Transportation in New York City

OVERVIEW

In most parts of New York you will have excellent public transit at your fingertips. The city’s subway system is one of the busiest in the world and has over 660 miles (1062 km) of track reaching into every borough except Staten Island. Billions of dollars are being spent to expand the subway’s reach. Buses make up for the areas not covered by subways: over 5,600 buses cover nearly 3,000 miles with their routes.

A MetroCard is required for travel on the subway or bus and costs USD $116.50 per month, though senior citizens and those with a disability qualify for reduced fares. Companies with over 20 employees now provide a tax credit to employees who require a monthly MetroCard to come to work. 

For people living in Staten Island but working in Manhattan the free Staten Island Ferry is the most common way of commuting.

Having a car in most of Manhattan and many parts of Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx can actually be a headache. The main roads can be snarled with traffic during rush hour, making public transit preferable for a commute. Parking your car in a garage can cost hundreds of dollars per month and street parking is both an exercise in frustration (good luck finding a spot as you spend your time circling the block) and an inconvenience (have fun making sure you remember to move your vehicle to the other side of the street during street cleaning so you don’t get fined). Plus you run the risk of having your car vandalized. With that said, there are parts of the city that don’t have good transit and a car may be necessary. 

TRANSIT AND WALKABILITY RATINGS

For each New York City neighborhood you’ll see a Transit rating and a Walkability rating. The Transit rating tells you how good and reliable public transportation options are in that neighborhood. The Walkability rating tells you how many local amenities (shops, restaurants, fitness options, etc.) you can walk to in that neighborhood. 

Transit Ratings

• Excellent: Public transit options in the neighborhood, such as buses and trains, are frequent and reliable and the neighborhood is served by more than one transit option. Having a car is not needed.
• Good: The neighborhood is only served by one type of transit but the service is frequent and reliable. Having a car is not needed for local activities.
• Average: A public transportation option is available but the frequency and reliability are not sufficient to rely on for daily needs, or many residents have a long walk to reach transit. Having a car is a good idea.
• Poor: The neighborhood has very limited or no access to public transit and providing your own transportation via a car or bike is necessary. Having a car is required.

Walkability Ratings

• Excellent: You can walk to every type of local amenity: shopping, dining, fitness options, grocery stores, and more, and have a good selection of choices for those categories.
• Good: You can walk to most local amenities though you may have limited choices in some categories.
• Average: You can walk to a limited number of amenities but will have to go elsewhere to have all your needs covered.
• Poor: There are very few or no amenities you can walk to; you’ll have to go elsewhere for most needs.