Sheepshead Bay station explained

Sheepshead Bay
Address:Sheepshead Bay Road & East 16th Street
Brooklyn, NY
Borough:Brooklyn
Locale:Sheepshead Bay
Coordinates:40.5872°N -73.9533°W
Division:BMT
Line:BMT Brighton Line
Service:Brighton
Connection: NYCT Bus:
Platforms:2 island platforms
cross-platform interchange
Tracks:4
Structure:Embankment
Open Date: (BF&CI)
(BRT)
Accessible:construction

The Sheepshead Bay station is an express station on the BMT Brighton Line of the New York City Subway. It is located in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn. It is served by the Q train at all times and by the B train on weekdays.

History

In April 1931, as part of project to extend the station platforms, a new entrance opened at Voorhies Avenue.[1]

It was renovated by New York City Transit’s in-house maintenance-of-way forces in 1997-1998.

In December 2008, a wooden pedestrian bridge was built above the express tracks that connected the two platforms near the north end of this station. This was for passengers wishing to transfer between directions during reconstruction of Avenue U and Neck Road. The bridge was removed in September 2010.

In 2019, as part of an initiative to increase the accessibility of the New York City Subway system, the MTA announced that it would install elevators at the Sheepshead Bay station as part of the MTA's 2020–2024 Capital Program.[2] In November 2022, the MTA announced that it would award a $965 million contract for the installation of 21 elevators across eight stations,[3] including Sheepshead Bay.[4] A joint venture of ASTM and Halmar International would construct the elevators under a public-private partnership.[4] [5] Construction of the elevators began in August 2023.[6]

Station layout

Platform levelNorthbound local← toward
Northbound express← weekdays toward or
Southbound express weekdays toward (Terminus)
Southbound local toward
GroundStreet LevelEntrances/exits, station house and agents, MetroCard machines

This express station is located on an embankment, and has four tracks with two island platforms. The stops here at all times and is local, while the stops here only on weekdays during the day and is express. The next stop to the north is Neck Road for local trains and Kings Highway for express trains, while the next stop to the south is Brighton Beach for all service.

The platforms curve to the west at the south end and were extended to the north on both sides. There is clear evidence of this extension by looking underneath the platforms. This station originally was a terminal stop as the extension to Brighton Beach was not built until 1917. Outside and to the east of the Voorhies Avenue side entrance, there is a pedestrian overpass running alongside the Manhattan-bound side of line, but it only crosses the Belt Parkway to the south side.

The 1998 artwork here is called Postcards from Sheepshead Bay by Deborah Goletz. Made of ceramic tile, it draws the faces and life on the "Bay" (a local shortening of Sheepshead Bay). The three artwork designs are a diner, some people wearing 17th century clothing near a boat dock, and a fisherman. A closer examination of the tile band at the mezzanine level has seashells and Pisces fish. Outside the station is a mural in the style of a "Welcome to Sheepshead Bay" postcard. As a homage to similar boardwalk attractions, this mural features holes for people inside to stick their faces through, and have their picture taken from outside.[7]

Exits

In addition to the aforementioned interactive mural, the full-time entrance at Sheepshead Bay Road and East 16th Street also has a bench facing fare control and two overhead heaters. This side has two stairs to each platform. There was a small arcade of stores starting on the side opposite of the station agent booth prior to the station's renovation, but it was rearranged and broken up into several stores.[8]

The part-time entrance to Voorhies Avenue is at the very south end of the platforms and each has one staircase to the mezzanine. This side had a booth until 2010 that was open only during weekday mornings. It now has a regular bank of turnstiles that is only open weekdays and is HEET access other times.[8]

Both mezzanines have BMT-style directional mosaics tablets that says "To Manhattan" and "To Coney Island."

In popular culture

The station was featured in the film version of Glengarry Glen Ross.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Eleventh Annual Report For The Calendar Year 1931. New York State Transit Commission. 1922. 84, 95.
  2. 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.
  3. Web site: Nessen . Stephen . MTA to spend more than $1B on accessibility upgrades . Gothamist . November 28, 2022 . December 1, 2022.
  4. Web site: Brachfeld . Ben . MTA to spend $1 billion on subway, commuter rail accessibility upgrades . amNewYork . November 29, 2022 . December 1, 2022.
  5. Web site: November 29, 2022 . Capital Program Oversight Committee Meeting November 2022 . July 14, 2022 . mta.info . Metropolitan Transportation Authority .
  6. Web site: Camille . Jada . Construction underway at Sheepshead Bay station as MTA installs accessibility upgrades . Brooklyn Paper . August 14, 2023 . August 15, 2023.
  7. Web site: Postcards from Sheepshead Bay . . May 10, 2023.
  8. Web site: MTA Neighborhood Maps: Sheepshead Bay. mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2 August 2015. 2015.