Times Square–42nd Street/Port Authority Bus Terminal station

Times Square–42nd Street/Port Authority Bus Terminal is a New York City Subway station complex located under Times Square and the Port Authority Bus Terminal, at the intersection of 42nd Street, Seventh and Eighth Avenues, and Broadway in Midtown Manhattan. It is the busiest station complex in the system, serving 64,531,511 passengers in 2016.[5]

"Times Square Station" redirects here. For other uses, see Times Square Station (disambiguation).

 Times Square–42 Street/
 Port Authority Bus Terminal
 ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
New York City Subway station complex
Entrance to the station at 42nd Street & 7th Avenue
Station statistics
AddressWest 42nd Street, Broadway, Seventh, & Eighth Avenues
New York, NY 10036
BoroughManhattan
LocaleTimes Square, Midtown Manhattan
Coordinates40°45′21.6″N 73°59′13.2″W
DivisionA (IRT), B (BMT, IND)
Line      42nd Street Shuttle
      BMT Broadway Line
      IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line
      IND Eighth Avenue Line
      IRT Flushing Line
Services      1  (all times)
​      2  (all times)
​      3  (all times)​
      7  (all times) <7>  (rush hours until 9:30 p.m., peak direction)​​
​      A  (all times)​
​      C  (all except late nights)​
​      E  (all times)​
      N  (all times)
​      Q  (all times)
​      R  (all except late nights)
​      W  (weekdays only)​
      S  (all except late nights)
Transit connections NYCT Bus: M7, M20, M34A SBS, M42, M104, SIM8, SIM8X, SIM22, SIM25, SIM26, SIM30
MTA Bus: BxM2
Port Authority Bus Terminal New Jersey Transit Bus: 107, 108, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 119, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 144, 145, 148, 151, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 177, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 308, 319, 320, 321, 324, 353
StructureUnderground
Levels5
Other information
OpenedJune 3, 1917 (1917-06-03)[1]
Station code611[2]
Accessible Partially ADA-accessible (all lines except 42nd Street Shuttle; passageway between IND platforms and rest of complex is not accessible)
Wireless service[3]
Traffic
Passengers (2019)65,020,294[4]  0.1%
Rank1 out of 424[4]

The complex allows free transfers between the IRT 42nd Street Shuttle, the BMT Broadway Line, the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line and the IRT Flushing Line, with a long transfer to the IND Eighth Avenue Line one block west at 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal. The complex is served by the:

  • 1, 2, 3, 7, A, E, N, and Q trains at all times
  • W train during weekdays
  • C, R, and 42nd Street Shuttle (S) trains at all times except late nights
  • <7> trains during rush hours in the peak direction

Station layout
Physical locations of the platforms
G Street level Exits/entrances
B1 Upper mezzanine Fare control, station agents, MetroCard machines, passageway to Port Authority Bus Terminal
Elevators located:
  • on the southeast corner of Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street for ​​​​​​​​ trains only.
  • inside north wing of bus terminal at Eighth Avenue between 41st Street and 42nd Street, near airport bus ticket office for ​​ trains only.
  • inside the InterContinental Hotel at the southwest corner of Eighth Avenue at 44th Street, for ​​ trains only. There is both an elevator and a lift; the lift can be manually operated by a station agent's assistance.

Note: Passageway between IND platforms and rest of the complex is a steep grade

Side platform
Track 4 → toward Grand Central (Terminus) →
Track 3 → toward Grand Central (Terminus) →
Side platform
Track 1 → toward Grand Central (Terminus) →
Side platform
B2
Broadway
platforms		 Northbound local ← toward Ditmars Boulevard (49th Street)
← toward 71st Avenue (49th Street)
← toward Ditmars Boulevard weekdays (49th Street)
← toward 96th Street late nights (49th Street)
Island platform
Northbound express ← toward 96th Street (57th Street–Seventh Avenue)
Southbound express → toward Coney Island via Brighton (34th Street–Herald Square) →
Island platform
Southbound local → toward Coney Island via Sea Beach (34th Street–Herald Square) →
→ toward 95th Street (34th Street–Herald Square) →
→ toward Whitehall Street weekdays (34th Street–Herald Square) →
→ toward Coney Island via Brighton (34th Street–Herald Square) →
B2
Broadway–Seventh Avenue platforms		 Northbound local ← toward 242nd Street (50th Street/Broadway))
← toward 241st Street late nights (50th Street/Broadway)
Island platform
Northbound express ← toward 241st Street (72nd Street)
← toward 148th Street (72nd Street)
Southbound express → toward Flatbush Avenue (34th Street–Penn Station/Seventh)
← toward New Lots Avenue (34th Street–Penn Station/Seventh) →
→ late night termination track →
Island platform
Southbound local → toward South Ferry (34th Street–Penn Station/Seventh) →
→ toward Flatbush Avenue late nights (34th Street–Penn Station/Seventh) →
B2
Eighth Avenue
platforms		 Northbound local ← toward 168th Street (50th Street)
← toward Jamaica Center (50th Street)
← toward 207th Street late nights (50th Street)
Island platform
Northbound express ← toward 207th Street (59th Street–Columbus Circle)
Southbound express → toward Far Rockaway, Lefferts Boulevard or Rockaway Park (34th Street–Penn Station/Eighth) →
Island platform
Southbound local → toward Euclid Avenue (34th Street–Penn Station/Eighth) →
→ toward World Trade Center (34th Street–Penn Station/Eighth) →
→ toward Far Rockaway late nights (42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal) →
B3 Passageway To Eighth Avenue, Port Authority, ​​ trains
B4
Flushing
platform		 Track 1 ← toward Hudson Yards (Terminus)
Island platform
Track 2 → toward Flushing–Main Street (Fifth Avenue) →

