Secrets of the Subway

Subways. We ride them every day without paying much attention, but did you know there is more to the MTA system than just a quick ride home?

New York City is a fascinating place, even underground! Here are some secrets of the New York City subway system:

Many of the NYC subways include underground art, colorful installations, and unique sculptures. Take a chance to appreciate the underground world of New York City by strolling through the subway stations or learning a bit about the underground life on one of our “Underground” Amazing New York Race’s.

Abandoned subways?

There are 5 abandoned subway stations in NYC, some of which are located in a heavy traffic subway station very much used still today.

-Worth St. station,

-42^nd street, lower level

-City Hall station

-18^th street station

-Roosevelt Ave., upper level

The famous City Hall subway station, which has been closed and abandoned for decades, can still be seen today if you know what you’re looking for! If you’re riding the 6 train to Brooklyn Bridge, stay on and get a glimpse of the City Hall station as the train turns around.

How Long Ago Was the Second Avenue T line First Proposed?

And the answer is ...

b) 1929

That's right -- the elusive T line was planned to run along 2nd Avenue more than 80 years ago. When the Great Depression hit later that year, the plans were postponed until today's resumption of the project.

Since then, the Lexington Avenue line, which runs two blocks east of the proposed T line, has become the most crowded subway line in the country, with 1.3 million riders daily (more than the entire number of subway riders in Washington, D.C.)!

New York Trivia Tuesday

The New York subway is constantly changing, to both the chagrin and excitement of many New Yorkers. This month marks the end of the old M, V and W lines, which will all end service on June 25.

The city's newest subway line, which will be known as the T, is still a while away, slated to open in 2015. It seems far away, but that date is very nearby when you consider that the T line was originally conceived very long ago. When were plans for the Second Avenue T line first proposed?

a) 1915
b) 1929
c) 1940
d) 1952

Check back on Thursday for the answer to this week's trivia question!