Why is it so expensive to build subways in NYC?

Labor is expensive, but so is outsourcing of expertise. Sure, union labor costs a lot. Our crews are big, our work rules are generous, our wages are good. Our projects also tend to be well stocked with white-collar management. “But we would argue,” says Goldwyn, “that, more recently, there's more going on here.



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At $2.5 billion per mile, construction costs for the 1.8-mile Phase 1 of the Second Avenue Subway were 8 to 12 times more expensive than similar subway projects in Italy, Istanbul, Sweden, Paris, Berlin and Spain, according to a report from New York University's Marron Institute of Urban Management.

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However, building infrastructure in the U.S., especially subways, is very expensive. This CNBC report shows that building subways in the U.S. is more expensive than in most countries because of high labor costs, overbuilt tracks and stations, and onerous regulations.

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Oversizing the three stations at 72nd, 86th and 96th streets was a key reason behind the Upper East Side extension's record-setting price tag. Each stop cost $633 million to $794 million and has caverns of roughly 1,000 feet long or bigger.

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The first underground line of the subway opened on October 27, 1904, built by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) almost 36 years after the opening of the first elevated line in New York City (which became the IRT Ninth Avenue Line).

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The New York City subway is a core part of the infrastructure and transportation in the city. The subway is owned by the city of New York and leased to the New York Transit Authority. It is one of the oldest subway systems and one of the largest in the world, with about 472 stations in operation.

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Construction of the New York City Subway took 4 years and was completed in 1904; or the first section of the subway was completed then, at least.

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“New York is doing well because of its comprehensive subway network that operates 24 hours and the fact that trains go to Long Island and New Jersey,” said Jasper de Lange, transportation project manager at Arcadis. “It also scores high in the amount of people who are using public transit compared to a car to commute.”

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54% of households in New York City do not own a car, and rely on public transportation.

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NYCT also spends far more on operations than many peer systems. For example, in 2018, expenses for subway operations and maintenance in New York came to $14.55 per car-mile, while the system earned only $10.05 per car-mile in fare revenue.

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“About 400,000 riders enter the subway each day without paying–a problem so big that enforcement alone cannot solve it,” the panel reported.

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Maneuver Manhattan's train system like a local Here, Archer Hotel New York's consummate host offers timely tips on navigating the New York City subway (aka train) system like a boss. LOCAL TIP: New Yorkers typically call the subway “trains” (not underground or metro) or by their alpha name (the C or the Q).

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O has never been used due to its visual similarity to the number 0. P was planned for the service operating on the final leg of the BMT Culver Line before it was downgraded to a shuttle.

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Nicholas Avenue and 191st Street in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, it is served by the 1 train at all times. It is the deepest station in the New York City Subway system at about 173 feet (53 m) below street level.

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The iconic NYC Subway is entirely run on electricity, which means there are no emissions in the tunnels. The passenger mile emissions of using the subway trains are up to approximately 40g, 5 times less than the emissions of cars.

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