The Greatest Subway System in the World? | New York City Subway

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This video has been 2 months in the making and may have required an all-nighter, but I'm incredibly proud of it!
The New York Subway is incredibly complex, it is one of the engineering wonders of the world, and I hope this video can help you better appreciate it!
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=ABOUT ME=
Ever wondered why your city's transit just doesn't seem quite up to snuff? RMTransit is here to answer that, and help you open your eyes to all of the different public transportation systems around the world!
Reece (the RM in RMTransit) is an urbanist and public transport critic residing in Toronto, Canada, with the goal of helping the world become more connected through metros, trams, buses, high-speed trains, and all other transport modes.

[@RMTransit]

We've made a ton of explainers in 2022. Which one was your favourite, and what systems would you like us to cover in 2023?

[@kingmine]

I want shenzhen or shanghai

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

I like this one and your one on the Chicago L.

[@fusion4996]

I really liked the Zurich s-bahn one, im looking forward to more explainers about Switzerland.

[@marco-ro6cl]

maybe you could discuss famous subway disasters?

[@gaetanmonke7805]

I really liked the Paris and tokyo explainer, even though I'm probably a bit biased with Paris 😅. But explainers i would love to see would be the paris RER and transilien (Réseau Francilien) and the rotterdam subway. Keep up the great work!

[@blue387]

For those who don't know the MTA is a state agency, the subway is not run by the city but by the state of New York

[@bigzclipz5104]

@@anthonydpearson the thing is that the mta brings in so much money that the state would never let that happened

[@jashanestone]

Exactlyyyyy.. It's why I say all the delays could be a political ploy or a financial one, because it's no reason why we have so many delays within the subway. *I've seen people of all races and of all occupational backgrounds spaz within inside the train cars about how bad the delays be.*

[@evancook1770]

@ARP About 50% of the state is in or connected to NYC (such as Long Island and Yonkers). The MTA is underfunded because politicians want their own pet projects to happen, and defunding police and social services is more politically expensive than cutting a subway expansion.

[@brother-calm]

It's a super weird and detrimental arrangement. a region-specific transit system whose budget depends on the whims of broader state politics is unworkable in the long term.

[@evancook1770]

@pasha mercedes Sure, but a city-run one wouldn't work much better in a metropolitan area. Imagine how hard it would be to expand, or let alone create, the LIRR or Metro-North if the MTA was run by the city and not the state. NYC is the kingmaker in New York state politics so to think Albany will ignore us to focus on Buffalo or something is kinda silly. MTA would be in the same state of underfunding regardless of the jurisdiction.

[@snickitysnak]

For all the subway's faults, the fact that you can make a trip at 3am on a Saturday night from North Bronx to Coney Island or Far Rockaway with a single in station transfer for $2.75 is still pretty remarkable.

[@chrispopovich700]

3AM trip through the bronx? Better only have that 2.75 on you 😂

[@jasonjc2264]

@@chrispopovich700 haha real

[@cosmicbrownie5651]

@@chrispopovich700 fr

[@gicacraioveanu8258]

if you can make it alive thru Bronx and Harlem...haha....25% it's and African GETTO....that trip only take 3 hours including the wait.....haha....to traverse a 9 million people city.....Ho chi Minh Vietnam, 10 million people city....can be mcuh much MUCH MORE safely crossed for only 1-2 h on a scooter at 3 AM.....haha...even though it is a third world country..

[@JD-ny3vz]

@@gicacraioveanu8258 what?

[@aerob1033]

The MTA rightfully takes a lot of crap for being dirty, dated, and often poorly-maintained, so I'm glad to see some appreciation for the sheer quantity of infrastructure and level of service is provides, because on those measures, it was and still is truly world-class. If it ever gets enough funding to bring everything up-to-date and make a few more key expansions it will be a truly incredible system on every level.

[@Racko.]

Very true, it imo is the greatest system in the world for especially for it's uniqueness

[@RMTransit]

I agree, though I think the issue is less about funding and more about how expensive projects are

[@evanoc]

@@RMTransit what can the MTA do to bring the cost of new projects down?

[@purpleicewitch6349]

This is true. After riding what passes for public transit in some other parts of the US I didn’t complain about NYC’s as much.

[@HallsofAsgard96]

@@purpleicewitch6349 Pfft some places don't even have sidewalks

[@apv]

I think this was muuch better explainer than the first one. I felt like you truly explained what makes the NYC subway THE NYC subway, its idiosyncrasies, why they exist, etc. Whereas in the first one it felt like you were just reading the map to us. I absolutely loved it, bravo. Maybe you can make a video about the signaling in the NYC subway so that people understand why we often get stuck in the tunnels for no apparent reason.

[@Zveebo]

I agree - much improved!

[@RMTransit]

Yep that’s why I wanted to have it remade because I knew I could do a better job actually providing for an interesting video

[@jdday1757]

@@RMTransit good job on the reexamination of this. It would probably be hard if not impossible but would love to see an even more in depth look at other aspects of the system such as yard repair facilities signaling As a former electrician for Norfolk southern railroad and worked in a big rail yard ( Conway yard ) I learned quite a bit about the intricacies of running a class 1 railroad and curious how similar and different subways are in that aspect. Again I realize that might be an impossible task and require help from the "inside" lol

[@TheStig_TG]

@@RMTransit Can you please do a Staten Island railroad video? It has a very interesting history and a sad downfall from a multi line rapid transit network to a single line

[@cco53587]

@@TheStig_TG SIR definitely does look like an interesting case study of how local politics can ruin a system. City-subsidized bus service was mostly the death knell for SIRT and almost led to all three lines being abandoned. At the time the buses were faster, cheaper, more frequent, and didn't get stuck in traffic as often as they do now. Most issues with the bus system these days demonstrate how it's run reactively, in contrast to the forward-thinking planning of the subway.

[@alanthefisher]

Fantastic, I can tell that you put an insane amount of research/graphic work into this. I even learned a few things that I didn't know haha

[@RMTransit]

Thank you, Alan - my all nighter was worth it just to get this comment!

[@brunhildevalkyrie]

You two should collab

[@metropod]

Disclaimer: I am a NYCTA train conductor: my views are my own. The one thing I will say is that the largest hurdle to the growth and change to the system is the ridership. Not in the amount of riders… The riders themselves and how they behave. Let me give you an example: The proper procedure for closing the subway train doors is, after ensuring it is safe to do so, close the rear half, bring my head inside the cab to look at the door controls to look for the “doors closed and locked” light for that half of the train. Then I look out again and do the same process for the front half. Once both sections of the train are ready I look out to the rear and then to front, a “sweep” of the platform. Then I release control back to the train operator and we begin moving. This can literally be done in the space of 10 seconds. But at heavy traffic stations… things can get dicey and downright nasty. Several times I have been working the L train, and at Union Sqaure, I will often have passengers who have come down the stairs after the doors have closed demanding I reopen and let them on, often times cursing me out when I tell them I can’t, we need to leave. The L can run on less than 2 minute headways, I can see the headlights of the next train leaving sixth Avenue already… but no. They want to get on THIS train. They will often throw themselves into doors that are already closing, forcing me to reopen the doors less they run smack into the side of the train. Which brings to my main point. People don’t want frequent transit. They don’t want de-interlining. They don’t want a lot of the things you talk about… They want Convenience. Ever wonder why the A train splits in two in Queens instead of the C train making the short trip to Lefferts Blvd? Because the ridership base around Richmond Hill and Ozone Park have made it quite clear they do NOT want the local. They want the express. You can tell them “there will be a train twice as often”, but the fact they’ll need to ride longer or transfer more shuts them down completely. Similarly, the F through Brooklyn… it would make trips for commuters from south of Church Ave just a bit quicker if F trains ran express to Jay street. Right now it’s just two a day in each direction as the , and whenever service is backed up or there is construction. This is because of the pressure put on us to maintain one seat Manhattan service from the five otherwise local only stations between Jay and Church. Bergen Street has an incomplete express platform level that could be used to transfer between the two if fitted out, but passengers have made it clear they refuse to do that. And that is the tightrope we need to walk.

