96th Street station (IND Eighth Avenue Line) explained

96 Street
Address:West 96th Street & Central Park West
New York, NY
Borough:Manhattan
Locale:Upper West Side
Coordinates:40.7916°N -73.9647°W
Division:IND
Line:IND Eighth Avenue Line
Service:Eighth center local
Service Header:Eighth center local header
Connection: NYCT Bus:
Platforms:2 side platforms (1 on each level)
Tracks:4 (2 on each level)
Levels:2
Structure:Underground
Open Date:[1]
Accessible:future

The 96th Street station is a local station on the IND Eighth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at West 96th Street and Central Park West on the Upper West Side, it is served by the B on weekdays, the C train at all times except nights, and the A train during late nights only.

History

New York City mayor John Francis Hylan's original plans for the Independent Subway System (IND), proposed in 1922, included building over of new lines and taking over nearly of existing lines. The lines were designed to compete with the existing underground, surface, and elevated lines operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and BMT.[2] [3] On December 9, 1924, the New York City Board of Transportation (BOT) gave preliminary approval for the construction of the IND Eighth Avenue Line.[4] This line consisted of a corridor connecting Inwood, Manhattan, to Downtown Brooklyn, running largely under Eighth Avenue but also paralleling Greenwich Avenue and Sixth Avenue in Lower Manhattan. The BOT announced a list of stations on the new line in February 1928, with a local station at 95th Street.[5]

The finishes at the five stations between 81st Street and 110th Street were 18 percent completed by May 1930.[6] By that August, the BOT reported that the Eighth Avenue Line was nearly completed and that the five stations from 81st to 110th Street were 99 percent completed.[7] The entire line was completed by September 1931, except for the installation of turnstiles.[8] A preview event for the new subway was hosted on September 8, 1932, two days before the official opening.[9] [10] The 96th Street station opened on September 10, 1932, as part of the city-operated IND's initial segment, the Eighth Avenue Line between Chambers Street and 207th Street.[11] [12] Construction of the whole line cost $191.2 million (equivalent to $ million in). While the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line already provided parallel service, the new Eighth Avenue subway via Central Park West provided an alternative route.[13]

In 2019, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced that the station would become ADA-accessible as part of the agency's 2020–2024 Capital Program.[14]

A request for proposals was put out on May 18, 2023 for the contract for a project bundle to make 13 stations accessible, including 96th Street.[15] The contract to add two elevators at the station was awarded in December 2023.[16]

By mid-2024, the work was expected to be completed by 2026.[17]

Station layout

This underground station has two levels with northbound trains using the upper level and southbound trains using the lower level. Each level has one side platform to the west of two tracks.

The platforms have no trim line, but name tablets read "96TH ST." in white sans-serif font on a midnight blue background and black border. "96" signs in the same format as the directional signs run along the platform walls at regular intervals at the same level as the name tablets. Blue columns run along both platforms at regular intervals with alternating ones having the standard black station name plate in white numbering.

Exits

All fare control areas are on the upper level platform and two staircases, one adjacent to each area, go down to the lower level. The full-time one at 96th Street is at the center of the platform. A staircase of four steps go down to a bank of three turnstiles that lead to a token booth. The other fare control area at 97th Street, at the station's extreme north end, is unstaffed, containing High Entry/Exit Turnstiles.[18] The northwest staircase was relocated with a longer passageway due to the widening of 97th Street.[19]

Two staircases connect the two platforms. There are currently three exits to the following locations:

