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108-418: [REDACTED] The Queensboro Plaza station (originally named Queensboro Bridge Plaza station or simply Bridge Plaza station ) is an elevated New York City Subway station at Queens Plaza (originally called Queensboro Bridge Plaza or simply Bridge Plaza) in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens . It is near the east end of the Queensboro Bridge , with Queens Boulevard running east from

216-532: A cross-platform interchange between local and express services. Some four-track lines with express service have two tracks each on two levels and use both island and side platforms. Since the majority of the system was built before 1990, the year the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) went into effect, many New York City Subway stations were not designed to be accessible to all. Since then, elevators have been built in newly constructed stations to comply with

324-400: A railroad first opens, it is only a short spur of a main line . The owner of the spur line may contract with the owner of the main line for operation of the contractee's trains, either as a separate line or as a branch with through service. This agreement may continue as the former railroad expands, or it may be temporary until the line is completed. If the operating company goes bankrupt,

432-497: A Vignelli-style interactive subway map, "The Weekender", an online map that provides information about any planned work, from late Friday night to early Monday morning. In October 2020, the MTA launched a digital version of the map showing real-time service patterns and service changes, designed by Work & Co . Several privately produced schematics are available online or in printed form, such as those by Hagstrom Map . Out of

540-489: A bridge route between otherwise disconnected sections of another railroad. A deal in which the owner grants only the right to run trains, not to stop for passengers or freight, is called overhead or incidental trackage rights. A union station or terminal railroad typically involves trackage rights. The company that owns the station and associated trackage is typically owned in part by the railroads that use it, which operate over it by trackage rights. In some rights deals,

648-628: A few stretches of track run at ground level; 40% of track is above ground. Many lines and stations have both express and local services. These lines have three or four tracks. Normally, the outer two are used by local trains, while the inner one or two are used by express trains. As of 2018 , the New York City Subway's budgetary burden for expenditures was $ 8.7 billion, supported by collection of fares, bridge tolls, and earmarked regional taxes and fees, as well as direct funding from state and local governments. Alfred Ely Beach built

756-769: A letter or a number and "lines" have names. Trains display their route designation. There are 28 train services in the subway system, including three short shuttles . Each route has a color and a local or express designation representing the Manhattan trunk line of the service. New York City residents seldom refer to services by color (e.g., "blue line" or "green line") but out-of-towners and tourists often do. The 1 , C , G , L , M , R , and W trains are fully local and make all stops. The 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , A , B , D , E , F , N , and Q trains have portions of express and local service. J , Z , 6 , and 7 trains vary by direction, day, or time of day. The letter S

864-453: A merger of operations, merely friendly policies towards each other. Operating and leasing agreements typically require a more stringent approval process through the regulating body. If the owned company goes bankrupt, its stock is worthless, and the owner no longer controls it (unless it buys it back at auction). Consolidation happens when two railroad companies are consolidated, often the last step in an arrangement between two railroads. It

972-593: A process to expand the New York City Subway system's accessibility . As of February 2021, funding had been committed to accessibility renovations at the Queensboro Plaza station. Accessibility improvements at Queensboro Plaza were approved in December 2021, and the MTA began preliminary work shortly afterward, with plans to complete the project in 2024. The work will include a new elevator from

1080-542: A public authority presided by New York City, was created in 1953 to take over subway, bus, and streetcar operations from the city, and placed under control of the state-level Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 1968. Organized in 1934 by transit workers of the BRT, IRT, and IND, the Transport Workers Union of America Local 100 remains the largest and most influential local of the labor unions. Since

1188-425: A single fare to enter the subway system and may transfer between trains at no extra cost until they exit via station turnstiles; the fare is a flat rate regardless of how far or how long the rider travels. Thus, riders must swipe their MetroCard or tap a contactless payment card or smartphone on an OMNY reader upon entering the subway system, but not a second time upon leaving. Trackage rights Often, when

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1296-482: A station, passengers may use station booths (formerly known as token booths) or vending machines to buy their fare, which is currently stored in a MetroCard or OMNY card. Each station has at least one booth, typically located at the busiest entrance. After swiping the card at a turnstile, customers enter the fare-controlled area of the station and continue to the platforms. Inside fare control are "Off-Hours Waiting Areas", which consist of benches and are identified by

