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Riding the subway

Our subway system is the largest and busiest in North America. There are 472 stations on 25 routes, spread along 665 miles of track. The subway operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Riding the subway is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to get around the city. For most riders, the subway fare is $2.90.   Reduced fares are available for people 65 and older, people with disabilities, and low-income New Yorkers.   Learn more about fares.

Before you go, check service status on our live subway map , which includes a filter for accessible stations.

Before you go

Download the MTA app for trip planning, maps, arrival times, real-time service status, station information, and more.

Paying the subway fare

OMNY, our contactless fare payment system, is available at every subway station.

Tap your contactless credit or debit card, mobile device, or OMNY card at the OMNY reader on the turnstile. It doesn’t matter which way the card or device is facing. When the reader shows GO, proceed through the turnstile.

Using a MetroCard

Hold the card so the black magnetic strip is facing you and on the bottom of the card. (The clipped corner should be on the upper right.) Swipe your card through the reader at a medium speed, similar to how you would swipe a credit card in a credit card reader. When the turnstile screen says GO, proceed through the turnstile.

Note: You cannot use an unlimited MetroCard within 18 minutes of swiping it.

Pay for multiple people: Up to four riders can use the same payment method. Tap OMNY or swipe a pay-per-ride MetroCard as each person enters.

At the subway station

Get the right train.

Subways in New York are identified by their letters or numbers. Colors indicate which Manhattan "trunk line" a train serves. The  ​ ​ ​  trains run along 8th Avenue, for example. The colors do not indicate similar service. The  ​  and  ​  each run on 6th Avenue, but only share five stops in common.

Know which train you're going to ride, and look for signs on the platform indicating where that train stops.

Watch for service notices, and listen for announcements in the station.

Go the right way

In Manhattan, "Downtown" means south and "Uptown" means north, so you will often see signs like "Uptown & The Bronx" or "Downtown & Brooklyn." The train itself will not say these things. Instead, when the train arrives, its destination will be indicated by signage along the side of the train. 

Once you get on the train, announcements may sound different. A "Manhattan-bound"  ​  in Brooklyn still will go to the Bronx. It will become "Bronx-bound" once it gets to Manhattan, then "Woodlawn-Jerome Avenue-bound" in the Bronx.

Be safe in the station

Stand back from the platform edge , especially when trains are entering and leaving the station.

Don’t go onto the tracks for any reason.  If you drop something on the tracks, leave it and let an MTA employee know. We’ll do our best to help retrieve it.

If there is no designated area, board at the center of the train when traveling with a personal mobility device or stroller.  The conductor is usually at the center of the train, making it easier to get attention in case of problem.

If you need help, ask a station agent or use a blue Help Point intercom. Help Points have a red button for emergency use and a green button for information.

On the train

Let others exit the train before you board. Stand to the side of the doors before boarding, not in front of them.

Move to the center of the car. It makes service faster for everyone.

Don’t hold train doors open. It delays service for everyone.

Leave accessible seats open for people who need them.  

Hold on when the train is moving.

Keep bags and personal items where you can see them.

Make room for others. Taking more than one seat is against subway rules.

Exiting trains and navigating stations

Be sure you have all your belongings with you.  We do have a lost and found , but would rather not see you there.

Fold strollers and carry children on stairs and escalators. Use elevators when possible.

Ask any MTA employee for help when you need it. You can also use the Help Point intercom on station platforms.

What to do if...

Talk to an MTA employee, dial 511, use our trip planner , or download the MTA app .

Never go onto subway tracks.

Go to the station agent for help. You will not have to pay another fare to re-enter the system.

Stay on the train until you reach a station where you can transfer to a train going in the opposite direction. Take that train back to the stop you missed.

If you need help, ask an MTA employee.

If you're still in the subway, go to a station agent for help.

If not, you can file a claim with the MTA Lost & Found . Here are step-by-step instructions for what to do if you lost a personal item on the subway.

If you lost a MetroCard, see our instructions specifically for that.

Tell an MTA employee or police officer, use a Help Point intercom, or call 911 immediately.

Read more about what to do if you see a hate crime .

Things you can and can’t bring on the subway

Don’t travel with more than you can carry on your own, and avoid rush hour if you’re transporting something big. Make space for other riders and don’t block doors, stairs, or passageways.

This is not a comprehensive list of what you are and are not allowed to bring on the subway. Find all details in our Rules of Conduct.

You can bring...

Personal mobility devices. Wheelchairs, canes, walkers, scooters and the like are allowed at all times.

Dogs and other animals. They must be in a bag or other container and carried in a way that doesn’t annoy other riders. Service animals and working animals with law enforcement agencies are allowed at all times.