[@blackmail1807]

you're suggesting we build services that are not convenient and which people don't want to use? I'm confused.

[@TikoVerhelst]

@@blackmail1807 He's suggesting that people should take into account they live in a city and the world doesn't revolve around them. NYC has a tram system to operate for a whole city. Yes it needs to get you from A to B, but also thousands of others. It can't make an exception just for you. Ok, well, it can, but as explained above, it makes the system less efficient which is not what you want if you are designing a system used by a whole city.

[@coolboss999]

If politicians would just stop being asshats, the lower level Bergen Street can be renovated easily so that the F can go express in Brooklyn easily. The F is the longest line in the subway that has no express service on it and it desperately needs it

[@transitcaptain]

About the A train in Ozone Park Those people are literally idiots because they’re demanding the express only to save five minutes because that’s the time it saves going from Euclid to Midtown

[@whereisthedollar]

I respect the work you do and appreciate it. I watch the Experience subway channel to get my Subway fix. I rode them all back in the 60's-70's when I lived there and on an occasional visit back too NYC. You have a lot more of the mental/ criminality people to deal with everyday now.

[@davidthaler7018]

You mentioned lack of yard space for all cars, but years ago, when a massive snowstorm was headed to NYC and the MTA decided to shut the system down until it passed, trains were stored on the express tracks, protected from the weather so recovery was quicker.

[@etrain8885]

This was the big thing for me moving to NY. I only ever hear bad things about the subway, and I was stunned by how amazing it is and how much I like using it. It is an absolutely unparalleled piece of engineering and it's one of my favorite parts about the city.

[@rizzoli7]

yup, ill be living in NYC during the summer and all I've heard is awful things about the metro.

[@lflagr]

lol glad you feel that way but please experience mass transit in other city before you lavish any more praise on the NYC subway.

[@bldontmatter5319]

​@@lflagrikr, in Moscow it makes this look like a joke. Way safer too

[@leavrylfleurboutique]

the subway system was the big thing for me moving OUT of NYC lol it was DISGUSTING and unreliable, and during COVID lockdown as an essential worker, when I saw a homeless guy jacking himself off with his joystick fully out on a bench in the train and then when I wiped a seat down and a bunch of brown stuff came on my wipes though the seat didn't LOOK dirty I moved SO FAST 😭however, whenever I worked in NJ, Long Island, Staten Island, upstate and in Westchester I always couldn't WAIT to see a NYC train station because it meant I was FINALLY going to get home because it's IMPOSSIBLE to be stranded in NYC if you know how to use the stops. Impossible.

[@RYOkEkEN]

so was it true all you heard?

[@griffindeans8926]

Love this explainer! Just don’t let New Yorkers hear you call the outer boroughs “suburban” ever again 😯 (Except for Staten Island of course)

[@LucasDimoveo]

That would start a fight fr fr

[@queens.dee.223]

Despite calling Manhattan "the city" yes don't let us in the outer boroughs hear that 🤣

[@trainluvr]

Each non-Manhattan borough has vast areas which have traditional suburban characteristics, many of which were actual streetcar suburbs. Many residents of such areas still refer to a subway or car trip to Manhattan as a trip to 'The City'. One thing is that almost every foot of our stroads have lighting and sidewalks and drainage built to particular minimum engineering standards. This gives the entire 500 square mile expanse of built land a certain 'NYC' look that is distinctive from most of the civilized world. Its why movie companies spend a great deal on money shooting on location in NYC rather than LA or Toronto or Vancouver. The audience unconsciously picks up on the subtle differences in signage, curbs, markings, building architecture and above ground utilities.

[@RBzee112]

The outer boroughs we're suburban when those lines were built in the early 1900s. They actually led to the population growth in some neighborhoods.

[@apexhunter935]

Too late, i'm a new yorker

[@ovh992]

I have lived in NYC since 1994. I ride the subway everyday. I can tell with 100% conviction that the subway has nothing but improved. I remember when not all trains were air-conditioned. I remember the lights going out for minutes at a time. I remember being stuck in a tunnel for 30 minutes or more and these things were common. Now these things are unheard of. The OMNI payment system of today is spectacular. No more subway cards necessary. My only complaint is that a lot of the subway attendants have been done away with. So if human assistance is needed, you ain't going to get it.

[@stelity]

I still get stuck on the Manhattan bridge in the evenings for 10-20 minutes. I don't remember lights going out for minutes at a time, but I remember the lights on the old 7 trains would go out for a few seconds. It still happens today on the Q train. I find the people at the subway Boothe to be next to useless. They can't handle any issues except for buying/selling rides and opening the gates. They never make announcements to let us know when trains are not running on their stations. They just watch just pay for the ride and leave us waiting on the platform.

[@leephillips2837]

sounds like Chicago, when I moved there in 1990

[@edwinedwards6796]

OMNI cards?????!!!

[@ovh992]

@@edwinedwards6796 no more omni cards. Just tap your credit card.

[@LUIS-ox1bv]

@@stelity The folks in the booths are less then useless. If one approaches them with a valid problem, they're either slow to give assistance, or behave as if you're not there. As I have mentioned before, these folks are getting highly paid for doing nothing.

[@Virtuoso80]

It's only recently that I learned that other cities' subway lines don't run 24/7. I just assumed that was how a subway would be.

[@Electrodexify]

No one cares about 24 hours. 530am to 1am is enough But people care about cleanliness , reliability, well maybe NYCrs not so much.

[@Materialist39]

@@Electrodexifyhey do you live and work here? Do you have odd hours working at a bar or restaurant which stays open past those hours? You seem ill informed.

[@GobbiExists]

@@ElectrodexifyReece mentions that THERE NEEDS TO BE TRAINS RUNNING, because there isn’t enough space to store all the trains! You might as well have 24-hour service then.

[@eingrobernerzustand3741]

​@@Electrodexify What about all the people who start work at 4 in the morning? Wouldn't it make far more sense to shut it down at 10 in the evening? Noones gonna be out and about by then anyway.

[@japanesetrainandtravel6168]

Fantastic Video Reece! You can imagine that I will place Tokyo at the top for best subway system in the world, BUT having visited NYC 6 times for the sole purpose of riding the subway, I place it among my top 10 for these reasons: 1. Character - some of its flaws - old stations and rolling stock - are actually what make it fun for rail fans like me - the feeling of what riding the TTC in the 80 was like - is what riding the NYC subway now is like - the rattle and rumble of the trains is great. 2. One fare to explore any of its L 400+ stations from end to end 3. Extensive coverage of NYC with stations in very close proximity especially in Manhattan 4. They retain heritage stock for excursions ( wish the ttc kept the G1s Hs and M1s for Christmas runs) 5. Lastly, the variety of rolling stock

[@RMTransit]

Indeed, it’s a true railfans system

[@apluto12-z3e]

TTC stations were modeled after New York . That's why they generally look bland.

[@СергейКарпенко-п1в]

А Вы московское метро видели?

