111-613: The 63rd Street Shuttle was the name given to four shuttle trains that served the 63rd Street Lines of the New York City Subway during various times from 1997 to 2001, and again from 2023 to 2024. Three of the shuttles ran along the IND Sixth Avenue Line . The first shuttle, designated with an orange S, began in August 1997. It ran late nights only from 21st Street–Queensbridge to Second Avenue via
222-628: A "tunnel to nowhere" because the tunnel would have one station in Queens, and because it would not connect to any other lines. In 1979, the New York City Department of Transportation and a steering committee started reexamining the New Routes program. The Queens Transit Alternatives Study was undertaken, evaluated 18 transit plans, and recommended that 5 be further evaluated. The MTA unveiled five proposals to local communities in
333-439: A foot, will be very short and will serve only a modest number of riders." The article now noted that the Queens super-express had been deferred "to 1988 at the earliest", and the only sections in progress were the 63rd Street Line to Northern Boulevard, and "a small piece along Archer Avenue". The 63rd Street Line's opening date was projected for 1985. The plan depended on the idea that Queens Boulevard riders would be willing to exit
444-520: A sewer siphon 50 feet, rehabilitation of elements of the existing line, mitigating ground water, diverting trains which continued to run through the project area and widening of the entry point to the Queens Boulevard Line to six tracks. In December 2000, the 63rd Street Connector was made available for off-peak construction reroutes, but the first revenue in-service train did not use the connector until one month later. Regular service
555-475: A weekday express between 34th Street–Herald Square and Canal Street, with local service replaced by the restored W train. The MTA approved the service change on May 23, 2016. All short-turn N trains that originally terminated at 57th Street–Seventh Avenue were extended to 96th Street–Second Avenue on January 3, 2017, following the opening of the Second Avenue Subway . In January 2017,
666-1058: Is colored yellow, since it uses the BMT Broadway Line in Manhattan . The N operates at all times between Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria, Queens , and Stillwell Avenue in Coney Island , Brooklyn , via the BMT Astoria Line in Queens, the Broadway Line in Manhattan, the south side of the Manhattan Bridge , and the BMT Fourth Avenue and Sea Beach Lines in Brooklyn. North of 57th Street , limited rush hour service operates via
777-451: Is increased to accommodate extra service. Garbage piled up within the unused bellmouths for this connection; when the trash was cleaned up in 2021, MTA officials estimated that the rubbish piles might have been accumulating in the bellmouths since the 1980s. N (New York City Subway service) The N Broadway Express is a rapid transit service in the B Division of the New York City Subway . Its route emblem, or "bullet,"
888-572: Is measured via different subway chaining schemes . One is chained as part of the Independent Subway System (IND), and the other is chained as part of the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT). The IND line begins as a northward continuation of the IND Sixth Avenue Line at 57th Street station. It runs under Sixth Avenue and Central Park , turning east under 63rd Street and running through
999-455: The 53rd Street Tunnel between Queens and Manhattan, and weekday M trains were truncated to 57th Street in Manhattan, due to track replacement and other repairs in the 63rd Street Tunnel. The shuttle used to run every 20 minutes between Lexington Avenue-63rd Street and 21st Street-Queensbridge , stopping at Roosevelt Island , at all times except late nights. Shuttle buses used to run between Queens Plaza and 21st Street–Queensbridge during
1110-578: The 63rd Street Crosstown , Crosstown Route , or Route 131-A , are two rapid transit lines of the B Division of the New York City Subway system. The two lines run under 63rd Street in the Upper East Side of Manhattan , with a cross-platform interchange at the Lexington Avenue–63rd Street station. Each line consists of two tracks in a stacked configuration, with the southbound tracks of each line parallel to each other on
1221-614: The 63rd Street Tunnel under the East River , with stations at Main Street on Roosevelt Island and at 21st Street-Queensbridge under 41st Avenue in Queens. At its eastern end, the line merges with the IND Queens Boulevard Line under Northern Boulevard, west of 36th Street station. This line is coded as chaining route "T", with the southbound track marked as T1 and the northbound track designated T2. Beneath
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#17327808809341332-539: The BMT Broadway Line and IND Sixth Avenue Line , both at 57th Street, and to the IND Queens Boulevard Line near Queens Plaza), and one that was not adopted (a connection to the IRT Lexington Avenue Line ). The route was changed to 63rd Street because officials at Rockefeller Institute at 64th Street feared that heavy construction and later train movements so close to the institute's buildings might have adversely affected delicate instruments at
1443-701: The IND 63rd Street Line and IND Sixth Avenue Line making local stops. Prior to that, F and Q trains served the IND 63rd Street Line during late nights. This service was suspended in February 1998 when construction suspended service between the 63rd Street Line and the Sixth Avenue Line, but it resumed in May 1999 when the construction was completed. It was discontinued in 2000 when preparation for full-time service on
1554-602: The Manhattan Bridge was closed for reconstruction during middays and weekends and the Q train was routed via Broadway at this time. It used the BMT 63rd Street Line to connect to the IND 63rd Street Line and serve Lexington Avenue, Roosevelt Island , and 21st Street–Queensbridge stations. From February 22, 1998, to May 22, 1999, 63rd Street Shuttle trains operated via this line between 21st Street–Queensbridge and 57th Street–Seventh Avenue , later running further to 34th Street–Herald Square . The 57th Street/Sixth Avenue station
