History UsefulNotes / NewYorkCitySubway

* Disability-rights groups have criticized and sued the MTA for a lack of accessibility. Although buses are designed to be wheelchair-friendly, the older subway stops are not as they were built before 1990, the year which the Americans with Disabilities Act became law, though the MTA is rectifying this by adding elevators in the newly constructed stations, and stops that have high traffic and/or are geographically important to warrant an elevator.
* As they were originally built without HVAC systems, platforms on the older subway stops can get unbearable and muggy during heat waves, as temperatures can be 20 degrees hotter than standing outside, sometimes exceeding 100 degrees.
* The PA systems are either too quiet, garbled, or both, making it difficult to hear the announcements, especially on the older fleets. Newer cars have electronic maps showing where the train is and what the next stop is, along with a loud and clear automated PA system announcing the stops. Unless the computer is broken or there's a detour for whatever reason, in which case the route map is shut off and you have to wait for someone to make the announcement. Or just idly sit/stand where you can see the stop names on the walls.

** When a retired [=LIRR=] worker stated he made roughly $500K in total pay (including overtime, benefits and salary), this has prompted an investigation on why [[https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/nyregion/mta-overtime.html the MTA still uses]] an old practice of using handwritten time sheets when this can be automated. Earlier attempts to automate were kiboshed because managers feared pushback from employees. [[https://nypost.com/2019/05/17/feds-probe-mta-overtime-king-over-a-dozen-other-lirr-workers-report/ According to the New York Post]], the MTA spent $1.3 billion in overtime in 2018, up more than $100 million from the previous year.

* '''C - Eighth Avenue-Fulton Street Local''': The C is a local supplement to the A train, running from 168th Street in Washington Heights to Euclid Avenue only during daytime hours. During late nights, the A serves as a replacement for the C, originating to/from Far Rockaway only, while a shuttle runs between Euclid Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard. Until the 1980s, the C was a rush-hour only service that ran from Bedford Park Boulevard to Rockaway Park, as off-peak service was provided by the now-eliminated K. Similar to the terminal swap between the N and R, the B and C lines swapped their northern terminals, ending the connection between the C and the Bronx. This was done to eliminate rider confusion between the C's three different terminals (depending on the time of day) and reduce crowding.\\

* '''B - Concourse Local-Sixth Avenue-Brighton Express via Bridge''': The B only operates on weekdays. During rush hours, it goes from Bedford Park Boulevard in the Bronx to Brighton Beach, running local on the Concourse and 8th Avenue Lines, while midday trips end at 145th Street in Harlem. After leaving 59th Street-Columbus Circle, it runs express along the Sixth Avenue and Brighton Lines to Brighton Beach (the Q runs local along the Brighton Line at all times). During the early 2000s, the Manhattan Bridge's north side closed, and the W was created to replace the B in Brooklyn and provide service to Coney Island (via West End), while the Q was rerouted to the Broadway Line. When the Manhattan Bridge tracks re-opened in 2004, the B and D swapped routes. The D was made the West End service to Coney Island, while the B was made the part-time Brighton Express to Brighton Beach. This was done to eliminate the need for part-time shuttles on the West End Line.\\

* '''F - Jamaica Express-Sixth Avenue-Culver Local via 63rd Street''': The F operates at all times between 179th Street in Jamaica, Queens and Coney Island via the Culver Line, serving all stops except for an express section between 21st Street-Queensbridge and Forest Hills along the Queens Boulevard Line. Some trains short-turn at Kings Highway due to capacity issues at Coney Island during rush hours. In recent years, there were calls to restore express service on the Culver Line during rush hours, although it has been controversial as some riders feared they would lose their one-seat ride to Manhattan. Previously, the Culver Line had express service from Jay Street to Kings Highway between 1967 and 1987, but this was eliminated due to low usage, rider complaints, and service reductions. To alleviate rider concerns, a peak direction-only Culver express service was implemented in 2019 on a limited scale.

* ''Series/{{Forever}}'' begins with the immortal Henry Morgan dying and resurrecting after a deadly subway crash, inadvertently earning the attention of the NYPD and an evil immortal. Henry later faces off against the evil immortal in an abandoned station in the series finale.