1404-547: A total of 850 miles (1,370 km) including non-revenue trackage . Of the system's 28 routes or "services" (which usually share track or "lines" with other services), 25 pass through Manhattan, the exceptions being the G train, the Franklin Avenue Shuttle , and the Rockaway Park Shuttle . Large portions of the subway outside Manhattan are elevated, on embankments , or in open cuts , and

1512-436: A turnpike basis. The Liverpool and Manchester Railway of 1830 opened with purely-steam locomotive haulage, and the need for greater co-ordination meant that the railway had to operate the trains. Private wagons hauled by company trains were tolerated. That set the pattern for the next century or more. Canals have been operated like turnpikes if the canal company was prohibited for anti-monopoly reasons from operating boats on

1620-497: A yellow sign. A typical subway station has waiting platforms ranging from 480 to 600 feet (150 to 180 m) long. Some are longer. Platforms of former commuter rail stations—such as those on the IND Rockaway Line , are even longer. With the many different lines in the system, one platform often serves more than one service. Passengers need to look at the overhead signs to see which trains stop there and when, and at

1728-625: Is a rapid transit system in New York City serving the boroughs of Manhattan , Brooklyn , Queens , and the Bronx . It is owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Transit Authority , an affiliate agency of the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Opened on October 27, 1904, the New York City Subway is one of the world's oldest public transit systems, one of

1836-489: Is approximately 8 feet 9 inches (2.67 m) wide and 51 feet 4 inches (15.65 m) long, whereas B Division equipment is about 10 feet (3.05 m) wide and either 60 feet 6 inches (18.44 m) or 75 feet (22.86 m) long. The different lengths for the B Division fleet are necessary because 75-foot cars can not be used over the BMT Eastern Division . Cars purchased by

1944-423: Is difficult to undo except in the case of bankruptcy, when different parts of the railroad may be sold to different buyers at auction. Trackage rights (US), running rights , or running powers (UK) are an agreement between railroad companies in which the owner of tracks grants another railroad company some use of them. The deals can be long-term or short-term, do not always include the right to serve customers on

2052-412: Is expected to cost $ 74 million. In February 2022, developer Grubb Properties filed plans for a 26-story apartment tower at 25–01 Queens Plaza North. The project will include a third elevator, running between the north side of Queens Plaza and the mezzanine. The MTA began installing the elevators from the mezzanine to the south entrance, and from the mezzanine to the platforms, in early 2023. To accommodate

2160-406: Is no nightly system shutdown for maintenance, tracks and stations must be maintained while the system is operating. This work sometimes necessitates service changes during midday, overnight hours, and weekends. When parts of lines are temporarily shut down for construction purposes, the transit authority can substitute free shuttle buses (using MTA Regional Bus Operations bus fleet ) to replace

2268-427: Is smaller than the peak of the system. In addition to the demolition of former elevated lines, which collectively have resulted in the demolition of over a hundred stations, other closed stations and unused portions of existing stations remain in parts of the system. Many stations in the subway system have mezzanines . Mezzanines allow for passengers to enter from multiple locations at an intersection and proceed to

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2376-554: Is used for three shuttle services: Franklin Avenue Shuttle , Rockaway Park Shuttle , and 42nd Street Shuttle . Though the subway system operates on a 24-hour basis , during late night hours some of the designated routes do not run, run as a shorter route (often referred to as the "shuttle train" version of its full-length counterpart) or run with a different stopping pattern. These are usually indicated by smaller, secondary route signage on station platforms. Because there

2484-577: The 142nd Street and Myrtle Avenue junctions, whose tracks intersect at the same level, as well as the same-direction pairs of tracks on the IRT Eastern Parkway Line at Rogers Junction . The 7,700 workers who built the original subway lines were mostly immigrants living in Manhattan. More recent projects use tunnel boring machines , which increase the cost. However, they minimize disruption at street level and avoid already existing utilities. Examples of such projects include

