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Metropolitan Transportation Authority facts for kids

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Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Sample of MTA services MNRR NYCT Bus LIRR MTA Bus LI Bus NYCT Subway.jpg
Info
Locale New York City
Long Island
Lower Hudson Valley
Coastal Connecticut
Transit type Commuter rail, local and express bus, subway, bus rapid transit
Number of lines
  • 17 commuter rail
    • Staten Island Railway
    • 5 Metro-North
    • 11 LIRR
  • 24 subway
  • 320 bus routes
    • 237 local routes
    • 65 express routes
    • 8 BRT routes
Daily ridership 8,658,764 (weekday; all modes)
Chief executive Thomas F. Prendergast (CEO & Chairman)
Headquarters 347 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Operation
Began operation 1965
Number of vehicles 2,352 commuter rail cars
6,344 subway
63 SIR cars
5,777 buses

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is a government-chartered corporation that operates public transportation in the U.S. state of New York. The MTA runs buses and trains in 12 counties in southeastern New York. It also runs in two counties in southwestern Connecticut. On weekdays, about 11 million passengers use MTA buses and trains. Over 800,000 vehicles use its seven tolled bridges and two tunnels daily.

History

The MTA was chartered by the New York state government in 1965. In 1965, it was called the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Authority (MCTA). The MTCA was made by Governor Nelson Rockefeller to buy and run the Long Island Rail Road, which run out of money. The MCTA became the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in 1968. In 1968, it combined the operations of the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) and Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA), which are now MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) and MTA Bridges and Tunnels (B&T).

The MTA also took the lease of the Penn Central Transportation's Hudson, Harlem and New Haven commuter rail lines until 1976. In 1976, Conrail took over Penn Central. The MTA did not run these commuter rail lines by itself until 1983. In 1983, it formed the Metro-North Commuter Railroad from the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines.

MTA Bridges and Tunnels

MTA Bridges and Tunnels is the largest bridge and tunnel toll agency in the United States. More than a million people use its bridges and tunnels each day. MTA Bridges and Tunnels collect $900 million from tolls each year.

The seven bridges are:

The two tunnels are:

  • Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan
  • Queens-Midtown Tunnel, connecting Queens and Manhattan

New York City Transit Authority

The New York City Transit Authority has 7 million riders per day, or over 2 billion a year.

The NYCTA runs:

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Autoridad Metropolitana del Transporte para niños

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