Quote:
Originally Posted by glowhappy
I thought it was kinda disorganized. My favorite was the one in Paris. I can't read or write in French but its so easy to navigate that I never took the wrong train.
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The NYC subway system can't help some level of disorganization, as the present system is the result of a merger of three independent systems: the
BMT (Brooklyn Manhattan Transit), IND (Independent Subway), and IRT (Interborough Rapid Transit). They were merged into single system in the 1940s, and are currently a division of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, which is also responsible for bus service and commuter rail lines.
It's possible to get pretty much anywhere in four of the five boroughs (the fifth is a separate island with its own rail system) by subway, but there are an assortment of "you can't get directly there from here" quirks.
However, it's the largest subway system in the world, and the MTA has made considerable strides over the years in improving it. (Among other things, the air conditioning in the cars now can be expected to be working when you board, which wasn't always the case.) It's also a 24 hour system, so you really can travel at any time.
The simplest subway I've encountered is the one in Philadelphia, which has two lines: a North/South line and an East/West line. Hard to get lost using that subway. To get to places not on those lines, you transfer to a bus or a trolley. Like NYC, the Phila. system is 24 hours, and you can ride at any time.
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Dennis