Directional signs that have been covered indicate that there was a third set of exits that led to both western corners (one staircase each) to West 95th Street.[20] Further evidence of this exit's existence includes new tiling with doorways that lead to converted storage spaces on both levels. This exit was closed by 1940[21] and possibly as early as November 1932 - just two months after the opening of the station - due to frequent vandalism.[22]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: . List of the 28 Stations on the New 8th Av. Line . 0362-4331 . 2020-04-21 . September 10, 1932 . 6 . May 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210502021407/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1932/09/10/100849595.html?pageNumber=6 . live .
  2. News: August 4, 1923 . Two Subway Routes Adopted by City . 9 . The New York Times . August 1, 2019 . 0362-4331.
  3. News: March 12, 1924 . Plans Now Ready to Start Subways . 1 . The New York Times . August 1, 2019 . 0362-4331.
  4. News: December 10, 1924 . Hylan Subway Plan Links Four Boroughs at $450,000,000 Cost . 1 . The New York Times . live . June 29, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180614021251/https://www.nytimes.com/1924/12/10/archives/hylan-subway-plan-links-four-boroughs-at-450000000-cost-manhattan.html . June 14, 2018 . 0362-4331.
  5. News: . Express and Local Stations For New Eighth Avenue Line . 5 Feb 1928 . B1 . New York Herald Tribune. 1941-0646.
  6. News: 1930-05-26 . Progress is Rapid on 8th Av. Subway; Board's Engineers Report Spurt in Building Is Likely to Open the Line in July, 1930 . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-04-29 . 0362-4331.
  7. News: 1930-08-24 . Eighth Av. Subway Nearly Completed; Basic Construction Work From Chambers to 207th St. Done Except on Few Short Stretches . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-03-15 . 0362-4331.
  8. News: O'Brien . John C. . 9 Sep 1931 . 8th Ave. Line Being Rushed For Use Jan. 1: Turnstile Installation on Subway Begins Monday; Other Equipment Ready for Start of Train Service City Has Yet to Find Operating Company Transit Official on Trip, 207th to Canal Street, Inspects Finished Tube . 1 . New York Herald Tribune . 1941-0646 . .
  9. News: September 9, 1932 . Sightseers Invade New Subway When Barricade Is lifted . en-US . The New York Times . live . July 1, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220701191612/https://www.nytimes.com/1932/09/09/archives/sightseers-invade-new-subway-when-barricade-is-lifted.html . July 1, 2022 . 0362-4331.
  10. News: September 9, 1932 . 8th Av. Subway Gets First 5c. by Woman's Error: She Peers Into a Station, Hears Train, Pays for Ride, but Is Day Too Early Preparing for Tomorrow's Rush on 8th Ave. Subway . 1 . New York Herald Tribune . .
  11. News: 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 . . November 8, 2015.
  12. News: Sebring . Lewis B. . 10 Sep 1932 . Midnight Jam Opens City's New Subway: Turnstiles Click Into Action at 12:01 A. M. as Throngs Battle for Places in 'First' Trains Boy, 7, Leads Rush At 42d St. Station City at Last Hails 8th Ave. Line After 7-Year Wait; Cars Bigger, Clean Transit Commissioner Officially Opening New Subway at Midnight . 1 . New York Herald Tribune . 1941-0646 . .
  13. News: NEW LINE FIRST UNIT IN CITY-WIDE SYSTEM; 8th Av. Tube to Ease West Side Congestion at Once -- Branches to Link 4 Boroughs Later. LAST WORD IN SUBWAYS Run From 207th to Chambers St. Cut to 33 Minutes -- 42d St. Has World's Largest Station. COST HAS BEEN $191,200,000 Years of Digging Up City Streets, Tunneling Rock and Building Road Finally Brought to Completion.. Duffus. R. l. September 9, 1932. The New York Times. August 3, 2017. 12. en-US. 0362-4331. August 23, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190823140418/https://www.nytimes.com/1932/09/09/archives/new-line-first-unit-in-citywide-system-8th-av-tube-to-ease-west.html. live.
  14. Web site: Press Release - MTA Headquarters - MTA Announces 20 Additional Subway Stations to Receive Accessibility Improvements Under Proposed 2020-2024 Capital Plan. December 19, 2019. MTA. December 24, 2019. April 21, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200421204344/http://www.mta.info/press-release/mta-headquarters/mta-announces-20-additional-subway-stations-receive-accessibility. live.
  15. Web site: May 18, 2023 . A37758 Design-Build Services for ADA Upgrades Package 5: Accessibility Upgrades at 13 Stations in the City of New York . May 10, 2024 . mta.info . Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
  16. Web site: 20 Dec 2023 . December 2023 MTA Board Action Items . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231222012801/https://new.mta.info/document/129196 . December 22, 2023 . 2024-03-02 . Metropolitan Transportation Authority . 46–47.
  17. Web site: Mishkin . Mike . Major ADA Upgrades Planned at Two UWS Subway Stations . iLovetheUpperWestSide.com . May 15, 2024 . May 16, 2024.
  18. Web site: MTA Neighborhood Maps: Upper West Side. mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. December 30, 2016. 2015. November 23, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181123171751/http://web.mta.info/maps/neighborhoods/mn/M15_upper_west_side_cp_2015.pdf. live.
  19. News: Collins . Tom . September 16, 1964 . 97th St. IND Station Remains Pile of Debris After 8 Months . New York World-Telegram and Sun . May 16, 2022 . September 13, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220913061958/https://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2024/New%20York%20NY%20The%20World%20Telegram%20and%20Sun/New%20York%20NY%20The%20World%20Telegram%20and%20Sun%201964/New%20York%20NY%20The%20World%20Telegram%20and%20Sun%201964%20b%20-%200539.pdf . live .
  20. Review of the A and C Lines. December 11, 2015. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. January 19, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20200203061138/http://web.mta.info/nyct/service/pdf/AC_LineReview.pdf. February 3, 2020.
  21. Web site: 1940s NYC | Street photos of every building in New York City in 1939/1940. January 26, 2021. September 13, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220913062000/https://1940s.nyc/map/photo/nynyma_rec0040_1_01209_0129#17.28/40.791364/-73.965773. live.
  22. Web site: Archived copy . January 26, 2021 . May 12, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200512151219/https://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/History_of_the_Independent_Subway#The_Independent_City-Owned_System_Opens_For_Business . live .

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