The IRT platforms have been connected to each other as a transfer station as the lines opened: first between the 42nd Street Shuttle and the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line in 1917, then the transfer was incorporated with the Flushing Line in 1927.[6] On December 24, 1932, a 600-foot-long (180 m) passageway was opened, connecting the IND Eighth Avenue Line station and the IRT platforms, with a new entrance at West 41st Street between Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue.[6][7] The passageway was not located within a fare control, and passengers had to pay an extra fare to transfer between the IND and the IRT station.[7] The free transfer between the IRT and BMT was added on July 1, 1948.[8] The block-long passageway that runs west to the 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal station on the IND Eighth Avenue Line was reopened within fare control on December 11, 1988.[9]

This station underwent total reconstruction in stages starting in 1994.[6] Phase 1 rebuilt the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line platforms with a new mezzanine, stairs, and elevators, and was completed in 2002. Phase 2, finished in 2006, rebuilt the Broadway Line, Flushing Line, and Eighth Avenue Line portions of the station.[6] Phase 3, for the shuttle platforms, has yet to be started[6] but will be funded as part of the 2015–2019 MTA Capital Program.[10][11] The reconstruction included a new entryway on the south side of 42nd Street between Seventh Avenue and Broadway, featuring a bright neon and colored glass flashing sign with the train route symbols and the word "Subway". The street level fare control at this site features restored original "Times Square" mosaics from the Contract I station walls (now used by the shuttle), and both escalators and stairs lead into the complex. There are also similar renovated entrances on the northwest and southwest corners of Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street, the latter of which has both escalators and stairs, while the former has only stairs.

In 1999, a US$44 million renovation of the complex began.[6] The goal was to reduce congestion and improve rider access, comfort and safety by improving visual lines and increasing pedestrian capacity. The main corridor was widened 15 feet (4.6 m), and the number of sharp corners reduced; ADA accessibility was introduced with elevators; new escalators; and other corridors were widened. The mezzanine above the BMT Broadway Line, which formerly housed a record shop named Record Mart, now features a large oval balcony looking over the trackway and has reduced the sense of claustrophobia described by many riders. In 2004, four unisex stall bathrooms were opened on the mezzanine between the IRT and BMT lines; they are staffed and maintained by employees of the Times Square Alliance, the local Business Improvement District. Record Mart reopened in 2007 on the south side of the IRT/BMT corridor,[12] and when it closed permanently in 2020, it had been Manhattan's oldest operating record store.[13]

The mezzanine has been a major featured spot for subway performers ever since the opening of the station. "Music Under New York" controls the spot, which is located by the escalators, opposite the shuttle to Grand Central. Musicians of all types, from musical saw to a brass band, perform there daily.

Exits

Exits and entrances are located from two main areas: under Eighth Avenue and under Times Square itself.[14]

From the Eighth Avenue portion of the complex:

  • One street stair each to the NW, NE, and SE corners of 8th Avenue and 40th Street[14]
  • Two underground passageways to Port Authority Bus Terminal[14]
    • One between 40th and 41st Streets
    • One between 41st and 42nd Streets
  • One street stair to the NW corner of 8th Avenue and 42nd Street[14]
  • One stair in building on east side of 8th Avenue north of 42nd Street[14]
  • Escalator bank in building on south side of 42nd Street east of 8th Avenue[14]
  • One street stair to the SW corner of 8th Avenue and 43rd Street[14]
  • One street stair each to the NW, SW, and SE corners of 8th Avenue and 44th Street[14]
    • The SW corner entrance also has a wheelchair lift

From the Times Square portion of the complex:

  • One stair in building on north side of 42nd Street west of 7th Avenue[14]
  • One stair in building on south side of 42nd Street west of 7th Avenue[14]
  • Elevator and escalator bank in building on south side of 42nd Street between 7th Avenue and Broadway[14]
  • One street stair at SE corner of Broadway and 42nd Street[14]
  • One stair in building at NE corner of 7th Avenue and 41st Street[14]
  • Two street stairs at SE corner of 7th Avenue and 41st Street[14]
  • Two street stairs at SW corner of Broadway and 41st Street[14]
  • One stair in building on south side of 40th Street west of 7th Avenue[14]
  • One street stair at SE corner of 7th Avenue and 40th Street[14]
  • One street stair each to the NW, NE, SW, and SE corners of Broadway and 40th Street[14]

