New York transportation

New York boasts extensive transportationwith its size and variety, the city's transport
infrastructure. Engineering difficulties because of theinfrastructure is also beset with ongoing congestion,
terrain of the state and the unique issues of the cityreliability, and funding challenges.
brought on by urban crowding have had to beNew York is distinguished from all other American
overcome since the state was young. Populationcities by its use of public transportation. While nearly
expansion of the state generally followed the path of90% of Americans drive to their jobs, public transit is
the early waterways, first the Hudson River and thenthe overwhelmingly dominant form of travel for New
the Erie Canal.Yorkers. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, New
Today, railroad lines and the New York State ThruwayYork City is the only locality in the United States where
follow the same general route.more than half of all households do not own a car (the
Besides New York City, many of the other cities havefigure is even higher in Manhattan, over 75%; nationally,
urban and regional public transportation. Syracuse isthe rate is 8%). About one in every three users of
the smallest city in the U.S. to have a commuter rail line,mass transit in the United States and two-thirds of the
known as OnTrack. Buffalo also has a lightrailsystem,nation's rail riders live in New York and its suburbs.
and Rochester had a subway system, although it isNew York's uniquely high rate of public transit use and
mostly destroyed. Only a small part exists under theits pedestrian-friendly character make it one of the
old Erie Canal Aquaduct.most energy-efficient cities in the country.
New York City New York City is one of the mostGasoline consumption in New York City is at the rate
densely populated cities in the world, allowing it towhere the national average was in the 1920s.[4] The
facilitate one of the most extensive subway and bustransit system's efficiency is such that despite the
systems in the world. It is also famous for many of itsNew York metropolitan area's ranking as one of the
bridges and tunnels. New York City offers visitors amost populous in the world, hours of delay per person
bounty of famous streets and avenues.caused by traffic congestion is less than in far smaller
Many commuter railroad lines enter and leave Newcities like San Francisco. This savings translates into
York City, including the Long Island Rail Road, MTAreduced fuel costs and consumption as well as
Metro-North, the PATH system and many ofreduced costs from wasted labor productivity. Major
NJTransit's rail services.additions to the city's transport infrastructure have
The transportation system of New York City is one ofbeen stalled since the 1970s, however. Deferred
the most complex of any city in the United States. It ismaintenance of existing facilities hurt the reliability of
a system of superlatives, from the largest subwaytrains and subways.
network in the world by track mileage to the longestRecently the city has reinvested billions of dollars in its
suspension bridge in North America, from its iconicsubway system and proposed several multi-billion dollar
yellow cabs to 112,000 daily bicyclists, from the world'sprojects intended to increase capacity.
first mechanically ventilated vehicular tunnel toIn 2006, a study of the 50 largest U.S.
landmark train stations and new multibillion-dollar airportcities by the environmental organization SustainLane
terminals. New York has pioneered transportation likeidentified New York as the city most able to endure an
no other city in the United States; it even has an aerialoil crisis with an extended gasoline price shock in the
tramway used to whisk commuters from Roosevelt$3 to $8 dollar per gallon range.
Island into Manhattan in less than five minutes. Along