The trope here is that the subways of UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity are [[SubwaysSuck hot, grimy, filthy, encrusted with graffiti, and magnets for street crime]]. While this was once basically true, subway cars haven't fit this bill since 1990[[note]]By the mid-80s, MTA NYCT had a 5 year program to eradicate graffiti from the city, starting with the subway cars. It worked, and by 1989, there were no graffiti on the cars. However, the tunnels themselves are still completely covered in graffiti (as are a lot of the buildings alongside the elevated lines) and probably always will be. It would take a massive amount of manpower and money to clean it all off, not to mention the subway would have to be shut down while they're working since power washers and 600v third rail don't get along too well. If you actually ''want'' to see graffiti your best bets are the elevated sections of the Flushing line (the 7 train) and the Nassau-Jamacia line (the J/Z train)[[/note]]. Some common representations, however, ''are'' true:

* '''D - Concourse-Sixth Avenue-West End Express via Bridge''': The D operates at all times between Norwood-205th Street in the Bronx and Coney Island via the West End Line. It runs express in Manhattan (Central Park West and 6th Avenue) and makes all stops on the West End Line in Brooklyn; the D also makes all stops in the Bronx except when it runs express in the peak direction during rush hours. It also runs express on the 4th Avenue Line at all times except nights when it serves all stops, supplementing the R (which runs only between Whitehall and 95th Streets during late nights). Prior to the Manhattan Bridge closures, the D ran as the Brighton express to Coney Island, while the B ran via West End; this changed in 2001, when the W replaced the B as the West End express, while the Q was made the Broadway express. When the Manhattan Bridge tracks re-opened in 2004, the D was made the West End service to Coney Island, while the B was made the part-time Brighton express to Brighton Beach. The D is one of only three lines to have 24-hour express service, the others being the 3 and F trains.\\

* '''F - Jamaica Express-Sixth Avenue-Culver Local via 63rd Street''': The F operates at all times between 179th Street in Jamaica, Queens and Coney Island via the Culver Line, serving all stops except for an express section between 21st Street-Queensbridge and Forest Hills along the Queens Boulevard Line. Some trains short-turn at Kings Highway due to capacity issues at Coney Island during rush hours. In recent years, there were calls to restore express service on the Culver Line during rush hours, although this has been controversial as some riders along the line feared they would lose their one-seat ride to Manhattan. Previously, the Culver Line had express service from Jay Street to Kings Highway between 1967 and 1987, but this was eliminated due to low usage, rider complaints, and service reductions. To alleviate rider concerns, a peak direction-only Culver express service was implemented in 2019 on a limited scale.
** '''<F> - Jamaica Express-Sixth Avenue Local-Culver Express via 63rd Street''': A limited express service between Jay Street and Church Avenue started on September 16, 2019, with two trains running in the peak direction during rush hours, and is represented with a diamond <F>, similar to the symbol used on the other peak-direction express services.\\

* '''G - Brooklyn-Queens Crosstown Line''': The G operates at all times between Court Square in Long Island City, Queens and Church Avenue in Kensington, Brooklyn via the Crosstown and Culver Lines. In Queens, it only serves two stations – Court Square and 21st Street, both in Long Island City – but previously served all stations to/from Forest Hills on the Queens Boulevard Line. It is the only non-shuttle line in the system that does not serve Manhattan and suffers from frequent service disruptions, leading to criticism from riders. Throughout its history, the G ended at Smith-9th Streets by switching over to the express tracks on the Culver Line, then relaying back on the northbound local platform. It proved to be inefficient, as F service was held up and express service couldn't be operated except for a short time in the 1970s. This ended in 2009, when the G was extended to Church Avenue, coinciding with repairs on the aging Culver viaduct.\\

* '''Q - Second Avenue-Broadway Express-Brighton Local via Bridge''': The Q operates between 96th Street-2nd Avenue on the Upper East Side in Manhattan and Coney Island at all times, running express on the Broadway Line in Manhattan (except during late nights, when it runs local between Canal Street and 57th Street-7th Avenue via the Manhattan Bridge), crossing over the Manhattan Bridge south side, and serving all stops on the Brighton Line in Brooklyn (the B runs express only on weekdays between Prospect Park and Brighton Beach). Prior to this service realignment, the Q ran to Astoria on weekdays (and to 57th Street-7th Avenue during late nights and weekends), serving as a replacement for the W, which was originally eliminated in 2010 due to budget cuts. Also, the lone northbound R trip that is sent to 96th Street during rush hours is then re-designated as a southbound Q to Coney Island. During rush hours, a few northbound trips run via the N, running express on the 4th Avenue Line.\\

The trope here is that the subways of UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity are [[SubwaysSuck hot, grimy, filthy, encrusted with graffiti, and magnets for street crime]]. While this was once basically true, subway cars haven't fit this bill since 1990[[note]]By the mid-80s, MTA NYCT had a 5 year program to eradicate graffiti from the city, starting with the subway cars. It worked, and by 1989, there were no graffiti on the cars. However, the tunnels themselves are still completely covered in graffiti (as are a lot of the buildings alongside the elevated lines) and probably always will be. It would take a massive amount of manpower and money to clean it all off, not to mention the subway would have to be shut down while they're working since power washers and 600v third well don't get along too well. If you actually ''want'' to see graffiti your best bets are the elevated sections of the Flushing line (the 7 train) and the Nassau-Jamacia line (the J/Z train)[[/note]]. Some common representations, however, ''are'' true:

