Facts about The New York City Subway

1. 16

   Thousands of rats inhabit New York City Subway tunnels, with estimates suggesting one rodent for every two human residents living above ground in the city.

   The New York City SubwayJun 6sharewildlifeurbanpopulation
2. 15

   A single New York City Subway train car costs approximately $2.4 million to manufacture, with the newest R211 models featuring regenerative braking systems that return energy to the power grid.

   The New York City SubwayMay 22shareinfrastructuretechnologyeconomics
3. 14

   Each of the 472 active New York City Subway stations contains roughly 200 to 300 light fixtures requiring 15 million watts of electricity daily to illuminate tunnels and platforms.

   The New York City SubwayMay 22shareinfrastructureelectricitymeasurement
4. 13

   Motorman Frank Hedley operated the first New York City Subway train on October 27, 1904, manually controlling acceleration and braking without electronic assistance throughout his shift.

   The New York City SubwayMay 21sharehistorytransportationlabor
5. 12

   Signal problems caused by salt corrosion from decades of winter road treatments force the New York City Subway to replace approximately 2,000 trackside switches annually.

   The New York City SubwayMay 21shareinfrastructuremaintenancemeasurement
6. 11

   Ventilation shafts throughout the New York City Subway system exhaust approximately 750,000 cubic feet of air per minute to maintain breathable conditions in underground tunnels.

   The New York City SubwayMay 21shareinfrastructureengineeringmeasurement
7. 10

   Graffiti artists in the 1970s and 1980s decorated New York City Subway cars so extensively that the transit authority spent over 60 million dollars annually removing paint from trains.

   The New York City SubwayMay 21sharehistoryurbaneconomics
8. 09

   Over 665 miles of track comprise the New York City Subway system, with tunnels extending beneath the Hudson and East Rivers to connect Manhattan with the outer boroughs.

   The New York City SubwayMay 21shareinfrastructuremeasurementengineering
9. 08

   Built in 1904, the subway's original line ran 9.1 miles from City Hall to 145th Street, taking only 23 minutes to complete the entire journey.

   The New York City SubwayMay 21sharehistoryinfrastructuremeasurement
10. 07

    Daily, approximately 5.7 million riders use the New York City Subway, making it the most heavily trafficked rapid transit system in North America by ridership volume.

    The New York City SubwayMay 21sharetransportationurbanstatistics
11. 06

    Seven million gallons of water daily flow through the New York City Subway's track beds to manage groundwater and prevent structural damage to tunnels beneath the water table.

    The New York City SubwayMay 21shareinfrastructureengineeringmeasurement
12. 05

    Flooding from Hurricane Sandy in 2012 forced the New York City Subway to close for six days, the longest shutdown since the system opened in 1904.

    The New York City SubwayMay 21sharedisasterinfrastructurehistory
13. 04

    At 28.5 miles, the A train is the longest rapid transit line in the New York City Subway system, stretching from Inwood in Manhattan to Far Rockaway in Queens.

    The New York City SubwayMay 21shareinfrastructuremeasurementtransportation
14. 03

    Approximately 6,300 stations exist across all New York City Subway lines, though only 472 stations currently operate as active stops.

    The New York City SubwayMay 21shareinfrastructuremeasurementhistory
15. 02

    The R179 train cars, introduced to the New York City Subway in 2010, feature LED lighting that reduces energy consumption by 40 percent compared to previous fluorescent models.

    The New York City SubwayMay 21sharetechnologytransportationinfrastructure
16. 01

    In 1968, the New York City Subway carried approximately 5.2 billion passenger trips annually, making it the world's busiest rapid transit system.

    The New York City SubwayMay 21sharetransiturbanhistory