Relative depths

The relative depths of the station's platforms are:[15]

IRT 42nd Street Shuttle platforms
 Times Square
 
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Shuttle platform for track 1
Station statistics
DivisionA (IRT)
LineIRT 42nd Street Shuttle
Services      S  (all except late nights)
StructureUnderground
Platforms3 side platforms (all connected at west end)
Tracks3
Other information
OpenedOctober 27, 1904 (1904-10-27)[16]
Station code468[2]
Accessible ADA-accessible to mezzanine only; currently undergoing renovations for ADA access
Wireless service[3]
Opposite-direction transfer availableN/A
Former/other names42 Street
Station succession
Next westTracks 1 and 3: (Terminal): S 
Track 4: 50th Street: no regular service
Next eastGrand Central: S 
Track layout
to 50 St
Movable pedestrian bridge
over Track 4
to Grand Central
Plan of the original station before reconfiguration

When it first opened on October 27, 1904, Times Square was a local station on New York City's first subway. Times Square itself had recently been renamed (from Long Acre Square) in order to give the new subway station a distinctive name.[17] Three shuttle tracks have served it since 1918; the southbound express track (formerly track 2) was removed and replaced by a temporary wooden platform for access to the original northbound express track (now track 3). The former southbound local platform (serving track 1) still has a vestiges of a doorway to the Knickerbocker Hotel, while the northbound local platform (serving track 4) retains a former doorway to the Times Building.[6]

The old local platforms still serve tracks 1 and 4, while the southbound express track was removed and replaced with a platform for track 3. all three platforms connect on the west (railroad north) side. This walkway crosses track 4, the former northbound local track, on a bridge that can be lifted for the only access to that track. North of the station, track 4 merges into the northbound IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line local track along the original subway alignment, north of the current Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line station.[6] The other three tracks once curved parallel to this. Tracks 1 and 3 now end at bumper blocks at the west end of the platforms. There is no track connection between Track 4 and the other tracks anywhere along the shuttle.[6]

Because of the curvature on the platforms, gap fillers are used to bridge the gap between train and platform; however, the gap fillers, which are under the platform rather than flush with the platform, are not suitable for wheelchair passengers, making the shuttle platforms inaccessible to wheelchair users. Passengers who need service to Grand Central are told to use the IRT Flushing Line platforms. An underpass that formerly connected the original side platforms lies between the downtown local track and the other three tracks of the BMT Broadway Line, which runs perpendicular to the shuttle.

Tracks 1 and 3 have gap fillers, as they are concave and curve toward the shuttle trains. Track 4 does not have gap fillers because of the convex curve of the platform, curving away from the shuttle trains. Track 4 can barely fit the three 51.4-foot-long (15.7 m) cars of the shuttle; it originally ended at a wall but now has a small extension for alighting passengers, so the last pair of doors of the train keep one panel disabled for added safety. Track 3 is the longest platform, at four-and-a-half cars long.

Renovation

The shuttle platform is the only station in the station complex that does not have ADA-accessibility. Although planning had been completed in 2006, the project was delayed due to a lack of funding.[18] However, as part of the 2015–2019 Capital Program, the MTA is scheduling some improvements to make it accessible under the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. As part of the program, the 42nd Street Shuttle will become ADA-accessible, and the shuttle will be reconfigured from three tracks to two tracks. A new platform, 28 feet (8.5 m) wide and located between Tracks 1 and 4, would be built along the section of the shuttle that runs under 42nd Street, which is located within a straight tunnel. The whole project will cost $235.41 million. The Times Square shuttle platform will be extended 360 feet (110 m) east to allow for a second point of entry at Sixth Avenue, with a connection to the IND Sixth Avenue Line as well a second connection to the IRT Flushing Line via its Fifth Avenue station.[10][11][19]

Widened platform at Times Square, which will be built during the restoration project
Track 1 platform at the start of construction; Track 3 is blocked off by a blue construction wall

The entire Times Square station will be rehabilitated with congestion mitigation measures. A wider stairway would be installed from the shuttle mezzanine to street level, a new control area would be installed at the bottom of the stairway, and 21 columns would be removed. The track connection to the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line would probably be removed with the elimination of Track 4. The cost of this part of the project is $30 million.[10][11]

The reconstruction work would be done in conjunction with a second project to add access to the Times Square complex. As part of the project, the eastern platform would be closed to public access, and the exit to 43rd Street was closed, covered over, and turned into an emergency exit starting on October 19, 2019. This entrance would be replaced by a new entrance with a twenty-foot wide stairway covered by a canopy. The staircase would lead from the shuttle mezzanine to street level, blocking portions of the station's original finishes. A new control area would be installed at the bottom of the stairway. To further increase capacity, 21 columns would be eliminated; other columns at the station would be thinned, requiring the underpinning of roof beams; and 142 columns in the concourse area would be relocated away from the car doors. This project would cost $28.93 million.[10]

