Beginner's Guide to the New York Subway

[enderminh]

Hey fellow straphangers,

 

    A while ago, I've written an Absolute Beginner's Guide to the New York Subway that is mainly geared towards tourists and visitors to New York. I have turned this into a website this weekend complete with the book's entire content, pictures and directions from the airport. Feel free to use this to share with your many New York visitors:

 

   www.nycsubwayguide.com

 

Cheers,

Minh T. Nguyen.

[P3F]

Well-designed and simple to understand guide. I would recommend this to anyone visiting NYC.

[Sparen of Iria]

Surprise surprise dead links since the MTA has changed stuff. It's the MTA after all.

 

http://web.mta.info/accessibility/stations.html

 

^Above brings up a 404

[nostalgia]

It should be explained at the beginning that the map shows weekday service. Don't look for the express or the on the weekend.

 

Fares will change in March.

 

Metrocards cost $1 at MTA vending machines, not if you buy them at stores.

[P3F]

Oh and you should add the as a way to get to JFK Airport. (You're only helping overcrowd the by omitting the there.)

[Eric B]

Pretty good (though having the   next to the and as "express" makes it look like it's express in Manhattan).

[S78 via Hylan]

I like it. It's easy to understand.

[MTA Dude]

Oh and you should add the as a way to get to JFK Airport. (You're only helping overcrowd the by omitting the there.)

 

That's the thing! In the 8th Avenue stations, from what I've seen, it says something about taking the to Sutphin Blvd for the AirTrain. I have not seen a single time where they talk about the . The isn't even that crowded. Remove the signs saying that the connects to AirTrain and say that the does. That way, we can balance some of the loads on the and .

[bobtehpanda]

That's the thing! In the 8th Avenue stations, from what I've seen, it says something about taking the to Sutphin Blvd for the AirTrain. I have not seen a single time where they talk about the . The isn't even that crowded. Remove the signs saying that the connects to AirTrain and say that the does. That way, we can balance some of the loads on the and .

 

The is generally faster for AirTrain purposes, particularly from Midtown, and the Jamaica station is also significantly better equipped for handling large amounts of people than Howard Beach is. You'd also end up confusing the hell out of tourists, since they connect to JFK in opposite directions, and more confusion is generally worse. We already have tourists on the who wind up at Lefferts trying to get to the AirTrain...

[RollOver]

That's the thing! In the 8th Avenue stations, from what I've seen, it says something about taking the to Sutphin Blvd for the AirTrain. I have not seen a single time where they talk about the . The isn't even that crowded. Remove the signs saying that the connects to AirTrain and say that the does. That way, we can balance some of the loads on the and .

 

Why would anybody on 8th Avenue use the instead of the (when going to JFK)? Like Bob said, the generally runs less frequently than the (outside of rush hours) and it alternates between Lefferts Blvd and Far Rockaway, both branches of which have no more than at most 15-20 minute headways all day long. So again, why take the risk? The goes to Brooklyn first, then Queens. Meanwhile, the goes straight into Queens from Manhattan, so yes, the will always be generally faster with short wating time than with the .

 

This isn't about crowding. It's about taking the generally easier/short way under a limited time frame. And much to my dismay, like Bob said, riders don't even bother paying any attention to which train is going to JFK exactly. Hell, they even have the signs posted and yet nobody reads them. Sad, but true. Hence why most other members in this forum support the heading out to Lefferts and the heading to Howard Beach/Far Rockaway.

[Eric B]

Why would anybody on 8th Avenue use the instead of the (when going to JFK)? Like Bob said, the generally runs less frequently than the (outside of rush hours) and it alternates between Lefferts Blvd and Far Rockaway, both branches of which have no more than at most 15-20 minute headways all day long. So again, why take the risk? The goes to Brooklyn first, then Queens. Meanwhile, the goes straight into Queens from Manhattan, so yes, the will always be generally faster with short wating time than with the .

 

This isn't about crowding. It's about taking the generally easier/short way under a limited time frame. And much to my dismay, like Bob said, riders don't even bother paying any attention to which train is going to JFK exactly. Hell, they even have the signs posted and yet nobody reads them. Sad, but true. Hence why most other members in this forum support the heading out to Lefferts and the heading to Howard Beach/Far Rockaway.

One thing, however, is that if you're coming from downtown, the Bklyn route is more direct, and also less prone to delays, with all the stuff that goes on in the busy Midtown and Queens corridor.

[RollOver]

One thing, however, is that if you're coming from downtown, the Bklyn route is more direct, and also less prone to delays, with all the stuff that goes on in the busy Midtown and Queens corridor.

 

If you happen to catch an to the Rocks, then you're in luck. If not, then you're gonna end up waiting longer while a bunch of Jamaica-bound 's fly pass you.

[P3F]

If you happen to catch an to the Rocks, then you're in luck. If not, then you're gonna end up waiting longer while a bunch of Jamaica-bound 's fly pass you.

You're making it seem much worse than it really is. The is also express (surprise surprise) and tends to be less crowded than the especially during rush hours.

 

Also, catching a Rockaways bound train isn't that much of a problem. If the sign says Lefferts Blvd, just wait for the next one... It's not like the headway is that much.

