As a student in New York City, you’ll find that neighborhoods are an important part of city life. If you’d like to explore outside your neighborhood, though, there are plenty of transportation options for getting into, out of, and around the city. This section serves as a starting place as you become familiar with the city—traveling in, out, and around the area, and enjoying the best of urban life along the way.

NYU Campus Transportation Services

• The NYU Department of Public Safety provides safe, free, and dependable transportation seven days a week, 24 hours a day, to and from NYU facilities.
  
• Scheduled route service operates from 7am to 12 midnight on weekdays and from 10am to 12 midnight on weekends. A valid NYUCard is required to board any Campus Transportation Services vehicle. Schedule information is available online at www.nyu.edu/ride.
  
• Passengers are advised to consult Service Announcements for schedule changes on holidays and during exam periods and semester breaks. This information is available on the transportation Web site at www.nyu.edu/ride or by calling 212-998-RIDE (7433).
  
• Safe Ride on-call van service is available to provide overnight transportation each day from the time that scheduled route service concludes until it resumes on the following morning. The vans operate from 12 midnight to 7am on weekdays and from 12 midnight to 10am on weekends.
  
• Safe Ride service is available for transportation on an on-call basis to and from NYU facilities. Passengers should call the Department of Public Safety at 212-992-VANS (8267) for transportation during the noted hours. A Safe Ride van, operated by CoachUSA, will be dispatched to provide transportation to and from NYU facilities.

Transportation Information Resources

• Access-a-Ride, 877-337-2017
  
• Amtrak, 212-582-6875 or 800-872-7245
  
• Bus and Subway, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA),
  718-330-1234, www.mta.info
  
• Lift-equipped buses (accessible to persons with mobility impairments), 718-330-3322 or 718-596-8585
  
• Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), 718-217-5477
  
• Metro-North Railroad, 212-532-4900
  
• New Jersey Transit, 800-772-2222 (within New Jersey) or 973-762-5100
  
• NYU Campus Transportation Services, 212-998-RIDE
  
• PATH, 800-234-PATH or 201-216-6557
  
• Port Authority Bus Terminal, 212-564-8484
  
• Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, 212-435-7000
  
• Staten Island Ferry, 718-390-5253

To Reach NYU

By Subway

• Lexington Avenue local (6) to Astor Place Station. Walk west on Astor Place to Broadway, then south on Broadway to Waverly Place, and west on Waverly Place to Washington Square.
  
• Broadway local (W or R) to Eighth Street Station. Walk south on Broadway to Waverly Place, then west on Waverly Place to Washington Square.
  
• Sixth Avenue (B, D, F, or V) or Eighth Avenue (A, C, or E) local or express to West Fourth Street-Washington Square Station. Walk east on West Fourth Street or Waverly Place to Washington Square.
  
• Seventh Avenue local (1) to Christopher Street-Sheridan Square Station. Walk east on West Fourth Street to Washington Square.

By Bus

• Fifth Avenue bus (2, 3, or 5) to Eighth Street and University Place. Walk south on University Place to Washington Square.
  
• Fifth Avenue bus (1) to Broadway and Ninth Street. Walk south on Broadway to Waverly Place and west to Washington Square.
  
• Broadway bus (6) to Waverly Place. Walk west to Washington Square.
  Eighth Street crosstown bus (8) to University Place. Walk south to Washington Square.

By Interstate or Regional Bus

• Interstate or regional bus to Port Authority Terminal, then Eighth Avenue subway downtown (see “By Subway”).

By Train

• Metro-North Railroad into Grand Central Station, then Lexington Avenue subway downtown (see “By Subway”).
  
• Amtrak into Pennsylvania Station, then Eighth Avenue subway downtown (see “By Subway”).
  
• Long Island Rail Road into Pennsylvania Station, then Eighth Avenue subway downtown (see “By Subway”).
  
• PATH train into Ninth Street Station (at Sixth Avenue), then walk south to West Fourth Street and east to Washington Square.

By Car

• From the north or northeast New York State Thruway, which becomes the Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx, to Willis Avenue Bridge, across to FDR Drive in Manhattan, south to Houston Street, then west to La Guardia Place (two blocks west of Broadway), then north three blocks to Washington Square.
  
• From the northwest, west, and south Interstate Highway 95 and/or New Jersey Turnpike to Holland Tunnel, north on Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue) to West Fourth Street and east to Washington Square; or to Lincoln Tunnel, east to Seventh Avenue, south to West Fourth Street (at Sheridan Square), then east to Washington Square.

By Ferry

• Staten Island Ferry to Whitehall Street, then Broadway or Seventh Avenue subway uptown (see “By Subway”).

Subway and Bus Fares

The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) subway and bus fare is $2. MetroCards must be used for subway fares; MetroCards or coins (exact change required) may be used for bus fares. The MetroCard is easy to use and offers free transfers between bus and subway or between buses. Just make sure you use the same MetroCard within two hours and you can transfer for free, with certain exceptions. If you are paying by coins and transferring between buses, you need to ask for a transfer card when you board. The MetroCard is similar to a debit card in that you purchase a certain amount on the card, and your fare is automatically deducted from the balance at the turnstile. You need at least $2 to start, and if you put $10 or more on your card, you receive a 20 percent bonus, which is equal to one free ride or more! You can also purchase an unlimited MetroCard, which is good for 30 days of unlimited travel. If you purchase a 30-day unlimited MetroCard with a credit, debit, or ATM card, your MetroCard is automatically insured. Call 212-METROCARD for information or to take advantage of this benefit.