2592-600: The 472 stations , 470 are served 24 hours a day. Underground stations in the New York City Subway are typically accessed by staircases going down from street level. Many of these staircases are painted in a common shade of green, with slight or significant variations in design. Other stations have unique entrances reflective of their location or date of construction. Several station entrance stairs, for example, are built into adjacent buildings. Nearly all station entrances feature color-coded globe or square lamps signifying their status as an entrance. The current number of stations

2700-596: The 60th Street Tunnel , they went over the Queensboro Bridge to the elevated IRT Second Avenue Line . Double crossovers south (lower tracks) and north (upper tracks) of the platforms allowed trains from either side to switch to the other line after leaving the station. At the BMT half, the south track served subway trains to Manhattan and the BMT Broadway Line . By 1924, trains came from Manhattan on

2808-548: The 63rd Street Lines , opened in 1989. The new South Ferry station was built and connected to the existing Whitehall Street–South Ferry station in 2009. The one-stop 7 Subway Extension to the west side of Manhattan, consisting of the 34th Street–Hudson Yards station, was opened in 2015, and three stations on the Second Avenue Subway in the Upper East Side were opened as part of Phase 1 of

2916-474: The 7 . On October 17, 1949, the $ 1.375 million renovation of the station was completed which allowed the rerouting of trains between Manhattan and Queens. As part of the project, the Astoria Line platforms were shaved back to allow BMT service to operate through to 60th Street, and new connections were built between the 60th Street Tunnel approach and the west tracks at the east (former IRT) platforms, and

3024-764: The Astoria , Flushing , and Second Avenue elevated lines. The northern section of the station was closed in the late 1940s and demolished in 1964. Queensboro Plaza now contains only four tracks: two each for the IRT Flushing Line ( 7 and <7> ​ trains) and the BMT Astoria Line ( N and ​ W trains). Today, Queensboro Plaza is the only station in the entire system to provide cross-platform transfers between "A" Division ( 7 and <7> ​) and "B" Division ( N and ​ W ) trains. While

3132-706: The Chicago "L" plans all stations to be accessible in the 2030s, the Toronto subway will be fully accessible by 2025, and Montreal Metro plans all stations to be accessible by 2038. Both the Boston and Chicago systems are as old or older than the New York City Subway, though all of these systems have fewer stations than the New York City Subway. Newer systems like the Washington Metro and Bay Area Rapid Transit have been fully accessible from their opening in

3240-549: The IND Sixth Avenue Line was completed in 1940, the city went into great debt , and only 33 new stations have been added to the system since, nineteen of which were part of defunct railways that already existed. Five stations were on the abandoned New York, Westchester and Boston Railway , which was incorporated into the system in 1941 as the IRT Dyre Avenue Line . Fourteen more stations were on

3348-719: The IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line , which ran directly underneath the World Trade Center . Sections of the tunnel, as well as the Cortlandt Street station, which was directly underneath the Twin Towers, were severely damaged. Rebuilding required the suspension of service on that line south of Chambers Street. Ten other nearby stations were closed for cleanup. By March 2002, seven of those stations had reopened. Except for Cortlandt Street,

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3456-720: The IRT subway debuted in 1904, the typical tunnel construction method was cut-and-cover . The street was torn up to dig the tunnel below before being rebuilt from above. Traffic on the street above would be interrupted due to the digging up of the street. Temporary steel and wooden bridges carried surface traffic above the construction. Contractors in this type of construction faced many obstacles, both natural and human made. They had to deal with rock formations and groundwater, which required pumps. Twelve miles of sewers, as well as water and gas mains, electric conduits, and steam pipes had to be rerouted. Street railways had to be torn up to allow

3564-612: The R142 , R142A , R143 , R160 , R179 and R188 were placed into service. These cars are collectively known as New Technology Trains (NTTs) due to modern innovations such as LED and LCD route signs and information screens, as well as recorded train announcements and the ability to facilitate Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) . As part of the 2017–2020 MTA Financial Plan, 600 subway cars will have electronic display signs installed to improve customer experience. Riders pay

3672-630: The Steinway Tunnel , an incomplete tunnel between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Queens . The Steinway Tunnel would be operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT). The Dual Contracts negotiations had been intricate and sometimes fractious. The IRT had initially been loath to let the BRT operate its Broadway Line through Midtown Manhattan , but relented when negotiators offered