1665-640: The Manhattan Bridge , which at that time connected to the BMT Nassau Street Line . Trains began running express between Pacific Street and 59th Street with the extension of the Fourth Avenue Line to 86th Street. On September 4, 1917, the first part of the BMT Broadway Line and the north side tracks of the Manhattan Bridge opened. Trains ran from 14th Street–Union Square to Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue , now using
1776-632: The Montague Street Tunnel . On April 26, 1986, the north side tracks (leading to the IND Sixth Avenue Line ) were closed and services that normally ran on them were moved to the south side, running via the BMT Broadway Line . Because of the large amount of train traffic now running on those tracks, rush hour and midday N service was rerouted via the Montague Street Tunnel, making local stops in Manhattan and Brooklyn, though evening, night and weekend trains continued to use
1887-658: The New York State Department of Transportation to resume N train service on the bridge's south side on September 30, 1990, despite warnings from engineers that the structure was unsafe and major repairs still had to be made. Trains ran express on Broadway in Manhattan (stopping at 49th Street) and Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn at all times except late nights (10 p.m. to 5 a.m.). Southbound Brooklyn expresses ran until late evenings on Saturday, not running on Sunday morning any more. Between early morning and early evenings, trains skipped DeKalb Avenue. Several trains after
1998-604: The Second Avenue Subway to the BMT Broadway Line , the IND Sixth Avenue Line , and Queens . The BMT 63rd Street Line would directly connect the upper Second Avenue Line to the Broadway Line. Construction on the IND Second Avenue Line began in 1972, but was halted in 1975 due to the New York City fiscal crisis . As a result, the BMT 63rd Street Line was not finished and instead ended abruptly at Lexington Avenue-63rd Street station. In 2007, construction on
2109-422: The Second Avenue Subway , originating and terminating at 96th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan instead of Ditmars Boulevard. During the daytime on weekdays, the N runs express between 34th Street–Herald Square in Manhattan and 59th Street in Brooklyn and local elsewhere. Local service in Manhattan is provided by the R and W , the latter of which is internally staffed and scheduled as part of
2220-602: The Second Avenue Subway . The tracks on this line are coded with BMT chaining, labeled as tracks G3 and G4 to distinguish them from the pre-existing G1 and G2 tracks associated with the 60th Street Tunnel and Astoria Line . The odd-numbered tracks carry southbound trains, while the even-numbered tracks carry northbound trains. The two lines intersect at the Lexington Avenue–63rd Street station, where there are cross-platform interchanges for both northbound and southbound trains. Just west of Lexington Avenue-63rd Street, two diamond crossover tracks allow trains to switch between
2331-536: The 63rd Street Line were approved by the New York City Board of Estimate on June 3, 1969. Groundbreaking ceremonies for the line took place on November 24, 1969, at Vernon Boulevard and 21st Street in Queensbridge Park , Long Island City. Workers tunneled westward from Queens, as well as in both directions under Roosevelt Island . Four 38-foot-square (12 m) prefabricated sections of
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#17327808809342442-523: The 63rd Street Tunnel were constructed at Port Deposit, Maryland , then towed to New York and sunk under the East River. The first of the tunnel segments was delivered in May 1971 and was lowered into place on August 29, 1971; the last section was lowered on March 14, 1972. The double-deck, 3,140-foot (960 m) tunnel under the East River was "holed through" on October 10, 1972, with the separate sections of tunnels being connected. One section of
2553-545: The AM rush hour put-ins. Between November 23, 1987, and May 13, 1988, one D train arrived at Ditmars Boulevard at 7:12 a.m. and returned in service as an N train. When the north side of the Manhattan Bridge reopened and the south side was closed on December 11, 1988, the N began running local in Manhattan and via the Montague Tunnel at all times. In order to replace B service to Ditmars Boulevard, additional N service
2664-451: The AM rush hour went out of service at Kings Highway. On December 27, state inspectors forced N service to be rerouted via the Montague Street Tunnel again after discovery of corroded support beams and missing steel plates, running local on its entire route at all times. In November 1993, before the Manhattan Bridge's renovation was completed, the MTA proposed restoring express N service along
2775-516: The BMT 63rd Street Line and switching to the IND 63rd Street Line to Queens west of Lexington Avenue-63rd Street. In May 1997, 63rd Street Shuttle service via the IND Sixth Avenue Line replaced F service during late nights. Between February 22, 1998, and May 22, 1999, service between the Sixth Avenue Line and the 63rd Street Line was suspended because of construction on the IND tracks. B and Q trains were cut back to 57th Street, and
2886-707: The BMT Fourth Avenue Line. The N designation began to appear when R27 subway cars were moved to the service in April 1961. The NX designation was used for a rush hour peak-direction "super-express" service along the express tracks of the Sea Beach Line, beginning in the AM rush hour at Brighton Beach on the BMT Brighton Line , running through Coney Island, and then following the N route to 57th Street–Seventh Avenue . (Reverse in
2997-550: The Federal Transit Administration and the MTA in May 1984. The MTA was studying four options for making this line more useful: The suburban Glendale , Ridgewood and Middle Village communities in central Queens strongly opposed any proposals involving the Montauk Branch, which ran through their neighborhood. The ultimately agreed-on plan was to connect the tunnel to the local tracks of
3108-464: The Fourth Avenue Line for a six-month trial period, with the M making local stops between Pacific Street and 36th Street . Some residents of Sunset Park, Brooklyn , opposed the proposal, which they claimed would negatively impact about 7,000 daily riders at the 45th Street and 53rd Street stations. On May 31, 1994, the N began running express in Brooklyn between Pacific Street and 59th Street–Fourth Avenue during weekday midday and rush hours, with
