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Getting Around New York City
Photo by Max Luca Bravo | Unsplash
How to get around New York?
Well, let’s first speak about cars. Driving in New York is considered by many tourists as a big challenge. Traffic is often congested, streets can be narrow and parking is both difficult to find and expensive, without mentioning the tolls. So, if you are going to New York and plan to stay within the city you might be interested in public transportation. Here they are.
MTA Subway
If you plan on staying within NYC, the subway is probably going to be the most convenient option for you. Subways in NYC are operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). These subways operate 24H a day, and can take you pretty much everywhere around NYC including the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn. You can also get to Staten Island via subway, but you will need to cut your route at some point to take the Staten Island Ferry.
How to take the New York Subway?
Taking the NYC subway is really simple. Find the subway station entrance. Pay using one of the accepted payment methods. Identify where you want to go and then get to the correct platform. Get in the subway and wait for your exit.
Operating Hours of NYC Subway
​The New York City subway is operating 24H a day. However, not all lanes are operated at all times. During late nights (11:00pm to 5:00am) some lines are going to be closed and others changed. You should take that into consideration if you plan on moving around during these hours. You can take a look at MTA’s website which provides real time information.
MTA Buses
Like all cities, NYC has buses. These can take you to a lot of different places around the city, even areas where the subways cannot go. In fact, you may often need to mix subway and buses. There are four different types of Buses.
Local Buses
The most classical bus types. Will stop at every stop along the route. The fare for this bus type can be paid with OMNY, MetroCard or exact change in coins. You can pay at the farebox in the bus.
Select Bus Service (SBS) buses
SBS makes fewer stops and travels on priority routes, making them faster than Local Buses. The fare for this bus type can be paid with OMNY, MetroCard or exact change in coins. Contrarily to other bus types, you will need to pay at ticket kiosks on the sidewalk.
Limited (LTD) buses
These look like local buses but make fewer stops. The fare for this bus type can be paid with OMNY, MetroCard or exact change in coins. You can pay at the farebox in the bus.
Express buses
These look like coach buses. They only run between boroughs during specific times. It can be a useful option if you want to get to very specific places like the airport. Nonetheless, the specificity of time, and destinations can be a bit inconvenient if you come to visit. The fare for this bus type can be paid with OMNY or MetroCard. You can pay at the farebox in the bus.
Recognizing & Boarding Your Bus
Most bus stops are marked with a sign with the route number. Recognizing each of these buses should not be complicated. The bus type will appear at the front of the bus.
Taking The Bus At Night
Like the subway, buses operate 24H a day. However, the line may change slightly at night. You should also be aware that from 10:00pm to 5:00am, you can ask the bus operator to let you off at locations that are not normally bus stops. They will find a safe spot to leave you along the route. This is only possible on local bus routes and express buses on their non-express segments.
How to pay for your bus or subway fare?
Fares
The fare for most riders on the subway or buses is $2.90. This does not include the Express buses which cost $7. MTA also offers reduced fare for eligible customers. This reduced fare gives you 50% on subway and bus tickets at all times, and the same discount for express buses, except during weekdays peak periods. For more details, you can visit this website.
Payment Methods
MetroCards
MetroCards are the most basic way of paying for your ride. You can use them on MTA transport, PATH, AirTrain JFK, NICE, Bee-Line and Roosevelt Island Tram. However, be aware that these cards will soon disappear. MTA announced that the sale of the following will stop after December 31, 2025, and will continue to be accepted only into 2026. There are different types of MetroCard:
Pay-Per-Ride
You put money on your card and then use it as you need. A new card costs $1 plus a $5.80 minimum loading for a new card. That card can also be used for the time related pass which we will address right now.
7-Day or 30-Day Unlimited
With this, you will get unlimited swipes for the time you pay either 7-day for $34 or 30-day for $132. You cannot share the card with others. For express bus, you will need to have the 7-day Unlimited Express Bus Plus which costs $64.
Single Ride
These are available only at the large vending machines, and are not refillable. They can be a good option if you only plan to make only one trip. It costs $3.25.
Reduced Fare
The Reduced-Fare MetroCard is being replaced by Reduced-Fare OMNY (see below).
MetroCards can be bought at local retailers (see locations on MTA website), vending machine in subway stations or at mobile sales vehicles.
OMNY
OMNY cards are kind of the same as MetroCard. They offer the possibility to pay with the tap and go system (described below). They cost $1 with a required minimum load of $1. You can also buy a single ride ticket for $3.25. Both are available at OMNY vending machines which are progressively being made available as OMNY replaces the MetroCard. OMNY also offers reduced fares.
Tap & Go
That may probably be the easiest of all options. Tap and go is simple, when you go for your ride you scan either your debit/credit card, electronic device or OMNY card, at the farebox, and that’s it. This method offers several advantages like fare capping or one free transfer on a same trip. Fare capping means that from your first payment, the system will not allow you to pay more than $34 in a week. However, you need to pay with the same device each time to benefit from that. Fare capping does not apply to Express buses.
Ferries
New York City being in a bay right next to the ocean, ferries can also be a very useful public transit method. NYC Ferry is operated by Hornblower Cruises and operates six main routes and one seasonal route connecting the ferry piers of NYC. These routes include:
Main Routes:
East River (ER)
Hunter's Point South - (5 Stop) - Wall Street
~50min
South Brooklyn (SB)
Bay Ridge - (6 Stop) - Corlears Hook
~50min
Rockaway (RW)
Rockaway - (1 Stop) - Wall Street
~60min
Astoria (AST)
East 90th Street - (5 Stop) - Wall Street
~50min
St. George (SG)
Midtown West/ Pier 79 - (1 Stop) - St. George
~40min
Soundview (SV)
Throgs Neck/Ferry Point Park - (4 Stop) - Wall Street
~60min
Seasonal Routes:
These two routes are open for a limited time or seasonal. We encourage you to check NYC Ferry’s website for up to date information.
Rockaway Rocket (RR)
Long Island City - (1 Stop) - Rockaway
~80min
​Governors Island Shuttle (GI)
Wall Street - Governors Island
~10min
Paying for NYC Ferry
You can either buy your ferry tickets on the NYC Ferry App and at Ticket Vending Machines that can be found on the NYC Ferry landings. The prices are:
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$4.50 for a One-way ticket.
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$29.00 for a 10-Trip Pass.
Children under the height of 44 inches (111.8cm) can ride for free when accompanied by an adult.
NYC Ferry also offers the Ferry Discount and Student Discount programs. You can visit the following website for more information about that.
Be sure to check the schedules of the Ferries before you take your tickets!
