57th Street (IND Sixth Avenue Line)

 57 Street
 
Temporarily closed New York City Subway station
Station statistics
Address West 57th Street & Sixth Avenue
New York, NY 10019
Borough Manhattan
Locale Midtown Manhattan
Coordinates 40°45′51″N 73°58′38″W / 40.764259°N 73.977213°W / 40.764259; -73.977213Coordinates: 40°45′51″N 73°58′38″W / 40.764259°N 73.977213°W / 40.764259; -73.977213
Division B (IND)
Line       IND Sixth Avenue Line
Services Closed
Transit connections NYCT Bus: M5, M7, M31, M57
Structure Underground
Platforms 1 island platform
Tracks 2
Other information
Opened July 1, 1968 (1968-07-01)
Closed July 9, 2018 (2018-07-09) (reconstruction)
Rebuilt December 2018 (2018-12)
Station code 224[1]
Wireless service [2]
Traffic
Passengers (2017) 4,557,372[3] Decrease 5.5%
Rank 107 out of 425
Station succession
Next north Lexington Avenue–63rd Street: no regular service
Next south 47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center: no regular service

57th Street is a station on the IND Sixth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 57th Street and Sixth Avenue (Avenue of the Americas) in Manhattan, it is temporarily closed for renovations until December 2018. Under normal service patterns, it is served by the F train at all times. North of the station, the line turns east and becomes the IND 63rd Street Line.

First announced in 1962, the 57th Street station was opened on July 1, 1968, at the cost of $13.2 million. The station was a terminal station until 1989, after which all service was extended to 21st Street–Queensbridge. The station was temporarily served by shuttle trains in the 1990s during the 63rd Street Line's reconstruction.

History

Track layout
to Lexington Av–63 St
to 47–50 Sts

The station was built as part of the Chrystie Street Connection, which expanded train capacity on the Sixth Avenue Line. The Sixth Avenue extension to the new terminal at 57th Street was announced in 1962.[4] The next year, the contract to construct the IND Sixth Avenue Line between 52nd and 58th Streets, including the 57th Street station, was awarded to Slattery Construction Company for $7.5 million (equivalent to $60,700,000 in 2017).[5] Construction of the spur ultimately cost $13.2 million.[6]

The 57th Street station opened on July 1, 1968,[4][6] as one of two stations added during construction of the Chrystie Street Connection, the other being Grand Street.[7] The opening of the station was celebrated by a 300-guest lunch on the platform on June 27, which was attended by Deputy Mayor Robert W. Sweet; MTA Chairman William J. Ronan; and Avenue of the Americas Association president Eyssell. The new station was intended to serve the new residential and commercial developments being built in the immediate area.[6] Upon its opening, the 57th Street station acted as the terminus of two services, the B during rush hours and KK during off-peak hours.[7][8][4][6] The KK was renamed the K in 1974 and eliminated in 1976.[9][10] From 1978 to 1990, this station was also served by the JFK Express service to the eponymous airport.[11][12][13][14]

When the north side of the Manhattan Bridge was closed for construction from 1986-1998 and again from July to December 2001, this station was only served by a shuttle train along Sixth Avenue.[15] Starting in 1988, this station was served by Q trains on weekdays, B trains on weekday evenings and weekends, and F trains during late nights. This was the terminal for all services until the IND 63rd Street Line to 21st Street–Queensbridge opened on October 29, 1989[16][17] Late night F-train service was replaced by a shuttle in 1997. Since December 2001, when the 63rd Street Tunnel Connector opened in Queens, the F route has served this station at all times,[18][19][20][21] simultaneous with the withdrawal of all other services from the 63rd Street Line.[18][20][21]

Under the 2015–2019 MTA Capital Plan, this station, along with 32 others, will undergo a complete overhaul as part of the Enhanced Station Initiative. Updates would include cellular service, Wi-Fi, USB charging stations, interactive service advisories and maps, improved signage, and improved station lighting.[22][23] In January 2018, the NYCT and Bus Committee recommended that Judlau Contracting receive the $125 million contract for the renovations of 57th and 23rd Streets on the IND Sixth Avenue Line; 28th Street on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line, and 34th Street–Penn Station on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line and IND Eighth Avenue Line.[24] However, the MTA Board temporarily deferred the vote for these packages after city representatives refused to vote to award the contracts.[25][26] The contract was put back for a vote in February, where it was ultimately approved.[27] The station was closed for renovations on July 9, 2018 until December 2018.[28]

Station layout

G Street Level Exit/Entrance
M Mezzanine Fare control, station agent, MetroCard vending machines
P
Platform level		 Northbound ← "F" train does not stop here (Lexington Avenue–63rd Street)
Island platform, temporarily closed for construction
Southbound → "F" train does not stop here (47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center) →
Street entrance

57th Street contains two tracks and a single island platform serving both tracks.[29][30] From the full-length mezzanine, there are six staircases to the platform.[30] The station walls are plain white, with "57th St" stenciled on long, narrow tiles along the wall.[31] The platform is approximately 35 feet (11 m) below ground.[6]

Much of the station design remains unchanged from 1968 opening.[30] As of 2018, the "Next Train" indicator lights were still hanging from the platform ceiling, dating from the period when the station was a terminal two decades prior.[32] The tower and the crew area still exist. They were used until the 63rd Street extension opened to 21st Street–Queensbridge in 1989, but were back in service in 1998 when trains from Sixth Avenue terminated here due to long term construction work that necessitated a shuttle train from Queensbridge to 57th Street–Seventh Avenue on the BMT Broadway Line. Once all construction work was completed on the 63rd Street Connector to the IND Queens Boulevard Line in December 2001, the tower was permanently abandoned.[33]