In addition, the northern section of the original west platform wall dating from 1904 would be removed, and Jamestown, OTS, would build elevators connecting the station with an observation deck at One Times Square. The wall would be broken into sections and moved to the New York Transit Museum to mitigate the adverse effects of the station renovation. To further mitigate damage done to portions of the original station, certain features would be repaired and restored, including the original southwest platform and control area wall finishes, the original cast iron columns, the ceiling plaster ornamentation, and the cast iron guard rails. In addition, the east platform walls that are located within back-of-house space would continue to be protected. The damaged Knickerbocker marble lintel located at the west platform control area would be replicated. To reference portions of the original tracks located at Tracks 2 and 3, the granite paving for the shuttle platform would be modified with a veneer steel rail. These sixty-foot-long sections would be located on the new platform between Tracks 1 and 4. Finally, a display case or plaque describing the history of the station will be installed underneath the replicated Knickerbocker lintel.[11][20]

The construction contract for the project was originally scheduled to be awarded in June 2018. However, this was delayed by several months because of changes to the project schedule and cost. The construction duration was expected to be extended by three months, and the cost would increase by $25 million, because of additions to the original construction plan.[21] A construction contract was awarded in March 2019, with an estimated completion date of March 2022.[22]

Track 1 platform, looking toward connection to other two platforms
Platform for track 3, with a train on that track
View from removable walkway over track 4, looking toward the Broadway–Seventh Avenue tunnel
Second and third cars of a train on track 4
A view of the platform on Track 4 in 1958.

IND Eighth Avenue Line platforms
 42 Street–
 Port Authority Bus Terminal
 ​​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Downtown platform.
Station statistics
DivisionB (IND)
Line      IND Eighth Avenue Line
Services      A  (all times)
​      C  (all except late nights)
​      E  (all times)
StructureUnderground
Levels2 (lower level demolished)
Platforms2 island platforms
cross-platform interchange (upper level)
1 abandoned side platform (lower level)
Tracks4 (upper level)
1 (lower level)
Other information
OpenedSeptember 10, 1932 (1932-09-10)[23] (upper level)
August 25, 1952 (1952-08-25)[24] (lower level)
Closed1981 (lower level)
Station code163[2]
Accessible ADA-accessible (passageway to other services not accessible)
Wireless service[3]
Opposite-direction transfer availableYes
Station succession
Next north59th Street–Columbus Circle (express): A 
50th Street (local): A  ​C 
50th Street (Queens Boulevard): E 
Next north59th Street–Columbus Circle (8th Ave): A  ​C 
Lexington Avenue–53rd Street (Queens Boulevard): E 
Next south34th Street–Penn Station: A  ​C  ​E 
Next south34th Street–Penn Station: A  ​C  ​E 
Track layout
to 59 St–Columbus Cir
to 50 St lower level
to 50 St upper level
to former lower level
from former lower level
to 34 St–Penn Sta
Wall mosaics

42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal is an express station on the IND Eighth Avenue Line. It is partly underneath the Port Authority Bus Terminal. It has one operational platform level, two offset island platforms, and a long mezzanine. Formerly, it also had a lower level with a single side platform. The upper level, the only one serving trains, opened on September 10, 1932, as part of the city-operated Independent Subway System (IND)'s initial segment, the Eighth Avenue Line between Chambers Street and 207th Street.[23][25] The lower level opened on August 25, 1952.[24]

Platform level

The platform level of the station contains four tracks and two wide offset island platforms; the northbound platform extends from 42nd to 44th Streets, while the southbound platform extends from 40th to 42nd Streets. Unique to the Subway systems, ADA access is provided by passageway ramps. The station's mezzanine extends four blocks from 40th to 44th Streets, and connects with the rest of the complex by a long passageway underneath 41st Street.[26][27]

Former lower level

In addition to the level currently in use, there was formerly a lower platform on the southbound side (one track underneath the downtown local track on the upper level, and one side platform underneath the island platform above). The lower level was built together with the upper level platforms in the late 1920s/early 1930s, but existed as an unfinished shell until it was completed[28]:484 and opened in August 1952 to serve rush hour E trains.[24][29] For most of its existence, the lower level platform was only used for occasional service specials, including summer "Rockaway Special" trains to Beach 98th Street at the Rockaways' Playland beginning in 1958, the Aqueduct Racetrack special fare trains from 1959 to 1981, and rush hour E trains in the 1970s, beginning on March 23, 1970.[30][31][32][33]

The lower level featured two high-speed escalators to the mezzanine, and three staircases to the upper-level platform. The walls featured 1950s-era cream tiles, a purple and black tile band, and white mosaic name plates with black "42ND ST" text.[24][29][30]

Theories differ on why the lower level platform was built. The platform could only be reached by trains originating from Queens via the IND Queens Boulevard Line, and 53rd Street (the current E service). Some commentators have speculated that this was meant to allow Manhattan-bound E trains from Queens to hold at 42nd Street without slowing down service on trains traveling from Central Park West,[31] while the reported purpose of the platform upon its opening was to allow E trains to load and unload passengers without having to wait for one of the two upper level tracks to clear.[24][29] Others have suggested that the lower level platform was built to prevent the IRT Flushing Line from being extended westward. The IND lower level platform was located just beyond the tail tracks on the IRT Flushing Line platform.[27][31][34]