3780-509: The Western world , as well as the eleventh-busiest rapid transit rail system in the world. The subway carried 2,027,286,000 unlinked, non-unique riders in 2023. Daily ridership has been calculated since 1985; the record, over 6.2 million, was set on October 29, 2015. The system is also one of the world's longest. Overall, the system contains 248 miles (399 km) of routes, translating into 665 miles (1,070 km) of revenue track and

3888-576: The extension of the IRT Flushing Line and the IND Second Avenue Line . Since the opening of the original New York City Subway line in 1904, multiple official and planning agencies have proposed numerous extensions to the subway system. One of the more expansive proposals was the " IND Second System", part of a plan to construct new subway lines in addition to taking over existing subway lines and railroad rights-of-way. The most grandiose IND Second Subway plan, conceived in 1929,

3996-410: The 1970s. In November 2016, the New York City Subway had 6712 cars on the roster. A typical New York City Subway train consists of 8 to 11 cars, although shuttles can have as few as two, and the train can range from 150 to 600 feet (46 to 183 m) in length. The system maintains two separate fleets of cars, one for the A Division routes and another for the B Division routes. A Division equipment

4104-450: The 1980s, make the current fleet of subway cars graffiti-free, as well as order 1,775 new subway cars. By the early 1990s, conditions had improved significantly, although maintenance backlogs accumulated during those 20 years are still being fixed today. Entering the 21st century, progress continued despite several disasters. The September 11 attacks resulted in service disruptions on lines running through Lower Manhattan, particularly

4212-415: The 2020–2024 Capital Program. This would allow one of every two to four stations on every line to be accessible, so that all non-accessible stops would be a maximum of two stops from an accessible station. In 2022, the MTA agreed in a settlement to make 95 percent of subway and Staten Island Railway stations accessible by 2055. By comparison, all but one of Boston's MBTA subway stations are accessible,

4320-469: The 63rd Street subway project. The project would have also included a new bus terminal, access to a parking garage, and a pedestrian mall on the north side of Northern Boulevard. The proposal was intended to attract business to the Queens Plaza area. Ultimately, the 63rd Street Line was constructed only as far as 21st Street–Queensbridge with no connections to the stations at Queens Plaza. In 1981,

4428-524: The ADA. (Most grade-level stations required little modification to meet ADA standards.) Many accessible stations have AutoGate access. In addition, the MTA identified "key stations", high-traffic and/or geographically important stations, which must conform to the ADA when they are extensively renovated. Under plans from the MTA in 2016, the number of ADA accessible stations would go up to 144 by 2020. As of May 2024 , there were 145 ADA-accessible stations. Over

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4536-651: The BMT's Astoria Shuttle was replaced with service from the 2 Fourth Avenue Line (later the RR train, then the R train), operating from Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard to Bay Ridge–95th Street in Brooklyn; additional service was provided part-time by the 1 train (Brighton Express) and later the QT and QB trains (Brighton Local) and the T (West End Express). the New York City Board of Transportation announced that platforms on

4644-509: The BRT all of the proposed lines in the planned dual system. In Queens, which heretofore had no subway service, two lines had been proposed, both extending from an interchange station (later Queensboro Plaza) in Long Island City . The shorter Astoria Line would run to Astoria in northwestern Queens, while the longer Flushing Line would be built initially to Corona , and eventually to Flushing , in north-central Queens. As part of

4752-515: The BRT took the two northernmost tracks, while the IRT took the two southernmost tracks. The lower level was for trains to Manhattan, while the upper level was for trains to Astoria or Corona (and later Flushing). By September 1915, the station was nearly 75 percent complete. The southern half of the station opened on November 16, 1916, followed by the northern half of the station on February 1, 1917. In general, BRT trains were wider and longer than those on

4860-542: The British Rail network. Arrangements existed whereby non-British Rail operators could own rolling stock. This changed in 1986, when in a very different political climate, Foster Yeoman obtained the right to run its own trains onto the British Rail network if British Rail locomotive engineers were used. In 1997, the British Railways network was privatised as a single company Railtrack , which later became

