4 (New York City Subway service)

Lexington Avenue Express
Brooklyn-bound 4 train of R142s entering 161st Street–Yankee Stadium
Note: dashed line shows late night and limited weekday rush hour service to/from New Lots Avenue
Northern end	Woodlawn
Southern end	Crown Heights–Utica Avenue (daytime) New Lots Avenue (late nights & limited rush hour service)
Stations	28 54 (late night service)
Rolling stock	170 to 180 R142s (17 to 18 trains) 160 to 170 R142As (16 to 17 trains)[1]
Depot	Jerome Avenue Yard
Started service	June 2, 1917 (1917-06-02)
Route map  4  Woodlawn Mosholu Parkway Bedford Park Boulevard–Lehman College Kingsbridge Road Fordham Road 183rd Street Burnside Avenue 176th Street Mount Eden Avenue 170th Street 167th Street 161st Street–Yankee Stadium 149th Street–Grand Concourse to Dyre Avenue or Nereid Avenue via White Plains Road 138th Street–Grand Concourse station bypassed during peak rush  ​ to Pelham Bay Park or Parkchester via Pelham The Bronx Manhattan 125th Street switches to local tracks during late nights 116th Street 110th Street 103rd Street 96th Street 86th Street 77th Street 68th Street–Hunter College 59th Street 51st Street Grand Central–42nd Street 33rd Street 28th Street southbound only (December 2018) 23rd Street 18th Street 14th Street–Union Square Astor Place Bleecker Street Spring Street Canal Street Worth Street switches to local tracks during late nights Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall  6   <6>  City Hall Fulton Street Wall Street Bowling Green  5  (evenings) Uptown & the Bronx via Broadway-7th Avenue South Ferry loops South Ferry  1  ( 1  weekends) Manhattan Brooklyn ​ Manhattan & Bronx via Broadway-7th Avenue Borough Hall northbound only for 4 and ​5 services Hoyt Street Nevins Street switches to local tracks during late nights Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center Bergen Street Grand Army Plaza Eastern Parkway–Brooklyn Museum Franklin Avenue ​ to Brooklyn College via Nostrand Avenue Nostrand Avenue Kingston Avenue Crown Heights–Utica Avenue  4  ( 5  limited) Sutter Avenue–Rutland Road Saratoga Avenue Rockaway Avenue Junius Street Pennsylvania Avenue Van Siclen Avenue New Lots Avenue  3  ( 4  nights & limited rush hours) ( 2  ​ 5  limited) Legend Lines used by the Other services sharing tracks with the Unused lines, connections, or service patterns  4  Termini of services Cross-platform interchange Platforms on different levels

The 4 Lexington Avenue Express^[2] is a rapid transit service in the A Division of the New York City Subway. Its route emblem, or "bullet", is colored forest green since it uses the IRT Lexington Avenue Line in Manhattan.^[3]

The 4 operates at all times. Daytime service operates between Woodlawn in the Bronx and Utica Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, making local stops in the Bronx and express stops in Manhattan and Brooklyn; limited weekday rush hour service, as well as late night service, is extended beyond Utica Avenue to/from New Lots Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn. During rush hours in the peak direction, 4 trains skip 138th Street–Grand Concourse. Late night service makes local stops along its entire route.

Until 1983, rush hour 4 trains originated and terminated at Flatbush Avenue–Brooklyn College in Brooklyn.

Service history

During the extension of the IRT Lexington Avenue Line north of 42nd Street–Grand Central Terminal, shuttle elevated trains served the IRT Jerome Avenue Line (which at the time was only between East 149th Street–Grand Concourse and Kingsbridge Road) starting June 2, 1917.^[4] On April 15, 1918, shuttles were extended to Woodlawn. A second shuttle, using subway cars, from 149th Street–Grand Concourse to Grand Central started on July 17, 1918.

On August 1, 1918, the entire Jerome and Lexington Avenue Lines were completed and the connection to the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line at 42nd Street was removed. Trains began running between Woodlawn and Bowling Green.^[4]

On December 11, 1921, Lexington Avenue–Jerome Avenue subway trains began running north of 167th Street at all times, replacing elevated trains, which ran to Woodlawn during rush hours, but from then on terminated at 167th Street during non-rush hours.^[5]

Beginning on November 4, 1925, rush hour 4 trains were extended from Atlantic Avenue to Crown Heights–Utica Avenue.^[6] Two years later, on December 5, 1927, weekday evening service was extended to Utica Avenue.^[4] The following year, midday 4 service also went to Utica Avenue.^[4]

As of 1934, 4 trains ran from Woodlawn to Utica Avenue weekday rush and Saturday morning peak and afternoon, to Atlantic Avenue weekday midday, Saturday morning after the peak, and late nights, and to South Ferry evenings and Sundays. Trains ran express in Manhattan except late nights, and in Brooklyn. This was the first time the 6 became the Pelham Shuttle between Pelham Bay Park and 125th Street–Lexington Avenue.

On August 20, 1938, Saturday morning after the peak service was extended to Utica Avenue.