The trope here is that the subways of UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity are [[SubwaysSuck hot, grimy, filthy, encrusted with graffiti, and magnets for street crime]]. While this was once basically true, subway cars haven't fit this bill since 1990[[note]]By the mid-80s, MTA NYCT had a 5 year program to eradicate graffiti from the city, starting with the subway cars. It worked, and by 1989, there were no graffiti on the cars[[/note]]. Some common representations, however, ''are'' true:

In the old days, the lines were built and run by different rail companies. The first was the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) running north-south between Manhattan and the Bronx, with a later extension into Brooklyn (they also took over the pre-existing Manhattan elevateds, none of which still exist). The second was the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corp. (BMT), originally called the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT), connecting Manhattan to Brooklyn and Queens, and incorporating the old Brooklyn elevateds. These were joined by the city-operated Independent Subway System (IND) in the early 1930s; one reason the IND was built (as an almost all-underground system) was to directly replace several of the old elevateds, which were seen as a blight, causing noise and casting darkness on streets by blocking out the sun, and the whole system was unified under city administration in 1940. The stations have remained basically the same, as have the tunnels and tracks used... but unfortunately, the rival companies gave each other a wide berth, leading to a needlessly-convoluted route between Brooklyn and Queens under the 'unified' system. Also, IRT tunnels are too narrow to accommodate IND/BMT cars, so there are few convenient east-west "crosstown" lines in Manhattan[[note]]Just the 7 train and the 42nd Street Shuttle at 42nd Street, and the L train at 14th Street[[/note]], and direct rail travel between Brooklyn and Queens is primarily limited to the G train by the river, and through direct travel on the A, J/Z, and M trains further eastward.

* Crime remains a perennial problem, though not so much in recent years as it was in the 70s and 80s, when people feared riding the subway due to risk of being mugged or worse. In order to fight crime, various approaches have been used over the years such as PR campaigns, more CCTV cameras, heavier fines and adding cops at high-risk areas. Due to a lack of platform screen doors, people have also been shoved onto the tracks, sometimes in front of an oncoming train. The Bernhard Goetz incident[[note]]in which a straphanger shot four would-be muggers in a subway car. Goetz became known as the "Subway Vigilante" because of the media coverage. It also raised awareness about legal limits of self-defense[[/note]] symbolized public dismay at the high crime rate in New York. Terrorism became high on the agenda after 9/11, what with a mass shooting in 2022, in which a lone gunman opened fire and tossed smoke bombs on a northbound N train that was heading towards the 36th Street-4th Avenue stop. While nobody was killed miraculously, it still shows that the subway remains vulnerable to terror attacks.
* [[RailroadTracksOfDoom Track deaths and injuries are rare]], but they do happen. A chunk of these are suicides, followed by clueless passengers hopping over the platform to retrieve something they dropped. It's possible to dodge an oncoming train by simply [[ByWallThatIsHoley rolling under the gap beneath the platform]], but nobody ever thinks to do this (at least not on purpose). Most threats are mundane, as many stations outside of Manhattan are poorly maintained and a continual fount of personal injury suits, with the majority of these are old ladies tripping on cracked/uneven platforms or stairs. Occasionally, some of these deaths occur by touching the electrified third rail. Another problem posed by track fatalities is that they in turn disrupt service, frustrating riders even more.

** The R46 fleet was once [[TheAllegedCar the subway's lemon]], as the cars were plagued with many issues from the beginning. The train manufacturer delivered them behind schedule due to a worker strike in 1977. Design flaws such as cracks on the train bogies and faulty brake controls (which sometimes stalled the train when it was in operation) forced the MTA to limit the [=R46=] fleet's usage and sue Pullman Standard for $80 million in damages. Later on, they were overhauled in the 1990s to improve their reliability.

* Disability-rights groups have criticized and sued the MTA for a lack of accessibility. Although buses are designed to be wheelchair-friendly, the older subway stops weren't designed without accessibility in mind as they were built before 1990, the year which the Americans with Disabilities Act became law, though the MTA is rectifying this by adding elevators in the newly constructed stations, as well as stops that have high traffic and/or are geographically important to warrant an elevator.
* As they were originally built without HVAC systems, platforms on the older subway stops can get unbearable and muggy during summer heat waves, as temperatures can be 20 degrees hotter than standing outside, sometimes exceeding 100 degrees.

