How to use this to plan an efficient visit

Many stations are transfer complexes shared by several lines — visiting one physical station can check off stations on 2–4 colors at once. The route below groups trips geographically so each leg walks or rides through a corridor once, banking every color that passes through it.

1. Hub 1 — Columbus Circle / Central Park South (59th St): Start at 59 St–Columbus Circle (A,C,B,D,1) and Lexington Av/59 St + 5 Av/59 St (N,Q,R,W,4,5,6). Two stops, six colors banked. Yellow · Blue · Orange · Red · Green
2. Leg 2 — Down 6th Avenue (Orange): Ride F or B/D/M downtown: Rockefeller Ctr → Bryant Pk → Herald Sq → 23 St → 14 St → W 4 St → Broadway-Lafayette → Grand St → Delancey/Essex → East Broadway.
3. Leg 3 — Down Broadway (Yellow): Ride N/Q/R/W: 57 St-7 Av → 49 St → Times Sq → Herald Sq (already banked) → 28 St → 23 St → Union Sq → 8 St-NYU → Prince St → Canal St → City Hall → Cortlandt St → Rector St → South Ferry.
4. Leg 4 — Down 7th Ave / Broadway (Red): Ride the 1/2/3: 50 St → Times Sq (banked) → Penn Station → 28 St → 23 St → 18 St → 14 St → Christopher St → Houston St → Canal St → Franklin St → Chambers St → WTC Cortlandt → Rector St (banked) → South Ferry (banked).
5. Leg 5 — Down Lexington Ave (Green) + the 7 (Purple): Ride 4/5/6: 51 St → Grand Central → 33 St → 28 St → 23 St → Union Sq (banked) → Astor Pl → Bleecker St → Spring St → Canal St → Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall. Detour on the 7 for 5 Av and 34 St-Hudson Yards.
6. Leg 6 — Down 8th Ave (Blue): Ride A/C/E: 50 St → Port Authority → Penn Station (banked) → 23 St → 14 St → W 4 St (banked) → Spring St → Canal St → Chambers St → World Trade Center → Fulton St.
7. Leg 7 — Crosstown 14th St (Gray) + Nassau St (Brown): Ride the L across 14th St: 8 Av → 6 Av → Union Sq (banked) → 3 Av → 1 Av. Then pick up the J/Z downtown: Essex St (banked area) → Bowery → Canal St (banked) → Chambers St (banked) → Fulton St (banked) → Broad St.

This order minimizes backtracking by sweeping each trunk line once, north to south, and always hitting a shared hub before splitting into single-line stretches. Total unique physical stations to visit: –.