the transit workers went on strike for 12 days, and again in 1980 for 11 days. [2] On December 20, 2005, the transit workers once again went on strike, over disputes with MTA regarding salary, pensions and retirement age, and health insurance costs. That strike lasted just under three days.
The subway system today
The
South Ferry station, note the
9 train, discontinued in May 2005.
The New York City Subway is designed for carrying large numbers of people during working days. In 2002 an average of 4.5 million passengers used the subways every weekday.
A typical subway station has waiting platforms ranging from 400 to 700 feet (122 to 213 m) long to accommodate large numbers of people. Passengers enter a subway station through stairs towards station booths and vending machines to buy their fare, currently via the MetroCard. After swiping the card at a turnstile, customers walk down to the waiting platforms below. Some subway lines in the outer boroughs and northern Manhattan have elevated tracks with stations that passengers climb up to.
Subway tunnels were constructed using a variety of methods. When the IRT subway first opened in 1904, typical tunnel construction was the "cut and cover" method. The street was torn up to dig out the tunnel below, then the street was rebuilt above. Tunnel supports held the weight of the street and traffic above. This method worked well for soft dirt and gravel underneath the street surface. However, there were other thicker sections made of rock, and tunnel boring machines were required to cut through it. It is fairly easy to determine how the tunnel was constructed by looking at the shape of the tunnel. The cut and cover method results in a nicely rectangular shaped tunnel. Sections of tunnel that were cut through rock, or deeper portions of tunnel that cross underneath rivers, are circular in shape, like the boring machines that dug them.
Many lines and stations have both express and local service. These lines have three or four tracks - the outer two for local trains, and the inner one or two for express trains. Stations served by express trains are typically major transfer points or destinations. The BMT Jamaica Line uses skip-stop service on portions, in which two services operate over the line during rush hours, and minor stations are only served by one of the two. The IRT Broadway-Seventh Avenue Line used skip stop until May 27, 2005.
A simplified map, color-coded by services and only showing major stations
A typical subway train has from 8 to 11 cars (shuttles as short as 2); when put together the train can range from 150 to 600 feet (46 to 183 m) long. As a general rule trains on the lines inherited from the IRT (the numbered lines) are shorter and narrower than the trains that operate on the other (IND/BMT) lines (those designated with letters), the result being two different divisions which cannot share trains.
Subway stations are located throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. All services pass through Manhattan, except for the Brooklyn-Queens Crosstown Local (G), which directly connects Brooklyn and Queens without entering Manhattan, the S Franklin Avenue Shuttle, and the S Rockaway Park Shuttle. Although certain stations close overnight or on weekends, the New York City Subway is the only transit system in the world, with the exception of the PATH (which connects New Jersey with Manhattan), and parts of the Chicago 'L', that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. [3]
In 1994 the subway system introduced a fare-paying system called the MetroCard, which allows riders to use cards that store the value equal to the amount paid to a station booth clerk or to a vending machine. The MetroCard was further enhanced in 1997 to allow passengers to make free transfers between subways and buses within two hours; several MetroCard-only transfers between subways were also added. The world-famous token was phased out in 2003, the same year the MTA raised the basic fare to $2, amid angry protests from passenger and advocacy groups such as the Straphangers Campaign. In 2005, the MTA increased the prices of unlimited Metrocards, but left the base fare at $2.00.
The one major expansion that is being planned is the Second Avenue Line. This line has been planned as early as the 1920's, but was delayed many times. Construction was started in the 1970s, but discontinued due to the city's fiscal crisis. Some small portions remain intact between Houston Street and 14th Street, and between 66th Street and 72nd Street, but no sections exist that can be used by trains because it would be rather impractical given their miniscule size.
In this rather old system, most stations are not handicapped accessible. The exceptions are new construction and "key stations", as required by the ADA. See New York City Subway accessibility for more details.
The MTA has recently begun a 20-year process of automating their subways. Beginning with the BMT Canarsie Line (L), the MTA has plans to eventually automate a much larger portion, using One Person Train Operation (OPTO) in conjunction with Communications-based Train Control (CBTC). The benefits of automated subways include cost, safety, and reliability. Automated systems can be safer because all the trains are in radio communication with each other, and their speed and position are carefully controlled. This will also lead to fewer delays and better service. The new system will replace decades-old electronics that frequently fail due to flooding. Automated trains are not entirely new; they already exist in Vancouver, BC, Los Angeles and Paris. (An experiment in automating the 42nd Street Shuttle in New York City, which began in 1959, ended with a fire at Grand Central-42nd Street on April 24, 1964.) The New York system is significant because it will be replacing an extremely large subway that is already in place. Siemens Transportation Systems will be building the CBTC system.