* The subway is notoriously infested with rats and other vermin. They are sometimes seen on platforms, foraging through trash thrown onto the tracks or in the garbage bins. They pose a health hazard, and in some instances, have been known to bite humans. Efforts to eradicate or simply thin the rat population in the system have generally been unsuccessful.
* The MTA still remains in the red despite repeated fare and toll hikes. While fares actually cover the system's operating expenses, its sheer size means ongoing maintenance and capital costs are enormous. They're supposed to be funded separately, but the state and city governments never seem to give enough. Therefore, the MTA must rely on other sources of revenue to remain afloat, such as sales, payroll and real estate taxes to contain the deficit, or issuing bonds to finance expansion projects, though that has contributed to a rising debt burden, as by 2017, a sixth of the budget was allocated to debt payments. The MTA has also been criticized for the Second Avenue Line's rising construction costs, as they have ballooned due to wasteful spending and corruption. The UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic not only caused ridership to decline, but it has accelerated the burgeoning debt crisis, causing the MTA to consider drastic service reductions and wage cuts if it doesn't receive federal aid to prop it up.

* Crime remains a perennial problem, though not so much in recent years as it was in the 70s and 80s, when people feared riding the subway due to risk of being mugged or worse. In order to fight crime, various approaches have been used over the years such as PR campaigns, more CCTV cameras, heavier fines and adding more cops at high-risk areas. The Bernhard Goetz incident[[note]]in which a straphanger shot four would-be muggers in a subway car. Goetz became known as the "Subway Vigilante" because of the media coverage, and the subway shooting also raised awareness about legal limits of self-defense[[/note]] symbolized public dismay at the high crime rate in New York. Terrorism became high-priority for the MTA after 9/11, what with a mass shooting in 2022, in which a lone gunman opened fire and tossed smoke bombs on a northbound N train that was heading towards the 36th Street-4th Avenue stop. While nobody was killed in the incident, it still shows that the subway remains a prime target for terrorists.

* Litter accumulation is a perennial issue. In the 1970s and 1980s, dirty trains and platforms, as well as graffiti, were serious problems. The situation has improved since then, but the 2010 budget crisis, which caused over 100 of the cleaning staff to lose their jobs, threatened to curtail trash removal from the subway system. Sometimes, objects thrown on the tracks touch the electrified third rail, resulting in a track fire, which in turn disrupts subway service. The litter also poses a health hazard, as this often attracts vermin. The MTA even [[InsaneTrollLogic tried to curtail littering by removing trash bins]] from several stations in 2011, but it didn't work out as intended and was abandoned in 2017.

* Crime remains a perennial problem, though not so much in recent years as it was in the 70s and 80s, when people feared riding the subway due to risk of being mugged or worse. In order to fight crime, various approaches have been used over the years such as PR campaigns, more CCTV cameras, heavier fines and adding more cops at high-risk areas. The Bernhard Goetz incident[[note]]in which a straphanger shot four would-be muggers in a subway car. Goetz became known as the "Subway Vigilante" because of the media coverage, and the subway shooting also raised awareness about legal limits of self-defense[[/note]] symbolized public frustration with the high crime rate in New York. Terrorism became high-priority for the MTA after 9/11, what with attacks on other major rapid transit systems and a similar plot being foiled by the FBI in 2009.

* '''F - Jamaica Express-Sixth Avenue-Culver Local via 63rd Street''': The F operates at all times between 179th Street in Jamaica, Queens and Coney Island via the Culver Line, serving all stops except for an express section between 21st Street-Queensbridge and Forest Hills along the Queens Boulevard Line. Some trains short-turn at Kings Highway due to capacity issues at Coney Island during rush hours. In recent years, there were calls to restore express service on the Culver Line during rush hours, although this has been controversial as some riders along the line feared they would lose their one-seat ride to Manhattan. Previously, the Culver Line had express service from Jay Street to Kings Highway between 1967 and 1987, but this was eliminated due to low usage, rider complaints, and service reductions. To alleviate rider concerns, a rush hour-only Culver express service was implemented in 2019 on a limited scale.

* '''M - Queens Boulevard-Sixth Avenue-Myrtle Avenue Local via 53rd Street''': The M operates between Forest Hills and Metropolitan Avenue-Middle Village, Queens via the Queens Boulevard, 6th Avenue (via 53rd Street), Jamaica and Myrtle Avenue Lines, making it the only service that travels through the same borough via two different, unconnected lines. The M short turns at Delancey-Essex Streets in Manhattan on weekends, and at Myrtle Avenue–Broadway in Brooklyn during late nights. Late night service on the Queens Boulevard Line is supplemented by the E train. It is the only non-shuttle service that has both of its full-run terminals in the same borough (Queens). The 71st Avenue and Metropolitan Avenue termini of the M are 2.47 miles (3.98 km) apart, marking this as the shortest geographic distance between termini for a non-shuttle service. Prior to June 28, 2010, the M traveled during weekday rush hours to Bay Parkway on the West End Line via Nassau Street, and to Chambers Street during midday hours. As part of the 2010 service changes, it was combined with the V to allow a one-seat ride to Midtown for passengers on the BMT Jamaica Line.[[note]]The rush hour service to Bay Parkway was a remnant of the Bankers' Specials that used to run over the Manhattan Bridge until 1967, when the Nassau Street connection to the bridge was severed due to the Chrystie Street Connection linking the Sixth Avenue Line to Manhattan Bridge north side, while the south side tracks that originally fed into Chambers Street were rerouted to the Broadway Line express tracks; the Broadway Line used to feed into the north side tracks. The Nassau Street Loop allowed trains to originate in Brooklyn from either via the 4th Avenue or Brighton lines (and through either the bridge or the Montague Street Tunnel), run via Nassau Street and return to Brooklyn (again, either the bridge or tunnel) without having to reverse directions during rush hours. The Chrystie Street Connection also saw the opening of connecting tracks from the Sixth Avenue Line to the Nassau Street Line at Essex Street, and it is these tracks the M uses to move from the BMT to the IND.[[/note]]\\