4968-593: The City of New York since the inception of the IND and the other divisions beginning in 1948 are identified by the letter "R" followed by a number; e.g.: R32 . This number is the contract number under which the cars were purchased. Cars with nearby contract numbers (e.g.: R1 through R9 , or R26 through R29 , or R143 through R179 ) may be relatively identical, despite being purchased under different contracts and possibly built by different manufacturers. From 1999 to 2019,

5076-561: The Dual Contracts, the IRT was given ownership of both lines, but the BRT was given trackage rights over the routes, allowing both companies to share revenue from their Queens operations. The Snare & Triest Construction Company was hired to construct the station for $ 884,859. The firm employed an average of 114 workers for each day. The Queensboro Plaza station was built as an eight-track station, with four tracks across each of two levels. Each company took two tracks on each level;

5184-462: The Flushing Line were designated 9, while IRT services on that line were designated 7 on maps only. BMT and IRT trains on the Astoria Line were both designated 8. The IRT routes were given numbered designations in 1948 with the introduction of "R-type" rolling stock , which contained rollsigns with numbered designations for each service. The route from Times Square to Flushing became known as

5292-451: The Flushing Line would be lengthened to 11 IRT car lengths. With the exception of the Queensboro Plaza station, which was already 600 feet (180 m) long, the platforms were only able to fit nine 51-foot-long IRT cars beforehand. The platforms at the other Flushing Line stations were extended in 1955–1956 to accommodate 11-car trains. However, nine-car trains continued to run on the 7 route until 1962, when they were extended to ten cars. With

5400-694: The IRT, and the Queens lines were built so that they could only fit the narrower IRT trains. The IRT had direct service into Manhattan via the Steinway Tunnel, as well as via the Queensboro Bridge to the Second Avenue elevated line . However, BRT trains from the 60th Street Tunnel and the Broadway Line in Manhattan could not run north or east of Queensboro Plaza, as they were wider. Consequently, BRT trains from Manhattan had to terminate on

5508-407: The MTA listed the station among the 69 most deteriorated stations in the subway system. A renovation of the Queensboro Plaza station were funded as part of the MTA's 1980–1984 capital plan. The station was repainted in 1986. In addition, as part of an initiative called Creative Station, colorful nylon banners were installed on the viaducts next to the station for $ 15,000. The R train's northern terminal

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5616-615: The abandoned LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch (now the IND Rockaway Line ), which opened in 1955. Two stations ( 57th Street and Grand Street ) were part of the Chrystie Street Connection , and opened in 1968; the Harlem–148th Street terminal opened that same year in an unrelated project. Six were built as part of a 1968 plan : three on the Archer Avenue Lines , opened in 1988, and three on

5724-526: The arriving train to identify it. There are several common platform configurations. On a double track line, a station may have one center island platform used for trains in both directions, or two side platforms , one for each direction. For lines with three or four tracks with express service, local stops will have side platforms and the middle one or two tracks will not stop at the station. On these lines, express stations typically have two island platforms, one for each direction. Each island platform provides

5832-505: The canal. After 1948, most of the United Kingdom railway network was nationalized as British Rail for both political and practical reasons. Internal industrial operations and some minor lines were excluded from the process. Where industrial lines met the railway network proper, trains would be transferred from the industrial operator to British Rail control, with non-British Rail locomotives and engineers never being permitted onto

5940-410: The complexity of the system (Manhattan being the smallest borough, but having the most services), but they do show major city streets as an aid to navigation. The newest edition took effect on June 27, 2010, and makes Manhattan bigger and Staten Island smaller, with minor tweaks happening to the map when more permanent changes occur. Earlier diagrams of the subway, the first being produced in 1958, had

6048-423: The contract ends, and the operated company must operate itself. A major railroad may lease a connecting line from another company, usually the latter company's full system. A typical lease results in the former railroad (the lessee) paying the latter company (the lessor) a certain yearly rate, based on maintenance, profit, or overhead, in order to have full control of the lessor's lines, including operation. If

6156-425: The correct platform without having to cross the street before entering. Inside mezzanines are fare control areas, where passengers physically pay their fare to enter the subway system. In many older stations, the fare control area is at platform level with no mezzanine crossovers. Many elevated stations also have platform-level fare control with no common station house between directions of service. Upon entering