[@aerolynx33]

The subway was so visionary that we’re still adding TOD to it now - just look at all the new condos on the 4th ave line in Brooklyn. Some of the lines were built through literal farmland a century ago.

[@gifyifhkhmcucyk6865]

ngl as someone living in sunset i would trade out the r train if it meant getting to stay in my neighborhood

[@Electrodexify]

Delusional NYC

[@UnitedKingdom231]

I think that expansion into areas that do not have subway stations -- particularly in south Brooklyn, Eastern Queens, and Staten Island -- is the biggest issue that the MTA is facing. Traffic is going to become a serious issue in New York if these areas start to become more densely developed but don't have a subway station serving them (as if traffic weren't already a major problem in New York City).

[@davidthaler7018]

I used to live in such a “two-fare zone.” The nearest subway was the Flatbush Av IRT, but you had to take a bus to get there, and back then, there were no free transfers between subway and local bus so you paid two fares in each direction. The alternative to Manhattan was one of several express bus routes that served areas with no subway service; these were the old “Pioneer” (later “Command”) busses that were subsequently taken over by the MTA. They were more expensive than double the existing fare because they were privately run, but they were more comfortable, if you were lucky enough to get a seat.

[@UnitedKingdom231]

Wow, I can’t imagine not having those free transfers between subways and trains. To be honest, I think no other issue the MTA currently faces is as bad as the fact that too many NYC residents don’t live within walking distance of a subway station. It is the fundamental reason traffic is so bad. If more people lived within walking distance of subway stations and they ran at an average speed of 30 MPH, it would fundamentally kill traffic.

[@BeeBee-pl9ly]

South Eastern* Brooklyn

[@armintelker]

I was this year in New York. I really liked it. I just missed one thing. They dont have really a line that is connecting the outer parts of Queens ans Brooklyn together. So you always needed to go more city center first to go back to the outher part of the city. I am from Berlin here we have sonething called "Ringbahn" a train that goes in a circle.

[@PixelsPeeper]

Interesting

[@shalonsmith3653]

I live in brooklyn and I take the G train which runs from Brooklyn to queens. I never have to go through the city to get to queens. You can also take express buses from the far outer parts of queens or brooklyn.

[@dr3754]

we have the G which is strictly crosstown brooklyn-queens. also the IBX is on the way -- we hope. and lastly you hvae the jfk airtrain further out that may get other stations at some point if it ever gets connected to lga.

[@eriklakeland3857]

The Bronx also badly needs crosstown rail. A line connecting Jamaica and Flushing before diving under Long Island Sound to offer crosstown connections in the Bronx would be amazing.

[@JermaniBurroughs]

They’re planning on building the Interborough Express between Jackson Heights - Bay Ridge

[@R4baDader]

This is one hell of a Christmas gift, thanks a lot dude! You made an excellent intro to how the whole system works, and what makes it so unique and awesome.

[@danielbrowne9344]

I was blown away by the subway system in NYC. It truly makes the city feel absolutely accessible from anywhere. The cost of riding is totally affordable as well. The ease of using the system in conjunction with map app on the phone made was also surprisingly simple.

[@camilomolina1998]

Lol, your not from here

[@TorToroPorco]

I definitely have to say that the NY subway system is my favorite system for the complexity of its underground infrastructure and being able to actually see some of that infrastructure which is mostly hidden away on other systems. One of my favorite sights is seeing the different levels of tracks in a station or seeing a set of tracks descend onto another level of the tunnel system as it exits a station. If you're really into exploring the nooks and crannies of a city I highly recommend taking the subway out to Rockaway and experiencing the causeway and Jamaica Bay which actually has a wildlife sanctuary. It will give you an idea as to how large NY really is especially as it can take over an hour to actually get to there. Rockaway itself is quite interesting as it feels more like a sleepy village and not a bustling dense metropolis. This is not specific to the NY subway system but I have actually stayed at one of the hotels near Newark Airport for one of my visits to NY to take advantage of a special room rate. Some of the hotels operate 24 hour shuttle buses to Newark airport and from there you can catch a NJ Transit train into Penn Station. It's obviously less convenient than staying in the middle of Manhattan but I paid about half of what I would have at an equivalent quality hotel in NY.

[@RMTransit]

I definitely concur - for affordable lodging do not stay in Manhattan, I stayed in Long Island city and was just as close travel time wise to many places I wanted to go as many places in Manhattan itself!

[@MichaelAbramo]

Fun fact: The PATH train to Newark Penn Station (not to be confused with NY Penn) used to extend one more stop past Newark Penn but was eventually abandoned because the area was dangerous and too difficult for Newark police to patrol. An extension to Newark Airport would be awesome and would reintroduce the long-lost South Street station stop. Another fun fact: I hope my understanding is correct here - The reason NYC is able to have multiple levels of subway lines right beneath massive skyscrapers is because the island has a high composition of granite. You would not be able to do the same thing in most (perhaps any?) other cities in the world.

[@NorthPoleSun]

Yes, Manhattan got very lucky geologically

[@alexnosal2277]

I am from New York as is my mother, but I haven't lived there for a long time. I want to thank you for pointing out some of the unique features that I always took for granted and now I'm yearning to return and ride the trains.

[@floydiandroid]

Took PATH everyday for 2 years and it’s absolutely a wonderful mode of transit. Reminds me a little of PATCO in Philly/NJ.

[@matthewhernandez8342]

It’s too bad you gotta pay twice when you take the PATH then transfer to the MTA subway.

[@XBKLYN]

In 1923 the Staten Island rail tunnel was started on the Brooklyn side close to the 65th St Owl's Head treatment plant....the project was halted after 150 feet of digging and remains dormant to this day. Maybe in 75 yrs you'll be able to do another vid about the BMT-SI line.

[@My-nl6sg]

damn its almost 2023 like a full century later

[@XBKLYN]

@@My-nl6sg it won't happen...a tunnel to SI wouldn't have the payback needed to sink $10B into that project. There was an intriguing proposal a number of years ago which involves connecting the SI rapid transit line to the PATH system in NJ with existing connection to Manhattan. Haven't heard any further talk of that in a long time even though it makes a ton of sense and would be much cheaper to pull off.

[@jashanestone]

Let's fix all the delays before we head into Staten Island.. because they're still trying to get us to go into Jersey.. 🙄

[@Paul_inDC]

Thanks for that great fact, didn’t know that. Though 75 years might be a tad optimistic, aim for 2123 and call it the Bicentennial Line. Or maybe MTA can let Musk and Boring have it as a new challenge. Might distract him from Twitter.

[@RailRide]

@@XBKLYN Connecting SIRT to PATH would introduce the same issue that separates A and B division rolling stock. Compatibloe track and 3rd rail, but incompatible station and tunnel clearances (at least so far as SIRT equipment is concerned)

[@MrBelongings]

Love the NYC focus. I grew up and still live in the city and I learn something about the system with every video. I had a 4 train to commute to middle school everyday. F to the a to the 4 to the 6. I had no clue we were the only metro system with express tracks!

[@Racko.]

I commute using the 5 or 4 with the Lexington Line down to Brooklyn, Express services really add an entire layer to the already existing system and it's incredible

[@theobrigham]

Other metros have express tracks, just not nearly as widespread

[@Ponchoed]

Philadelphia and Chicago have some express lines, no?

[@pearlboots]

Did you go to Hunter? I also take a long route to Hunter that ends on the 6 train.

[@BobNWFA]

Wow, this is the most comprehensive, analytical and understandable "explainer" video I've ever seen about the MTA Subway! Thank you!!

