128-424: The IRT Lexington Avenue Line (also known as the IRT East Side Line and the IRT Lexington–Fourth Avenue Line ) is one of the lines of the A Division of the New York City Subway , stretching from Lower Manhattan north to 125th Street in East Harlem . The line is served by the 4 , 5 , 6 , and <6> trains. The line was constructed in two main portions by
256-581: A shuttle on the local tracks only, terminating at 42nd Street and at 167th Street on the IRT Jerome Avenue Line (where the connection from the elevated IRT Ninth Avenue Line merged). On August 1, service patterns were changed, and the Lexington Avenue Line became a through route. The IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line also switched from shuttle operation at that time, and the IRT 42nd Street Shuttle
384-544: A "Z" system (as seen on a map) to an H-shaped system. One trunk would run via the new Lexington Avenue Line down Park Avenue, and the other trunk would run via the new Seventh Avenue Line up Broadway. It was predicted that the subway extension would lead to the growth of the Upper East Side and the Bronx . The rest of the line, north to 125th Street, opened on July 17, 1918. However, until the evening of August 1, 1918, it ran as
512-465: A 65-story skyscraper. The MTA mandated that the developers pay for station improvements at Grand Central to allow for the building's construction. In 2015, SL Green, the developer, gave $ 220 million toward the building's construction, of which two-thirds of the money would be used for station redesign; this marked the largest private investment to date to the New York City Subway system. As part of
640-497: A bronze latticed balustrade, as well as plaques with the words svbway entrance . This stair measures 64 feet (20 m) wide and, at the time of the BMT station's construction, could accommodate 1,280 passengers per minute. Two stairs and an elevator rise from the western side of the IRT mezzanine to City Hall Park, just southwest of the intersection of Centre and Chambers Streets, in front of
768-634: A new exit was provided at Reade Street and Lafayette Street, and a new passageway under Reade Street was built connecting to the Chambers Street station on the BMT Nassau Street Line. At the center of the enlarged platforms, a new overpass was built, providing more direct access to the Municipal Building . The tile walls on the unused eastern side platform were completed in December 1959, and
896-553: A new station entrance and control building in Bowling Green Park at Bowling Green, with new stairways to the platform. On July 23, 1959, the Board of Estimate approved the contract for the construction of express platforms at Lexington Avenue–59th Street . The new platforms were intended to reduce transfer congestion at Grand Central–42nd Street , and to allow transfers between the express trains and BMT trains to Queens . Even before
1024-471: A north–south direction, with the BMT platforms to the east of the IRT platforms. Just below street level, there are two overpasses above the IRT platforms, one at the center of the station and another near the south end. There is also an underpass at the extreme north end of the station. The underpass and northern overpass date from the 1962 renovation while the southern overpass is part of the original circulation plan. The overpasses connect each platform with
1152-544: A refrigeration plant to the station in August 1906. The plant consisted of four pumps at the northern end of the station, which could draw up to 300 or 400 U.S. gallons per minute (19 or 25 L/s) of groundwater; the water was then chilled and sent through ducts above the platforms. To address overcrowding, in 1909, the New York Public Service Commission proposed lengthening the platforms at stations along
1280-516: A signal tower, maintainers' rooms, relay rooms, and tile walls on the unused western side platform were completed in May 1960. A temporary transfer passageway to the Chambers Street station opened in June 1961, while the old passageway was being demolished. The downtown platform's extension opened in 1961, and the uptown platform's extension opened on August 31, 1962. The overpass and the permanent passageway to
1408-607: A single tail track south of the station. The tail track is 620 feet (190 m) long from the switch points to the bumper block , where an emergency exit is available. Before the extension to Broad Street opened, the two westernmost (now southbound) tracks ramped up to just before the portal from the Brooklyn Bridge, ending at a wooden gate. These tracks did not have any third rails and were never used. North of this station, there are numerous switches connecting all four tracks. The easternmost two tracks are stubs that end behind
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#17328694112441536-685: A team of engineers led by William Barclay Parsons , the Rapid Transit Commission's chief engineer. It called for a subway line from New York City Hall in Lower Manhattan to the Upper West Side , where two branches would lead north into the Bronx . A plan was formally adopted in 1897, and all legal conflicts concerning the route alignment were resolved near the end of 1899. The Rapid Transit Construction Company, organized by John B. McDonald and funded by August Belmont Jr. , signed
1664-490: A total cost of $ 127 million (equivalent to $ 253.9 million in 2023). After the original IRT opened, the city began planning new lines. The Centre Street Loop (later the Nassau Street Line ) was approved on January 25, 1907, as a four-track line; it was to connect the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, and Williamsburg Bridge via Centre Street , Canal Street , and Delancey Street . Unlike previous subway contracts that
1792-594: Is Fulton Street . The station is the southern terminus for 6 and <6> trains, which turn via the City Hall Loop to head back uptown. When the subway opened, the next local stop to the north was Worth Street , and the next local stop to the south was City Hall ; both of these stations were closed in the mid-20th century. The Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall station contains four tracks, two island platforms , and two unused side platforms . From each island platform, one elevator and one stair lead to
1920-501: Is more than the total riderships of the transit systems of Chicago (772,900 weekday passengers), Boston (569,200 weekday passengers), and San Francisco (452,600 weekday passengers). The line spurred the construction of the parallel Second Avenue Subway , which opened in 2017, to relieve congestion on the Lexington Avenue line. Four stations along this line have been abandoned. When platforms were lengthened to fit ten cars, it
2048-599: Is now the BMT Broadway Line at Ninth Street and Broadway . Contracts awarded on July 21, 1911, included Section 6 between 26th Street and 40th Street ; at the time, the IRT had withdrawn from the talks, and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) was to operate on Lexington Avenue. The IRT submitted an offer for what became its portion of the Dual Contracts on February 27, 1912, and construction