6264-494: The demolished platforms. One set of crossovers between the BMT and IRT lines remains on the upper level; this is the Flushing Line's only track connection to the rest of the system. During the first half of the 1970s, annual ridership at the station dropped 17 percent to 2.344 million by 1975. The subway system's operator, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), allocated funding for

6372-558: The first demonstration for an underground transit system in New York City in 1869 and opened it in February 1870. His Beach Pneumatic Transit only extended 312 feet (95 m) under Broadway in Lower Manhattan operating from Warren Street to Murray Street and exhibited his idea for an atmospheric railway as a subway. The tunnel was never extended for political and financial reasons. Today, no part of this line remains as

6480-482: The five-cent fare of the time, or 10¢ ($ 3 in 2023 dollars ). In 1940, the city bought the two private systems. Some elevated lines ceased service immediately while others closed soon after. Integration was slow, but several connections were built between the IND and BMT. These now operate as one division, called the B Division . Since the former IRT tunnels are narrower, have sharper curves, and shorter station platforms, they cannot accommodate B Division cars, and

6588-400: The former IRT remains its own division, the A Division . Many passenger transfers between stations of all three former companies have been created, allowing the entire network to be treated as a single unit. During the late 1940s, the system recorded high ridership, and on December 23, 1946, the system-wide record of 8,872,249 fares was set. The New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA),

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6696-559: The hurricane included the restoration of the new South Ferry station from 2012 to 2017; the full closure of the Montague Street Tunnel from 2013 to 2014; and the partial 14th Street Tunnel shutdown from 2019 to 2020. Annual ridership on the New York City Subway system, which totaled nearly 1.7 billion in 2019, declined dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic and did not surpass one billion again until 2022. When

6804-564: The installation of reversible escalators in 1975 as part of the MTA's six-year capital plan. The New York City Department of City Planning proposed renovating the Queensboro Plaza station in 1979 as part of a $ 170 million project. The station would have been connected to the Queens Plaza station of the IND Queens Boulevard Line , as well as the proposed Northern Boulevard station on the 63rd Street Line , as part of

6912-458: The lessee goes bankrupt, the lessor is released from the lease. Most railroad companies are publicly traded with stocks . As the stockholders control the company, one railroad company can buy a majority of stock of another to control it. Sometimes, a bridge line , a railroad that has most traffic come from points not on its line, is owned equally by the companies that use it (via trackage rights). Stock ownership does not automatically cause

7020-463: The line at the beginning of 2017. Many rapid transit systems run relatively static routings, so that a train "line" is more or less synonymous with a train "route". In New York City, routings change often, for various reasons. Within the nomenclature of the subway , the "line" describes the physical railroad track or series of tracks that a train "route" uses on its way from one terminal to another. "Routes" (also called "services") are distinguished by

7128-475: The line, and may or may not be exclusive. Short-term agreements are typically made when some kind of disaster affects one railroad and a parallel railroad line is fully operational or to allow the railroad to perform maintenance on the line. The parallel railroad will often grant temporary rights to the affected railroad until the problem is resolved. Long-term agreements can be made to allow competing railroads access to potentially-profitable shippers or to act as

7236-403: The lines and leased them to the companies. The first line of the city-owned and operated Independent Subway System (IND) opened in 1932. This system was intended to compete with the private systems and allow some of the elevated railways to be torn down but stayed within the core of the city due to its small startup capital. This required it to be run 'at cost', necessitating fares up to double

7344-472: The location of a renowned gyro stall, and again incorrectly depicted as an underground station, on an IRT Lexington Avenue Line 6 train. The station is also incorrectly depicted as an underground station in an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine . The station and nearby MetLife Plaza were a regular CG composite as location shots between scenes in ABC series Ugly Betty . The station also appears briefly in

7452-516: The lower level (and formerly connected to the now torn-down BMT platforms to the west). From the mezzanine, there is a concrete footbridge across Queens Plaza North to the second floor of a building. There is also an overpass leading to Queens Plaza South. Queensboro Plaza is featured in a defining moment in the film Beneath the Planet of the Apes . The protagonist astronaut ("Brent") unknowingly enters

