NYC Transportation through the Years

In New York City, where less than half the population owns cars, public transportation is basically ubiquitous with getting around. And yes, New Yorkers complain about the subway a lot. Like a lot.

We get frustrated. With delays, construction, with being shoved into overcrowded cars with smelly people, with it all.

But let's take a break from all that griping for a moment, and just consider how astounding the scope of the NYC subway system really is.

Every year, 1.75 billion people ride the NYC subway, rendering it the 7th most travelled subway system in the entire world.

Since the subway opened in October 1904, the number of subway stations has grown from its original 28 to an astronomical 468 subway stations, stretching from Brooklyn through Queens, the Bronx, and last but not least, even Manhattan.

And that's not including the 793 million annual riders of our city's buses.

So now that we've established all that, check out these insanely vintage photos, which chronicle NYC's public transportation history through the years.

1890: train at 36th street station