2176-596: Is slightly higher at the southern end of the station because, south of the station, the line becomes a bi-level tunnel with the southbound track stacked above the northbound one. Like the IRT station, the tunnel is covered by a U-shaped trough that contains utility pipes and wires. The bottom of this trough contains a foundation of concrete no less than 4 inches (100 mm) thick. Each platform consists of 3-inch-thick (76 mm) concrete slabs, beneath which are drainage basins. The platforms contain double-height, tile-clad columns spaced every 15 feet (4.6 m), which support
2304-472: Is within walking distance of Bowling Green , and is right next to the corresponding station on the Broadway–Seventh Avenue line . Services that use the Lexington Avenue Line are colored forest green. The following services use part or all of the line: The Lexington Avenue Line begins in lower Manhattan at the inner loop of the abandoned South Ferry station. North of the station is a merge with
2432-428: The <6> train stops here during weekdays in the peak direction. The 5 train always makes express stops, and the 6 and <6> trains always make local stops; the 4 train makes express stops during the day and local stops at night. The next station to the north is Canal Street for local trains and 14th Street–Union Square for express trains. The next station to the south for 4 and 5 trains
2560-429: The 14th Street–Union Square station killed five riders and injured 215 others in the worst accident on the system since the 1928 Times Square derailment . As a result of the crash, new safety protocols were put in place and there was a partial implementation of automation of the New York City Subway . The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced in 2024 that it would begin installing 5G cellular equipment on
2688-469: The Brooklyn Bridge station started on May 18, 1959, and continued without interruption until it was completed on September 1, 1962. Prior to the rebuild, the station's local platform could only accommodate four cars, resulting in delays. The uptown platform's extension opened at this time (the downtown platform was lengthened in 1961) as the platforms were lengthened, widened, and straightened. Originally,
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#17328694112442816-580: The Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation or BMT ) in the Dual Contracts , adopted on March 4, 1913. The Chambers Street station was built as part of contract 9-O-1, which cost $ 1.226 million (equivalent to $ 41,575,000 in 2023). It was to sit under the Manhattan Municipal Building , a large office structure being planned for the city government. One of the conditions of an architectural design competition for
2944-604: The IRT Lexington Avenue Line and the BMT Nassau Street Line . The station is served by the 4 , 6 , and J trains at all times; the 5 train at all times except late nights; the <6> train during weekdays in the peak direction; and the Z train during rush hours in the peak direction. It is the southern terminal for all 6 trains. The complex comprises two stations, Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall and Chambers Street . The Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall station
3072-540: The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT), a private operator. The first portion, from City Hall north to 42nd Street, was opened between 1904 and 1908, and is part of the first subway line in the city . The original subway turned west across 42nd Street at the Grand Central station, then went north at Broadway , serving the present-day IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line . The second portion of
3200-522: The Interborough Rapid Transit Company before the 1940 city takeover. A Division cars are narrower, shorter, and lighter than those of the B Division , measuring 8.6 by 51 feet (2.62 by 15.54 m). The following lines are part of the A Division (services shown in parentheses; lines with colors next to them are trunk lines ): Numbers were assigned to subway services in 1948: The 42nd Street Shuttle and Bowling Green–South Ferry Shuttle also provided subway services, and elevated service remained on
3328-502: The New York City Board of Transportation proposed to extend platforms at all stations between Brooklyn Bridge and Grand Central, except for 33rd Street. On April 13, 1948, the platform extensions to accommodate ten-car trains at 23rd Street , 28th Street , and 33rd Street were opened for use. In 1949, the southbound platforms at Astor Place, Bleecker Street, Spring Street, Canal Street, and Worth Street were extended. In 1957,
3456-487: The New York City Subway at Grand Central–42nd Street . The improvements include an underground connection between Grand Central Terminal and One Vanderbilt; new mezzanines and exits for the subway station; and three new stairways to each of the Lexington Avenue Line platforms. This would directly result in additional capacity for the subway station, with 4,000 to 6,000 more subway passengers per hour being able to use
3584-474: The Third Avenue Line and Polo Grounds Shuttle . This New York City transportation –related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Brooklyn Bridge%E2%80%93City Hall (IRT Lexington Avenue Line) [REDACTED] The Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall/Chambers Street station is a New York City Subway station complex in Lower Manhattan . The complex is served by trains of
3712-537: The Tweed Courthouse . The stairs are part of the IRT station's original entrance. The elevator, a replica of an original IRT subway entrance kiosk , opened in 1992 and was designed by Urbahn Associates. A long passageway at the eastern side of the IRT mezzanine leads to a stair within a plaza just south of the Manhattan Municipal Building. This exit is smaller and faces the large BMT entrance under
3840-735: The Worth Street station, the latter station was to be closed. The NYCTA allocated $ 6 million to the station's renovation in January 1959. Harold Sandifer of the NYCTA designed the renovation in conjunction with the planned redevelopment of the Civic Center neighborhood. Work started on May 18, 1959. The project lengthened the platforms from 295 feet (90 m) to 523 feet (159 m) and widened them. The platforms were extended northward by 220 feet (67 m) to just south of Reade Street. In addition,
3968-400: The jack-arched concrete station roofs. There is a 1-inch (25 mm) gap between the trough wall and the platform walls, which are made of 4-inch (100 mm)-thick brick covered over by a tiled finish. The ceiling is double-height above much of the station's length, but drops beneath the south mezzanine and the original north mezzanine. The westernmost side platform was tiled over during
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4096-428: The 1962 renovation. The northbound platform ranges from 18 to 21 feet (5.5 to 6.4 m) wide, while the southbound platform ranges from 16 to 20 feet (4.9 to 6.1 m) wide. Platform extensions are at both ends of the original platforms. The ones at the south end are closed off, but contain gap fillers and original mosaic tiles. The 1962 platform extensions are at the north end; it was deemed easier to lengthen
