Transit Authority
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
Q: I was on a platform, and as the trains came in I noticed a small blue light flash beside the tracks at the entrance to the station. What is it?
A: I went up to the West 4th Street station to investigate, and I didn’t see the flashing blue light myself, so I suspect what you’re seeing is the arcing electricity from the third rail. Irregularities on the contacts between the rail and the subway car can cause bright blue sparks to flash as the train rolls over them. At some stations the arcs occur regularly at specific spots, indicating a need for repair. The problem isn’t dangerous unless you happen to be standing next to it at track level as the train goes by.
The other blue lights you may notice down the subway tunnels are markers for the emergency telephones. The phones are there for train or track crews to call for assistance in the event of an injured worker, stuck train, or some other emergency. The phones have no dial or call buttons; they connect directly to the command center, which is staffed 24 hours a day.
Q: What are the longest and shortest subway rides?
A: The Broad Channel to Howard Beach run on the A line is longest stretch between stations, approximately 3.5 miles. The A train also has the longest non-transfer ride, from 207th Street to Far Rockaway, a 31-mile run. The longest possible ride with one transfer requires starting at the no. 2 train from 241st Street in the Bronx, then changing at Times Square for the Far Rockaway-bound A train. That ride is 38 miles. The shortest ride between stations is on the no. 4 train between Bowling Green and Wall Street, just 1,200 feet. The shortest line is the Shuttle between Grand Central Terminal and Times Square.
Q: What is the deepest subway station? The highest?
The deepest station is the no. 1 at 191st Street in Manhattan, which is 160 feet below ground. That’s double the most popular guess from readers – the Lexington Avenue stop on the F train, which is only 80 feet down. The station farthest below sea level is Roosevelt Island, also on the F, at 100 feet below sea level. The highest train station is the Smith & 9th Street stop on the F and G lines in Brooklyn, 80 feet up.
Got a question about getting around New York? Send it to transit@nysun.com.