You can buy or add value to a MetroCard at any subway station. You can also purchase a MetroCard at NYU Ticket Central and at neighborhood newsstands, delis, groceries, banks, pharmacies, check cashiers, and other stores throughout the five boroughs—these locations often have shorter lines. You can check your balance at a MetroCard reader in any subway station. This is a good habit to get into so that you won’t be caught without enough money on your card to get to where you want to go.

For more information about the MetroCard, call 212-638-7622, 7am to 11pm Monday through Friday, and 9am to 5pm on weekends.

Subways

• Call the MTA at 718-330-1234, 6am-9pm, for travel information.
  
• The quickest and most popular means of transportation in New York City is the subway system, which runs 24 hours a day and serves some five million passengers while covering 231 miles of track daily. The New York City subway has 468 stations serving 24 routes—more than any other system in the world. Routes are identified by letters, such as A, B, C, and by numbers, such as 1, 2, 3, etc. These routes serve Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. Staten Island is served by the Staten Island Railway. Ask for a free subway map at any subway station booth.
  
• In general, trains run every 2 to 5 minutes during rush hours, every 10 to 15 minutes during the day, and about every 20 minutes between midnight and 5am. Keep in mind that a local train makes every stop while an express train skips some stops.
• Subway maps indicate express and local stops.
  
• For subway-riding safety tips and information for wheelchair users and people with mobility impairments, see page 207 of this guide.

Local NYC Buses

• Call the MTA at 718-330-1234, 6am-9pm, for travel information.
  
• The city also has an extensive bus system, with more than 240 routes and about 4,000 buses. On the avenues, buses run north on First, Third, Madison, Sixth (Avenue of the Americas), Eighth, and Tenth Avenues. Southbound buses operate on Second, Lexington, Fifth, Seventh, and Ninth Avenues and on Broadway below 59th Street. (Please note that Broadway cuts across Manhattan diagonally, so that uptown it’s on the west side and downtown it’s on the east side. The juncture occurs at 23rd Street, where Broadway crosses Fifth Avenue.) Crosstown buses going in both directions (east and west) run on a number of streets, including 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd, 57th, 79th, and 86th Streets. A MetroCard or exact change is required for a one-way ride.
  
• Buses usually stop every two or three blocks on north-south streets and every block on crosstown streets. Bus stops are marked by a red, white, and blue sign on a pole and a yellow-painted curb. “Guide-a-Ride” maps/ schedules are also posted at most bus stops. Always check the bus number on the electronic sign on the front of the bus to make sure you are getting on the right one.
  
• For bus-riding safety tips and information for wheelchair users and people with mobility impairments, see page 207 of this guide.

NJ Transit

Students who commute via NJ Transit may purchase monthly rail passes at a
25% discount. Contact Commuter Student Services at the Student Resource Center (212-998-4411) for details.

Airplane

All three major airports are accessible by subway, bus, or PATH train. For information about transportation from New York City airports, call 800-AIR-RIDE. Taxis and car services are available at the airports and, even though they cost more, are your best bet if you have a lot of luggage. Plan on spending at least $20 to $40 depending on the airport and time of day. Car services are listed in the yellow pages. We recommend that you schedule your trip a few days in advance.

Traveling Around NYU and NYC

Taxis

If the medallion number is illuminated on the roof sign, then a yellow cab is available. It is highly recommended that you take a taxi when traveling late at night. If you have any difficulty, note the driver’s medallion number and call the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, 212-676-1000. For taxi lost and found, call NYC-TAXI.

Car Services

When visiting friends in other boroughs where yellow cabs are not readily available, have your host call a local car service. The car service will tell you exactly how much it will cost to take you to your desired destination and will pick you up at your host’s door at the time established. It is highly recommended that you use a car service when traveling late at night from other boroughs.

Parking Garages Near NYU

Parking in New York City can be a challenge. Most of the prime spots on the street get filled up pretty quickly, and you need to know about special New York City parking rules like “alternate side of the street parking days.”

Fortunately, there are more than 2,300 parking facilities in the city. While they are licensed by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, their prices are not regulated. Overnight parking typically costs $20-$28 a day. All parking garages and lots in Manhattan charge a 10.25 percent tax and an 8 percent surcharge. Many of them will also surcharge oversized and luxury vehicles. Note that not all locations are open 24 hours.

Some garages offer discounts to persons visiting NYU. To get this discount, stop by the Jeffrey S. Gould Welcome Center at 50 West Fourth Street, first floor, and have your parking ticket validated.

• Brevoort Parking Corporation
  12-20 East Ninth Street (between Fifth Avenue and University Place)
  212-873-8220

• Eighth Street Parking Corporation
  11 Eighth Street (at Fifth Avenue)
  212-475-9562

• Guardian Thomas Corporation
  63 East Ninth Street (between Broadway and University Place)
  212-463-6000

• Hillary Gardens Garage
  300 Mercer Street (between Eighth Street and Waverly Place)
  212-473-8752

• Master Park
  64 Cooper Square (Fourth Avenue and East Eighth Street)
  212-473-9736

• Thompson Street Garage
  221 Thompson Street (between Third and Bleecker Streets)
  212-677-8741

• Washington Square Garage
  2 Fifth Avenue (between Eighth Street and Washington Square Park North)
  212-533-8312

• Washington Square Village Garage
  1 Washington Square Village (between Third and Bleecker Streets)
  212-253-9061