Film producers have used the lower level platform for several films, most notably Ghost (1990), starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore.[30][31]

In the late 2000s, the MTA began construction on a planned extension of the IRT Flushing Line to 34th Street, which would require demolishing the IND Eighth Avenue lower level platform.[31] As of January 2010, the lower level platform was being demolished as part of the Flushing Line extension.[35] Transit blogger Benjamin Kabak, who was invited to tour the Flushing Line extension and view construction progress, reported in February 2012 that the lower level platform had been "bisected" by the Flushing Line extension.[36] The tunnels slope down through where the old lower level platform was.[34]

A sign at the western end of the passageway ramp, informing customers that the passageway to rest of the complex is not wheelchair accessible

IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line platforms
 Times Square–42 Street
 ​​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Downtown platform
Station statistics
DivisionA (IRT)
Line      IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line
Services      1  (all times)
​      2  (all times)
​      3  (all times)
StructureUnderground
Platforms2 island platforms
cross-platform interchange
Tracks4
Other information
OpenedJune 3, 1917 (1917-06-03)[1]
Rebuilt1998-2002
Station code317[2]
Accessible ADA-accessible (Transfer accessible to BMT Broadway Line and IRT Flushing Line platforms only)
Wireless service[3]
Opposite-direction transfer availableYes
Station succession
Next north72nd Street (express): 2  ​3 
50th Street (local): 1  ​2 
Next north72nd Street (express): 2  ​3 
59th Street–Columbus Circle (local): 1  ​2 
Next south(Terminal): 3 
34th Street–Penn Station: 1  ​2  ​3 
Next southnone: 3 
34th Street–Penn Station: 1  ​2  ​3 
Track layout
to 72 St
to 50 St
to shuttle platforms
to 34 St–Penn Sta

Times Square–42nd Street is an express station on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line, with four tracks and two island platforms. Access to the other lines is provided at the northern end and in the center of each platform. An elevator leads from each platform to the mezzanine; the southbound elevator also leads to the Flushing Line platform.

Just south of the station, a fifth center track begins, formed by a connection from each express track. This track merges back into the two express tracks just before 34th Street–Penn Station.[37] This center track was used in the past for turning rush hour "Gap Trains", which would head back up north. It is currently used for short turning 3 trains during nights.[38]

History

The station opened on June 3, 1917, as part of an extension of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, the dominant subway in Manhattan at the time, to South Ferry.[39] It was served by a shuttle train to 34th Street–Penn Station until the rest of the extension opened a year later on July 1, 1918.[40] This meant that the subway would be expanded down the Lower West Side to neighborhoods such as Greenwich Village and the western portion of the Financial District.

As part of this and the northern IRT Lexington Avenue Line extension, the IRT network would be radically changed from an S-shaped line connecting the eastern side of Lower Manhattan to the Upper West Side to an H-shaped network with two parallel lines, the East and West Side Lines, and the current shuttle at 42nd Street connecting them.[40][41]

This section was the site of a 1928 wreck that killed 16 people, the second worst in New York City history (the worst being the Malbone Street Wreck in Brooklyn, which killed at least 93).

BMT Broadway Line platforms
 Times Square–42 Street
 ​​​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Uptown platform
Station statistics
DivisionB (BMT)
Line      BMT Broadway Line
Services      N  (all times)
​      Q  (all times)
​      R  (all except late nights)
​      W  (weekdays only)
StructureUnderground
Platforms2 island platforms
cross-platform interchange
Tracks4
Other information
OpenedJanuary 5, 1918 (1918-01-05)[42]
Station code011[2]
Accessible ADA-accessible (Transfer accessible to IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line & IRT Flushing Line platforms only)
Wireless service[3]
Opposite-direction transfer availableYes
Station succession
Next north57th Street–Seventh Avenue (express): N  ​Q 
49th Street (local): N  ​Q  ​R  ​W 
Next northLexington Avenue–63rd Street: N  ​Q  ​R 
49th Street: N  ​Q  ​R  ​W  (northbound only; via local)
Next south34th Street–Herald Square: N  ​Q  ​R  ​W 
Next south34th Street–Herald Square: N  ​Q  ​R  ​W 
Track layout
to 57 St
to 49 St
to 34 St
to 34 St

Times Square–42nd Street is an express station on the BMT Broadway Line that has four tracks and two island platforms. Connections to the other lines are at the northern end of the platforms.

The express tracks north of the station spread out to pass around a crossunder in the Times Square shuttle platforms. This crossunder was sealed off in the 1960s.

