If you've ever used the official MTA Subway Time app, you've probably wondered how and why the city of New York commissioned such a terrible and frankly, useless app. We wonder the same thing.

If you require meaningful subway data, and you require it for more than just the 1-6 lines, we'd recommend investing $3.99 and getting the iTrans NYC app.

Best iPhone Apps 2013: iTrans NYC  

iTrans NYC is by far the most robust New York City subway app out there. It delivers real time arrival information, but most importantly, it delivers it in a way that's easy to read and intuitive.

Have you ever gotten on the wrong train, or the right train headed in the wrong direction? iTrans NYC is for you. The app gives you several options for getting to your destination, which are ordered by travel time. Never again will you be vexed at the platform wondering if you should catch the J going uptown or downtown - iTrans NYC will explicitly let you know.  

Another awesome feature in iTrans NYC that is inexplicably not baked into official MTA travel apps are service alert push notifications. If you've ever spent 30 minutes traveling from Manhattan to the Hoyt-Schermerhorn stop only to discover that the G line isn't running, you should appreciate the need for this.

Lastly, iTrans NYC can download subway schedules and store them in cache so that you don't need a data connection to use it - another differentiating factor from the MTA app. If you're a local, you'll know that the vast majority of underground subway stations offer no cell phone reception, so if you need to make a last minute adjustment in your route and you don't already know what line to take, you either have to rely on the kindness of strangers, or waste a Metrocard swipe by going above ground for cell phone reception.