* '''G - Brooklyn-Queens Crosstown Line''': The G operates at all times between Court Square in Long Island City, Queens and Church Avenue in Kensington, Brooklyn via the Crosstown and Culver Lines. In Queens, it only serves two stations – Court Square and 21st Street, both in Long Island City – but previously served all stations to/from Forest Hills on the Queens Boulevard Line. It is the only non-shuttle line in the system that does not serve Manhattan and suffers from frequent service disruptions, leading to criticism from locals. For much of its history, the G terminated at Smith-9th Streets by switching over to the express tracks on the Culver Line, then relaying back on the northbound local platform. It proved to be inefficient, as F service was held up and express service couldn't be operated except for a short time in the 1970s. This ended in 2009, when the G was extended to Church Avenue, coinciding with repairs on the aging Culver viaduct.\\

* '''W - Astoria-Broadway Local''': The W is a weekday-only service, running local between Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard and South Ferry in Lower Manhattan. Some rush-hour trains originate from Coney Island (running local via the Sea Beach and 4th Avenue Lines) while the last-scheduled trips are extended to Gravesend-86th Street on the Sea Beach Line to be sent down to the Coney Island Yard. On weekends, the N and R replace it. The W was first introduced on July 22, 2001 as part of the major service realignments caused by years of track work on the Manhattan Bridge. It was created to replace the B in Brooklyn and provide service between Coney Island (via the West End Line) and Manhattan. On February 22, 2004, when the north tracks on the Manhattan Bridge reopened, the W was cut back to its current service pattern while the D train replaced it in Brooklyn (prior to the track closures, the D ran to Coney Island as the Brighton express). On June 28, 2010, the W was eliminated due to budget cuts, and was replaced by the Q in Queens and the N and R in Manhattan. However, on November 7, 2016, the W was restored to fill in the service gap created by the full-time rerouting of the Q to the Second Avenue Line and maintain weekday service capacity on the Astoria and Broadway Lines.\\

The 2 train fleet is entirely composed of R142 cars, and is the only line on the West Side IRT to use them.

Twenty-four routes, 472 stations, 5 million daily riders, 1.5 billion yearly riders (at $2.75 a pop) ...and it's in the red. Probably the most famous subway system in the world. Not the first, certainly not the best, but the one everybody seems to know. Administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or MTA, through its subsidiary, MTA New York City Transit, or MTA NYCT[[note]]formerly and still formally known as the New York City Transit Authority its abbreviation, NYCTA; since TheNineties branded as MTA New York City Transit[[/note]]. According to Wiki/ThatOtherWiki, the subway trails only the metro systems of Tokyo, Moscow and Seoul in annual ridership and carries more passengers than all other rail mass transit systems in the United States combined.

Twenty-four routes, 472 stations, 5 million daily riders, 1.5 billion yearly riders (at $2.75 a pop) ...and it's in the red. Probably the most famous subway system in the world. Not the first, certainly not the best, but the one everybody seems to know. Administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or MTA, through its subsidiary, MTA New York City Transi, or MTA NYCT[[note]]formerly and still formally known as the New York City Transit Authority its abbreviation, NYCTA; since TheNineties branded as MTA New York City Transit[[/note]]. According to Wiki/ThatOtherWiki, the subway trails only the metro systems of Tokyo, Moscow and Seoul in annual ridership and carries more passengers than all other rail mass transit systems in the United States combined.

Twenty-four routes, 472 stations, 5 million daily riders, 1.5 billion yearly riders (at $2.75 a pop) ...and it's in the red. Probably the most famous subway system in the world. Not the first, certainly not the best, but the one everybody seems to know. Administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or MTA, through its subsidiary, the New York City Transport Authority[[note]]formerly known as its abbreviation, NYCTA, but since TheNineties branded as MTA New York City Transit, or MTA NYCT[[/note]]. According to Wiki/ThatOtherWiki, the subway trails only the metro systems of Tokyo, Moscow and Seoul in annual ridership and carries more passengers than all other rail mass transit systems in the United States combined.