4224-542: The 1962 renovation; it contains yellow tiles and a cream trim line with chambers st written on it in black sans-serif font at regular intervals. The easternmost side platform retains most of its original decoration, with pink marble wainscoting, as well as pink marble pilasters spaced every 15 feet (4.6 m). Between the pilasters and above the wainscoting are panels made of white tile, with gold-tiled borders. A maroon, blue, and gold tile frieze runs atop each panel, interrupted by T-shaped ceramic plaques with depictions of
4352-511: The BMT station, in conjunction with the addition of navigational signs to the IRT station. The station's platforms originally could only fit six 67-foot-long (20 m) cars. In April 1926, the New York City Board of Transportation (BOT) received bids for the lengthening of platforms at three stations on the Centre Street Loop, including the Chambers Street station, to accommodate eight-car trains. The Board of Estimate approved funds for
4480-465: The Brooklyn Bridge, which are situated atop each pilaster. The Brooklyn Bridge ceramic tiles display the bridge's vertical cables but do not depict its diagonal cables. At intervals of every three panels, there are tile plaques with the station's name in place of the frieze. Sections of the original design, including the ceiling and walls, are heavily damaged or deteriorated. The two "express" tracks, currently unused in regular revenue service, merge into
4608-721: The Brooklyn Bridge. Originally, trains arrived from the north via either the Williamsburg Bridge or the Manhattan Bridge, as the connection to the Montague Street Tunnel had not yet been completed. The loop configuration permitted trains arriving in either direction from the Fourth Avenue Line in Brooklyn to pass through Chambers Street and return to Fourth Avenue without having to reverse direction. Chambers Street
4736-691: The Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall station to its 1980–1984 capital plan. In addition, to speed up passenger flow, dozens of platform conductors were assigned to direct crowds on the Lexington Avenue Line platforms during the late 1980s. In April 1993, the New York State Legislature agreed to give the MTA $ 9.6 billion for capital improvements. Some of the funds would be used to renovate nearly one hundred New York City Subway stations, including Brooklyn Bridge. Three elevators opened in 1992, making
4864-538: The Chambers Street station ADA-accessible. The agency had been required in 1994 to create a list of 100 "key stations" that it planned to make ADA-accessible, and the Chambers Street station was one of the last "key stations" to be selected. The Chambers Street station, having fallen into disuse over the years, was voted the ugliest station in the system in a 2003 poll of railfans . The station's token booths were shuttered in May 2005, after fare tokens were replaced with MetroCards ; station agents were deployed elsewhere in
4992-419: The Chambers Street station opened in June 1963, and the platform extension project was substantially completed by the end of 1963. The old platform extensions at the southern end of the station, which were used for express service and had gap fillers, were abandoned. The project cost $ 6 million; it allowed trains on the 6 route to be lengthened to nine cars, and allowed ten-car express trains to open all doors at
5120-543: The East Side, increased crowding is expected on the Lexington Avenue Line, underscoring the need for the Second Avenue Subway. Crowding on the line is so bad that riders are routinely stranded on the platform, having to wait for multiple trains to pass before being able to board. Trains on the line are at over 100% of capacity. In June and July 2017, The New York Times found that during an average weekday, 10% to 15% of
5248-541: The Financial District. Construction started in 2007, and on January 1, 2017, the first phase, between Lexington Avenue–63rd Street and 96th Street opened. Within a few months of the line's opening, crowding on the Lexington Avenue Line stations on the Upper East Side was somewhat reduced. East Side Access , completed in 2023, brought Long Island Rail Road service into Grand Central. With more people coming onto
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5376-409: The IRT spend $ 70,000 (equivalent to $ 1,515,000 in 2023) to add platform gap fillers to the northbound platform; the absence of gap fillers had resulted in passenger injuries 26 times in the preceding two years. The same year, as part of a remodeling of City Hall Park, city parks commissioner Robert Moses proposed removing two of the station's exit stairways and relocating two entrance stairs. With
5504-596: The IRT's operations on June 12, 1940. Both sections of the station complex were listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 2005. Planning for a subway line in New York City dates to 1864. However, development of what would become the city's first subway line did not start until 1894, when the New York State Legislature passed the Rapid Transit Act. The subway plans were drawn up by
5632-525: The Lenox Avenue Line, and the following day, ten-car express trains were inaugurated on the West Side Line. By 1914, city engineers had prepared plans for the construction of five additional entrances to the Brooklyn Bridge station: three to the street and two to nearby buildings. At that point, nearly two-fifths of commuters entered the station through a single entrance below the bridge. In 1918,
5760-555: The Lexington Avenue Line north of the Grand Central–42nd Street station in mid-2025. The Second Avenue Elevated fully closed on June 13, 1942. Because of the elevated line's closure, as well as a corresponding increase in the East Side population, crowding on the Lexington Avenue Line increased. The Manhattan section of the Third Avenue Elevated , the only other elevated line in the area, closed on May 13, 1955, and
5888-557: The Lexington Avenue Line opened north of Grand Central–42nd Street , and the original line was divided into an H-shaped system. All trains were sent via the Lexington Avenue Line. In 1922, the Rapid Transit Commission awarded a contract to the Wagner Engineering Company for the installation of navigational signs at the Brooklyn Bridge station and several other major subway stations. The IRT platforms received blue-and-white signs. The Transit Commission requested in 1938 that
6016-434: The Lexington Avenue Line to shift slightly eastward to Lexington Avenue ; its Grand Central–42nd Street station is located on the diagonal between Park and Lexington. Just south of Grand Central, a single non-revenue track connects the IRT 42nd Street Shuttle to the southbound local track; this was part of the original IRT subway alignment. Under Lexington Avenue, the line assumes a two-over-two track configuration, with