3219-414: The IND 63rd Street Connector began. The second shuttle, also with an orange bullet, began on July 22, 2001, due to the closure of the north tracks on the Manhattan Bridge . It ran between 21st Street–Queensbridge and Broadway–Lafayette Street , running an almost identical route to the first. Unlike the first shuttle, this shuttle ran at all times, replacing the B and Q trains which previously served
3330-520: The IND 63rd Street Line during daytime hours. On December 16, 2001, the 63rd Street connector to the IND Queens Boulevard Line opened and the F train was rerouted to serve the IND 63rd Street Line at all times, permanently replacing this shuttle. At the same time, the Grand Street Shuttle was lengthened to West Fourth Street–Washington Square . The third shuttle ran from August 28, 2023, until March 29, 2024. F trains were rerouted via
3441-544: The IND Queens Boulevard Line, at a cost of $ 222 million, and a timetable of at least eight years. It was estimated that the project would attract 16,500 passengers per hour. This was the cheapest plan besides doing nothing. The MTA board approved this plan on December 14, 1984. The section of the line up to Long Island City was projected to open by the end of 1985. By June 1985, the project was again delayed indefinitely. According to The New York Times ,
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3552-594: The Institute and change the accuracy of the research being conducted. The Board of Estimate approved the revised 63rd Street route on January 14, 1965, at a budget of $ 28.1 million and a four-year timetable, with the connections to the rest of the transit network awaiting a study that was then scheduled for completion in mid-1966. The New York Times noted that "A variety of possible connections...are under study," including possible new lines under Madison and Second Avenues. The NYCTA's chairman, Joseph E. O'Grady, said that
3663-484: The M running local during those times. From 1994 to May 22, 1995, the southern terminal of the N was 86th Street due to rehabilitation work at Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue . On November 4, 2001, it was cut back again as the terminal's reconstruction project continued. From April 30, 1995, to November 12, 1995, the north side of the Manhattan Bridge was closed during weekday midday and weekends for structural repairs. Midday N service ran local in Brooklyn, replacing
3774-522: The M, which was cut back from 9th Avenue to Chambers Street . The N continued to run express during rush hours. After the September 11, 2001, attacks , Broadway Line service through Lower Manhattan was suspended; N service was also suspended and replaced by the W in Manhattan and Queens and the M in Brooklyn. On October 28, N service was restored, but Cortlandt Street remained closed until September 15, 2002. On September 8, 2002, because of
3885-432: The MTA revealed plans to rehabilitate the tunnel structure above the BMT Fourth Avenue Line's express tracks between 36th Street and 59th Street . As a result, from July 30, 2018, to July 29, 2019, N trains ran local along that section at all times. Between October 21, 2019, and May 4, 2020, N trains terminated at 86th Street so work could be completed to protect Coney Island Yard from flooding. An out-of-system transfer
3996-463: The MTA's contractors had concluded that the tunnel was structurally sound, although federal funding had not yet been released. The MTA approved a new plan to have the tunnel open by October 1989. The agency also proposed a $ 550 million, 1,500-foot connector to both the express and local tracks of the IND Queens Boulevard Line. Under the plan, the Queens Boulevard Line would be "reverse-signaled", which would accommodate Manhattan-bound trains on three out of
4107-435: The Manhattan Bridge work was finally completed. The N returned to its full route in Manhattan and Queens at all times, and returned to using the Manhattan Bridge at all times except nights (via Fourth Avenue express, bypassing DeKalb Avenue ). On weekdays, N trains ran express between 34th Street in Manhattan and 59th Street/Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn via the Manhattan Bridge, and local elsewhere; several trains ran express on
4218-480: The Manhattan Bridge, which served the Sixth Avenue Line, closed. B and Q service on the IND 63rd Street Line was replaced with a full-time shuttle via the Sixth Avenue Line. On December 16, 2001, the 63rd Street Connector to the IND Queens Boulevard Line officially opened, and the F was rerouted to serve the IND Line at all times, replacing the shuttle and assuming its current service pattern. On January 1, 2017,
4329-533: The Manhattan Bridge. The 4 used the BMT Nassau Street Line in Lower Manhattan from 1915 to 1917, after which it ran express on the BMT Broadway Line. The 4 became the N in 1961. The N ran local in Queens along the IND Queens Boulevard Line to Forest Hills–71st Avenue from 1976 until 1987, when it switched terminals with the R. From 1986 to 2004, reconstruction on the Manhattan Bridge forced
4440-518: The N as the weekday express on the Fourth Avenue Line. Starting on April 28, 1986, one Q train ran to Continental Avenue at 7:05 a.m., and returned in service as an N train, and an N train arriving at Continental Avenue at 3:25 p.m. began returning in service as a B train. These special B and Q trips no longer ran after May 23, 1987. As part of the New York City Transit Authority's proposed service plan to serve
4551-509: The N had direct access to both Jamaica Yard and Coney Island Yard , and the R, running from Bay Ridge to Astoria, lacked direct access to any yard. This change was intended to improve the appearance and reliability of service on the R, since all trains on the Astoria and Broadway Lines were part of the graffiti-free program. Trains ran via the Manhattan Bridge during late nights and weekends. Some trains went into service at 86th Street during
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4662-545: The N to run local on the Broadway Line via the Montague Street Tunnel. [REDACTED] The route that is now the N was originally BMT service 4, known as the Sea Beach Line or Sea Beach Express . On June 22, 1915, the current BMT Sea Beach Line opened, replacing a street level "el" that branched off of the Fifth Avenue El with the former BMT West End Line . Originally, it used the south tracks of
