Mass transit is the next-best means of transportation if you are unable to walk to your destination. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) operates MTA New York City Transit, the city’s rail and bus system. It runs twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and is a cheap, environmentally friendly, and wonderful way to see the sights throughout the five boroughs.
Passengers with visual, hearing and mobility impairments can board any public transportation vehicle, and parts of the underground system are also accessible. Consult the MTA’s accessibility guide and list of accessible subway stations for more details. See our article on accessible transport in NYC for more information.
Buying a MetroCard is the first step to travelling by tube and bus; you must load a minimum of $5.50 onto the card at first purchase, not including the card fee ($1). You can do this at tube stations using either automated machines (large machines only; small machines do not accept cash) or booth attendants (cash only). Keep your existing card and top it off to avoid paying a new card fee.
One underground or local bus ride costs $2.75 when using a pay-per-ride MetroCard. A trip on the Express Bus costs $6.75. A pay-per-ride card, an unlimited MetroCard, or a SingleRide card are the three options available to users. The latter costs $3 (cash only), is available only at vending machines, and must be used for a bus or subway ride (it is possible to transfer from bus to bus, but not from subway to bus) within two hours of purchase. Users of an unlimited MetroCard are permitted unlimited rides during a predetermined time period; options include cards with durations of seven or thirty days ($33 and $127, respectively). For riders who are 65 years of age or older, or who are disabled, the MTA offers a 50% discount (you must apply for this Reduced-Fare MetroCard, which bears your name and picture, and be approved to receive it), as well as a 5% “bonus” credit for purchases of $5.50 or more on pay-per-ride cards. Additionally, children under 2 can ride express buses for free if they sit on the lap of an accompanying adult, and up to three children with a maximum height of 44 inches each can board for free when they are travelling with a fare-paying adult. Visit mta.info for the most recent details on MetroCard prices.
Subways
The underground is the simplest and fastest way to get around NYC. Using the underground while visiting New York is a great way to blend in with the locals.
Fast facts: You can use the system throughout the city and make as many transfers to other tube lines as you need for $2.75 (the cost of a single ride when using a pay-per-ride MetroCard). This is provided that you do not exit through a turnstile.
• Within two hours of using your pay-per-ride MetroCard, you can switch from the subway to a local bus or vice versa (all transfers are free with an Unlimited Ride MetroCard, but it cannot be used on an express bus or at the same subway station for at least 18 minutes).
• On local lines, tube stations on the same line are typically 8 to 10 blocks apart (stops on express trains are typically further apart).
• Staten Island is not served by the tube. Take a bus or the free Staten Island Ferry to get there. The MTA Staten Island Railway runs between the Tottenville ferry dock and St. George ferry dock, stopping in a number of communities along the western edge of the borough and connecting to numerous buses along the way.