[@RMTransit]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@benfelps]

OMNY is not talked about enough. It made using the subway system, especially for people visiting, about 100x easier than the metro card system

[@Rbsa123]

I went to DC last weekend and as a tourist the Metro was so much more challenging to use compared to OMNY

[@ericwashington2171]

@@Rbsa123 I live outside dc and by far the new york system was much easier to not just pay for but to use. DC Metro is chaotic and figuring out how much i needed to pay for a particular trip is annoying.

[@RobertWilke]

@@ericwashington2171 yes I went to DC 2 years ago. The metro while there is good. Paying is just a friggin nightmare. I partially understand why since it's not just an in city rail system. It merges that with a regional rail as it's outer terminus. It's still not a good system though.

[@kaitlyn__L]

I always liked the retro appeal of the magnetic swiping (not seen on credit cards in Europe since 2003-2005) when I visited in 2009 to 2011. Didn’t like them expiring with 30¢ left on them though. Good to know NYC has finally moved beyond them. I guess that means the MetroCards I kept are now genuine historical ephemera!

[@firesurfer]

@@kaitlyn__L I still use them. Of course, I'm retired so I get half-price using a special swipe card. Also, mag cards gave more options for prices. It's really only useful for residents not tourists. When you have an expired card, transfer it to a new card and add value at the machine.

[@raakone]

Love this! With PATH, the reason why it's a mainline railway isn't just because it runs along the NEC. Until recently, it was physically connected. And it was a "mainline" railroad when built, despite being in subway type tunnels and using 3rd rail EMUs, they even had "engineers" in striped overalls driving them, and used the same system of telegraphs to allow for inter-railway reservations. Back before overhead wire went up, PRR and H and M both used 3rd rail, there were connections, especially at the no longer there "Manhattan Transfer" (which was in New Jersey) Also, because it was historically part of the Baltimore and Ohio railway, modified FRA rules also apply to the otherwise a subway line away from the subway, that is the Staten Island. But they have special waivers. They were at one time going to connect under the river to the BMT, thus the reason for the electrification standards.

[@W2IRT]

PATH still uses Locomotive Engineers rather than dedicated Train Operators ("motormen"). A hogger working PATH today may be operating a freight road job tomorrow.

[@joestrike8537]

Lifelong New Yorker. (I think I recognized every station in the video.) Fun fact: even though the IRT trains and tunnels are narrower, they use the same gauge (distance between the tracks) as the other lines. Learned this one night when I saw a #7 IRT train on the wider Broadway BMT line. BTW since they merged all 3 systems long ago, hardly anybody in NYC refers to them as by their defunct separate division names.

[@Nick-pt6sl]

This is easily the best breakdown of the NYC subway on youtube. Fantastic video! Thank you!

[@CinnamonMuffinz]

As a New Yorker this was interesting to watch. Also, an interesting way of demonstrating how the perspective of good infrastructure is can be so dramatically different from a grounds-eye or birds-eye perspective. From a birds-eye perspective, the system is incredible, hampered by a lack of funding, but still able to provide a tremendous amount of services. From a grounds-eye perspective, I have a big concern about the reliability of express services. As someone who lives in uptown Manhattan, we just experienced a summer and a fall where our express line was basically under construction every weekend, making travel on the weekend almost twice as long. (1 hour to get to Times Square). I'll look at the transit map and often see an express line that will be out of service for the next few months. Safety and cleanliness are also major concerns. Some stations are sparkling clean, but for many, we can say that the user experience is poor because of cleanliness and crime. Many station platforms are far too narrow to make commuters feel safe, especially with incidents where victims were shoved onto train tracks in unprovoked attacks. This becomes a problem during rush hour, when people are crowded against one another, without enough space to feel safe with oncoming trains. There was some talk about MTA putting in gates along station platforms like the Tokyo subway, but ultimately concluded it would be too expensive to do. Massive delays happen too often, whether that be from signal problems, emergency brakes getting pulled, or incidents on subway stations. I've stood at a station for 15 minutes, watching as the "1 minute until arrival" digital sign remained unchanged, and then having to get my information from MTA twitter about what is happening on my train line. While during the workday this is less of a problem, I know many commuters who complain of a feeling of uncertainty and lack of reliability. Your commute could work out perfectly, or you'll be stuck waiting for trains for 30 minutes at various stations. My appreciation for the Washington DC metro is immense for the reason of an improved commuter experience--how it feels to try to use the metro to get around--even if the services provided there are not as extensive, it feels safer, cleaner, and more comfortable than New York.

[@JBS319]

The R262 subway cars that are set to eventually replace the 1980s era R62 and R62A cars currently operating on the 1 3 6 and 42nd St Shuttle are set to be a fully open gangway order. This was decided even before the R211T sets were delivered (the first 5 cars just recently began testing). Platform screen doors are going to be difficult to implement systemwide, as there are columns and narrow sections of platform due to stairs and elevators that make it difficult to impossible to install in many locations. De-interlining, as much as advocates cry for it, will likely never happen, as the system is so tightly weaved together that untying those knots is next to impossible. It's possible on the IRT by having the Lexington Express services all go up Jerome with the West Side Express services splitting for Lenox, Dyre and Wakefield on the north end while having all West Side services go to Flatbush and all Lex services go to Utica and New Lots in Brooklyn. Good luck doing this with the IND and BMT, however, as there is so much branching and reverse branching that it makes the Northern Line look simple. One thing that New York could do much better is leveraging Metro North and Long Island Rail Road to fill in the gaps where there isn't Subway service, particularly on the MNR Harlem Line (and eventually the Penn Station branch of the New Haven Line) in the Bronx and in eastern Queens on the LIRR. The new OMNY system should make this possible, but it's up to the MTA board, and moreover the state government in Albany, to make this happen. Legislation is already being brought to Albany to make the entire local bus system fare free with significant boosts in operational subsidy which would be a huge equity win. All in all, as much as people rag on the New York Subway for not having automated trains, modern signaling systemwide, universal accessibility, and other things, the bones of the system are perhaps stronger than anywhere else in the world. With the right policy makers in the right places, things could change rapidly for the better.

[@TMC_BC]

I’d argue that it’s just as easy. Interlining as a whole doesn’t have to be eliminated, just reverse-branching.

[@ninofromkitchennightmares1497]

only area that needs de interlining on the IRT is Franklin avenue

[@trancingdeeper]

as a staten islander don’t call the outer boroughs (EXCEPT staten island), suburbs

[@internati0naled974]

Was raised in the Washington heights section of NYC. Went to school in Long Island City in the early 2000’s. Back then the 7 train went from Time Square to Flushing, the extension of the line still hasn’t sinked in. I live in North NJ now, after riding NJT, I’ve learned to appreciate the MTA and the service they provide.