On July 22, 2005, in response to recent bombings in London, United Kingdom, the New York Police Department introduced a new policy of randomly searching passengers' bags as they approached turnstiles. The NYPD claimed that no form of racial profiling would be conducted when these searches actually took place. This caused the NYPD to come under fire because these searches were deemed ineffectual if racial profiling was not used. "This NYPD bag search policy is unprecedented, unlawful and ineffective," said Donna Lieberman, Executive Director of the NYCLU. "It is essential that police be aggressive in maintaining security in public transportation. But our very real concerns about terrorism do not justify the NYPD subjecting millions of innocent people to suspicionless searches in a way that does not identify any person seeking to engage in terrorist activity and is unlikely to have any meaningful deterrent effect on terrorist activity." (Source: North Country Gazette)
Lines and routes
A busker plays at the Lexington Avenue-53rd Street station.
Many rapid transit systems run relatively static routings, so that a train line is more or less synonymous with a train route. In New York, routings change often as new connections are opened or service patterns change. The line describes the physical railroad line or series of lines that a train route uses on its way from one terminal to another.
Routes (also called services) are distinguished by a letter or a number. Lines have names.
For example, the D Train, D Route or D Service, though it can be colloquially called the D Line, runs over the following lines on its journey:
Trains are marked by the service label in either black or white (for appropriate contrast) on a field in the color of its mainline. The field is enclosed in a circle for most services, or a diamond for special services, such as rush-hour only expresses on a route that ordinarily runs local. Rollsigns also typically include the service names and terminals. When the R44 and R46 cars were rebuilt the rollsigns on the side of the cars were replaced with electronic signs while the front service sign remained as a rollsign. All cars built since 1999 are equipped with digital signs on the front and sides plus a new sign on the interior displays. The displays are installed on the car ceiling, towards each end of the car. They display the route indicator on left hand side at all time, with the destination, next station and the time display changing every few seconds. When the train arrives at a station, the display changes to show the station name, i.e "this is Bowling Green". When the train stops and the doors open, the computer plays a recorded announcement stating the route, direction and the destination and the next scheduled station. If the destination is in a borough that the train is not presently in, it will announce that borough, i.e. "this is a Brooklyn bound L train". If the train is within the borough, the announcement changes to the terminal station i.e. "this is a Canarsie bound L Train".
New Yorkers refer to each line by the designator and the word train, i.e. the "A Train", which can be used to refer to both a single train, "I'm on an A train", or the route, "take the A train". New Yorkers may often shorten the expression to simply the line's designation. For example: "Take the A to the 1" would mean to "Take the A train and transfer to the 1 train."
Division A (IRT) consists of:
Division B (BMT/IND) consists of:
Division C consists of non-revenue operations, including track maintenance and yard operations.
Rolling stock
- Main article: New York City Subway rolling stock
The New York City Subway has the world's largest fleet of subway cars. Over 6,400 cars (as of 2002) are on the NYCT roster. Cars purchased by the City of New York since the inception of the IND and for the other divisions beginning in 1948 are identified by the letter "R" followed by a number; e.g.: R32. This number is the contract number under which the cars were purchased. Cars with nearby contract numbers (e.g.: R1 through R9) may be virtually identical, simply being purchased under different contracts. Subway car models begin with the letter "R" and are followed by the last 2 or 3 digits of the contract number under which they were purchased. The "R" stands for Revenue service as originally used by the IND, however, others feel it now stands for Rolling Stock since the "R" is used on contracts for the purchase of anything that deals with subway and work cars (e.g. cars, wheels, other parts).
The system maintains two separate fleets of cars, one for the IRT lines, another for the BMT/IND lines. All IRT equipment is approximately 8'9" (~2.67m) wide and 51' (~15.5m) long while all operating BMT/IND equipment is about 10 feet (~3.0 meters) wide and either 60 feet 6 inches (18.4 meters) or 75 feet (~22.8 meters) long.
Though the equipment of the two fleets can operate on the same tracks, the key impediment to interoperation is the fact that the original two subway contracts built for the IRT were built to a smaller profile. This is because the IRT chose to use equipment substantially the same size as that already in use on all the pre-existing elevated railway lines in the city. This profile was consistent with older lines in operation in Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago.
