Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Taxi
Best for…
getting to and from the airports with luggage in tow, or zigzagging
across Manhattan.
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The Taxi & Limousine Commision has set fares for rides (which can be paid with credit
or debit card). It's $2.50 for the initial charge (first one-fifth of a mile), 50¢ for each addi-
tional one-fifth mile as well as per every 60 seconds of being stopped in traffic. There's
also a $1 peak surcharge (weekdays 4pm to 8pm) and a 50¢ night surcharge (8pm to
6am), plus a NY State surcharge of 50¢ per ride.
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Tips are expected to be 10% to 15%, but give less if you feel in any way mistreated -
and be sure to ask for a receipt and use it to note the driver's license number.
Subway Cheat Sheet
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Numbers, letters, colors
Subway train lines have a color and a letter or number. Trains with the same color run on the
same tracks, often following roughly the same path through Manhattan before branching out into the other boroughs.
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Express & local lines
Each color-coded line is shared by local trains and express trains; the latter make only select
stops in Manhattan (indicated by a white circle on subway maps). If you're covering a greater distance, you're better off
transferring to the express train (usually just across the platform from the local) to save time.
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Getting in the right station
Some stations have separate entrances for downtown or uptown lines (read the sign care-
fully). If you swipe in at the wrong one, you'll either need to ride the subway to a station where you can transfer for
free, or just lose the $2.50 and re-enter the station (usually across the street). Also look for the green and red lamps
above the stairs at each station entrance; green means that it's always open, while red means that particular entrance will
be closed at certain hours, usually late at night.
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Lost weekend
All the rules switch on weekends, when some lines combine with others and some get suspended, some
stations get passed and others get reached. Locals and tourists alike stand on platforms confused, sometimes irate. Check
the
www.mta.info
website for weekend schedules. Sometimes posted signs aren't visible until after you reach the plat-
form.
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The TLC keeps a Passenger's Bill of Rights, which gives you the right to tell the driver
which route you'd like to take, or ask your driver to stop smoking or turn off an annoying
radio station. Also, the driver does not have the right to refuse you a ride based on where
you are going. Tip: Get in first, then say where you're going.
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In 2014, new rules went into effect regarding availability. If the light on the roof is lit,
it's available. It's particularly difficult to score a taxi in the rain, at rush hour and around
4pm, when many drivers end their shifts.
