Transportation Manhattan

1 transportation

1.1 public transportation
1.2 taxis
1.3 bikes
1.4 streets , roads
1.5 river crossings
1.6 heliports

transportation

public transportation

grand central terminal national historic landmark.



the staten island ferry, seen battery, crosses upper new york bay, providing free public transportation between staten island , manhattan.

manhattan unique in u.s. intense use of public transportation , lack of private car ownership. while 88% of americans nationwide drive jobs, 5% using public transport, mass transit dominant form of travel residents of manhattan, 72% of borough residents using public transport work, while 18% drove. according 2000 united states census, 77.5% of manhattan households not own car.

in 2008, mayor bloomberg proposed congestion pricing system regulate entering manhattan south of 60th street. state legislature rejected proposal in june 2008.

the new york city subway, largest subway system in world number of stations, primary means of travel within city, linking every borough except staten island. there 151 subway stations in manhattan, out of 472 stations. second subway, port authority trans-hudson (path) system, connects 6 stations in manhattan northern new jersey. passengers pay fares pay-per-ride metrocards, valid on city buses , subways, on path trains. there 7-day , 30-day metrocards allow unlimited trips on subways (except path) , mta bus routes (except express buses). path quickcard being phased out, having been replaced smartlink. mta testing smart card payment systems replace metrocard. commuter rail services operating , manhattan long island rail road (which connects manhattan , other new york city boroughs long island), metro-north railroad (which connects manhattan upstate new york , southwestern connecticut) , nj transit trains various points in new jersey. $10.2 billion east side access project under construction. 4 multi-billion-dollar projects completed in mid-2010s: $1.4 billion fulton center in november 2014, $2.4 billion 7 subway extension in september 2015, $4 billion world trade center transportation hub in march 2016, , $4.5 billion second avenue subway in january 2017.

mta new york city transit offers wide variety of local buses within manhattan under brand new york city bus. extensive network of express bus routes serves commuters , other travelers heading manhattan. bus system served 784 million passengers citywide in 2011, placing bus system s ridership highest in nation, , more double ridership of second-place los angeles system.

the roosevelt island tramway, 1 of 2 commuter cable car systems in north america, whisks commuters between roosevelt island , manhattan in less 5 minutes, , has been serving island since 1978. (the other system in north america portland aerial tram.)

the staten island ferry, runs 24 hours day, 365 days year, annually carries on 21 million passengers on 5.2-mile (8.4 km) run between manhattan , staten island. each weekday, 5 vessels transport 65,000 passengers on 109 boat trips. ferry has been fare-free since 1997, when then-50-cent fare eliminated. in february 2015, mayor bill de blasio announced city government begin nyc ferry extend ferry transportation traditionally underserved communities in city. first routes of nyc ferry opened in 2017. of system s routes have termini in manhattan, planned lower east side , soundview routes having intermediate stops on east river.

the metro region s commuter rail lines converge @ penn station , grand central terminal, on west , east sides of midtown manhattan, respectively. 2 busiest rail stations in united states. one-third of users of mass transit , two-thirds of railway passengers in country live in new york , suburbs. amtrak provides inter-city passenger rail service penn station boston, philadelphia, baltimore, , washington, d.c.; upstate new york , new england; cross-canadian border service toronto , montreal; , destinations in southern , midwestern united states.

taxis

new york s iconic yellow taxicabs, number 13,087 city-wide , must have requisite medallion authorizing pick of street hails, ubiquitous in borough. various private transportation network companies provide significant competition cab drivers in manhattan.

bikes

manhattan has tens of thousands of bicycle commuters.

streets , roads

the brooklyn bridge in foreground , manhattan bridge beyond it, 2 of 3 bridges connect lower manhattan brooklyn on east river.



eighth avenue, looking northward ( uptown ), in rain; streets , avenues in manhattan s grid plan incorporate one-way traffic configuration



manhattanhenge, seen looking westward @ sunset in june 2005

the commissioners plan of 1811 called twelve numbered avenues running north , south parallel shore of hudson river, each 100 feet (30 m) wide, first avenue on east side , twelfth avenue on west side. there several intermittent avenues east of first avenue, including 4 additional lettered avenues running avenue eastward avenue d in area known alphabet city in manhattan s east village. numbered streets in manhattan run east-west, , 60 feet (18 m) wide, 200 feet (61 m) between each pair of streets. each combined street , block adding 260 feet (79 m), there 20 blocks per mile. typical block in manhattan 250 600 feet (76 183 m).