When the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company entered into agreements to operate some of the new subway lines, they made the decision to design a new type of car, 10 feet wide and 67 feet long, the subject of several patents, whose larger profile was more similar to that of steam railroad coaches, permitting greater passenger capacity, more comfortable seating and other advantages. The BRT unveiled its design to the public in 1913 and received such wide acceptance that all future subway lines, whether built for the BRT, the IRT or eventually, the IND, were built to handle the wider cars.
As a result, while most of the IRT lines could accommodate the larger BMT/IND equipment with modifications to the station platforms and trackside furniture, this is not deemed feasible, because the original, narrower, subway includes portions of both IRT Manhattan mainlines, as well as a critical part of the Brooklyn lines. This could be remedied, but at very great expense. On the other hand, it would be relatively easy to convert many of the Bronx lines for BMT/IND operation; some of the plans for the Second Avenue Line have included a conversion of the IRT Pelham Line.
Trivia
- According to the United States Department of Energy, energy expenditure on the New York City Subway was 3492 BTU/passenger mile in 1995. This compares to 3702/passenger mile for automobile travel. [4]
- According to a February 11, 2006, New York Daily News article, the New York City Subway hit a 50-year record in usage in 2005, with ridership of 1.45 billion. According to the article, "New subway cars and other upgrades have made tube travel more reliable and have helped lure more than 23 million new riders to the rails in 2005 compared with the year before" ("TRACK RECORD: 1.5B RODE SUBWAY" by Pete Donohue).
- The article also cited the average fare as $1.27 per trip in 2005, which the transit authority claims is lower than the average fare in 1996.
In popular culture
The Subway is often seen as an integral part of the city. Many living in the area through the 1980s remember it for crime and graffiti, but these have since subsided. The Subway has had place in popular culture for at least three quarters of a century.
The Duke Ellington Band performed "Take the A Train", inspired by the A train to Harlem.
Series of baseball games between New York teams are referred to as Subway Series. It is said that early 20th century teams took the subway to each others' parks, since the New York Giants played at the Polo Grounds, right near the 155th Street station of the IRT Ninth Avenue Line and the 155th Street-Eighth Avenue station of the IND Concourse Line, while the New York Yankees played at Yankee Stadium, near 161st Street-Yankee Stadium station. Today, many fans rely on the 4 train to get to Yankee Stadium, while those bound for Shea Stadium ride the 7 to Willets Point-Shea Stadium.
In the 1987-1989 American TV series Beauty and the Beast, Vincent (the "Beast"), who lived in tunnels beneath the city (see "Mole People"), would ride on top of a subway car to travel surreptitiously around the city.
In the 1992 Seinfeld episode "The Subway", a subway ride leads to 4 very unique experiences. Jerry befriends an overweight nudist; George meets an attractive woman who invites him to her hotel room; Elaine misses a lesbian wedding and Kramer wins a horse bet.
Film
The New York City Subway has been featured prominently in many films. One of its first color appearances is in the musical On The Town, which was also one of the first films to shoot on location. One of the characters takes a fancy on finding "Miss Turnstiles," a "typical rider" whose picture appears in many different poses on advertising placards. This is most likely derived from the "Miss Subways" publicity campaign by the transit authority. The campaign started in 1941 and was discontinued in 1976. It was resurrected in 2004 as "Ms Subways".
Probably the most notable appearance is in the 1971 film The French Connection. The subway and car chase on and underneath the elevated BMT West End Line is often considered the greatest chase scene in film history. [5]
- The 1990 movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles featured Judith Hoag's "April O'Neil" character being attacked in the subway by Shredder's "Foot soldiers" before being rescued by one of the eponymous turtles and taken through the tunnels to the turtles' subterranean lair.
- The 1991 sequel to the first "Turtles" movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, found the turtles residing in an old subway tunnel far beneath the current system. In one scene, Ernie Reyes, Jr.'s character remarks that he "never got a seat on the subway system so fast" in his life after carrying odorous chemicals from the streets to the lair.
- In 2004, Spider-man 2 featured a fight and crash scene on an out-of-control elevated 1 train in Manhattan; it was actually filmed on the Chicago 'L'.
- The 2005 film Madagascar features some computer generated scenes on the New York City subway.
- The 2005 film Rent featured several cast members dancing and singing while riding the F train.
See also
External links
The content of this page is retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Subway under GFDL