Beginning on May 10, 1946, all 4 trains were made express during late nights running on 12 minute headways as the 6 went back to Brooklyn Bridge during that time. Previously 4 trains ran local from 12:30 to 5:30am. At this time 4 trains terminated at Atlantic Avenue.^[7][8]

Beginning on December 16, 1946, trains were extended from Atlantic Avenue to New Lots Avenue during late nights, running express between Atlantic and Franklin Avenues.^[9][10]

The New York City Board of Transportation, predecessor to the New York City Transit Authority, began to introduce replacements to older subway cars beginning with the R12 cars in 1948. With these cars, numbers were publicly designated to the former IRT lines. Lexington–Jerome trains were assigned the number 4. By 1964, all cars had the route numbers on them.^[11]

During 1950, Saturday morning service was cut back to South Ferry.

Starting on December 15, 1950, four 4 trains began operating during rush hours to Flatbush Avenue on the Nostrand Avenue Line.^[9][12] Also on that day, weekday midday service was cut back from Atlantic Avenue to South Ferry. Additionally, on January 18, 1952, 4 service to Atlantic Avenue during weekday middays was restored.^[13]

On March 19, 1954, late-night service in Brooklyn began making all stops, but resumed operating express between Atlantic Avenue and Franklin Avenue on June 29, 1956.

On May 3, 1957, the weekday rush trains to Flatbush Avenue were discontinued, while at the same time evening, Saturday and Sunday afternoon trains were extended to Utica Avenue, while Sunday morning trains were extended to Atlantic Avenue.

Starting on March 1, 1960, late-night 4 trains resumed making all stops in Manhattan; this was the first time the 4 and 6 ran local in Manhattan together late nights. This arrangement ended on October 17, 1965, when the 4 went back express in Manhattan late nights.

Beginning on April 8, 1960, nearly all AM rush hour 4 trains ran to Flatbush Avenue, and PM rush hour 4 trains alternated between Flatbush and Utica Avenues. During weekday evenings and late nights 4 trains also went to Flatbush Avenue, making all stops in Brooklyn.^[4]

As a result of the opening of the main portion of the Chrystie Street Connection along the Manhattan Bridge on November 26, 1967, the 4 train was color coded magenta under the first color scheme. The color coding of lines was introduced as a matter of having a universal system of signage and nomenclature.

By 1972, the 4 began to skip 138th Street weekdays during rush hours in the peak direction which it continues to do (AM to Manhattan and PM from there). At that time, the 4 went to Atlantic Avenue at all times, but was extended to Utica Avenue rush hours running express in Brooklyn along Eastern Parkway. Select 4 trains also ran to Flatbush Avenue rush hours as well running express between Atlantic and Franklin Avenues, and late night service was still all stops in Brooklyn to Flatbush Avenue.^[14]

On May 23, 1976, Sunday morning trains were extended to Utica Avenue, express in Brooklyn.

Beginning on January 13, 1980, all 4 trains resumed operating local in Manhattan during late night hours to replace the 6, which again became the Pelham Shuttle between 125th Street and Pelham Bay Park.^[4] This service cut affected 15,000 riders, and was criticized by Manhattan Borough President Andrew Stein as no public hearing was held.^[15] While late night 6 service to Brooklyn Bridge was restored on October 3, 1999, the 4 continues to run local at those times.^[4]

Starting on July 10, 1983, all 4 trains ran to Utica Avenue, but weekday midday trains ran only to Atlantic Avenue, and late-night trains ran local during late nights and Sunday morning operating to New Lots Avenue.^[16] On August 29, 1988, the current service pattern began with weekday midday 4 trains also going to Utica Avenue, and the 5 terminating at Bowling Green to make room for this (the 5 has since been extended to Flatbush Avenue with the 2 weekdays until 8:45pm).^[4] In April 2000, midday 4 service was cut back from Utica Avenue to Atlantic Avenue.^[17]

Bronx-bound 4 train of R142As leaving 125th Street

From June 8, 2009, to June 26, 2009, New York City Transit conducted a pilot program for express Jerome Avenue Line service. Four morning weekday rush hour trains from Woodlawn stopped at Mosholu Parkway, Burnside Avenue and 149th Street–Grand Concourse before they resumed regular service in Manhattan and Brooklyn.^[4][18][19]

On July 6, 2009, select Bronx bound 4 trains began running express from 167th Street to Burnside Avenue to terminate at the latter station before running out of service to the Jerome Yard.

On October 26, 2009, another 4 express pilot program was implemented based on the success of the first and ran until December 11, 2009. This program was the same as the one in June except that express trains stopped at Bedford Park Boulevard–Lehman College.^[4][20]

As a result of planned repairs to Hurricane Sandy-related damage in the Clark Street Tube, which carries the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line, on weekends from June 17, 2017 to June 24, 2018, the 4 was extended to New Lots Avenue on weekends, making local stops in Brooklyn south of Nevins Street in place of the 3.^[21][22].

Route

Stations

For a more detailed station listing, see the articles on the lines listed above.