4773-490: The N. Weekend daytime service is the same as weekday service, except that the N makes all stops in Manhattan between Herald Square and Canal Street . During late nights, the N makes all stops along its entire route and uses the Montague Street Tunnel to travel between Manhattan and Brooklyn. The N was originally the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation 's 4 service, running along the BMT Sea Beach Line to
4884-469: The NYCTA again sought construction bids. The sections that connected to the existing Broadway and Sixth Avenue Lines were holed through on October 11, 1973. Construction on the section between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue began in August 1974. The project involved digging a 45-foot (14 m)-high cavern underneath the street. On March 20, 1975, New York mayor Abraham Beame announced significant cutbacks to
4995-481: The NYCTA finally agreed to halve the width of the proposed 75-foot (23 m)-wide cut, which resulted in a proportionate decrease in the area of affected parkland. The NYCTA also agreed to reduce disruption to the Heckscher Playground , located above the proposed subway tunnel's path, by cutting construction time from three years to two years and by constructing a temporary playground nearby. In March,
5106-456: The NYCTA proposed a new station at Northern Boulevard, adjacent to Queens Plaza, which could possibly open by 1983 or 1984. However, there were also a lack of federal funds, so this could not be completed immediately. By this time, there were only going to be seven stations on the 63rd Street and Archer Avenue Lines combined. At the time, these two lines were part of the same route, the 63rd Street–Southeast Queens line. The Manhattan portion of
5217-643: The PM rush hour.) This short-lived service began on November 27, 1967 (with the opening of the Chrystie Street Connection ) and ended April 12, 1968, due to low ridership. Starting on Monday, April 15, 1968, the five NX trips instead ran as N trips. On December 31, 1972, all late night trains began running local in Brooklyn. Late weekday evening trains, weekend southbound trains, and northbound early weekday trains began stopping at 53rd Street and 45th Street. On August 30, 1976, weekday N service
5328-505: The Queens Boulevard mainline toward 179th Street. The final service plan, which took effect on December 11, 1988, had the extension served by E trains, with R trains extended to 179th Street. On May 24, 1987, the N swapped northern terminals with the R . The N was switched to Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard , while the R went to Forest Hills–71st Avenue . This was done to give the R direct access to Jamaica Yard ; previously,
5439-524: The Second Avenue Line, turning southwest from 63rd Street onto Second Avenue. This connection would allow trains coming from the IND Queens Boulevard Line to run on the Second Avenue Line to Midtown Manhattan and Lower Manhattan . However, the MTA does not plan to run passenger trains through this connection and it would be used only for movements by non-passenger trains, although passenger service could be possible if subway capacity in Queens
5550-552: The Second Avenue line recommenced and in 2011, construction started at Lexington Avenue-63rd Street to expand and renovate the station, and to complete the connection to the Second Avenue Line. This renovation removed the walls on the platforms and opened new entrances on the Third Avenue side of the station. The tunnel boring machine being used to create the tunnels for the first phase of Second Avenue Line broke through
5661-520: The aforementioned periods in 1995 and 1998). Because the line was not used in regular service from 1989 to 2016, it was not shown on the official subway map , except in 1995 and 1998. Prior to 2011, these tracks were also used to store train sets outside of rush hour. In February 1963, the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) proposed a two-track East River subway tunnel under 76th Street with unspecified connections to
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#17327808809345772-403: The already busy Lexington Avenue Line. A third track was added to the plans for the tunnel in April 1966. The track would serve Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) trains to east Midtown, alleviating train traffic into Pennsylvania Station . That August, a fourth track was added to the plans after it was determined that LIRR trains would be too large to run on subway tracks. This amendment increased
5883-461: The amount of train service that could be run between Manhattan and Queens. With the F rerouted via 63rd Street, service through the 53rd Street Tunnel was replaced by the V , a new local service that ran along the Sixth Avenue and Queens Boulevard lines. This service was discontinued on June 25, 2010, and replaced with a reroute of the M . The 63rd Street Lines were envisioned to connect
5994-470: The base of the rails. Planning for the connection to the IND Queens Boulevard Line began in December 1990, with the final design contract awarded in December 1992. Two build alternatives were evaluated: a connection to the local tracks of the Queens Boulevard Line, and a connection to the local and express tracks. The goal of the project was to increase capacity on Queens Boulevard by 33% and to eliminate
6105-477: The bi-level 63rd Street Tunnel to travel under the East River between Manhattan and Queens. The northern, BMT, line is served by the Q train at all times, although a limited number of N and R trains also serve the line during rush hours. Also known as the Second Avenue Connection, it links the BMT Broadway Line to the Second Avenue Subway , both in Manhattan. The crossover between
6216-477: The bridge and express tracks in Brooklyn. Late evening trains that ran via the bridge also ran local in Brooklyn heading southbound. Six trains only ran between Continental Avenue and Whitehall Street in the AM rush hour, while six trains only ran between Canal Street and Continental Avenue in the PM rush hour. The M , which was rerouted from the BMT Brighton Line to the BMT West End Line , replaced