[@DonGivani]

If you live in Hudson Yards it will sink. It's a very good addition, station is also topnotch

[@ivanovalle9764]

I live in Bergen county NJ, I also drive a car. But most of the time i'm going to NYC, specially manhattan I just take the NJ transit and move within the city via subway instead of paying expensive tolls and wasting time looking for parking

[@jarjarbinks6018]

Wonderful video! As someone not from New York their subway system is simultaneously so interesting but so complicated for me to understand. It’s very unique

[@PhilliesNostalgia]

For the 7th Ave line, that goes up to Times Square-42nd St, then turns onto Broadway, making up the 7th Ave-Broadway Line 6:49

[@lifeguardpanda]

As a former Staten Islander and my father worked on the Staten Island Railway. The Staten Island Railway is part of the New York City Subway System. It uses the same trains that the numbered trains use and admission is a MetroCard or OMNY. If the subway is closed for snow so is the railway. The only difference is where the railway charges you which are the main stations at St George Ferry Terminal and Tottenville Station. If you hop on the train at any stop in-between those stations admission is free. I don't know why that is. Otherwise it's listed on the maps as a MTA rail line under the New York City Subway System. The stops even use the same helvetica signage that the subway has across the board. Just felt to add more context if anyone was wondering ☺️

[@fcny1218]

No fare control (turnstiles) at the Tottenville Station. For the longest time, the only station where you had to use a MetroCard to enter or exit the system was at St. George. Then a few years ago, SIRR put in fare control at Tompkinsville Station, the next to last stop for St. George. Too many passengers were getting off (or on) at Tompkinsville and walking to (or from) St. George - a 14 minute walk - in order to avoid paying the fare.

[@maniak1768]

I visited NYC as a tourist once and used a line to go to Coney Island, I don't remember which one anymore. But there was this incredible view on the Financial District from a fairly high elevated line. One of my fondest memories of the city.

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

You would've ridden the N or Q.

[@bklyncyclist]

That's sound like it would've been the F at Smith/9th St, the highest point in the system.

[@gifyifhkhmcucyk6865]

im gonna assume the f

[@tjr-007tt]

It sounds like you you rod the N, Q or F line. The N and Q goes over the Manhattan bridge. If you saw the view in Brooklyn it would be the F as that goes through the highest station in the system.

[@maniak1768]

@@tjr-007tt Probably the F one, I didn't go over the Manhattan bridge. I would have remembered that. I remember that it was tunneled under the East River, a fairly creepy route, to be honest.

[@steveclark4544]

Not sure if you were aware based on the narration I heard, but the South Ferry Loop is no longer in use. A new South Ferry station opened originally in 2012 and was subsequently flooded by Hurricane Sandy. It reopened in 2017 and now the old loop is just used for occasional TV shoots

[@TheOriginalBiRacialPrince]

I love that you love Queensboro Plaza. That was my station when I lived in Queensbridge.

[@CaseysTrains]

NY may say the G Train is "Low Demand" but historically, the G was always the line who got the short straw. Since 1998, the G experienced a boom in ridership but MTA never orders enough train cars to make the G full lenght train. Not mention there was point in time where Coney Island Yard and Jamaica Yard in queens were playing hot potato with G. The G Train is set for CBTC conversion in 2023 and once enough R211 Cars come in, the G will be turned into a proper 10-Car Train. The C Train as well.

[@W2IRT]

You won't see CBTC in service on the G until 2025 or 2026 at the very earliest. It will be started in 2023, but implementation moves at a glacial pace.

[@42luke93]

They should just give them the old C train cars.

[@CaseysTrains]

@@42luke93 Old C Trains Cars? You mean the ribbed ones who are in the process of being shipped out to be cut into soda cans? Or the ones with the yellow LCD signs? Either way you cant do that cuz you need new train to run over shared part with the F

[@42luke93]

@@CaseysTrains Was talking about the ribbed ones with the black seats. They rode like rollercoasters but still worked. But I guess new signals don’t work for them on the F from what you mean right?

[@patrickfraleyjr2819]

You forgot about how the (J) (M) and (Z) trains are 8 cars long.

[@bill6387]

I don't comment often on videos but this one was incredible!! I have ridden the subways for more than 65 years and I found your accuracy was 100%! Great job! And it's nice to see someone praising the subway rather than bash it which is a NYC past time.

[@transitcaptain]

As a transit enthusiast in New York, I was excited to see it in a new perspective

[@cecillemarie8188]

Very thorough and detailed. This speaker is highly eloquent in this tutorial. He’s like the only New York subway KZbinr who has a doctorate in subway use. Haha. I’m very impressed. 💯💯💯

[@BLACKSTA361]

The Michael Jordan of Subways At its peak on the top of the world Hopefully it can return to that once again

[@carel_dfx]

Simplify the network. Make easier to use. That will make it better

[@RMTransit]

Haha that’s a great way of describing it!

[@LUIS-ox1bv]

@@carel_dfx New York is a complex city, and the rapid system reflects this. The system is actually pretty to use when used often.

[@SteveRoberts5330]

@rmtransit - THANK YOU for this Little Christmas Gift! 🎁🎄 As a proud LIC/Queens Resident - whom also lives a block away from Queensboro Plaza (one of my favorite stations too!) - it is really impressive to have this video to send to friends and family from outside my home-city. And talk about the pride I am feeling right about now! -Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from NYC! 🎅🎁🎄🗽

[@jimpern]

You single out JFK Airport as the only airport connected to the city by transit, thanks to the Airtrain, but Newark Airport is also connected. Their Airtrain connects to a NJ Transit station where one can connect to trains going to either Newark or Penn Station. As you point out, La Guardia is the one airport with no current transit connection (except by bus), but that should change with time. It's hard to really describe the NY Subway in 23 minutes, but you did a good job. The only way to really figure it out is to use it, which I did often in my younger days.

[@benjaminsmith2287]

Superb summary. Native New Yorker and a huge fan of the NYC subway system. Good examples of showing the current subway fleet, which is mostly relatively newer trains, compared to the relics that used to run in the system. The local-express options are what helps make the system so good and the interlining. I don't know if it is the greatest system but it is a comprehensive, well-planned system and while service updates over the weekends are frustrating, there are efforts to maintain the system and move it forward.

[@void2258]

What the 2nd avenue line needs to run crosstown across 125th. Uptown crosstown is way more needed than more downtown service. They should do it before phase 3. For platform doors, the issue is the mismatched trains. The doors aren't all in the same place so it would be very hard to do without a massive fleet replacement.

[@whythehecknot5038]

Even then, we have some lines that only run one rolling stock, even if you exclude the 7 and the L. The Lexington Ave Local?

[@emjayay]

Also the close together columns at platform edges.

[@overviewstrain]

New York has the the best subway system ever! The 34th street Hudson yards station reminds me of Hollywood/Highland station in Los Angeles

[@MrLarrythehacker]

14:09 the viaduct at Smith-9th street is also the highest subway station in the world, fun fact!

[@MrLarrythehacker]

@@tortellinifettuccine even if it's not why are you so mad?

[@MrLarrythehacker]

@@tortellinifettuccine Serious question then why do you care enough to keep replying?

[@MrLarrythehacker]

@@tortellinifettuccine What a weird mindset to have. Since you're so obsessed with stuff like this why don't you show me what the world's highest rapid transit station is. I also wouldn't mind if you actually answered the question on why you care enough to keep replying even though you said you don't care.

[@MrLarrythehacker]

@@tortellinifettuccine That's exactly what I did, and I hope you did too. It doesn't even take a minute to type out a reply so I'm not sure why you're so concerned. If you don't want people replying to your comments then it's in your best interest not to give replies in the first place, and it's in your best interest not to reply to this comment. Also please read the first paragraph in the Wikipedia link that I sent you earlier before you have any further thoughts.

[@captainkeyboard1007]

Your forum about the New York City Subway is quick and short, despite of the fact that the New York City rapid transit system has a huge history. There is so much to tell about this rapid transit system than meets the eye. I am surprised that you captured some of the story in one-fell-swoop. I live in New York and the subway was my first favorite place, since I was a child.

[@s.j.5850]

Remember those overhead fans that were exposed & the vinyl weaved seats & the conductor between the trains operating the doors?

[@robertkarp6336]

Great video. I think I saw your doppelganger seated on a subway train. Kudos to getting Hoyt Schermerhorn pronounced correctly.

