SUBWAY ANNIVERSARY

Submitted by ub on

At precisely 2:35PM today City Island Images was riding the NYC subway to document the 109th anniversary of the system.

Back in 1904, the first rapid transit subway in the nation, called the IRT, was inaugurated in New York City. At that exact time on that day the subway started rolling and more than 100,000 people paid a nickel each to take their first ride under Manhattan.

IRT service then expanded to the Bronx in 1905, to Brooklyn in 1908 and to Queens in 1915. Since 1968, the subway has been controlled by the Metropolitan Transport Authority (MTA). The system now has 26 lines and 468 stations in operation; the longest line, the 8th Avenue "A" Express train, stretches more than 32 miles, from the northern tip of Manhattan to the far southeast corner of Queens.

21 year old Edwina was just going home from work as a home attendant. She told City Island Images she was shocked to learn this was the time and day it all started.

38 year old Tish, a computer programmer who's been using the subway for the past 17 years for business and recreational purposes said wow when she read today was the anniversary.

20 year veteran MTA employee Daryl Johnson said he was interested to learn he was working on this very special day.

83 year old Peter, who was speaking Greek told us " I think the subway system is wonderful because it gets me where ever I want to go and it's cheap"

Today, some 4.5 million passengers take the subway in New York. NYC's subway is the only major rapid transit system in the world that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No matter how crowded or dirty, this is one service few New Yorkers, or visitors could ever do without.