Bikes. Avoid rush hour.

Strollers. Strollers are allowed as long as you’re using them to transport children.

Boxes, packages, and small furniture. Don’t transport large items during rush hour.

You can’t bring...

Motorcycles and other motorized vehicles. Personal mobility devices like motorized scooters are allowed, however.

Large wheeled carts. Carts that are larger than 30 inches in length or width are not allowed.

Anything that is so long it sticks out of a subway window or door.

Items that could be a hazard, interfere with MTA operations, or block traffic. Your safety is our biggest priority.

Accessible travel

On the subway.

Read our guide to navigating trains and stations with mobility aids and other assistive tools.

With Access-A-Ride, our paratransit service

If you have a disability that prevents you from using the subway or bus, you might be eligible for our paratransit service.

More accessibility resources

More tips for traveling, subway maps.

nysubway.com

New York City Subway System

New York City Subway Trip Planner

Plan your nyc trip with the new york subway route and trip planners.

You will need a subway trip planner to get around NYC on public transportation as it can be pretty complicated for the uninitiated. There are a number of tools out there to help you navigate and get you to your destination. You may expect that locals would never need a subway trip planner, but that’s not true because there are often train delays and reroutes on lines that mean that even locals have to use alternative subway and bus routes to get to their destination on time.

Online New York Subway Trip Planner and Navigation Tools :

• MTA Trip Planner Website Tool is a simple to use web service that allows you to plan all your impending trips from anywhere that is web connected. You can choose the time and date of travel and the site will give you a number of options to choose from. This service allows you to type in exact addresses, not just subway stations. The site will give you all the directions you need for navigating the bus, train and subway – allowing you to meticulously plan your trip. This is not a real time service, it gives you the route based on the scheduled subway train times – so it is necessary to check that the train is actually running.
• Google Transit is another easy to use website with similar functions to the MTA website. Both sites will display scheduled arrival and departure times of the trains allowing you to make plans with ease. The site has an “options” function that will allow you to customize your travel plan to your specific needs ie less walking, wheelchair accessible, best routes, fewer transfers etc.. Similar options are available on the MTA web site, however google maps has far more choices for travel options, but the MTA updates their website before google does.

There used to be online subway trip planner navigation tool called Hopstop, but Apple Inc. purchased the service in 2013 and rolled that technology into the iPhone Maps app (see below), before closing it down for good in October 2015.

Free Smartphone Mobile Apps available on iTunes and Google Play

As well as the online options there are also many free and paid apps for smartphones. The advantage to all the apps is that they can work offline, so when you are in the tunnel and you lose cell or wi-fi signal, they will still work providing you with information. The following apps will successfully guide you through the city. There is no official MTA app for navigating the subway system.

• New York Subway MTA App is a free App created by Mapway, a global company that provides public transportation apps for cities around the world. It is easy to use and that allows you to plan a trip by selecting a station from a drop down menu that also shows nearby or recently visited stations. The results can be viewed in a summary or a map form. The app also has MTA travel alerts and a New York city Guide.
• NYC Transit App Created by Transit Now Ltd, this app lets you select your departure and arrival destination from a map and will give clear basic maps and a trip planner that will provide you detailed train arrival times and real time information on delays and scheduled work.
• Maps On the iPhone  This App by Apple Inc. only works on the iPhone and allows you to select a destination from the map and will give options for how to travel there, selecting the trains options will give you information on the subway lines. This incorporates the original hopstop data.

Paid Smartphone Apps available on iTunes and Google Play:

Surprisingly enough, there are still paid smartphone apps out there and one of them is a New York Subway route planner and map:

NYC Subway 24-hour Kickmap This app costs $2.99 and is very similar to the other apps with the main difference being you can plan your travel without the distraction of advertisements. Another plus for this paid app is the function that shows the names of the neighborhoods which can be very helpful for visitors trying to maneuver the busy NYC subway system.

Conclusion: Our Top Picks For New York Subway Trip Planner and  Navigation Tools :

As no one yet makes a subway trip planner that works in real-time (i.e. one that reroutes you based on service delays just like a car navigator), you can only use a service that just works based on the train schedule.

For someone planning a trip in advance with no constraints for time, either one of the online tools listed above would be a good option. As for the mobile apps it’s probably not necessary to pay to purchase an app unless the pop up advertisements are a major concern.

The free NYC Transit app  by Transit Now Ltd. gives the best updates to show when your scheduled bus/train will arrive. It also tells you precisely how far/how long to walk and when the train is arriving. This app shows you nearby stops that you have used recently, just in case you need to run another errand while you are waiting for the service to arrive.

• Subway Train Service Guide →