according original commissioner s plan, there 155 numbered crosstown streets, later grid extended northernmost corner of manhattan, last numbered street 220th street. moreover, numbering system continues in bronx, north of manhattan, despite fact grid plan not regular in borough, last numbered street 263rd street. fifteen crosstown streets designated 100 feet (30 m) wide, including 34th, 42nd, 57th , 125th streets, became of borough s significant transportation , shopping venues. broadway notable of many exceptions grid, starting @ bowling green in lower manhattan , continuing north bronx @ manhattan s northern tip. in of midtown manhattan, broadway runs @ diagonal grid, creating major named intersections @ union square (park avenue south/fourth avenue , 14th street), madison square (fifth avenue , 23rd street), herald square (sixth avenue , 34th street), times square (seventh avenue , 42nd street), , columbus circle (eighth avenue/central park west , 59th street).

crosstown traffic refers vehicular traffic between manhattan s east side , west side. trip notoriously frustrating drivers because of heavy congestion on narrow local streets laid out commissioners plan of 1811, absence of express roads other trans-manhattan expressway @ far north end of manhattan island, , 4 crosstown roads travel through central park, between 59th street , 110th street. proposals in mid-1900s build express roads through city s densest neighborhoods, namely mid-manhattan expressway , lower manhattan expressway, did not go forward. congestion makes manhattan s crosstown buses perennial winners of pokey awards slowest service in new york city.

another consequence of strict grid plan of of manhattan, , grid s skew of approximately 28.9 degrees, phenomenon referred manhattanhenge (by analogy stonehenge). on separate occasions in late may , july, sunset aligned street grid lines, result sun visible @ or near western horizon street level. similar phenomenon occurs sunrise in january , december.

the fdr drive , harlem river drive, both designed controversial new york master planner robert moses, comprise single, long limited-access parkway skirting east side of manhattan along east river , harlem river south of dyckman street. henry hudson parkway corresponding parkway on west side north of 57th street.

river crossings

being island, manhattan linked new york city s outer boroughs numerous bridges, of various sizes. manhattan has fixed highway connections new jersey west way of george washington bridge, holland tunnel, , lincoln tunnel, , 3 of 4 other new york city boroughs—the bronx northeast, , brooklyn , queens (both on long island) east , south. direct connection fifth new york city borough, staten island, staten island ferry across new york harbor, free of charge. ferry terminal located near battery park @ manhattan s southern tip. possible travel on land staten island way of brooklyn, via verrazano-narrows bridge.

the george washington bridge, world s busiest motor vehicle bridge, connects washington heights, in upper manhattan, bergen county, in new jersey. there numerous bridges bronx across harlem river, , 5 (listed north south)—the triborough (known officially robert f. kennedy bridge), ed koch queensboro (also known 59th street bridge), williamsburg, manhattan, , brooklyn bridges—that cross east river connect manhattan long island.

several tunnels link manhattan island new york city s outer boroughs , new jersey. lincoln tunnel, carries 120,000 vehicles day under hudson river between new jersey , midtown manhattan, busiest vehicular tunnel in world. tunnel built instead of bridge allow unfettered passage of large passenger , cargo ships sail through new york harbor , hudson river manhattan s piers. holland tunnel, connecting lower manhattan jersey city, new jersey, world s first mechanically ventilated vehicular tunnel. queens–midtown tunnel, built relieve congestion on bridges connecting manhattan queens , brooklyn, largest non-federal project in time when completed in 1940; president franklin d. roosevelt first person drive through it. brooklyn–battery tunnel runs underneath battery park , connects financial district @ southern tip of manhattan red hook in brooklyn.

heliports

manhattan has 3 public heliports: east 34th street heliport (also known atlantic metroport) @ east 34th street, owned new york city , run new york city economic development corporation (nycedc); port authority downtown manhattan/wall street heliport, owned port authority of new york , new jersey , run nycedc; , west 30th street heliport, privately owned heliport owned hudson river park trust. helicopter offered regularly scheduled helicopter service connecting downtown manhattan heliport john f. kennedy international airport in queens , newark liberty international airport in new jersey, before going out of business in 2009.