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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 13m

Information design in New York's transportation system constantly evolves to meet the needs of millions of people traversing the city. Messaging must be conveyed quickly, clearly, and efficiently in a manner that is also pleasing to the eye. What's your favorite subway entrance today?

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 13m

Reflecting the tastes of the era, this 1904 #NYCsubway entrance sign used modernist letterforms that were easy to read at a distance. It was located at Pershing Square: Park Ave. between 41 and 42 Streets, and featured a blue globe.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

⚾️ This secret is a home run. Secret no. 35 tells us how the history of transit and baseball are connected. #50SecretsofTransit celebrates the 50th anniversary of the #NYTransitMuseum. Join us as we pull back the curtain on New York's transportation system.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Although MetroCard sales ended December 31, 2025, MTA Mobile Sales Vehicles are still available to help with OMNY. Did you ever board the MetroCard Bus?

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Inside, transit employees assisted New Yorkers with MetroCard-related questions, processed MetroCard purchases, and helped senior citizens and people with disabilities to apply for or replenish Reduced Fare MetroCards.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

#MetroCardMonday: The #MetroCard Bus debuted in 1996 and traveled around the five boroughs making regularly scheduled stops at community centers, shopping areas, and along major bus routes.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

#DidYouKnow that train companies also have their own rodeos? These Rail Rodeos are spelled the normal way, though, for obvious reasons.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

This double-decker Fifth Avenue Coach Company bus #2124 was built in 1938 and appeared at the 1993 New York City Transit Authority Bus Roadeo in #ConeyIsland. The Parachute Jump provided an timeless backdrop to that year’s event.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Bus Roadeos happen all over the world and are hosted by local and regional transit companies to test bus operators on driving skills, safety regulations, equipment maintenance, and more.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

🚌 #SurfaceSunday: Have you ever been to a Bus Roadeo? Though that title may look odd, the spelling is actually correct! The word “road” is intentionally used as a nod to surface transportation.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

The El’s Q-Cars — former wooden gate cars that had been modified and refurbished — were the last wooden passenger trains employed in regular service in North America.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

When Myrtle Avenue El service ended, so did the era of wooden bodied cars in #NYC and beyond.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

These #NYTMCollection photographs shows the last day of service on the Myrtle Avenue El including emotional passengers gathered for the send-off.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

“Old Myrt,” as it was known by many, was slated for demolition due the cost of improving its aging infrastructure, competition for riders with the Crosstown Line (today’s G train), and the rise of cars and highways.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Running since 1888, the Myrtle Avenue Elevated Line provided an important connection between Downtown Brooklyn and Queens.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

What is your favorite scene in the film? Do you like the original or one of the remakes better?

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

"The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” includes footage filmed in the decommissioned Court Street Station, now known as the #NYTransitMuseum. The plot centers around a group of men who hijack a subway train, hold its passengers hostage, and demand a ransom from the city.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

#TodayInHistory: 🎬 #OnThisDay 52 years ago, the film “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” opened in theaters. Now heralded as a classic, the 1974 action crime caper flick is the original film by this name. It was also remade in 1998 for TV and as a major motion picture in 2009.“

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Look 🆙! Secret no. 34 is on the ceiling. One woman's obsession with Grand Central Terminal became a hunt for the truth. #50SecretsofTransit celebrates the 50th anniversary of the #NYTransitMuseum. Join us as we pull back the curtain on New York's transportation system.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

In 1967, the EE’s route became the BMT Broadway Line between 71st–Continental Avenues and Whitehall Street. This service was completely replaced by the N in 1976. Do you remember the EE?

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

This #NYTMCollection photo shows an EE train in 1976. Originally, the EE ran via the Eighth Avenue local between Forest Hills-71 Av (known then as 71st–Continental Avenues station) and Chambers Street during off peak hours. This service was discontinued in 1940.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

The AA, CC, and EE were among these double-lettered local lines. Today, only the A/C/E remain and the original AA/CC/EE lines have been rerouted.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

#DidYouKnow that double-lettered nomenclature was used in the #NYC subway system until 1985? The purpose of repeated letters was to denote that the train was running via the local line of its express counterpart, marked by the same single letter.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Stay tuned for Saturday’s #TodayInHistory post about the El’s last ride.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Unfortunately for these activists, the Myrtle Avenue El ended service on October 3, 1969 and was demolished the following year.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Protestors are seen marching in front of the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) building at 370 Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

🪧 Taken #OnThisDay in 1969, these #NYTMCollection images show protestors making a last-ditch effort to keep the Myrtle Avenue Elevated Line open. Slated to end service three days later, “Old Myrt” as it was known, was beloved by many.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Although much of “Die Hard with a Vengeance” is filmed in New York City, this scene was not. However, the subway cars shown are real #NYCsubway cars purchased from the NYC Transit Authority. Do you know their model? How accurate do you think the set is?