Twenty-four routes, 472 stations, 5 million daily riders, 1.5 billion yearly riders (at $2.75 a pop) ...and it's in the red. Probably the most famous subway system in the world. Not the first, certainly not the best, but the one everybody seems to know. Administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or MTA. According to Wiki/ThatOtherWiki, the subway trails only the metro systems of Tokyo, Moscow and Seoul in annual ridership and carries more passengers than all other rail mass transit systems in the United States combined.

The trope here is that the subways of UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity are [[SubwaysSuck hot, grimy, filthy, encrusted with graffiti, and magnets for street crime]]. While this was once basically true, subway cars haven't fit this bill since 1990[[note]]By the mid-80s, NYCHA had a 5 year program to eradicate graffiti from the city, starting with the subway cars. It worked, and by 1989, there were no graffiti on the cars[[/note]]. Some common representations, however, ''are'' true:

* ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeed The Run'' has you DRIVING THROUGH the tunnels in its final level...and the trains are still running.

* Noise is another perennial problem. Many portions still use jointed tracks, making a "clickety-clack" sound when train wheels pass over the small gap. They also make a metallic scraping noise when going around tight turns, especially on older portions of the subway. Notorious examples of this include the Crescent Street curve along the Jamaica Line (noted to be the tightest one on the B Division and 2nd tightest overall), the City Hall-Cortlandt Street curve on the Broadway Line via Tunnel, the South Ferry loops, the City Hall loop (on the Lexington Avenue Line — the tightest curve in the entire system) and 14th Street-Union Square on the Lexington Avenue Line. In fact, many have noted that the screeching can cause hearing loss within minutes, and in some cases, higher decibels than what's safe for human ears.

* Crime remains a perennial problem, though not so much in recent years as it was in the 70s and 80s, when people feared riding the subway due to risk of being mugged or worse. In order to fight crime, various approaches have been used over the years such as PR campaigns, more CCTV cameras, heavier fines and adding more cops at high-risk areas. The Bernhard Goetz incident[[note]]in which a straphanger shot four would-be muggers in a subway car. Goetz became known as the "Subway Vigilante" because of the media coverage, and the subway shooting also raised awareness about legal limits of self-defense[[/note]] symbolized public frustration with the high crime rate in New York. Terrorism became high-priority for the MTA after 9/11, what with attacks at other major rapid transit systems and a similar plot being foiled by the FBI in 2009.

* Trains don't run on anything that resembles a schedule. Residents don't expect it to, visitors get frustrated, and yet the MTA still tries to claim that [[http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/schemain.htm their official schedules have worth]]. By the end of the 2010s, every station finally got countdown clocks that are reasonably reliable, but that's assuming the display is even working; depending on the station, you may be more likely to encounter a glitched out screen or one that refuses to so anything but the (incorrect) date.

* Trains don't run on anything that resembles a schedule. Residents don't expect it to, visitors get frustrated, and yet the MTA still tries to claim that [[http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/schemain.htm their official schedules have worth]]. By the end of the 2010s, most stations finally got countdown clocks that are reasonably reliable, but the spread was slow in coming for [[http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/11/why-dont-we-know-where-all-the-trains-are/415152/ incredibly complicated reasons]]. This includes the MTA's limited funding and that much of the system's equipment is ''original'' from when it was built (as in, there are ''1930s'' controls on some of the older interlockings).

* Trains don't run on anything that resembles a schedule. Residents don't expect it to, visitors get frustrated, and yet the MTA still tries to claim that [[http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/schemain.htm their official schedules have worth]]. Some of the stations do have countdown clocks that are reasonably reliable, but the spread is slow in coming for [[http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/11/why-dont-we-know-where-all-the-trains-are/415152/ incredibly complicated reasons]]. This includes the MTA's limited funding and that much of the system's equipment is ''original'' from when it was built (as in, there are ''1930s'' controls on some of the older interlockings).

* Though not so much anymore, fare evasion remains an occasional problem, contributing to lost revenues. The most basic is jumping over or crawling under the turnstiles, unauthorized entry to subway yards or tunnels, or entering through the gate intended for disabled riders when it happens to be open. To crack down on fare dodging, the MTA has implemented several measures, including adding police officers at high-risk areas and installing high entry-exit turnstiles ([=HEETs=]) designed to make jumping difficult.