Station service legend
	Stops all times
	Stops all times except late nights
	Stops late nights only
	Stops late nights and weekends only
	Stops weekdays only
	Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction
	Stops rush hours only
	Stops rush hours in the peak direction only (limited service)
Time period details
	Station is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act
↑	Station is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act in the indicated direction only
↓
	Elevator access to mezzanine only

		Stations		Subway transfers	Connections/Notes
The Bronx
Jerome Avenue Line
		Woodlawn
		Mosholu Parkway
		Bedford Park Boulevard–Lehman College			Some southbound rush hour trips begin at this station Some northbound p.m. rush hour trips terminate at this station
		Kingsbridge Road			Some southbound p.m. rush hour trips begin at this station
		Fordham Road			Bx12 Select Bus Service
		183rd Street
		Burnside Avenue			Some northbound rush hour trips terminate at this station
		176th Street			Skipped by trains terminating at Burnside Avenue
		Mount Eden Avenue			Skipped by trains terminating at Burnside Avenue
		170th Street			Skipped by trains terminating at Burnside Avenue
		167th Street
		161st Street–Yankee Stadium		B  ​D  (IND Concourse Line)	Bx6 Select Bus Service
		149th Street–Grand Concourse		2  ​5  (IRT White Plains Road Line)
		138th Street–Grand Concourse		5
Manhattan
Lexington Avenue Line
		125th Street		​5  ​6  <6>	Metro-North Railroad at Harlem–125th Street M60 Select Bus Service to LaGuardia Airport
		116th Street		6
		110th Street		6
		103rd Street		6
		96th Street		6
		86th Street		​5  ​6  <6>	M86 Select Bus Service
		77th Street		6	M79 Select Bus Service
		68th Street–Hunter College		6
		59th Street		​5  ​6  <6> N  ​R  ​W  (BMT Broadway Line) Out-of-system transfer with MetroCard: F ​ N  ​Q  ​R  (63rd Street Lines at Lexington Avenue–63rd Street)	Roosevelt Island Tramway
		51st Street		6  E  (IND Queens Boulevard Line at Lexington Avenue–53rd Street)
		Grand Central–42nd Street		​5  ​6  <6> 7  <7> ​ (IRT Flushing Line) S  (42nd Street Shuttle)	Metro-North Railroad at Grand Central Terminal
		33rd Street		6
		28th Street	↓	6	Station is ADA-accessible in the southbound direction only; elevator is out of service. Station is closed for renovations as part of the Enhanced Station Initiative until December 2018.
		23rd Street		6	M23 Select Bus Service
		14th Street–Union Square		​5  ​6  <6> L  (BMT Canarsie Line) N  ​Q  ​R  ​W  (BMT Broadway Line)
		Astor Place		6
		Bleecker Street		6  D  ​F  (IND Sixth Avenue Line at Broadway–Lafayette Street)
		Spring Street		6
		Canal Street		6  N  ​Q  (BMT Broadway Line) J  (BMT Nassau Street Line)
		Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall		​5  ​6  <6> J  ​Z  (BMT Nassau Street Line at Chambers Street)
		Fulton Street		5  2  ​3  (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line) A  ​C  (IND Eighth Avenue Line) J  ​Z  (BMT Nassau Street Line)	Connection to N  ​R  ​W  (BMT Broadway Line) at Cortlandt Street via Dey Street Passageway PATH at World Trade Center
		Wall Street		5
		Bowling Green		5	Staten Island Ferry at Whitehall Terminal
Brooklyn
Eastern Parkway Line
		Borough Hall	↑	5  2  ​3  (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line) N  R  ​W  (BMT Fourth Avenue Line)	Station is ADA-accessible in the northbound direction only.
		Nevins Street		2  ​3  ​​5
		Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center		2  ​3  ​​5  B  ​Q  (BMT Brighton Line) D  ​N  ​R  ​W  (BMT Fourth Avenue Line)	LIRR Atlantic Branch at Atlantic Terminal
		Bergen Street		2
		Grand Army Plaza		2
		Eastern Parkway–Brooklyn Museum		2
		Franklin Avenue		2  ​3  ​​5  S  (BMT Franklin Avenue Line)
		Nostrand Avenue			B44 Select Bus Service
		Kingston Avenue
		Crown Heights–Utica Avenue		2  ​3  ​​5	B46 Select Bus Service
New Lots Line (late nights and select rush hour trips)
		Sutter Avenue–Rutland Road		2  ​3  ​​5	B15 bus to JFK Airport
		Saratoga Avenue		2  ​3  ​​5
		Rockaway Avenue		2  ​3  ​​5
		Junius Street		2  ​3  ​​5
		Pennsylvania Avenue		2  ​3  ​​5
		Van Siclen Avenue		2  ​3  ​​5
		New Lots Avenue		2  ​3  ​​5	B15 bus to JFK Airport

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 4 (New York City Subway service).

• MTA NYC Transit – 4 Lexington Avenue Express
• MTA Subway Time – 4 Train
• "4 Subway Timetable, Effective June 24, 2018" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 24, 2018.