6327-754: The bridge's northern tracks. On January 15, 1918, service was extended to Times Square–42nd Street . Weekday and Saturday summer trains leaving Coney Island between 6:37 a.m. and 8:37 p.m. began running non-stop between Kings Highway and 59th Street on August 1, 1920. Trains that started at Kings Highway made local stops. On November 14, 1920, weekday rush hour trains, and Saturday AM rush hour trains began skipping Myrtle Avenue and DeKalb Avenue. Between 1924 and 1926, trains skipped Myrtle Avenue and DeKalb Avenue during weekday rush hours, and on Saturday southbound between 12:01 p.m. and 6:57 p.m. Between 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. weekdays, and 12:01 p.m. to 6:57 p.m. Southbound on Saturdays,
6438-545: The day and between Queens Plaza and Roosevelt Island at night. This service, designated with a yellow S, ran at all times during reconstruction of the IND 63rd Street Line between February 22, 1998, and May 22, 1999. Originally running between 21st Street–Queensbridge and 57th Street–Seventh Avenue on the BMT Broadway Line via the BMT 63rd Street Line , it was extended to 34th Street–Herald Square on weekdays starting April 6, 1998, skipping 49th Street . The shuttle stopped at
6549-441: The dead-end terminal at 21st Street–Queensbridge. Bellmouths were constructed to allow for a future bypass line through Sunnyside Yard. The remaining section from 21st Street to the Queens Boulevard Line, which cost $ 645 million, began construction on September 22, 1994. The construction project also extended the lower level LIRR tunnel and involved a number of other elements, including the integration of ventilation plants, lowering
6660-1050: The downtown platform at 34th Street. During this time, B and Q trains terminated at 57th Street–Sixth Avenue , which was closed late nights, while the late night Sixth Avenue shuttle was suspended. Once work was completed, the Broadway shuttle was discontinued, the late night Sixth Avenue shuttle was restored, and B and Q trains returned to 21st Street–Queensbridge. N Q R W <Q> ( BMT Broadway Line ) 1 2 3 9 ( IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line at 14th Street ) L ( BMT Canarsie Line at Sixth Avenue ) A C E ( IND Eighth Avenue Line ) 6 <6> ( IRT Lexington Avenue Line at Bleecker Street ; transfer to downtown trains only) 63rd Street Lines The IND 63rd Street Line and BMT 63rd Street Line , also referred to as
6771-596: The early 1970s. It was a temporary wall, erected by the NYCTA in 1971 to block unauthorized entry into the site of the 63rd Street Line running underneath the Central Park Zoo . Its name originates from the 63rd Street Tunnel (which it was supposed to guard), then called the "Zoo York Tunnel". During the tunnel's construction (1971–1973), the tunnel provided a subterranean gathering place for very early subway artists who hung around together in Central Park, and
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#17327808809346882-504: The entire Broadway Line and short-turned at 57th Street–Seventh Avenue or Times Square during the morning rush hour. On weekends, it made local stops in Manhattan, but ran express in Brooklyn, using the Bridge. During late nights, it ran local along its entire route via the Montague Street Tunnel , replacing the R train. On May 29, 2005, the new Stillwell Avenue terminal was completed, and N service between 86th Street and Coney Island
6993-413: The existing BMT Broadway Line . The double-decked Lexington Avenue–63rd Street station provides cross-platform interchange between the two 63rd Street lines. Northbound trains use the lower level; southbound trains use the upper level. The third phase of Second Avenue Line construction, which is not funded as of 2017 , is proposed to include a separate connection between the IND 63rd Street Line and
7104-514: The fence near Fifth Avenue and restore foliage and the bird house he damaged, at a cost of $ 300,000. By 1981, five years after completion of the tunnel, the Transit Authority expects to put it to use; its brand new quiet tracks will be used as a storage yard for out-of-service trains. The Zoo York Wall was a graffiti wall within the line's length through Central Park, where subway writers and other street artists "made their marks" in
7215-548: The first phase of the Second Avenue Subway opened, extending the Q (now running via the BMT Broadway Line ), and some rush-hour N short turn trips, along the BMT 63rd Street Line. The Q and N then turned north to connect to the Second Avenue Subway, terminating at 96th Street . Before the Second Avenue Subway opened in 2017, the BMT line was generally not used for passenger service, except for detours due to emergencies or construction on other lines (including
7326-428: The former EE route; these trains were noted with diamond N bullets from 1979. Trains stopped terminating at Kings Highway in the AM rush hour. On January 24, 1977, as part of a series of NYCTA service cuts to save $ 13 million, many subway lines began running shorter trains during middays. As part of the change, N trains began running with four cars between 9:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. On August 27, 1977, N service
7437-416: The late night shuttle suspended. During this time, a different shuttle provided full-time service between 21st Street–Queensbridge and 34th Street-Herald Square via the BMT Broadway Line ; for instance, in 1995, this shuttle switched between the IND and BMT Lines west of Lexington Avenue station. On May 22, 1999, the B and Q returned to 21st Street–Queensbridge. On July 22, 2001, the north side tracks of
7548-469: The like, and declared that New York City itself was "not New , but a Zoo! " He named the tunnel itself "Zoo York". In May 1978, the Times noted, "What started out a few years ago as 40 miles of new subway routes to serve the long-suffering residents of Queens has been whittled down to 15 miles, is years behind schedule, and will cost more than twice as much as originally estimated....The line costs $ 100,000
7659-425: The line that ran through Central Park was controversial because it called for 1,500 feet (460 m) of cut-and-cover tunneling, which would require digging an open trench through Central Park. In May 1970, Manhattan Community Board 8 held a meeting so constituents could voice concerns about the project's impact. The next month, Mayor John Lindsay told city engineers to write a report that studied ways to reduce