* Noise is another perennial problem. Many portions still use jointed tracks, making a "clickety-clack" sound when train wheels pass over the small gap. They also make a loud, metallic scraping noise when going around tight turns, especially on older portions of the subway. Notorious examples of this include the Crescent Street curve along the Jamaica Line (noted to be the tightest one on the B Division and 2nd tightest overall), the City Hall-Cortlandt Street curve on the Broadway Line via lower Manhattan, the South Ferry loops, the City Hall loop (on the Lexington Avenue Line — the tightest curve in the entire system) and 14th Street-Union Square on the Lexington Avenue Line. In fact, many have noted that the screeching can cause hearing loss within minutes, and in some cases, higher decibels than what's safe for human ears.

* Crime remains a perennial problem, though not so much in recent years as it was in the 70s and 80s, when people feared riding the subway due to risk of being mugged or worse. In order to fight crime, various approaches have been used over the years such as PR campaigns, more CCTV cameras, heavier fines and adding more cops at high-risk areas. The Bernhard Goetz incident[[note]]in which a straphanger shot four would-be muggers in a subway car. Goetz became known as the "Subway Vigilante" because of the media coverage[[/note]] attracted national attention highlighting the subway's crime problems. Terrorism became high-priority for the MTA after 9/11, what with attacks at other major rapid transit systems and a similar plot being foiled by the FBI in 2009.

The Q is operated primarily with R46 cars, as well as a limited number of R68 and [=R68A=] trains.

* '''Fourth Avenue Shuttle''': During late nights, the R runs only between South Ferry and Bay Ridge-95th Street on the 4th Avenue Line, connecting with the 1 at South Ferry. Previously, it ran only between 36th Street-4th Avenue and 95th Street, with northbound trains skipping 53rd and 45th Streets to avoid discharging passengers on tracks used by through trains.

* Many stations and lines have [[AbandonedArea since been abandoned]] because of track alterations that left portions of a line unusable or due to low patronage. Also, many of the older els were removed since a nearby subway line essentially copied the el's route or were seen as a blight. The MTA also shuttered portions of existing stops due to redundancy or low patronage, leaving them to either rot or use as storage facilities, while some of the provisions for future expansion have largely been ignored due to funding issues or political bickering.

* '''B - Concourse Local-Sixth Avenue-Brighton Express via Bridge''': The B only operates on weekdays. During rush hours, it goes from Bedford Park Boulevard in the Bronx to Brighton Beach, running local on the Concourse and 8th Avenue Lines, while midday trips end at 145th Street in Harlem. After leaving 59th Street-Columbus Circle, it runs express along the Sixth Avenue and Brighton Lines to Brighton Beach (the Q runs local along the Brighton Line at all times). During the early 2000s, the Manhattan Bridge's north side closed, and the W was created to replace the B in Brooklyn and provide service to Coney Island (via West End), while the Q was rerouted to the Broadway Line. When the Manhattan Bridge tracks re-opened in 2004, the B and D swapped routes. The D was made the West End service to Coney Island, while the B was made the part-time Brighton Express to Brighton Beach. This was done to eliminate the need for weekend and late night shuttles on the West End Line.\\

[[folder:BMT Nassau Street Line]]
All subway routes on the Nassau Street Line are colored brown on the route bullet.

** '''Z - Nassau Street-Jamaica Express''': The Z operates internally as a rush-hour variant of the J, with six trips in the peak direction on weekdays; some Jamaica Center-bound trains also short turn at Broadway Junction during rush hours. During rush hours also in the peak direction, the Z forms a skip-stop pair between Sutphin Boulevard and Myrtle Avenue with the J. At all other times, the J serves every station on its entire route. The rapper Music/JayZ adapted his stage name in part as a shout-out to the combined J / Z service which services his childhood neighborhood of Bedford–Stuyvesant.\\

* '''N - Astoria-Broadway-Sea Beach Express via Bridge''': The N operates at all times between Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard in Queens and Coney Island via the Sea Beach Line, running express between 34th Street-Herald Square in Manhattan and 59th Street-4th Avenue in Brooklyn (via the Manhattan Bridge and skipping [=DeKalb=] Avenue) during daytime hours on weekdays, with some rush hour trips coming to/from to 96th Street on the 2nd Avenue Line (skipping 49th Steet); some rush hour put-ins also begin and end their trips at Gravesend-86th Street. During weekends, it operates as an express between Canal Street and 59th Street-4th Avenue (also via the bridge, skipping [=DeKalb=] Avenue), and runs local via the Montague Street Tunnel during late nights, replacing the R (which runs only between Whitehall and 95th Streets during late nights; local service on Queens Boulevard is supplemented by the E). Until 1987, the N's northbound terminal was Forest Hills, while the R terminated at Astoria, but this was switched over in order to give the R a direct access to a train yard. Previously, the N had easy access to the Jamaica and Coney Island yards, while the R had to deadhead to/from the Coney Island Yard.\\
The N is operated primarily with R46 cars, as well as a limited number of R68 and [=R68A=] trains.