A plaque of Colonel John T. O'Neill is located in the station[34]

A plaque dedicated to retired Colonel John T. O'Neill, who served as the New York City Transit Authority's Chief Engineer until his death in 1978, sits next to the booth on the west wall.[34]

Exits

There are eight street staircases spread on both sides of Sixth Avenue from 56th to 57th Streets.[35] These entrances have an unusual design, with lit posts reading "SUBWAY" on their side rather than the lighted red-or-green globes typical to other station entrances.[36]

  • One stair, NW corner of 6th Avenue and 57th Street[35]
  • One stair, NE corner of 6th Avenue and 57th Street[35]
  • One stair, SW corner of 6th Avenue and 57th Street[35]
  • Two stairs, east side of 6th Avenue between 56th and 57th Streets[35]
  • One stair, NW corner of 6th Avenue and 56th Street[35]
  • One stair, SW corner of 6th Avenue and 56th Street[35]
  • One stair, SE corner of 6th Avenue and 56th Street[35]

References

  1. ↑ "Station Developers' Information". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  2. ↑ "NYC Subway Wireless – Active Stations". Transit Wireless Wifi. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership 2012–2017". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. July 12, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 Raskin, Joseph B. (November 1, 2013), The Routes Not Taken: A Trip Through New York City's Unbuilt Subway System, Fordham University Press, ISBN 978-0-8232-5369-2
  5. ↑ "IND Contract Awarded". The New York Times. December 27, 1963. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Luncheon in Subway Opens Station". The New York Times. June 27, 1968. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  7. 1 2 Perlmutter, Emanuel (November 16, 1967). "SUBWAY CHANGES TO SPEED SERVICE: Major Alterations in Maps, Routes and Signs Will Take Effect Nov. 26" (PDF). nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  8. ↑ Perlmutter, Emanuel (November 27, 1967). "BMT-IND CHANGES BEWILDER MANY; Transit Authority Swamped With Calls From Riders as New System Starts". The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  9. ↑ 1972 system map NYCSubway Retrieved August 12, 2009
  10. ↑ Burks, Edward C. (August 14, 1976). "215 More Daily Subway Runs Will Be Eliminated by Aug. 30". nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  11. ↑ Grynbaum, Michael M. (November 25, 2009). "If You Took the Train to the Plane, Sing the Jingle". Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  12. ↑ "New "JFK Express" Service Begun in Howard Beach". New York Leader Observer. Fultonhistory.com. September 28, 1978. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  13. ↑ Pitt, David E. (October 22, 1989). "Transit Agency Wants to End Airport Express". The New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2009.
  14. ↑ "Train to the Plane". YouTube. Retrieved August 30, 2009.
  15. ↑ 1987 system map NYCSubway Retrieved August 12, 2009
  16. ↑ Lorch, Donatella (October 29, 1989). "The 'Subway to Nowhere' Now Goes Somewhere". The New York Times. Retrieved September 26, 2009.
  17. ↑ Kershaw, Sarah (December 17, 2001). "V Train Begins Service Today, Giving Queens Commuters Another Option". The New York Times. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  18. 1 2 "Review of F Line Operations, Ridership, and Infrastructure" (PDF). nysenate.gov. MTA New York City Transit Authority. October 7, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 31, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Review of the G Line" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. July 10, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  20. 1 2 "E,F Detour in 2001, F trains via 63 St, E no trains running, take R instead". The Subway Nut. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  21. 1 2 Kennedy, Randy (May 25, 2001). "Panel Approves New V Train but Shortens G Line to Make Room". The New York Times. Retrieved March 20, 2010.
  22. ↑ "MTA Will Completely Close 30 Subway Stations For Months-Long "Revamp"". Gothamist. Archived from the original on August 1, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  23. ↑ "MTAStations" (PDF). governor.ny.gov. Government of the State of New York. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  24. ↑ Metropolitan Transportation Authority (January 22, 2018). "NYCT/Bus Committee Meeting" (PDF). p. 135. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  25. ↑ Barone, Vincent (January 24, 2018). "Controversial cosmetic subway improvement plan falters". am New York. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  26. ↑ Siff, Andrew (January 24, 2018). "MTA Shelves Plan to Modernize Subway Stations Amid Criticism". NBC New York. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  27. ↑ "Foes Hit Gov's Station Fix Plan". NY Daily News. 2018-02-13. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
  28. ↑ "Repairs and Improvements Coming to Three Manhattan 6FM Subway Stations". www.mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. June 15, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  29. ↑ Dougherty, Peter (2018). Tracks of the New York City Subway 2018 (16th ed.). Dougherty.
  30. 1 2 3 Cox, Jeremiah. "57 Street (F)". The SubwayNut. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  31. ↑ Cox, Jeremiah (May 20, 2010). 57th Sts on the off white track walls (image) – via The Subway Nut.
  32. ↑ Cox, Jeremiah (May 20, 2010). A now unused Next Train indicator the first 21 years of the station it served as a terminal as well as when the 63 Street line had to be rebuilt due to the track bed having a faulty new design (image) – via The Subway Nut.
  33. ↑ Cox, Jeremiah (May 20, 2010). At one end of the platform is an unused tower (image) – via The Subway Nut.
  34. 1 2 Frattini, Dave (April 1, 2000). The Underground Guide to New York City Subways. Macmillan. p. 135. ISBN 9780312253844 – via Google Books.
  35. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Midtown West" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  36. ↑ Cox, Jeremiah (May 20, 2010). Old Subway text on the side of one of the posts on a street stair (image) – via The Subway Nut.
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