7770-422: The line was completed in 1976. The Times noted: Underneath Central Park lie two eerily quiet sets of tracks. They have advanced equipment – welded tracks, fluorescent lighting and rubber-based pads under the rail – that have not yet been installed on most of the system's 230 operating miles. These tunnels were finished in 1976. This year, the contractor will tear down his two-story office in Central Park, remove
7881-514: The line's four tracks in the morning rush, and the opposite for the evening rush. This part of the plan was not projected to begin before the 1990s. In June 1987, the federal government completed its own review of the project. "A little light appeared at the end of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's 63rd Street 'tunnel to nowhere' last week", the Times reported, as the government's own inspector found
7992-616: The lines has been used in the past during service disruptions as well as during the Manhattan Bridge closures in the late 1990s. These lines were conceived as part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority 's 1968 expansion plans , and along with the Archer Avenue lines and a small section of the Second Avenue Subway, they were the only portions of the plan to be completed before it was scaled back due to fiscal issues. The IND 63rd Street Line
8103-399: The lower level of the 63rd Street tunnel was still under construction, even though it would remain unused indefinitely. Richard Ravitch, the MTA chairman, said that to stop the work was "so costly as to make it impractical subsequent to the construction of the subway portion." It "had to be finished – largely for structural reasons – to support the subway tunnel above". The line was described as
8214-430: The new Archer Avenue Line upper level, the N would have been extended to Jamaica Center during weekdays. When N trains terminated at 71st Avenue or 57th Street–Seventh Avenue during weekends and evenings, G trains would have been extended to Jamaica Center, and during late nights a G train shuttle would have run between Jamaica Center and Van Wyck Boulevard . This service plan would have allowed E and F trains to remain on
8325-613: The number of LIRR tracks to two, and provided dedicated tracks for the LIRR and the subway. In November 1967, voters approved a $ 2.5 billion transportation bond issue, and in early 1968, under the Program for Action , officials provided detailed plans for how it would be used. Among many other projects, the proposal included: This proposal, with some modifications, received approval from the Board of Estimate on September 21, 1968. Plans for
8436-489: The ongoing reconstruction of Coney Island terminal, weekend and late night N service was reduced to a shuttle between 86th and Pacific Streets, running express on the BMT Fourth Avenue Line . In its place, the W was extended to Manhattan and Astoria, Queens at all times; this was because the W was the only route still serving Stillwell Avenue during this part of the reconstruction. On February 22, 2004,
8547-616: The plan. Construction of the Southeastern Queens extension was deferred until 1981, and the Long Island Rail Road extension through the lower level of the 63rd Street tunnel was canceled for the foreseeable future. However, it was still anticipated that the Queens Boulevard super-express and the Archer Avenue Line up to Parsons/Archer would still be completed. The Queens project, although curtailed,
8658-491: The project's impact. The results of the report, released in January 1971, called for using tunnel boring machines underneath Central Park to reduce disruption. In February 1971, the NYCTA published advertisements in newspapers, seeking construction bids for the tunnels under Central Park. After the advertisements had run for three days, the NYCTA withdrew them after community and conservation groups objected. Later that month,
8769-689: The rear two cars at Canal Street were restricted to boarding only (no exiting the train). In June 1931, trains skipped Myrtle Avenue and DeKalb Avenue between 7 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. weekdays, and between 10:30 a.m. Sunday to 12:30 a.m. Monday. Trains skipped 36th Street during the morning rush hour in the northbound direction. Between 1933 and 1937, the hours in which trains skipped Myrtle Avenue and DeKalb Avenue were 7 a.m. and 12:00 a.m. weekdays. On June 29, 1950, trains began running express in Brooklyn during late nights. As of June 28, 1951, every other morning rush hour train no longer terminated at Kings Highway. On May 2, 1957, service
8880-495: The rest of the transit network, at a cost of $ 139 million. In a May 2, 1963, report, the proposed site of the tunnel was switched to 59th Street. On May 24, Mayor Wagner suggested that a tunnel around 61st Street "be built with all deliberate speed". On October 17, 1963, the Board of Estimate approved a new East River tunnel sited at 64th Street, noting that it would cost $ 30 million and take seven years to build. The 64th Street site
8991-642: The route of the proposed crosstown tunnel disagreed on the exact routing. Advocacy groups such as the Citizens Budget Commission, Citizens Union , and the Commerce and Industry Association preferred a 61st Street routing for easier interchange with the Lexington Avenue/59th Street station. Queens civic leaders supported the 63rd Street proposal, saying that a transfer station at 61st Street would worsen congestion on
9102-647: The spring of 1983. The proposals ranged from leaving it as-is, with the line's terminus in Long Island City, to the original 1960s plan to connect the 63rd Street Line to the LIRR Main Line, the cost of which was now estimated at $ 1 billion. At 21st Street–Queensbridge , usage estimates for that station in 1984 were 220 passengers per hour unless a connection was made to the rest of the system. These options were formally evaluated by an Alternative Analysis/Draft Environmental Impact Statement completed by
9213-502: The subway at Queens Plaza and walk a city block to a new station at Northern Boulevard to continue their trip. The NYCTA projected that this transfer would draw 11,000 passengers a day. By October 1980, officials considered stopping both projects and spending the money on maintaining the existing system. By then, the Archer Avenue project was projected for completion in 1984, and the 63rd Street line in 1985. The Times noted that
