Public Transport in New York City 2026 — NYC Subway, Buses, OMNY and Getting Around the Five Boroughs

Public Transport in New York City 2026

New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) operates one of the world's largest and most famous transit systems — a subway network of 27 lines serving 472 stations across all five boroughs, plus an extensive bus network, Staten Island Railway, LIRR, and Metro-North commuter rail. The system runs 24/7/365 — the only major metro in the world never to close. This guide covers public transport in New York City in 2026.

NYC Subway

• 27 subway lines serving Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx (Staten Island has the separate Staten Island Railway); 472 stations; 24-hour operation
• Local trains stop at every station; express trains skip stations for faster travel between key points — check line maps carefully (e.g., the A train is express in Manhattan; C is local on the same tracks)
• Fares: $2.90 per single ride (2026 base fare; confirm current fare with MTA); eligible for transfer within 2 hours to bus or another subway entry

OMNY — NYC's Tap-and-Go Payment

• OMNY (One Metro New York) is NYC's contactless payment system; tap your contactless bank card (Visa/Mastercard/Amex) or Apple Pay/Google Pay at the turnstile; no MetroCard needed; weekly cap of $34 applies (after 12 rides in a week, the rest are free)
• MetroCard: The legacy magnetic-stripe card; still widely used; available at all subway stations; unlimited 7-day ($34) and 30-day ($132) options available; being phased out as OMNY adoption grows

Buses and Other MTA Services

• MTA buses serve areas not covered by subway, including crosstown routes in Manhattan and outer borough coverage; same fare as subway; transfer included
• LIRR (Long Island Rail Road): Commuter rail to Long Island; Grand Central Madison station (new) and Penn Station are Manhattan hubs
• Metro-North: Commuter rail serving Connecticut and NYC's northern suburbs (Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, Orange, Fairfield counties)

Getting to NYC from Airports

• JFK: AirTrain JFK to Jamaica (LIRR) or Howard Beach (A subway); approximately 60-75 minutes to Manhattan
• LaGuardia: No direct rail; Q70-SBS bus to subway; approximately 45-60 minutes to Manhattan
• Newark (EWR): NJ Transit + AirTrain; approximately 45-60 minutes

This article was compiled by AI and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.