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

In this scene, McClane is riding a downtown 3 train headed for Wall Street station, where a bomb attached to the train will detonate upon arrival. Just in time, McClane throws the bomb off of the train, saving the lives of the passengers.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

#TransitTrivia: 🎬 In the 1995 film “Die Hard with a Vengeance,” John McClane (Bruce Willis) and Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson) attempt to foil a plan by East German terrorist “Simon” (Jeremy Irons) to set off bombs around #NYC.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Tactile Guideways are made up of various combinations of textures and materials to convey different information about the path. The Guideways are also bright blue so that they stand out to passengers, especially those with low vision.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

First introduced in Okayama city, Japan in 1967, tactile guidance has spread throughout the world. At Jay Street–MetroTech, riders who are blind and use white canes or service animals for assistance can use the Tactile Guideways, which sit on top of the station's floor, to navigate the station.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

#MysteryMonday: Have you ever noticed these colorful strips of flooring at the Jay Street–MetroTech station in Downtown Brooklyn? They are called "Tactile Guideways" and are one of a host of strategies that the @MTA.info is testing  to broaden #accessibility in the #NYC transit system.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Once you see it, you'll never stop seeing it. Secret no. 33 breaks the code. #50SecretsofTransit celebrates the 50th anniversary of the #NYTransitMuseum. Join us as we pull back the curtain on New York's transportation system.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

👉 to see “Hive," a public art installation which now hangs over the new section of the uptown IRT platform. It was created by artist Leo Villareal and commissioned by MTA Arts & Design.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

When the uptown transfer was completed in 2012, the New York Times reported on its opening, saying that a “final relic from the era of tokens and disconnected lines was finally swept away.”

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

A northbound transfer to Broadway–Lafayette Street station would have to be a separate project. Though it had been proposed multiple times over the years, plans were officially made to fix this oddity in 2005.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The uptown platform extension at Bleecker Street station added the distance of two car lengths northward, lengthening the station in the opposite direction of the Broadway–Lafayette Street station, so no connection was made.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

It wasn’t until 1957 that possibility of the transfer arose. When the southbound platform was extended, the construction reached close enough to the Broadway–Lafayette Street station that a connection could be easily made. However, this connection was only completed because it was convenient.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Though a downtown transfer between the two stations had been available since 1957, New Yorkers waited 55 years for a transfer in the other direction. Those transferring uptown would have to exit one station, walk above ground to reach the other station, and pay a second fare.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

#TodayinHistory: #OnThisDay in 2012, arguably the biggest quirk of the #NYCsubway system was resolved when an uptown transfer finally opened between the 6 train at Bleecker Street station and the B/D/F/M trains at Broadway–Lafayette Street station.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Both lines were terminated when the photo was taken. The Church Avenue Line was replaced by the B35 bus. The McDonald Avenue Line north of Cortelyou Road is now served by the B67/B69 buses. At the corner is the Greater New York Savings Bank, and behind it the Beverly Theater, which closed in 1981.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

#ThenAndNow: This #NYTMCollection photograph shows the corner of Church Avenue and McDonald Avenue in #Brooklyn in 1956. The tracks and overhead catenary for the Church Avenue Line and McDonald Avenue Line are both visible, as is PCC trolley car 1002 traveling on the Church Avenue Line.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Thanks for sharing this classic TV clip!

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Have you checked out our "Ode to the Orange Seats" exhibit yet? Meet some of the artists involved in the show and hear from the Museum's curator Jodi Shapiro in this new video piece from @abc7ny.bsky.social: abc7.com/videoClip/19...

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As their last stop nears, NYC's orange subway seats get artsy sendoff

The New York City subway will never look the same.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

It’s helpful to think of “The Train to the Plane” as a precursor to the AirTrain, as it provided an incomplete link to the airport, laying bare the essential need for a more seamless solution. Do you remember "The Train to The Plane?"

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

The AirTrain makes it possible to get to JFK’s terminals without surface transportation, reducing overall travel time.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

The JFK Express began to experience low ridership which ultimately influenced the decision to end service on the line in 1990. The issue of not being able to reach the airport’s terminals with a train was finally tackled in 2003 when the AirTrain debuted.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Instead, the train brought riders to the Howard Beach-JFK Airport station, after which they still had to board shuttle buses to the airport’s terminals. Travel time out to Howard Beach-JFK Airport station was significantly decreased by using the JFK Express, though.

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