9324-591: The subway tunnel is a lower level used by the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), where it heads to Grand Central Madison . It is connected to Grand Central Terminal as part of the LIRR's East Side Access project, which commenced operations in 2023. The BMT line begins as a northward continuation of the express tracks of the BMT Broadway Line at the 57th Street–Seventh Avenue station . It runs under Seventh Avenue , Central Park and 63rd Street before turning north under Second Avenue and merging with
9435-432: The trees were cut down anyway. In summer 1976, the NYCTA announced that "it will take an extra five or six years—until 1987 or 1988—to complete the new Manhattan–Queens trunk subway line from Central Park to Jamaica via the new 63rd Street tunnel." The main cause of the delay was the 5.8-mile "super express", although it was expected that the three new Archer Avenue line stations could be ready sooner. As an interim measure,
9546-578: The tunnel and the subway connections would eventually be completed at about the same time, "since construction of the tunnel takes at least a year longer than the connections". In 1966, Mayor John Lindsay gave his approval for the 63rd Street option, preferring it over the 61st Street option. Lindsay's administration proposed a new station at 63rd Street to connect with the Lexington Avenue/59th Street station via an underground arcade surrounded by retail areas. Communities along
9657-440: The tunnel had originally been planned to open that year, but then inspectors found that the tube was not ready for service. The tunnels had been inundated with 6 feet (1.8 m) of water, and several girders and electrical equipment had also deteriorated. Two contractors were hired to assess the structural integrity of the tunnel, and the delay was estimated at two years. The federal government withheld $ 31 million of funding for
9768-546: The tunnel in July 1985 due to "'wholly inadequate' management of the tunnel's construction". In August 1985, at the instigation of Senator Al D'Amato , the federal government suspended funding on both the 63rd Street and Archer Avenue projects over "concerns with the construction management practices". The two projects had cost nearly $ 1 billion between them, of which the federal government had provided $ 530 million for 63rd Street and $ 295 million for Archer Avenue. By February 1987,
9879-453: The tunnel sound, and released the final installment of $ 60 million for both the 63rd Street and Archer Avenue projects. The first train to use the extension was the "rail polisher train", a non-revenue move that occurred on August 1, 1989. The 63rd Street lines went into service on October 29, 1989, twenty years after construction began, with new stations at Lexington Avenue, Roosevelt Island, and 21st Street/41st Avenue in Queens. The IND line
9990-452: The two lines. This connection, not used in passenger service, allows trains to run from the Broadway Line to the Queens Boulevard Line and from the Sixth Avenue Line to the Second Avenue Line. The first segments of the two lines opened on October 29, 1989; the IND line opened between 57th Street and 21st Street–Queensbridge , and the BMT line opened between 57th Street-Seventh Avenue and Lexington Avenue-63rd Street. The BMT 63rd Street Line
10101-529: The upper level, while the northbound tracks are parallel on the lower level. Crossover connections between each line's respective tracks are located just to the west of the Lexington Avenue station. The IND line, the southern of the two lines, is served by F trains at all times; it connects the IND Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan to the IND Queens Boulevard Line in Queens . It uses the upper level of
10212-403: The wall into the lower level of the BMT 63rd Street Line on September 22, 2011. On January 1, 2017, the first phase of the Second Avenue Line opened, extending the Q and N services under Central Park and eastward to the stop at Lexington Avenue–63rd Street before turning north at Second Avenue to merge with the Second Avenue Line. This created direct service between the Upper East Side and
10323-476: The wall which had been put up around the construction site. Upon completion of the subway project in 1973, the "Zoo York Wall" was torn down. The name came about because the Central Park Zoo at that time was a classical 19th-century menagerie , populated by wild animals displayed in open-air cages, who paced the bars back and forth neurotically —always hoping for an escape, yet paradoxically blind to
10434-407: The world beyond their cramped quarters. ALI noted that by contrast, here were these feral teenagers, himself included, living in a free society, who sought nothing more wholeheartedly than to crowd together in a deep, dark hole in the ground. Marvelling at their perverse urban psychologies, ALI decided that all city people were insane for seeking imprisonment in tiny apartments, offices, subway cars and
10545-561: Was available between the N at 86th Street and the F at Avenue X station . The N began running local in Manhattan in March 2020 after the W was temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic ; regular N and W service was restored in June. In May 2020, the N began operating local along Fourth Avenue on most weekends to provide a transfer to the F at Fourth Avenue–Ninth Street, since the F
10656-402: Was closed for Hurricane Sandy -related repairs. During this time, overnight N service was rerouted via the Manhattan Bridge, skipping six stations it normally served. On November 7, 2016, the MTA restored the BMT Broadway Line services to their 2004–2010 service pattern in preparation for the rerouting of the Q train to the Second Avenue Subway . As a result, the N train once again became
10767-412: Was closed from 12:30 to 6 a.m. daily during the project. The project had initially been slated to be completed in fall 1999, but normal service resumed in May 1999, ahead of schedule. The 1998–1999 reconstructions were to replace the tracks, which had become deteriorated after eight years of use due to a flaw in the railway ties; namely, an "innovative" design of "shallow epoxy-and-sand pads" had weakened