6144-498: The Lexington Avenue local tracks, which feed the loop, rise up to join the express tracks just south of Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall station. From Brooklyn Bridge, the line continues northward in a four-across track layout under Centre Street, Lafayette Street, Fourth Avenue, and Park Avenue South until 42nd Street . At this point, the beginning of Metro-North Railroad 's Park Avenue tunnel in Grand Central Terminal forces
6272-470: The MTA began planning to renovate the Chambers Street and 190th Street stations for a combined $ 100 million; the work would involve "historically sensitive" repairs, as both stations are on the NRHP. The project was to be funded by congestion pricing in New York City , but the renovation was postponed in June 2024 after the implementation of congestion pricing was delayed. The IRT and BMT platforms both run in
6400-475: The Manhattan Bridge, so that the bridge tracks could connect instead to the uptown IND Sixth Avenue Line . The new connection preserved Nassau Street service via the Montague Street Tunnel, but trains were no longer able to run in a loop. In 1990, all weekend service on the Nassau Street Line was eliminated south of Chambers Street; this continued until 2015. By 2000, the MTA had announced plans to make
6528-496: The Manhattan Municipal Building were additional subway staircases, although this entrance area was closed by 1938. The largest staircase under the Municipal Building's northern section was 43 feet (13 m) wide and could originally accommodate 800 passengers per minute. The Chambers Street station on the BMT Nassau Street Line is beneath the Manhattan Municipal Building , stretching from Duane Street in
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#17328694112446656-426: The Municipal Building was that its foundation could not block train tracks, stairways, or platforms. As such, the caissons in the building's foundation were positioned to avoid the station's platforms. Although McKim, Mead & White were selected for the building's construction, their original plans were rejected by the city's buildings superintendent because he felt that the underlying layer of soil and sand
6784-483: The New York City Transit Authority started work on a $ 138 million modernization program for the Lexington Avenue Line to improve and speed up service. As part of the project, platforms on the line were extended, express platforms were built at 59th Street, additional entrances were constructed at some stations, and the line's signal system and interlockings were modernized. Work on the reconstruction of
6912-513: The Public Service Commission authorized the BRT to lay tracks, install signals, and operate the loop. The Bradley Construction Company was hired to install station finishes; by June 1913, the firm had completed the installation of tile and marble, and it was working on plastering. The BRT's Chambers Street station opened on August 4, 1913, relieving traffic on elevated lines that had used
7040-592: The South Ferry extension left South Ferry at 11:59 p.m. on July 9, 1905; the extension of the IRT White Plains Road Line to West Farms opened just after. The first train ran through the Joralemon Street Tunnel to Brooklyn about 12:45 a.m. on January 9, 1908. The original plan for what became the extension north of 42nd Street was to continue it south through Irving Place and into what
7168-470: The United States and the first practical subway in New York City". This plaque was removed before 2005. The MTA announced in late 1978 that it would modernize the Brooklyn Bridge station. The improvements included new finishes on the walls and floors; acoustical, signage, and lighting improvements; replacement of old mechanical equipment; and new handrails. In 1983, the MTA added funding for a renovation of
7296-911: The West Side (now the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line to Van Cortlandt Park–242nd Street ) and East Side (now the Lenox Avenue Line ). West Side local trains had their southern terminus at City Hall during rush hours and South Ferry at other times, and had their northern terminus at 242nd Street. East Side local trains ran from City Hall to Lenox Avenue (145th Street) . Express trains had their southern terminus at South Ferry or Atlantic Avenue and had their northern terminus at 242nd Street, Lenox Avenue (145th Street), or West Farms ( 180th Street ). Express trains to 145th Street were later eliminated, and West Farms express trains and rush-hour Broadway express trains operated through to Brooklyn. One of
7424-424: The building. At the far south end, two stairs rise to the south side of Frankfort Street, in front of Pace University 's One Pace Plaza building. Several entrances have been closed and slabbed over. One stair from the IRT mezzanine led directly to the Brooklyn Bridge walkway, and was removed by August 2000 as part of a project to widen the bridge walkway. Another stair rose from the northern BMT mezzanine to
7552-422: The center island platform and the easternmost side platform are unused. Terminating trains use the inner tracks while through trains use the outer tracks. From the BMT station, there are stairs and elevators leading to the mezzanines above. The easternmost side platform had seven stairs, while the center island platform and the westernmost side platform had six stairs. The eastern island platform has five stairs and
7680-423: The city government had issued, the BRT was responsible only for constructing the Centre Street Loop and installing equipment, not for operating the loop. Construction contracts for the Nassau Street Line were awarded in early 1907. A proposed Tri-borough system was adopted in early 1908, incorporating the Nassau Street Line. Operation of the line was assigned to the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT; after 1923,
7808-479: The closure of the City Hall station at the end of 1945, the Brooklyn Bridge station became the southernmost station for local services that formerly terminated at City Hall. As part of a reconstruction of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1951, the city planned to build a subway entrance just south of the bridge approach. The New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) also announced plans in 1956 to add fluorescent lights above
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#17328694112447936-410: The connection had been completed for just over $ 740,000 (equivalent to $ 20,720,000 in 2023). However, the connection was never opened because the BRT did not want to pay the annual rental fee that was mandated for the usage of the connection. The overpass across William Street was closed in 1913 to make way for the proposed connection. In 1929, the overpass was reopened after it became clear that
8064-450: The connection would not be built. The finished portions of the tunnel to the Brooklyn Bridge led directly to wine vaults under the bridge. The masonry and steel ramp connecting to the Brooklyn Bridge was demolished in the early 1950s when the bridge's elevated tracks were removed. Three years after the Chambers Street station opened, its platforms were so overcrowded that one New York Times article described them as "more dangerous during