[@RMTransit]

Thanks for watching!

[@glamslamcam]

This was an excellent video. You did an awesome job explaining the system to anyone not familiar with the NYC Subway. Many people have different opinions about the subway & it has its ups & downs like everywhere else but one thing cannot be denied, it is a one of a kind system. There’s no system in the world like the New York City Subway and that right there makes it a class act in my book. Your video reminded me of why our subway system is as special as it is. Even with the warts & flaws, I love the NYC Subways.

[@СергейКарпенко-п1в]

А в чем её уникальность?

[@stevenroshni1228]

0:40 I was thinking about how hard it is to explain New York's to somebody intimated by public transportation. Particularly how much does knowing the history help with that.

[@BDavinci06]

A much better explainer video of the NYC Subway than the last one. Yeah it's a very large and very complex system and that's what make it interesting. And an interesting place to work in as for me. It might not be as modern or highly advanced like most other metro systems in the world but its very unique and many try to imitate or take many of its features from it. Even what you just shown there's still more about the subway. I too wish it expand to more areas where there is no transit but even if that doesn't happen due to NIBMYs or lack of funds or any other reason the NYC Subway has great room for improvement albeit very slowly.

[@s.j.5850]

I too worked for N.Y.C. Transit for 25 years. Any short comings have to be due to those at the top that make all the major decisions. The system works just the way it is, it just needs improvements in some areas. You have to be smart & creative to come up with solutions to problems as they arise, and be able to think & plan ahead.

[@vtubermasterchef9045]

This was a great explainer video RM. It would be interested to see a video on how you and other transit advocates would like to expand the system in detail.

[@RMTransit]

Thanks for watching and perhaps I’ll do a future video on that!

[@vtubermasterchef9045]

@@RMTransit Thank you RM Transit!

[@transitcaptain]

Can we appreciate how he likes to create bigger videos of previous videos on the same topic?

[@jsn683]

There's a way to bypass the $8 AirTrain fare. The easiest way is to take the E/F to Kew Gardens or the A to Lefferts Blvd, and take the Q10 bus to the Lefferts Blvd AirTrain station. There's no fare barrier there. The B15 and Q3 buses also stop there.

[@DonGivani]

I saw that on ActionKid

[@jessicanelson1486]

I grew up in JC and live in Newark. I've taken the path to the subway my entire life, and we do have a truly magnificent and historic rail system here that gets taken for granted. Sure it's dirty, crowded, there's delays or track work, when that Hackensack lift bridge goes up leaving Newark on the NWK-WTC line it is a HUGE pain in the ass but it happens so infrequently. I absolutely love trains, so when I travel to different cities, if there's a train line I take it! There's nothing like the MTA and the other rail systems connected through it and the NY/NJ region. It is massive and complex and chaotic, but it runs all the time and it keeps the cities going.

[@wallycox4579]

I grew up on Long Island and now live in the Mid-Hudson region and have always found the subway system to be intimidating when I visited NYC. I was hoping this would clear some of that up. All it did was confirm how complicated the system is.

[@emjayay]

It's really easy to navigate because it's all one system with a single fare without zones. Just read the signs at the entrance and before going through a gate because many underground stations do not have a crossover between trains going each way. If you make that mistake just ride to a station with the crossover if you don't want to pay twice.

[@tobiolopainto]

Wally Cox????? I knew him. My mother was in a play with him sometime in the 1950s....

[@MrShaunG]

I definitely didn’t know about these lines being private at first. But it makes a lot of sense now. Look how efficient they’ve been. 100 years later. Amazing work for those that started these projects.

[@shaunganley]

Grew up in New York City (Brooklyn) and you did an awesome job with this video. It's truly insane to see how the builders developed a system that was so smart, it included expansion possibilities that are still being explored to this day.

[@plumbeats4573]

As a Londoner wow it makes me crave express services here, didn't even cross my mind about the idea. Here you have to go through every fking stop no matter what

[@mitzy123]

I recently visited NYC for first time and used the subway for a week. It's extremely dirty, felt unsafe and most of it urgently needs upgrading.

[@RMTransit]

And yet it’s amazing how much service it’s able to provide!

[@vitsirosh3722]

Lived in NYC my whole life. Know the subway well. Now I live in NJ and haven't been to the city in years. Just watching for nostalgic views stirring up old memories

[@lamegaming9835]

awsome video and merry christmas everyone!

[@jameskilgusii6967]

Merry Christmas!

[@RMTransit]

And to you as well!

[@fawfulfan]

I recently had the pleasure of catching the 7 at Grand Central. I didn't know enough about the system to know that was a new extension, but I remember I remarked to my wife, this looks like it must be a fairly new station, the architecture is so different.

[@aerolynx33]

The christmas present I didn’t know I needed. Also kinda funny that areas are called “suburban” when they’re filled with condo towers or mid-density - like saying the Plateau is the suburbs of Montreal. Biggest missed chance of all time was not connecting PATH to 6 during the rebuild of WTC (and making other connections easier, that station is terrible).

[@RMTransit]

I do think the outer boroughs have plenty of places that a casual observer would describe as suburban

[@thh982]

@@RMTransitlook at average density of each borough lol they’re not suburban even though they might have suburban feeling areas

[@HallsofAsgard96]

@@RMTransit Even though it's a pet peeve of mine to call the outer boroughs "suburban" I do concur that they can sometimes look that way. This is especially true I think for parts of Queens, which look a world away from Manhattan, especially Times Square.

[@whydontiknowthat]

Those areas for the most part are not called suburban, speaking as someone who lives in mid-queens. I took a little offense to that actually lol. However, some parts deeper into queens are basically indistinguishable from other places outside city limits, such as neighborhoods like Douglaston and Little Neck. Some of the north bronx definitely feels far outside the city, such as Riverdale. But LIC, Williamsburg, East New York, Woodhaven, Flushing, and so on? Not suburban.

[@HallsofAsgard96]

@@whydontiknowthat When i mentioned Queens I was thinking of Auburndale where pretty much the only high density building is my grandmother's former nursing home, oddly enough. All these years I didn't realize that LIRR has a stop near there. But it doesn't matter much cause my family would visit from the Bronx. Kinda telling that even in the "suburban" parts u tend to still get good bus service and sidewalks

[@memohaddad]

NYC is great for transit lovers. Been living here, coming from Toronto, for last 5 months and I barely touched a portion of the system. It's fun, and great to photograph.

[@BeeBee-pl9ly]

NYC ❤ Toronto

[@rish_yt937]

He finally did it!

[@RMTransit]

I actually did it before but this version is much better :)

[@leecornwell5632]

Bring the 8 Thrid Avenue Elevated line back Clearmount Avenue Webster Ave Bronx.

[@daveo1002]

I always knew the NYC subway system was confusing. This video did a great job explaining the various lines and intricacies if it all, and I am grateful for that... even if I still find the subway a bit intimidating!

[@hsun7997]

The NYC subway would be absolutely amazing if it was as clean, frequent, punctual, and well-marked with signage and announcements as many Asian subway systems. Except it's not.