History

On February 8, 1914, the Public Service Commission ordered Chief Engineer Craven to make this station an express station as opposed to a local station as originally planned. The change was made at the insistence of Brooklynites who wanted an express station in the theater section of Manhattan. Under the original plan, the express stop would have been located at 47th Street, with a local stop at 42nd. The stop, as an express station, was planned to have connections to the IRT shuttle platforms, the Steinway tunnel line, and the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line.[43]

On June 1, 1940, the title of the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation was transferred to the City of New York, signifying the first phase of unification of New York's subway system with the Independent Subway System as well as eventual public operation of the entire system. (The Interborough Rapid Transit Company would be merged on June 15 of the same year.) At midnight, a ceremony commemorating the transfer, with five hundred people in attendance, was held at the Times Square station. The last BMT train had left the 57th Street station five minutes earlier. When the train arrived at Times Square, BMT president William S. Menden handed over his company's properties to Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia, who then gave them to New York City Board of Transportation chairman John H. Delaney. The Board of Transportation operated the New York City Transit System until the creation of the New York City Transit Authority in 1953.[44]

This station received a minor overhaul in the late 1970s when MTA fixed the station's structure and the overall appearance, and it repaired staircases and platform edges, removed pedestrian ramps, and replaced lighting.

In 2004-2006, the station received a major overhaul and repairs, including upgrading the station for ADA compliance and restoring the original late 1910s tiling. MTA repaired the staircases, retiled the walls, added new tiling on the floors, upgraded the station's lights and the public address system, installed ADA yellow safety treads along the platform edge, and installed new signs and new trackbeds in both directions.

"42" monogram mosaic

IRT Flushing Line platform
 Times Square–42 Street
 ​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
The IRT Flushing Line platform
Station statistics
DivisionA (IRT)
Line      IRT Flushing Line
Services      7  (all times) <7>  (rush hours until 9:30 p.m., peak direction)​
StructureUnderground
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
Other information
OpenedMarch 14, 1927 (1927-03-14)[45]
Station code467[2]
Accessible ADA-accessible (Transfer accessible to IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line and BMT Broadway Line platforms only)
Wireless service[3]
Opposite-direction transfer availableYes
Station succession
Next eastFifth Avenue: 7  <7> ​
Next eastGrand Central–42nd Street: 7  <7> ​
Next west10th Avenue: future
34th Street–Hudson Yards: 7  <7> ​
Next west10th Avenue: future
34th Street–Hudson Yards: 7  <7> ​
Track layout
to 5 Av
to 34 St
Queensboro Subway Service Extended To Times Square station 1927

Times Square–42nd Street on the IRT Flushing Line has one island platform and two tracks, located deep below West 41st Street.

History

The Times Square station opened on March 14, 1927, extending the Flushing Line westward from its previous terminus at Fifth Avenue.[46] This station served as the terminus for 7 and <7>​ trains from its opening on March 14, 1927, until September 13, 2015, when the next station west (railroad south), 34th Street–Hudson Yards, opened.[47][48] The platforms at Times Square and all other stations on the Flushing Line with the exception of Queensboro Plaza were extended in 1955–1956 to accommodate 11-car trains.[49]

Layout

Stairs, escalators, and an elevator along the platform lead to various mezzanines. There are "TS" tile mosaics along the station walls. An office is located at the north (compass east) end of the platform. An elevator was recently installed and connects with the Downtown IRT Seventh Avenue platform and then the mezzanine. The elevators make this platform, along with the platform at Grand Central accessible to wheelchair passengers (unlike the shuttle platforms, which are not accessible to wheelchairs).

The tracks continue south (compass west) beyond the station to the 34th Street station. These tracks formerly led to an unused storage and layover area, but the extension of the Flushing Line, whose trackwork was completed in 2013, included the addition of third rails to the layover tracks, as well as the inspection and replacement of these tracks.[50] The closed lower level platform at 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal on the IND Eighth Avenue Line was blocking the line but since removed.[30] Currently, all Flushing-bound service is on the eastbound track, labeled Track 2, and 34th Street-bound service is on the westbound track, labeled Track 1.[48]

Artwork

George Lewis Heins and Christopher Grant LaFarge were the first commissioned architects of the IRT. They designed the original Times Square Station, which was located at the current Grand Central Shuttle stop.

In many of their stations, Heins and LaFarge use symbolic imagery to honor a neighborhood or its namesake. When Squire Vickers took over as chief designer and architect of the IRT in 1906, he continued this tradition of using symbolism to speak to a station's history.

The colored tile trim of the IRT portions of the station closely resembles the Confederate flag.[51] Scholars believe that Vickers and his colleagues unmistakably reference the symbol of the South to pay homage to New York Times owner Adolph S. Ochs.[52] The Confederacy was a significant part of Ochs' heritage, and the eccentric Vickers relished literary and historical imagery.[53] After a 2010s movement in which Confederate monuments nationwide were removed, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced in August 2017 that these tiles would be replaced;[54][55] the tiles were subsequently covered with stickers.[56]

Times Square was named for The New York Times, whose headquarters, built by Ochs, housed the original subway station (now the shuttle platforms) in its basement.[57][58][59]