7560-467: The lower level. BMT trains use the northern tracks on each level and IRT trains use the southern tracks. A double crossover remains on the upper level. This connection is used for non-revenue moves, specifically to transfer subway cars to the Coney Island Shops for repairs, or to move rolling stock to or from the Flushing Line. The station's only exits are through a mezzanine located below

7668-718: The modern-day New York City Subway system were already in service by then. The oldest structure still in use opened in 1885 as part of the BMT Lexington Avenue Line in Brooklyn and is now part of the BMT Jamaica Line . The oldest right-of-way, which is part of the BMT West End Line near Coney Island Creek , was in use in 1864 as a steam railroad called the Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Rail Road . The first underground line of

7776-477: The most-used, and the one with the most stations, with 472 stations in operation (423, if stations connected by transfers are counted as single stations). The system has operated 24/7 service every day of the year throughout most of its history, barring emergencies and disasters. By annual ridership, the New York City Subway is the busiest rapid transit system in both the Western Hemisphere and

7884-645: The national network and, in some cases, internationally via the Channel Tunnel, many of the freight operators have agreements that permit them to access private networks operated by industries and ports and, in some cases, also onto heritage railways, several of which now also carry small amounts of commercial freight traffic. Passenger operators also have agreements with some of the heritage railways to allow them to run special trains to connect with heritage railway events. Similarly, heritage railway operators and railtour operators have reached arrangements to access

7992-548: The new elevator, the southbound platform was closed for two weeks and partially rebuilt in August 2023. This two-level station has two island platforms (one on each level) and four tracks. It stands over the south ( railroad east ) side of the roadway, but formerly spanned the whole plaza. Trains running into Queens stop on the upper level and Manhattan-bound trains below. On both levels, the BMT Astoria Line (which to

8100-452: The non-profit company Network Rail . Multiple companies hold rights to operate trains on the national network either as for-profit operators or government aided passenger franchises. A formal safety process exists for gaining access, along with driver and equipment requirements and a pricing scheme. Any organisation meeting all of the requirements can become a railway operator and access the national network. As well as holding access rights to

8208-493: The northern side of the station, where cross-platform interchanges were available to narrower BRT shuttle trains that could run in Queens. The city government took over the BMT's operations on June 1, 1940, and the IRT's operations on June 12, 1940. Second Avenue elevated service ceased on June 13, 1942. The service on the Flushing and Astoria lines east of Queensboro Plaza was shared by the IRT and BMT until 1949. BMT trains on

8316-403: The opening of the 1964 New York World's Fair , trains were lengthened to eleven cars. In 1960, the city's Department of Traffic proposed demolishing the abandoned northern half of the Queensboro Plaza station to improve traffic flow. The abandoned structure was demolished in 1964. As part of the project, an overpass was constructed from the station towards Queens Plaza North, spanning the site of

8424-438: The original configuration, the station had eight tracks: four on each level. The station was 840 ft (260 m) long in total. Originally, the IRT used both sides of the current platforms, and the BMT used now-demolished platforms north of the current platforms, also double-decked. The south side of the IRT platforms was used by the Flushing Line, as today. The north side was used by Astoria trains, but instead of going through

8532-557: The owner of the tracks runs no trains of its own. That kind of arrangement can be done also by a partial lease. In the United States , all trackage rights agreements are filed with the Surface Transportation Board and are available as a matter of public record. Examples around the world include: A haulage agreement is similar to one of trackage rights, but the railroad that owns the line operates

8640-404: The perception of being more geographically inaccurate than the diagrams today. The design of the subway map by Massimo Vignelli , published by the MTA between 1972 and 1979, has become a modern classic but the MTA deemed the map flawed due to its placement of geographical elements. A late night-only version of the map was introduced on January 30, 2012. On September 16, 2011, the MTA introduced

8748-603: The plaza. The station is served by the 7 and N trains at all times, the W train on weekdays, and the <7> train rush hours in the peak direction. Queensboro Plaza was originally built in 1916–1917 as part of the Dual Contracts between New York City and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) and the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT). The station initially had eight tracks to allow BMT and IRT passengers to transfer between