[@i_am_a_toast_of_french]

we have 24/7 service, meaning every single station is served for all hours of the day i expected many other metro systems to also have 24/7 service, but apparently yalls aren't advanced enough

[@wqerrk1901]

This is a great explainer video! Something that I think should have been touched on is how the ability for the MTA to selectively shut down lines for repair can make the system super confusing. In Manhattan, there is a lot of interlining between subway lines, meaning one issue or repair can shunt service for multiple lines. Right now (November) the service on the ACBD lines is much worse than usual because of a switch replacement at one station. Given the system’s age, it can’t really be helped. Even with these issues the system still has alternative lines that only increase travel time minimally. It’s surprisingly usable for how many issues it seems to have, even with some of the worse delays that are happening right now (except for far rockaway, who’s only connection to the rest of the city is getting cut off for repairs)

[@fonsui]

its important to note that the entire system design with very, very few exceptions was to carry people to and from manhattan from brooklyn, queens, and the bronx - this resulted in virtually no cross-town services that dont directly interact with midtown manhattan. we have a handful of shuttles and the G train, and thats about it. going across any borough, or going between any two of those three boroughs is generally only possible via bus, which is far slower and less reliable. as far as i am aware there are no plans whatsoever outside of the very-tenuous and long-term interborough express project to change this basic character of the system; the only expansions discussed are generally the extension of the existing to-and-from-manhattan concept (2nd ave subway, 7 train extension southwards), and extending further out of the city (SI rail link). the system fails to reach the norther borders of the bronx, the eastern, borders of bk and queens, and still requires bus use for many/most trips that dont start or end in manhattan.

[@henrysantos121]

Excellent documentary well done Right now the subway is not safe.but still good service.

[@JuzNyc]

I've lived in Flushing which is the last stop of the 7 train in Queens my entire life. I would love to see them somehow expand the 7 further east maybe into Bayside or south/south east towards Fresh Meadows or Jamaica. That would take a load off of all the buses that run on the tiny streets in that area of Queens.

[@eriklakeland3857]

I daydream of a new subway line that at its core mimics the Q44 bus: JFK-Jamaica-Queens Community College-Flushing-College Point-Parkchester, MNRR Penn Access, Morris Park, Bronx Park, MNRR Fordham, University Heights or Marble Hill.

[@dannielz6]

Amazing. Every major city should have 24 hour service even if its once per hour. Where I live if you miss the last Trolley at around 1130 pm, youre looking at a $100 taxi ride home.

[@Moemuntz]

As someone who lived in both nyc and Tokyo, something like the Yamanote line that would connect Brooklyn to queens, then Bronx to Manhattan in a loop would save people hours per week. What would take 2-3 hours would be cut to 30-40 minutes. The interborough express can’t come soon enough.

[@TMC_BC]

Brooklyn-Queens-The Bronx is probably enough, looping to Manhattan is a waste

[@Moemuntz]

@@TMC_BC Yes obviously but would be linked in someway to lines that go to manhattan like the 7.

[@TMC_BC]

@@Moemuntz Then that’s a good thing

[@RobertWilke]

Hate to break it to you. The interborough is dead in the water. They're going to use the right of way for a park like the High Line. When I heard this I kept thinking, who got paid off for this?

[@TMC_BC]

@@RobertWilke If they did, it’d be incredibly stupid, it’s at least going to be a light rail line, given by the town halls the MTA has been holding. Plus, it’s still used for freight trains, as one of the few ways to enter NYC.

[@michaelimbesi2314]

The regulation of the Path as a mainline railway is because it originally WAS a mainline, for-profit railway engaging in interstate commerce.

[@ahmedalaaeldin18]

If the Toronto Transit Commission wants to be like Washington D.C. (Metrorail), Chicago (CTA), and New York City (MTA) subway, the TTC should propose to continue delivering T-Series Production Set of Trains that are all ATC-Equipped from TTC Alstom, Bombardier or Kawasaki T2, T4, T5 to T6 after the TTC Bombardier T1's.

[@BeeBee-pl9ly]

TTC needs to EXPAND. It's heavy rail subway is still weak

[@Toast_Fried]

As a American, I can't really agree that New York subway is the best subway system 😅

[@joermnyc]

The original subway was from the City Hall loop, up to 42nd street/Grand Central (which actually does not run under Lexington avenue), then across to Times Square, then up Broadway to 145th street. Future expansions up Lexington, and down 7th Avenue (deemed to be less disruptive than tearing up Broadway for cut & cover) led to the “H” system, and separating them into two lines hilariously involved red and green lines of tape on the floor to guide passengers, which gave the current 4/5/6 and 1/2/3 their original colors.

[@antoniograna5743]

Fantastic job Reece! You may be from Toronto - wonderful place by the way - but you discuss the Subway with a depth of knowledge like a local! Particularly your understanding that the only way to really describe the system is with a deep knowledge of nomenclature that is a reflection of the historical and complex operations. This is also reflected in your service and line graphics. Broadway BMT? West Side IRT? You truly are a local now. Well done!

[@whereisthedollar]

Let this statement he made sink in. The NYC subway system has so much rolling stock that they must keep a number of trains running 24/7 because there just isn't enough storage space.

[@simonkemfors]

the fact that this video is longer and harder to follow than the Tokyo explainer says a lot about the New York Subway. He did go into more detail here though

[@srry198]

It really is pathetic that despite the insane growth in northern NJ over the past 20 years that ANY path extension would be shelved time and time again 😢

[@apexhunter935]

That's cause the path isn't owned by the mta but rather the port authority. And they don't really care about expanding it

[@W2IRT]

There would be fierce political opposition to extending the PATH further west into Essex County (I live there--trust me on this) or north into Bergen Co.

[@Ryan-on5on]

@@W2IRT Sadly true. Petty intraregional political rivalries often spell doom for transportation infrastructure projects. This is all the more so in a politically fragmented, hyper-competitive environment like the NYC Metro Area, where state, county, and municipal governments just avoid coming to blows even in the most civil of times and cronyism and kickbacks at every office level runs high. Look no further than former Gov. Christie's cancellation of ARC for evidence of that.

[@RobertWilke]

@@W2IRT well there's some light at the end of that tunnel for Bergen county. The HBLR currently terminates on Tonnele Ave in North Bergen in Hudson county. There's a plan to extend it into Bergen county. It will use an old line that was closed down decades ago (why that dumb move happened is a whole other story). Now as to when that's going to be awhile. Seems the push right now is to extend it south from I believe westside ave in Jersey City to RT 440 where they want to put a new residential complex. One other compromise is the Light Rail will stop at Englewood Hospital and no further. Even though the tracks extend all the way up past Tenafly. That area could really use it since there are no major highways close to these communities.

[@thebigphilbowski]

The loop at South Ferry is mental. I'm so glad it's closed now.

[@BrennanZeigler]

I went to NYC in 2019 and I was riding on this legendary subway a lot. What really impressed me was despite being such a large complex system, it was still very easy and straightforward to use. I hope to go to NYC again very soon

[@steveclark4544]

A little history lesson for you: The original IRT Subway that opened in 1904 ran from the City Hall Loop (Closed in 1945) up Lexington Avenue to 42nd St at Grand Central where it turned west and ran under 42nd to Times Square and then north under 7th Avenue/Broadway to terminate at 145st. After the full 7th and Lexington lines were completed they created the Shuttle from the path of the original line, hence the curves at the end of the platform at Times Square. Also, the original South Ferry Loop station is permanently closed since 2017.

[@de-fault_de-fault]

“I’ve always quite liked the path” -anyone who doesn’t use it daily It certainly has its pluses, but the PA has maddeningly both improved signaling to allow 3-5 minute headways and also slashed non-rush hour service to 20 minute headways during middays and weekends, and made the late-night service pattern (JSQ-HOB-33 and NWK/WTC only) permanent on weekends.