8192-461: The dilapidated state of the subway at the time, the Guardian Angels , founded by Curtis Sliwa , began operations on February 13, 1979, by conducting unarmed night patrols on the 4 train in an effort to discourage crime. These patrols later expanded to other parts of the subway and to other city neighborhoods. On August 28, 1991, an accident involving a 4 train on the express track just north of
8320-401: The doors of all eight cars of trains to open on the platform. Work was still underway at two of the other three stations part of the contract, Wall Street and Fulton Street, while work at Bowling Green was already completed. The entire platform-lengthening project was substantially completed by November 1965. Because the Lexington Avenue Line during the 1970s was known to frequent muggers due to
8448-673: The eastern side platform, which was used to prevent access to that platform when it was not in service. As with other stations built as part of the original IRT, the station was constructed using a cut-and-cover method. The tunnel is covered by a U-shaped trough that contains utility pipes and wires. The bottom of this trough contains a foundation of concrete no less than 4 inches (100 mm) thick. Each platform consists of 3-inch-thick (76 mm) concrete slabs, beneath which are drainage basins. The platforms contain I-beam columns spaced every 15 feet (4.6 m). Additional columns between
8576-436: The edges of the station's platforms. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the NYCTA undertook a $ 138 million (equivalent to $ 1.44 billion in 2023) modernization project for the Lexington Avenue Line. As part of the modernization program, the NYCTA announced in early 1957 that the Brooklyn Bridge station would be extended about 250 feet (76 m) to the north and that the platforms would be widened and straightened to remove
8704-488: The exits and the BMT's southern mezzanine, and contain wrought iron balustrades. A pedestrian corridor runs above the eastern side of the IRT station. The BMT mezzanine level, slightly lower than the IRT mezzanine level, is split into north and south sections, with various offices and service rooms in the unused portions of both mezzanines. The connection to the IRT is within the southern mezzanine. The mezzanines contain tiled piers and walls, with pink wainscoting . Along
8832-588: The express platform northward, as the curves at the south end were extremely difficult to reconstruct. There are two unused side platforms, one beside either local track. A combination of island and side platforms was also used at 14th Street–Union Square on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line and 96th Street on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line . These side platforms were built to accommodate extra passenger volume and were built to
8960-471: The express platforms were added, this station was the busiest on the line. Construction for the express station began on August 10, 1959. The two express platforms were 14 feet (4.3 m) wide and 525 feet (160 m) long. Along with the new express platforms, a new mezzanine was built above it to connect it to the local station, and the Broadway Line station. Two high speed escalators were added to connect
9088-418: The five-car length of the original IRT local trains. When trains were lengthened, the side platforms were deemed obsolete, and they were closed and walled off in 1962. The side platforms house electrical equipment and are blocked off with metal grates. A staircase from the western side of the mezzanine leads to the original western side platform. A sliding grate was installed on the bottom of the deck leading to
9216-458: The former northbound local track, and the former southbound express track (the current northbound track). The Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall station is an express station on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line , beneath Centre Street . It stretches between a point just south of Duane Street, to the north, and Park Row , to the south. The 4 and 6 trains stop here at all times; the 5 train stops here at all times except late nights; and
9344-512: The initial Contract 1 with the Rapid Transit Commission in February 1900, in which it would construct the subway and maintain a 50-year operating lease from the opening of the line. In 1901, the firm of Heins & LaFarge was hired to design the underground stations. Belmont incorporated the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) in April 1902 to operate the subway. The Brooklyn Bridge station
9472-430: The island platforms narrowed at their northern ends to an unsafe width of only five feet. The project remedied this situation, lengthening the platforms from 295 feet (90 m) to 523 feet (159 m) and widening them. The platforms were extended northward by 220 feet (67 m) to just south of Reade Street. In addition, a new exit was provided at Reade Street and Lafayette Street and a new passageway under Reade Street
9600-577: The line crosses under the Harlem River into the Bronx via the four-track Lexington Avenue Tunnel, where the line splits into the IRT Jerome Avenue Line on the western two tracks ( 4 and 5 trains) and the IRT Pelham Line on the eastern two tracks ( 6 and <6> trains). Construction started on the first IRT line in 1900. A 1902 explosion during construction seriously damaged properties just above
9728-551: The line, north of 42nd Street, was constructed as part of the Dual Contracts , which were signed between the IRT; the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company , via a subsidiary; and the City of New York. For decades, the Lexington Avenue Line was the only line in Manhattan that directly served the Upper East Side and East Midtown ; this four-track line is the most used rapid transit line in the United States. Its average of 1.3 million daily riders
9856-468: The line. Both of these elevated lines were supposed to be replaced by a subway line under Second Avenue. However, it was not completed due to a lack of funds. With the city's economic and budgetary recovery in the 1990s, there was a revival of efforts to complete construction of the Second Avenue Subway . Once fully built, the line will run from 125th Street and Lexington Avenue to Hanover Square in
9984-434: The line. The part of the line from City Hall to just south of 42nd Street was part of the original IRT line, opened on October 27, 1904. A 0.3 miles (0.48 km) extension to Fulton Street opened at 12:01 a.m. on January 16, 1905. Only the northbound platform opened at this time. The next station, Wall Street , was opened on June 12, 1905, as well as the southbound platform at Fulton Street. The first revenue train on
10112-429: The local and express platforms. Two additional high speed escalators were built to connect the local platforms with the new mezzanine. As part of the plan, the local platforms were extended to accommodate 10-car trains. In addition, new entrances and booths were added to the 59th Street ends of the northbound and southbound sides. The project cost $ 6.5 million and was completed three months prior than originally planned when
