How often are the handrails/poles in NYC subway cars cleaned?

Help with NYC subway.

• This question is for NYC residents or former NYC residents as they will probably be able to give me the best answer. I plan on moving to NYC in about three years so I have started learning everything I can about the city and how it operates. I have figured out the subway system for the most part. There are still a couple things I am not sure about regarding the subway. Suppose I want to go from 34th St/Penn Station to 116th St. I think I would start with the 1 local train uptown. At 96th St, which I know is a express stop, I think I would transfer to either the 2 or 3 express train. Is this correct? Or, is it possible to get on the 2 or 3 express at 34th St and go right to 116th St? Also, looking at my subway map, I have noticed the "free transfers". What are those and how do they work? If someone could help me out that would be great. I am trying to learn as much as I can about NYC before I actually move there. I don't want to be totally lost, or for that matter, a problem for those who already live there. Also, I plan on making many trips to NYC before I actually move. Spend a couple days there to get taste of what it is like.

• Answer:

  The free transfers between subway lines is just that. The stations are usually interconnected by a staircase or passageway. As long as you remain in the subway you don't have to pay additional fare to transfer between the lines that intersect at various stations. There are also free transfers between subway and bus/bus and subway. Those work by use of the MetroCard. When you pay your fare on the subway, the turnstile automatically deducts the $2.00 fare and then encodes a free transfer on the card which can be used within 2 hours for a free transfer to a bus. The bus farebox will recognize the free transfer. If you take the bus first, then the bus farebox will deduct the $2.00 fare and encode the free transfer on the card. The subway turnstile will then recognize the free transfer. If are using buses only, then the MetroCard will give you one free transfer to another bus route. Anyone paying cash (coins) on the bus can get a free transfer (cardboard card) to another bus only. The subway also has a single fare option but those have no subway to bus transfers. Example: 42nd St-Times Square. The 1,2,3 station is "next to" the N,R, Q, W station. It is above the #7 line station. The "S" (42nd St Shuttle) station is adjacent to the stairs that lead to the N,Q,R,W station. The A,C,E station is accessible by a passageway on a lower level. On the Penn Station to 116th St question. There are four 116th St stations of which 3 are on the west side of Manhattan. The 1 goes to 116th St/Broadway. The 2 and 3 goes to 116th St/Lenox Avenue. The C train (local) goes to 116th St/Central Park West. So it depends on which 116th St you want to go to. If it is 116th St/Lenox Av then you can get on the 2 or 3 at 34th St and take it directly there. If it is 116th St/Broadway, then take the 2 or 3 to 96th St and then transfer across the platform to the 1. The1 is a local in Manhattan. The 2 and 3 are express trains so you might pass one or two 1 trains on the way up to 96th St. That would save some time on the trip. Of course if you wanted 116th St/Lexington Av (east side of Manhattan), then you would take the 1,2 or 3 to 42nd St, go upstairs for the S (42nd St Shuttle) over to Grand Central and then walk thru the passageway for the uptown 6 train to 116th St. Don't worry about being totally lost. Lots of NYC residents and regular riders get lost. They would not know how to take another route if theirs was blocked. You would not be a problem for anyone in NYC. There are subway employees at each station who can help you with directions. It is good that you are looking at the subway map in advance (though 3 years is a bit too far in advance but it won't hurt). It does take a little while to get used to all the nuances of the system but I am sure you will get the hang of it. You can always email me with a specific question or post it here in Y!A. One thing you should be aware of. A Nyer never calls a line by the color. The color helps identify the main route it runs in midtown Manhttaan (Blue = 8th Av, Red = 7th Av, Yellow = Broadway, Green = Lexington Av, Orange = 6th Av, etc). We always call the train by the letter or number (A train, 1 train, 2 train etc).