Until 2016, late night R service only ran to 36th Street on the 4th Avenue Line, and passengers had to transfer to a D or N to continue to Manhattan. The 2016 service changes that re-introduced the W also extended late night R service to Whitehall Street for the purposes of increasing frequencies along the 4th Avenue Line. The N still replaces the R at stations from Whitehall Street to Lexington Avenue-59th Street during late nights, and the E replaces it in Queens during these times.\\

The A train fleet is primarily made of R46 cars, but also has a few trains of R68 and [=R68A=] cars, and a few ten car trains of R179 cars.

The G uses a fleet made entirely of R68 cars.

The N is operated primarily with R46 cars, as well as a limited number of R68, [=R68A=], and R160 trains.

The Q is operated primarily with R46 cars, as well as a limited number of R68, [=R68A=], and R160 trains.

** And ''Theatre/TheOddCouple'' (with guest star [[Series/{{Seinfeld}} Barney Martin]]).

The trope here is that the subways of UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity are [[SubwaysSuck hot, grimy, filthy, encrusted with graffiti, and magnets for street crime]]. While this was once basically true, subway cars haven't fit this bill since 1990. Some common representations, however, ''are'' true:

There were several grandiose plans in the past to expand to areas that do not have subway service, notably Staten Island and eastern Queens. Though discussion remains strong to this day and provisions were built for future expansion, they never get past the drawing board for various reasons, including funding problems, not-in-my-backyard activism and changes in the overall economy. Some of these proposals included:

* Extension of the 4th Avenue Line south of 95th Street-Fort Hamilton with a connection to the Staten Island Railroad at Grasmere, either via the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge or a new subway tunnel. In anticipation of this, the SIRT electrified its lines with third rail and purchased cars similar to those of the BMT.

** Under Utica Avenue in Brooklyn to Sheepshead Bay (it would either be a separate line, or as a spur of the Fulton Street or Eastern Parkway Lines).
** Under Worth Street in Manhattan to the Rockaways, where it would connect the proposed Utica Avenue line at South 4th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with the 8th Avenue local tracks south of Canal Street and the 6th Avenue express tracks east of Lower East Side-2nd Avenue (the 6th Avenue express tracks now feed to the Manhattan Bridge, while the inner tracks at 2nd Avenue have been converted into stubs that dead end east of the station; the local tracks cross Brooklyn via the Rutgers Street tubes and onto the Culver Line). A spur would have connected with the Fresh Meadows line via Myrtle Avenue.

** Under Fresh Pond Road and 65th Place to Maspeth, where it would connect with the Myrtle Avenue el and provide direct service to the Rockaways via the LIRR's Rockaway Branch, which is currently connected to the subway via the Fulton Street Line. The Winfield-Fresh Pond spur would also connect with the Queens Boulevard Line in Jackson Heights.

* '''G - Brooklyn-Queens Crosstown Line''': The G operates at all times between Court Square in Long Island City, Queens and Church Avenue in Kensington, Brooklyn via the Crosstown and Culver Lines. In Queens, it only serves two stations – Court Square and 21st Street, both in Long Island City – but previously served all stations to/from Forest Hills on the Queens Boulevard Line. It is the only non-shuttle line in the system that does not serve Manhattan, and suffers from frequent service disruptions, leading to criticism from locals. For much of its history, the G terminated at Smith-9th Streets by switching over to the express tracks on the Culver Line, then relaying back on the northbound local platform. It proved to be inefficient, as F service was held up and express service couldn't be operated, except for a brief period in the 1970s. This ended in 2009, when the G was extended to Church Avenue, coinciding with repairs on the aging Culver viaduct.\\

* The PA systems are either too quiet, garbled, or both, making it difficult to hear the announcements, especially on the older fleets. Newer cars have electronic maps showing where the train is and what the next stop is, along with a loud and clear automated PA system announcing the stops. Unless the computer is broken, or there's a detour for whatever reason, in which case the route map is shut off and you have to wait for someone to make the announcement. Or just idly sit/stand where you can see the stop names on the walls.

** The replacement of tokens with [=MetroCards=] in the 1990s killed off some of the old fare evasion techniques. One method once used was token sucking, as it was done by jamming the token slot in an entrance gate with paper. A passenger would insert a token into the turnstile, be frustrated when it did not open the gate, and have to spend another token to enter at another gate. A token thief would then suck the token from the jammed slot with their mouth, and it was done as long as nobody was around. Some station attendants sprinkled chili powder in the slots to discourage this. Another method was the use of "slugs," counterfeit tokens that had a similar shape and weight so they could be used to trick the turnstiles. These [[CounterfeitCash slugs]] came in many forms such as washers and arcade tokens. The vending machines used by the MTA have measures that can identify and detect slugs that do not resemble real coins.