10240-418: The local tracks running on the upper level and the express on the lower, although it briefly returns to a four-across layout between 96th Street and 116th Street . 125th Street returns to this two-over-two layout, although here the upper level is used by all northbound trains and the lower level by southbound trains. This is because Lexington Avenue is too narrow to have a four-across layout. North of this,
10368-435: The need for gap fillers. At the time, the island platforms narrowed at their northern ends to 5 feet (1.5 m), while the local side platforms could only accommodate four cars, resulting in delays. In addition, the express platforms could not accommodate 10-car trains because of the gap fillers at the southern end of the station. Since the northern end of the expanded station would be only about 600 feet (180 m) from
10496-469: The new platforms opened on November 15, 1962. In April 1960, work began on a $ 3,509,000 project to lengthen platforms on the line to accommodate ten-car trains at seven stations on the line. As part of the project, the northbound platforms at Canal Street, Spring Street, Bleecker Street, and Astor Place were lengthened from 225 feet (69 m) to 525 feet (160 m). The platform extensions at these four stops opened for service on February 19, 1962, enabling
10624-515: The new subway to the existing Brooklyn Bridge , the under-construction Manhattan Bridge , or the newly-completed Williamsburg Bridge . As such, no plans had been drawn up for the eastern portion of the Brooklyn Bridge station or its approaches by early 1903, which caused delays in ordering steel. By late 1903, the subway was nearly complete, but the IRT Powerhouse and the system's electrical substations were still under construction, delaying
10752-417: The north end of the stations, was opened in the evening of September 1, 1962, when the Lexington Avenue Line platforms were extended and the Worth Street station was closed. Originally, the stations were operated by separate companies: the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT). The city government took over the BMT's operations on June 1, 1940, and
10880-417: The north to a point just south of Chambers Street to the south. The J stops here at all times and the Z stops here during rush hours in the peak direction. The station is between Canal Street to the north and Fulton Street to the south. The Chambers Street station has four tracks, three island platforms, and one side platform (originally two); the westernmost side platform has been demolished, while
11008-483: The northwestern corner of Centre Street and Duane Street (east of the current Foley Square entrance), though this was also sealed by 1992 to reduce the maintenance costs associated with maintaining two adjacent staircases. The northern BMT mezzanine contained bronze doors on the east wall, now sealed, which led to the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse . Under the northern side of
11136-448: The northwestern corner of Reade and Centre Streets. The IRT underpass continues to the northern BMT mezzanine, where a stair rises to the southern end of Foley Square . At the center of the complex, a wide stair under the southern side of the Manhattan Municipal Building , just southeast of the intersection of Centre and Chambers Streets, serves the southern BMT mezzanine, and was one of the original BMT entrances. The wide stair has
11264-553: The now-closed Queens-bound side platform. These tracks were formerly connected to the south tracks of the Manhattan Bridge , until they were disconnected in 1967 as part of the Chrystie Street Connection , with the BMT Broadway Line being connected to the south tracks instead. Also north of this station, the former southbound express track (now the northbound track) splits into two tracks just south of Canal Street :
11392-418: The original IRT subway. As part of a modification to the IRT's construction contracts made on January 18, 1910, the company was to lengthen station platforms to accommodate ten-car express and six-car local trains. In addition to $ 1.5 million (equivalent to $ 49.1 million in 2023) spent on platform lengthening, $ 500,000 (equivalent to $ 16.4 million in 2023) was spent on building additional entrances and exits. It
11520-453: The outer tracks and two of the island platforms are in use. The complex contains elevators that make it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 . The two adjacent stations on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line and BMT Nassau Street Line are connected by two passageways. The south one opened in 1914 and was placed inside fare control on July 1, 1948. A second passageway, at
11648-537: The platform edges, and a pedestrian bridge was installed above the tracks, connecting both of the open platforms. To accommodate the ramps, elevators, and pedestrian bridge, portions of the station and mezzanine were removed or reconfigured. These improvements made the station compliant with the ADA, and were funded as part of the 2015–2019 MTA Capital Program. The project was to take at least 24 months to be completed. The elevators had opened by September 1, 2020. In 2023,
11776-400: The platforms at Bowling Green, Wall Street, Fulton Street, Canal Street, Spring Street, Bleecker Street, Astor Place, Grand Central, 86th Street and 125th Street to 525 feet (160 m) to accommodate ten-car trains. At the same time, work to modernize the signals and interlockings between Wall Street and 86th Street was underway. Another element of the modernization plan was the construction of
11904-533: The project in July 1926, and the extensions were completed in 1927, bringing the length of the platforms to 535 feet (163 m). By the mid-1920s, the subway itself was pushing the city's population north and leaving Chambers Street behind. Nonetheless, the city government agreed in 1927 to extend the Nassau Street Line from the Chambers Street station south to the Montague Street Tunnel to Brooklyn , as
12032-464: The public. The easternmost side platform also has eagle faience plaques and mosaic tablets, also not visible to the public. These plaques and tablets were in the original design, but they had been concealed behind a wall of beige tiles by the late 20th century. The walls adjacent to the tracks are decorated with modern white tiles, surrounded near the top and bottom by red tile bands. The bands wrap around alcoves that are placed at regular intervals on
12160-406: The rubber-covered stairs three at a time to beat out the rest of the crowd". Express trains were extended south on January 16, 1905, when a 0.3-mile (0.48 km)-long extension to Fulton Street opened. The station was originally placed on a sharp curve, requiring the installation of platform gap fillers . Initially, the Brooklyn Bridge station was served by local and express trains along both
12288-510: The rush hours than at the Grand Central or the Fourteenth Street Stations", in part because more space was devoted to stairways than to platforms. In 1921, the BRT added a first-aid room at the northern end of the Chambers Street station's center island platform; at the time, the IRT's Brooklyn Bridge station also had a first-aid room. The next year, the Wagner Engineering Company installed red-white-and-green navigational signs at