  • Original colored tile trim, before the station renovation of the late 1990s. Scholars believe architect Squire J. Vickers used this design to pay homage to the Southern roots of former New York Times newspaper head Adolph S. Ochs
  • 1998-recreated tiles, also to be removed
  • Times Square Mural by Roy Lichtenstein
  • The Return of Spring/The Onset of Winter by Jack Beal
  • The Revelers by Jane Dickson
  • New York in Transit by Jacob Lawrence
  • Times Square Times by Toby Buonagurio
  • The Commuter's Lament by Norman B. Colp

Modern artwork installed in the complex includes the following:

  • The Commuter's Lament or A Close Shave by Norman B. Colp, 1991
  • New York in Transit by Jacob Lawrence, 2001
  • The Return of Spring/The Onset of Winter by Jack Beal, 2001/2005
  • Times Square Mural by Roy Lichtenstein, 2002 (collage 1990, fabricated 1994)
  • Times Square Times: 35 Times by Toby Buonagurio, 2005
  • The Revelers by Jane Dickson, 2008

New York in Transit was Lawrence's last public work before his 2000 death.[60] Lichtenstein died in 1997 before the mural could be installed; he had completed Times Square Mural in 1994, but installation was delayed until after the station complex's renovation.[61]

The Commuter's Lament is a series of signs attached to the roof of the lower passageway, inspired by classic Burma-Shave ads. In order, the signs read Overslept/So tired/If late/Get fired/Why bother?/Why the pain?/Just go home/Do it again.; The last panel is a picture of a bed. The panels were part of an art project that was supposed to last only one year, but were never removed.[62]

Terror plots

The Times Square station has been targeted by two failed terrorist plots:

  • In September 2009, Najibullah Zazi and alleged co-conspirators planned suicide bombings on subway trains near this station and the Grand Central–42nd Street station, but the plot was discovered before they could carry it out.[63]
  • There was also an attempted bombing on December 11, 2017, during the morning rush hour, when a pipe bomb device partially detonated in the passageway connecting the IND Eighth Avenue Line station with the rest of the complex.[64]