10878-499: Was completed solely to support the subway line above it. The IND 63rd Street Line between Queens and Manhattan opened on October 29, 1989, and was connected to the Queens Boulevard Line on December 16, 2001. The BMT 63rd Street Line in Manhattan was only used for regular service starting in 2017, when the Second Avenue Subway's first phase opened. The following services use the 63rd Street Lines: The 63rd Street Lines comprise two physical pairs of trackage; each track pair's mileage
10989-417: Was cut back during late nights, only operating between 36th Street and Coney Island . Northbound trains ran express between 59th Street and 36th Street while southbound trains ran local. On November 26, 1984, evening rush hour trains that terminated at Kings Highway were extended to Coney Island. Reconstruction of the Manhattan Bridge between 1986 and 2004 disrupted N service, usually rerouting it via
11100-401: Was expected to begin by August or September of that year. However, the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks delayed the commencement of regular service. The connector came into regular use on December 16, 2001, with the rerouting of F service at all times to 63rd Street. The 63rd Street Connector created a new path between Manhattan and the heavily traveled Queens Boulevard Line, increasing
11211-536: Was extended north over the BMT 60th Street Tunnel Connection to Forest Hills–71st Avenue to replace the discontinued EE . While many N trains ran the full route from Coney Island to 71st Avenue, via the Manhattan Bridge and Broadway Express, some trains ran local during the rush hours only (southbound in the AM rush hour, and northbound in the PM rush hour) between Whitehall Street–South Ferry in Lower Manhattan and Forest Hills–71st Avenue , which had been
11322-492: Was extended north via the express tracks from Times Square to 57th Street–Seventh Avenue , and trains stopped bypassing 36th Street during the AM rush hour. In fall 1959, trains began stopping at DeKalb Avenue during midday hours. Previously, they bypassed DeKalb Avenue at all times except late nights. Beginning on January 1, 1961, trains bypassed DeKalb Avenue during rush hours only. In addition, on weekday and Saturday evenings, late nights, and all day Sundays, they ran local on
11433-469: Was given priority because it was "more advanced in construction". By January 1976, the tunnel was 95% complete. In May, construction was briefly halted when residents jumped into utility pits to protest the cutting of trees near the Lexington Avenue station. A US federal judge issued a stop-work order on May 13, but issued another verdict five days later that allowed construction to proceed. Construction resumed on May 25, after three weeks of protests, and
11544-570: Was named Zoo York by ALI , founder of the SOUL ARTISTS graffiti crew. The name came about because it was in a zoo in New York , hence "Zoo York". Armored with polished aluminium in the futile hope of resisting spray-paint and permanent marker ink, the wall did little to dissuade teenage graffiti writers from climbing over and descending into the tunnel during its construction. Graffiti artists also marked their territory by "tagging"
11655-480: Was not used for passenger service. The IND Line was usually served by B , F and Q trains; during this time, Q trains ran on the IND Sixth Avenue Line due to reconstruction of the Manhattan Bridge . From the line's opening until September 1990, service was provided by Q trains during weekdays, by B trains during weekends, and by an F/Q combination route late nights. Starting in September 1990, evening Q service
11766-470: Was originally planned to be extended further east into Queens as a super-express bypass of the IND Queens Boulevard Line. After these plans were abandoned in the mid-1970s, it was commonly referred to as a "subway to nowhere" because it ended one stop into Queens, without any infrastructure connecting to other subway lines in Queens. The 63rd Street Tunnel lay unused for over a decade, and its lower level, intended for future Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) service,
11877-558: Was provided during rush hours. Trains continued to run express in Brooklyn between Pacific Street and 59th Street/Fourth Avenue evenings and weekends. On June 11, 1990, trains that were put into service at Queensboro Plaza in the PM rush hour were discontinued. Between June 10, 1990, and July 25, 1992, due to construction work in the 60th Street Tunnel, trains had to use a single track. Trains operated either between Ditmars Boulevard and Canal Street, or between 57th Street and Coney Island. The Transit Authority and politicians pressured
11988-493: Was replaced by the B instead. In April 1993, the F/Q combination designation was dropped and was simply known as F. The JFK Express also served the IND line very briefly; the service was discontinued on April 15, 1990. From April to November 1995, as part of the Manhattan Bridge reconstruction, the bridge's north side (Sixth Avenue) tracks closed during middays and weekends; the Q ran on the BMT Broadway Line during these times, using
12099-402: Was restored. On June 28, 2010, the N began running local in Manhattan north of Canal Street at all times, replacing the W on weekdays which was discontinued due to budget problems, effectively adopting the weekend service pattern. However, the handful of short-turn N trains continued to run express in Manhattan. From August 2, 2013, to September 14, 2014, the Montague Street Tunnel
12210-493: Was said to be $ 5.3 million less expensive, "because of easier grades and smaller curves". The lack of specificity about how the tunnel would be used was criticized at an early date. In December 1964, the Citizens Budget Committee said that the project, now shifted to 63rd Street, was "leading nowhere-to-nowhere". The Committee went on to propose three connections that were eventually adopted (connections to
12321-407: Was served by Q trains on weekdays and B trains on weekends. The 1,500-foot (460 m) connector to the Queens Boulevard Line had not yet started construction. The BMT line was not in use at that time. It was built for future service options, including a connection to the Second Avenue Subway for service from the Upper East Side to Lower Manhattan . From May to November 1995, the north side of
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