12416-417: The station (previously, only the doors of eight cars had opened). Upon the completion of the renovation, the Brooklyn Bridge station was renamed Brooklyn Bridge–Worth Street . The American Society of Mechanical Engineers and American Society of Civil Engineers dedicated a plaque at the Brooklyn Bridge station in 1978, recognizing the original IRT line as "the first fully electrically signaled railroad in
12544-408: The station compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The elevators cost $ 3.4 million (equivalent to $ 6.8 million in 2023) and connected the mezzanine to the street and to each platform. The station was renamed Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall by the mid-1990s. The renovation was completed in 1996; the station was one of thirteen citywide whose renovations were completed that year at
12672-612: The station construction, 40% of the basement of the Grand Hyatt New York would be destroyed in order to make room for the expansion of the subway mezzanine, as well as two new subway entrances in the One Vanderbilt building itself. The new building would also coincide with the MTA 's East Side Access project, and station improvements due to One Vanderbilt's construction would provide extra capacity for over 65,000 new passengers going into
12800-516: The station from November 1913 to March 1914. The remaining work, which included installation of staircases and completion of ceilings, was completed on September 14, 1914. A track connection between the Brooklyn Bridge's elevated-railroad tracks and the Centre Street tunnel was planned in the station's design. The BRT had agreed to build the loops in September 1913, and, according to a 1916 report,
12928-411: The station to answer passengers' queries. This was part of a pilot program that was tested at seven other stations. The MTA announced in May 2018 that it would start renovating the Chambers Street station that August. At the time, local news station NY1 said: "It is easily one of the most decrepit stations in the city's entire system", and a writer for The Village Voice said that the station "was
13056-459: The station to four tracks, as it would have been not only very difficult but also extremely expensive to modify the Municipal Building's foundation to accommodate the expanded station. Ultimately, the BRT's Chambers Street station was built with five platforms and four tracks. The BRT tunnel under Centre Street was completed by 1910, except for the section under the Municipal Building, but the tunnel remained unused for several years. In March 1913,
13184-446: The station to serve a proposed subway under Third Avenue , in addition to the Williamsburg Bridge and Manhattan Bridge lines. The commission estimated that the change would cost $ 600,000, not including land-acquisition costs of $ 1.055 million. The New York City Board of Estimate approved $ 875,000 for the station's widening that July, excluding funds for land acquisition. By April 1910, the Public Service Commission sought to downsize
13312-418: The station's entrances was closed in 1905 because the Rapid Transit Commission had not authorized the entrance's construction. As part of an experiment to improve the subway line's ventilation , the commission installed ventilation fans at the station in June 1905. Two large cooling fans were installed at the station the next month; this was later increased to four fans. The Rapid Transit Commission added
13440-542: The station's southern overpass, two stairs lead to the northern overpass, and one stair leads to the north-end underpass. The island platforms allow for cross-platform interchanges between local and express trains heading in the same direction. Terminating trains use the outer tracks while through trains use the inner tracks. The station is approximately 537 feet (164 m) long and 85 feet (26 m) wide. The island platforms were originally 295 feet (90 m) long but were lengthened to about 523 feet (159 m) during
13568-490: The station, allowing for one additional express train per hour. These improvements would cost over $ 200 million. A Division (New York City Subway) The A Division , also known as the IRT Division , is a division of the New York City Subway , consisting of the lines operated with services designated by numbers ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ) and the 42nd Street Shuttle . These lines and services were operated by
13696-507: The system's opening. In addition, the Brooklyn Bridge station itself remained unfinished as late as February 1904. The Brooklyn Bridge station opened on October 27, 1904, as one of the original 28 stations of the New York City Subway from City Hall to 145th Street on the West Side Branch. The station's first-ever passenger was described by Newsday as an "anonymous middle-aged Brooklyn woman who picked up her skirt and raced down
13824-416: The tops of the walls are yellow mosaic-tile bands with white-and-red surrounds and blue rectangular panels. The north mezzanine has a section of rectangular yellow tiled wall dating to the 1962 renovation. There is a doorway in the south mezzanine, topped by a stone lintel reading "Women", which formerly led to a women's restroom. At the north end of the complex, two stairs extend from the IRT underpass to
13952-468: The tracks of the Joralemon Street Tunnel from Brooklyn , which become the express tracks. These run north under Broadway and Park Row to Centre Street. At the south end of Centre Street, directly under New York City Hall , is the City Hall Loop and its abandoned station, which was the southern terminus of the original IRT subway line. The loop is still used to turn 6 and <6> service;
14080-469: The tracks, spaced every 5 feet (1.5 m), support the jack-arched concrete station roofs. There is a 1-inch (25 mm) gap between the trough wall and the platform walls, which are made of 4-inch (100 mm)-thick brick covered over by a tiled finish. The westernmost side platform retains ten faience plaques of eagles, made by the Grueby Faience Company , which are not visible to
14208-488: The trains scheduled to run through Grand Central–42nd Street were canceled. This meant that during peak periods, up to 13 trains per hour could be canceled, resulting in 1,000 passengers being displaced for every canceled train. Train frequencies were also erratic, with higher frequencies on some days than on others. On May 27, 2015, the New York City Council approved plans for a developer to build One Vanderbilt ,
14336-497: The two side platforms were closed. A new northern mezzanine was built in 1938 when the entrances under the north side of the Municipal Building were closed. This mezzanine was built by the Cayuga Construction Company. The western side platform was demolished with the expansion of the IRT station between 1960 and 1962. The Chrystie Street Connection , opened in 1967, severed the Nassau Street Line's connection to
