18th Avenue station (BMT West End Line) explained

18 Avenue
Address:18th Avenue & New Utrecht Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
Borough:Brooklyn
Locale:Bensonhurst
Coordinates:40.6087°N -74.0021°W
Division:BMT
Line:BMT West End Line
Service:West End local
Connection: NYCT Bus:
Platforms:2 side platforms
Tracks:3 (2 in regular service)
Structure:Elevated
Accessible:future

The 18th Avenue station is a local station on BMT West End Line of the New York City Subway in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. It is served by the D train at all times. The station opened in 1916 as part of the BMT West End Line, which was upgraded into an elevated line as part of the Dual Contracts. Its platforms were extended to accommodate ten-car trains in the 1960s, and the station was renovated in 2012. The station is scheduled to become compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 through the installation of elevators.

History

Construction and opening

The 18th Avenue station opened on June 24, 1916, as the terminal of the first portion of the BMT West End Line, which extended from 36th Street on the BMT Fourth Avenue Line.[1] [2] The line was originally a surface excursion railway to Coney Island, called the Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Railroad, which was established in 1862, but did not reach Coney Island until 1864.[3] Under the Dual Contracts of 1913, an elevated line was built over New Utrecht Avenue, 86th Street and Stillwell Avenue. The section of the West End Line between 62nd Street and this station originally opened with only one track in service. The second track between 62nd Street and 18th Avenue opened on July 8, 1916.[4]

Renovations

The platforms were extended in the 1960s to accommodate the current standard B Division train length of 615feet.[5]

In 2012, the station was rehabilitated with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.[6]

In 2019, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced that this station would become compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 through the installation of elevators as part of the agency's 2020–2024 Capital Program.[7] The project was to be funded by congestion pricing in New York City, but it was postponed in June 2024 after the implementation of congestion pricing was delayed.[8]

Station layout

This elevated station has three tracks and two side platforms. The center express track is not normally used. The station is situated in between two curves and the platforms have been extended to the north on both sides.

Both platforms have beige windscreens along their entire length and brown canopies with green frames and support columns in the center. The exposed section of the platforms have black, full-height lampposts at regular intervals. The station signs feature the standard black station name plate with white lettering.

The 2012 artwork here is called Bensonhurst Gardens by Francesco Simeti. It features laminated glass windows on the platform windscreens, depicting imaginary flowery landscapes.[9]

Exits

There is a single mezzanine with three stairs to the street (two to the northeast corner of 18th Avenue and 85th Street, and one to the southeast corner) as well as two to each platform.[10]

In popular culture

Some exterior scenes of the 1991 Steven Seagal film Out for Justice were shot outside this station.

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: June 24, 1916. Parade, Pageant Mark Celebration. 8. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 16, 2015.
  2. News: June 24, 1916. Realty Boom Is Predicted for Borough Park Section. 8. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 16, 2015.
  3. News: June 9, 1864. Opening of the Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Railroad. 2. The New York Times. July 28, 2020.
  4. Book: New York State Public Service Commission. Report of the Public Service Commission For The First District of the State of New York For The Year Ending December 31, 1916 Vol. 1. 1917. 48. en.
  5. Web site: For Release Sunday, July 12, 1964. July 12, 1964. New York City Office of the Mayor. August 28, 2019.
  6. News: Nunez. Jenifer. August 3, 2012. MTA completes seven station rehabilitation projects along D Line. Railway Track & Structures. live. August 6, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20200728085452/https://www.rtands.com/passenger/rapid-transit-light-rail/mta-completes-seven-station-rehabilitation-projects-along-d-line/. July 28, 2020.
  7. MTA Announces 20 Additional Subway Stations to Receive Accessibility Improvements Under Proposed 2020-2024 Capital Plan. December 19, 2019. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. December 24, 2019. New York City. https://web.archive.org/web/20200421204344/http://www.mta.info/press-release/mta-headquarters/mta-announces-20-additional-subway-stations-receive-accessibility. April 21, 2020. live.
  8. News: Collins. Keith. 2024-07-11. See How Your Subway Service May Suffer Without Congestion Pricing. 2024-07-12. The New York Times. en-US. 0362-4331.
  9. Web site: 18th Avenue - Francesco Simeti - Bensonhurst Gardens, 2012. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200807090018/http://web.mta.info/mta/aft/permanentart/permart.html?agency=nyct&line=D&station=16&xdev=1737. August 7, 2020. August 7, 2020. mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
  10. Web site: 18th Avenue Neighborhood Map. April 2018. mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. December 8, 2020.