References

Notes
  1. "Three New Links of the Dual Subway System Opened". The New York Times. June 3, 1917. p. 33. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  2. "Station Developers' Information". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  3. "NYC Subway Wireless – Active Stations". Transit Wireless Wifi. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  4. "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership 2014–2019". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  6. Dunlap, David W. (March 28, 2004). "1904-2004; Crossroads of the Whirl". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  7. "600-Foot Pedestrian Tunnel, Linking Subways, Opens Today" (PDF). The New York Times. December 24, 1932. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
  8. "Transfer Points Under Higher Fare; Board of Transportation Lists Stations and Intersections for Combined Rides". The New York Times. June 30, 1948. p. 19. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  9. Lyall, Sarah (December 12, 1988). "All Aboard. . .Somewhere. . .for Subway Changes!". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  10. "METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (MTA) NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING AND DESCRIPTION OF PROJECTS Tuesday, August 23, 2016 4:30 P.M. Request for Federal Financial Assistance Under the Federal Transportation Authorization For Federal Fiscal Year 2017 Capital Improvement Projects" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. July 28, 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 28, 2017. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  11. "MTA Capital Program 2015-2019" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. October 28, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  12. Review and photos of the Times Square bathrooms Archived March 17, 2006, at the Wayback Machine at Gothamist
  13. Young, Michelle (June 10, 2020). "Closed: Record Mart, Manhattan's Oldest Record Store Located in Times Square Subway Station". Untapped New York. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  14. "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Midtown West" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  15. nycsubway.org – IND 8th Avenue: 42nd Street-Port Authority Bus Terminal
  16. "Our Subway Open: 150,000 Try It; Mayor McClellan Runs the First Official Train". The New York Times. October 28, 1904. p. 1. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  17. Barron, James (April 8, 2004). "100 Years Ago, an Intersection's New Name: Times Square". Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  18. "Transit and Bus Committee December 2016" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. February 21, 2017. p. 199. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  19. "T7041404 Reconstruction of Times Square Shuttle - Phase 3". web.mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  20. "AMENDMENT TO THE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION NEW YORK STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT AUTHORITY REGARDING THE TIMES SQUARE SHUTTLE STATION DURING CONTRACT A- 35302, THE RECONFIGURATION OF THE TIMES SQUARE SHUTTLE STATION, SHPO PROJECT #17PR00545" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. April 25, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  21. "Capital Program Oversight Committee Meeting - September 2018" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 24, 2018. p. 73. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  22. "Capital Program Oversight Committee Meeting - March 2019" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. March 25, 2019. p. 11. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  23. "List of the 28 Stations on the New 8th Av. Line". The New York Times. September 10, 1932. p. 6. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  24. "New IND Platform Will Open Monday" (PDF). nytimes.com. The New York Times. August 23, 1952. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  25. Crowell, Paul (September 10, 1932). "Gay Midnight Crowd Rides First Trains In The New Subway: Throngs at Station an Hour Before Time, Rush Turnstiles When Chains are Dropped" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  26. "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Pennsylvania Station/Times Square" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  27. "Station: 42nd Street-Port Authority Bus Terminal (8th Avenue)". Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  28. Transportation, New York (N Y. ) Board of (1953). Proceedings.
  29. Ingraham, Joseph C. (June 20, 1952). "New IND Platform at 8th and 42d To Expedite Service From Queens" (PDF). nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  30. Mindlin, Alex (April 20, 2008). "No Whoosh, No 'All Aboard'". The New York Times. Retrieved July 10, 2009.
  31. Kabak, Benjamin (April 21, 2008). "With the 7 on the way, a swan song for a Times Square platform". Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  32. Brennan, Joseph (2002). "Abandoned Stations: 42 St Lower Level". Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  33. "Non-Stop Trips, Reserved Seats On Special Here: Deluxe Subway Express Ride Also Features Music; $1.55 Round-Trip Fare From 42nd Street To Playland Station Provides Admission And Rides". Wave of Long Island. Fultonhistory.com. July 3, 1958. p. 1. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  34. "7 Line Extension 081". Flickr.
  35. Donohue, Pete (June 20, 2009). "Abandoned No More: 2nd Life Drilled into Old 7 Subway Platform". New York Daily News. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
  36. Kabak, Benjamin (February 12, 2012). "Photos: Inside the 7 line extension". Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  37. Marrero, Robert (January 1, 2017). "472 Stations, 850 Miles" (PDF). B24 Blog, via Dropbox. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  38. "Service Enhancements on 3 Line" (Press release). MTA New York City Transit. July 24, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
  39. "Three New Links of the Dual Subway System Opened". New York Times. June 3, 1917. p. 33.
  40. "Open new subway to regular traffic". New York Times. Retrieved August 27, 2008.
  41. "Open new subway lines to traffic; called a triumph" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved August 27, 2008.
  42. "Open New Subway to Times Square". The New York Times. January 6, 1918. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  43. Eagle, From The Brooklyn (February 8, 1914). "42D STREET AN EXPRESS STOP.; A Big Victory for Brooklynites, Says The Brooklyn Eagle". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  44. Hood, Clifton (2004). 722 Miles: The Building of the Subways and How They Transformed New York (Centennial ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 238–239. ISBN 0-8018-8054-8.
  45. "New Queens Subway Opened to Times Sq". The New York Times. March 15, 1927. p. 1. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  46. "New Queens Subway Opened to Times Sq". The New York Times. March 15, 1927. p. 1. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  47. "New 34 St-Hudson Yards 7 Station Opens". Building for the Future. New York, New York: Metropolitan Transit Authority. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016. The new station opened September 13, 2015
  48. "7 subway service is now running to/from the new 34 St-Hudson Yards station. Times Sq-42 St is no longer the Manhattan terminal. At Times Sq-42 St, Queens-bound express and local service leave from Track 2 only". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  49. Authority, New York City Transit (1955). Minutes and Proceedings.
  50. "View of Tunnel from station platform showing sign indicating no third rail power". Retrieved April 1, 2009.
  51. "Confederate Flags in Times Square?". History Net: Where History Comes Alive – World & US History Online.
  52. Jackowe, David J. "The Times Square Confederate." Civil War Times; Aug 2012, Vol. 51 Issue 4, p. 42. http://www.historynet.com/confederate-flags-in-times-square.htm
  53. Underground Renaissance Man: Watch the Aesthetic Walls, Please
  54. Plitt, Amy (August 18, 2017). "MTA will modify Times Square subway tile resembling a Confederate flag". Curbed NY. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  55. Stevens, Matt (August 18, 2017). "M.T.A. to Modify Subway Station Design Resembling Confederate Flag". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  56. "Subway tiles that looked like Confederate flags in Times Square covered with stickers". amNewYork. August 24, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  57. McKendry, Joe (2011). One Times Square: A Century of Change at the Crossroads of the World. David R. Godine Publisher. pp. 10–14. ISBN 9781567923643.
  58. Crump, William D. (2014). Encyclopedia of New Year's Holidays Worldwide. McFarland. p. 242. ISBN 9781476607481.
  59. Barron, James (April 8, 2004). "100 Years Ago, an Intersection's New Name: Times Square". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 24, 2015.
  60. "Times Square Subway Mural Unveiled" (Press release). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. November 7, 2001. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
  61. Carol Vogel. "Times Square Mural". The Roy Lichtenstein Foundation. Archived from the original on February 1, 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
  62. "Artwork: "The Commuter's Lament/A Close Shave", Norman B. Colp (1991)". Retrieved October 22, 2008.
  63. Zraik, Karen; Johnston, David (September 15, 2009). "Man in Queens Raids Denies Any Terrorist Link". The New York Times.
  64. Griggs, Troy; Lai, K.K. Rebecca; Wallace, Tim (December 11, 2017). "Where the Port Authority Subway Explosion Happened". The New York Times.

Further reading
  • Stookey, Lee (1994). Subway ceramics : a history and iconography of mosaic and bas relief signs and plaques in the New York City subway system. Brattleboro, Vt: L. Stookey. ISBN 978-0-9635486-1-0. OCLC 31901471.

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