14464-411: The undisputed poster station of the system's decay". A contract for the elevators' construction was awarded in August 2018. The station received two elevators to the platforms, as well as three new ramps in the mezzanine: one in the corridor between the IRT and BMT stations, and one from the BMT mezzanine to each platform elevators. The station platforms were modified to reduce the gap between trains and
14592-470: The use of gap fillers. This project cost $ 6 million, and allowed 6 trains to be lengthened to nine cars, and allowed express trains to open all doors at the station (previously the doors only opened in eight of the ten cars). Upon its completion, the Worth Street station to the north was closed due to its close proximity to the platform extensions, and, as such, the station was renamed Brooklyn Bridge–Worth Street. In late 1959, contracts were awarded to extend
14720-457: The walls. The spaces above the alcoves contain black-on-green plaques with back-to-back "B"s, which alternate with white-on-green tablets with the words brooklyn bridge in Arial font . Smaller white-on-green plaques with the words "City Hall" are above the brooklyn bridge tablets. The back-to-back "B"s, and the white walls with red tile bands, are also used in the design of the mezzanine. However,
14848-435: The western island platform has four stairs. The elevators are at the southern ends of the western and eastern island platforms. The station is approximately 537 feet (164 m) long and 120 feet (37 m) wide. Both of the platforms in revenue service are 23 feet (7.0 m) wide; the northbound platform is 534 feet (163 m) long, while the southbound platform is 520 feet (160 m) long. The southbound platform
14976-482: The years, several modifications have been made to both stations, which were connected within a single fare control area in 1948. The Lexington Avenue Line's Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall station, under Centre Street , has two island platforms , two side platforms , and four tracks; the side platforms are not in use. The Nassau Street Line's Chambers Street station, under the Manhattan Municipal Building , has three island platforms, one side platform, and four tracks; only
15104-507: Was anticipated that these improvements would increase capacity by 25 percent. At the Brooklyn Bridge station, the northbound island platform was extended 15 feet (4.6 m) north and 135 feet (41 m) south, while the southbound island platform was extended 165 feet (50 m) south, necessitating the relocation of some tracks. Six-car local trains began operating in October 1910. On January 23, 1911, ten-car express trains began running on
15232-408: Was built connecting to the Chambers Street station on the BMT Nassau Street Line. At the center of the enlarged platforms, a new overhead passage was built, providing more direct access to the Municipal Building . The platform extensions allowed the old platform extensions at the southern end of the station, which were used for express service, to be abandoned. These platform extensions had necessitated
15360-462: Was built for the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT), and was an express station on the city's first subway line . The station opened on October 27, 1904, as one of the original 28 stations of the New York City Subway. The Chambers Street station was built for the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (later the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation , or BMT) as part of the Dual Contracts . The Nassau Street Line station opened on August 4, 1913. Over
15488-418: Was constructed as part of the IRT's original line south of Great Jones Street . The Degnon-McLean Contracting Company was awarded the contract for Section 1, from the City Hall loop to Chambers Street, and the contract for Section 2, from Chambers Street to Great Jones Street. Work began on Section 1 on March 24, 1900, and work began on Section 2 on July 10, 1900. Initially, Parsons was unsure whether to connect
15616-556: Was deemed most beneficial to close these stations and open new entrances for adjacent stations. The 18th Street station was abandoned because of the proximity to both 14th Street–Union Square and 23rd Street . In addition, the City Hall and Worth Street stations were both very close to the Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall station's Brooklyn Bridge and Duane Street exits, respectively, so both were abandoned. Finally, South Ferry
15744-425: Was demolished in 1956. Contrary to what many East Side residents thought, the demolition of the elevateds did not help the travel situation, as the Lexington Avenue Line was now the only subway transportation option on the East Side. As the elevated lines were torn down, hundreds of high-rise apartment buildings were built on the East Side, and the business districts along the line grew, resulting in overcrowding along
15872-437: Was designed to be the BRT's Manhattan hub near City Hall , as the business and population center of the city was still near Manhattan island's southern end at the time. Initially, trains only used the western two tracks of the Centre Street tunnel, and the station was not served by Manhattan Bridge trains. The station remained incomplete for more than a year after it had opened, and workers temporarily suspended construction at
16000-551: Was formed along the old connection between the sides. Due to the shape of the system, it was referred to as the "H system". The first section of the IRT Pelham Line also opened to Third Avenue–138th Street on August 1, 1918. The cost of the extension from Grand Central was $ 58 million. The construction and opening of the Lexington Avenue Line north of Grand Central resulted in the construction of expensive apartments along Park Avenue, Madison Avenue, and Lexington Avenue. In 1928,
16128-425: Was not strong enough to carry the building. Uncertainty over the building's design resulted in delays in the construction of the proposed Brooklyn loop station underneath it, even as the rest of the line was nearly completed by early 1909. Furthermore, the BRT did not originally want to operate the loop. The Public Service Commission proposed in February 1909 to expand the station to six tracks, which would allow
16256-549: Was required under the Dual Contracts. The extension would permit trains from southern Brooklyn to loop through Lower Manhattan without reversing direction (a service pattern known as the Nassau Street Loop ), rather than using the Manhattan Bridge and terminating at Chambers Street. The line was completed in 1931, and the Chambers Street station became a through station. At this point, the BMT's center island platform and
16384-481: Was soon halted on Section 6. The construction of this line, in conjunction with the construction of the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line , would change the operations of the IRT system. Instead of having trains go via Park Avenue, turning onto 42nd Street, before finally turning onto Broadway, there would be two trunk lines connected by the 42nd Street Shuttle . The system would be changed from looking like
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