[@shanekeenaNYC]

Look up the Regional Plan Association's plans to merge the NJT system with LIRR and Metro-North Railroad into a singular system called the Trans-Regional Express. I think something like that would really help the transportation in New York City to leapfrog many other cities.

[@de-fault_de-fault]

@@shanekeenaNYC I’m completely obsessed with t-rex, I preach about it to anyone who will listen (and some who won’t).

[@shanekeenaNYC]

@@de-fault_de-fault I am a full-bore Robert Moses type who loves automobile transportation, and I think the Trans-Regional express is an undoubtable solution to tons of overhead issues and efficiency problems. It would leapfrog New York over tons of other cities domestically and definitely put it in a much better spot internationally. I will give the mass transit folks that, if they give me the cancelled Robert Moses highways. Let's layer it up, baby!

[@shadowscrap666]

Just coming back from Japan. Their train system is well taken care of and has the same accessibility. The one downside is that the trains do stop right as midnight approaches and there are less cars.

[@Aviation12]

Excellent explainer. It's hard to do a good explained video on the subway and you aced it bravo. That said, I think you missed one key thing that makes the subway so useful when compared to subways in other cities (take DC Metro), is that it's so shallow--this means that oftentimes you only need to go down one flight of stairs and you're at the platform! Boom, no 2 minute travel to get to the platform and then two minute travel up when you get to your destination. That's something that annoyed me a little bit about some systems like london, it seems like your travel time will always just be longer. The local stations here really are for quick easy local service. That makes the subway just so much more convenient than a lot of other, more "modern" systems. Also, fun fact that Smith-9th st is not only the highest point on the system, but the highest subway station anywhere in the world!

[@RMTransit]

I tried to include at least a mention of the cut and cover!

[@Hal10034]

Can new lines ever be built using cut and cover again? It certainly has advantages compared with tunnelling and mining deep stations.

[@Aviation12]

@@Hal10034 sure they can, that's relatively normal in certain parts of the world (like sweden). In fact, parts of SAS are built with CNC. It's lower cost too, the MTA just prefers to engage in defensive design to avoid dealing with ConEd, which is an admittedly poor reason.

[@RailRide]

@@Aviation12 Not to mention the tangled mess of underground infrastructure (much of it unmapped and undocumented) that was put in after the initial cut+cover tunnels were built. It has been and still will be a maddening puzzle just to construct stations on lines otherwise built with TBM's.

[@Ponchoed]

Cut and cover is so much better... cheaper and faster to build but also so many more entries to the stations from street level. Some of these new subway tunnels with TBM are so awful... super deep with one point of entry on one side of the street.

[@plaguedroses7637]

For all the dirt, grimes,delays, hot and muggy in summer, The City would literally not work without the subway. We’d be a Houston level of unwalkable hell

[@ShaunakG]

Did not realize how little of the system is above grade. I visited NYC for the first time earlier this year, and was staying in Long Island City, with the closest stations being on the 7 line and E/M lines at Court Square / Court Sq-23rd St (technically not the same station). I used the 7 train a lot depending on where I was returning from in Manhattan, it has a great view of the skyline when entering/exiting the bridge on Queens side of things. Coming from Stockholm, which has an impressively clean and technically modern system, NYC Subway definitely has a lot to improve cosmetically, however, the amount of services and the giant network size was astounding. Some of the "connected" stations definitely felt like they were created as an add-on, like the giant transferway between Times Square and Bryant Park stations, but such problems exist to some degree on other systems as well (in Stockholm, the transfer between T-Centralen (Metro) and Centralstation (Mainline Rail), or between Odenplan (Metro) and Stockholm Odenplan (Commuter Rail) are similarly messy depending on which entrance/exit). The fact that I could get from anywhere to anywhere, any time of the day a cherry on top. In Stockholm, the metro runs 24x7 only on the weekends, and we often crib about it if returning home late on a weekday, when it closes down around 1:30AM. I think a lot of people dont realize how big of a deal 24x7 service is till you use it regularly. The only annoyance I faced was with the Metrocard system - specifically on the Airtrain, where OMNY does not exist yet. The metrocard machines did not accept any of my european credit or debit cards (tried visa, Mastercard and Amex), whereas the cards worked fine everywhere else, including OMNY.

[@jmg8246]

FYI - Court Square (7 & G) & Court Square-23rd street (E & M) are physically connected. At one point(I think 10 years ago) you have to exit the station for transfer...

[@ShaunakG]

@@jmg8246 Yep, there's a long transfer path between those two, but it feels more like the Times Square and Bryant Park scenario - i.e. connected stations, but not the same station. I just chose to walk at ground level when exiting either of the stations, since I never really transferred at that station (just going in and out when heading to/from Manhattan).

[@snickersimsocute2438]

The transfer between Bryant park and Times Square is a new addition. It’s helpful for people who work in the area, as it’s a lot easier sometimes to walk crosstown underground. You can now walk from 8th Avenue to the 5th avenue exit, without having to deal with the tourist traffic.

[@BeeBee-pl9ly]

You're in luck. OMNY is on the air train now.

[@jealousofmypuddin]

Such a complex system. It doesn’t help I’ve had a reoccurring dream of getting lost on the subway when eventually visiting NYC. 😬

[@emjayay]

You can't get lost in the NYC subway. No matter where you are you are in the subway, and can get anywhere else with no extra fare. And the maps are free and also inside every car.

[@ninofromkitchennightmares1497]

@@emjayay It’s when you get on the bus you can get lost

[@alexthemtaandr211weatherfa2]

The nyc subway is the greatest subway in global terms but in North America is,but it’s in the top ten most interesting metro systems in the world

[@RMTransit]

In global terms, when you consider, the most systems are not known as subways :-)

[@Racko.]

It's the Greatest system in the world imo

[@anonymous3738]

One of the best parts about the system is that different routes are possible due to various track layouts and connections. But I wish the service patterns were simpler to minimize confusion and also de-interlined as much as possible to increase train capacity.

[@chips_n_dip4971]

my god, he's done it.

[@RMTransit]

That I have!

[@itsacorporatething]

Would love an explainer of the trains themselves, timing, acceleration, signaling, safety, maintenance etc. Like I’ve heard it uses archaic signaling technology, and old rolling stock which hinders efforts to improve service.

[@benjaminsmith2287]

No, the rolling stock is not that old. A lot of lines have the R142, R143, R162 (especially) and some have the R179 and now the brand new R211. The old rolling stock has been mostly retired. The R142s were introduced around 2000 so while not new, that's not that old for subways. Every car came out of the factory air-conditioned. It may not work well or at all in some cars, but in most it does. The only lines you get the old trains from the mid 1970s through mid 1980s are the 1, 3, 6, D, N, Q, W. That means the 2, 4, 5, 7, E, F, ,G, J, L, M, R,, Z are all the "newer" trains. And A and C are having their old trains replaced and run a mix of new (the add has the brand new R211) and the next most recent R179. So, no, the rolling stock overall isn't that old. The acceleration is fine. The maintenance is better than people give credit for. A number of stations have been refurbished and new mosaics added to them. Yes, some stations are falling apart but it's being addressed. Signalling, tracks, it's all very old and for years had deferred maintenance but all of this is being addressed. As the video stated, CBTC is being placed on some lines and it's still a bit away but it's addressing the archaic signalling.

[@george7red]

Great piece. Would love to see more on NY, whether it be the subway or the various ancillary lines and services. A piece on the massive size of NYs bus network and oddities that locals love like SBS and Express Busses, the incredibly successful integration of the Citibike system, services like the LIRR, NJ transit and Amtrack connections into the city, etc etc there's a goldmine of content you can do about NY