 

I would recommend the to people who have lots of luggage and people who would prefer sitting on a less crowded train.

 

I assume people from Uptown and Midtown take the since there it actually might be faster.

[Brighton Express]

That's the thing! In the 8th Avenue stations, from what I've seen, it says something about taking the to Sutphin Blvd for the AirTrain. I have not seen a single time where they talk about the . The isn't even that crowded. Remove the signs saying that the connects to AirTrain and say that the does. That way, we can balance some of the loads on the and .

 

The isn't even that crowded? Have you been to Rockaway Boulevard during rush hour?

[bobtehpanda]

You're making it seem much worse than it really is. The is also express (surprise surprise) and tends to be less crowded than the especially during rush hours.

 

Also, catching a Rockaways bound train isn't that much of a problem. If the sign says Lefferts Blvd, just wait for the next one... It's not like the headway is that much.

 

I would recommend the to people who have lots of luggage and people who would prefer sitting on a less crowded train.

 

I assume people from Uptown and Midtown take the since there it actually might be faster.

 

As someone who had to commute to Chambers St/WTC, waiting for an is generally more of a pain in the ass than getting a fairly frequent (which is why I hate Chambers St-WTC for the weird setup).

 

Keep in mind that a good portion of the tourists using Kennedy are foreign (since LaGuardia handles a huge chunk of the domestic passengers), who may not come from a country where English is an official language, or even a country that does not use the Latin alphabet. It's significantly less confusing to have just one train marked as the airport train for this reason (and that's a load of BS anyways, since I definitely remember seeing one sign at 14 St saying the could also be taken to the airport.)

 

Think about it this way - if both the downtown and uptown signs at a station say with an airport symbol, how confusing is that going to be for the out-of-town traveler? How are they supposed to immediately assume that one train goes uptown to the airport, but a different train goes downtown to the airport?

[Union Tpke]

I always see tourists on the E!

[Q113 LTD]

It would be nice if they put  stickers on the side of the Far Rock and Rockaway Pk trains, to let people know this train also takes you to the airport too, connecting to the airtrain . Whenever I am on the ,  I always tell them that "this train takes you to the airport and I will let you know when your near."

[P3F]

It would be nice if they put  stickers on the side of the Far Rock and Rockaway Pk trains, to let people know this train also takes you to the airport too, connecting to the airtrain . Whenever I am on the ,  I always tell them that "this train takes you to the airport and I will let you know when your near."

Or even just add it to what the LCD on the side of the train shows. A sideways plane to be displayed as the first character.

[CenSin]

The map is wrong. The is fully operational now.

[Lance]

Or even just add it to what the LCD on the side of the train shows. A sideways plane to be displayed as the first character.

Some of the LCD readings for the 46s have "via JFK AIRPORT" on them when programmed for Far Rockaway/Rockaway Park routes.

[RollOver]

You're making it seem much worse than it really is. The is also express (surprise surprise) and tends to be less crowded than the especially during rush hours.

 

Also, catching a Rockaways bound train isn't that much of a problem. If the sign says Lefferts Blvd, just wait for the next one... It's not like the headway is that much.

 

I would recommend the to people who have lots of luggage and people who would prefer sitting on a less crowded train.

 

I assume people from Uptown and Midtown take the since there it actually might be faster.

 

You obviously haven't ridden the to experience this first-hand. And are you also aware that the gets just as crowded compared to the during rush hour? I've ridden the countless times and none of the trains I've boarded are "less crowded" during the PM rush from Manhattan to Queens via Brooklyn. In fact, the is actually one of the fewer lines where I can't even get a seat during the rush.

 

If you prefer to wait 15-20+ minutes or so for a peninsula-bound (while about five Jamaica-bound trains pass you), though luck.

[bobtehpanda]

It would be nice if they put  stickers on the side of the Far Rock and Rockaway Pk trains, to let people know this train also takes you to the airport too, connecting to the airtrain . Whenever I am on the ,  I always tell them that "this train takes you to the airport and I will let you know when your near."

 

So we should artificially limit which sets can go to which terminals by slapping stickers on them that aren't easily removable while in service...

[Q113 LTD]

You obviously haven't ridden the to experience this first-hand. And are you also aware that the gets just as crowded compared to the during rush hour? I've ridden the countless times and none of the trains I've boarded are "less crowded" during the PM rush from Manhattan to Queens via Brooklyn. In fact, the is actually one of the fewer lines where I can't even get a seat during the rush.

 

If you prefer to wait 15-20+ minutes or so for a peninsula-bound (while about five Jamaica-bound trains pass you), though luck.

During pm rush, I never get a seat until Broadway Junction.

[ttcsubwayfan]

In fact, the is actually one of the fewer lines where I can't even get a seat during the rush.

 

I doubt any train will allow you to get a seat if you board it during the rush hours.

 

Maybe the Franklin or Rockaway Shuttles, but I've never been on them during the rush hours, so I can't know for sure.

[RollOver]

I doubt any train will allow you to get a seat if you board it during the rush hours.

 

Maybe the Franklin or Rockaway Shuttles, but I've never been on them during the rush hours, so I can't know for sure.

 

It just depends on where you're coming from (and going to) exactly and it also depends on the passengers themselves as well, including the most crowded point on the line.