8856-487: The power for the cars of the latter company. BC Iron is a small iron ore mining company that uses the railway of the larger Fortescue Metals Group to move its ore to port. The two companies have created a "mine gate" joint venture in which Fortescue will take BC's iron by rail to port in exchange for 50% of the deposit. Originally, at least in the United States , it was not clear whether railroads were going to be run like turnpikes , in which any paying customer could use

8964-504: The rest reopened in September 2002, along with service south of Chambers Street. Cortlandt Street reopened in September 2018. In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy flooded several underwater tunnels and other facilities near New York Harbor , as well as trackage over Jamaica Bay . The immediate damage was fixed within six months, but long-term resiliency and rehabilitation projects continued for several years. The recovery projects after

9072-659: The road. The Seekonk Branch Railroad in East Providence, Rhode Island , (then part of Seekonk, Massachusetts ) tested that in 1836 by building a short branch of the Boston and Providence Railroad to its own dock and by using the full line of the B&;P. After the Massachusetts General Court had enacted a law prohibiting that, the B&P bought the branch in 1839. The Swansea and Mumbles Railway ,

9180-477: The routes proposed over the decades have never seen construction, discussion remains strong to develop some of these lines, to alleviate existing subway capacity constraints and overcrowding, the most notable being the proposals for the Second Avenue Subway . Plans for new lines date back to the early 1910s, and expansion plans have been proposed during many years of the system's existence. After

9288-403: The routes that would normally run on these lines. The Transit Authority announces planned service changes through its website, via placards that are posted on station and interior subway-car walls, and through its Twitter page. Current official transit maps of the New York City Subway are based on a 1979 design by Michael Hertz Associates . The maps are not geographically accurate due to

9396-578: The ruins of an underground station; upon seeing the words "Queensboro Plaza" in tiles, and finding an advertisement for the New York Summer Festival, he realizes that he is indeed on Earth and not another planet, and that New York City has been destroyed in a nuclear war . In reality, Queensboro Plaza is an elevated station and has no tilework. The station is also featured in the Seinfeld episode entitled " The Cigar Store Indian ", as

9504-648: The season 2 opening sequence of HBO political drama The Newsroom . The station is also shown in the TV show The King of Queens ' s theme song, which shows a Redbird 7 train entering the station's upper level. The station also appears on Sesame Street in a looking for triangles film with Maria ( Sonia Manzano ). A shot of the station appears in the 2020 Pixar movie Soul . New York City Subway July 3, 1868 ; 156 years ago  ( 1868-07-03 ) (first elevated, rapid transit operation) [REDACTED] The New York City Subway

9612-474: The south joins with the 60th Street Tunnel Connection and heads through the 60th Street Tunnel to the BMT Broadway Line ) uses the north track and the IRT Flushing Line uses the south track. In 2014, the station was renovated by NYCTA employees (as opposed to an outside contractor). A computer assisted tower was installed on the south end, as part of the IRT Flushing Line automation . In

9720-506: The south side of Queens Plaza to the mezzanine and a second elevator from the mezzanine to the platforms. In addition, the overpass to the northern exit will be widened, and the mezzanine will be extended 50 feet (15 m) east. The elevator from the platform will lead to the mezzanine extension. The project will also install new platform edges with ADA boarding areas, an ADA ramp at mezzanine level, additional digital information screens, and new CCTV and public address systems. The entire project

9828-519: The station is near the Queens Plaza underground subway station, which serves the IND Queens Boulevard Line , the two stations are separate and do not offer free transfers. West of the station, the Astoria Line descends into the 60th Street Tunnel under the East River into Manhattan , while the Flushing Line turns south before descending into the Steinway Tunnel past Court Square . The New York Public Service Commission adopted plans for what

9936-744: The subway opened on October 27, 1904, almost 36 years after the opening of the first elevated line in New York City (which became the IRT Ninth Avenue Line ). The 9.1-mile (14.6 km) subway line, then called the "Manhattan Main Line", ran from City Hall station northward under Lafayette Street (then named Elm Street) and Park Avenue (then named Fourth Avenue) before turning westward at 42nd Street . It then curved northward again at Times Square , continuing under Broadway before terminating at 145th Street station in Harlem . Its operation

10044-508: The subway system runs on surface or elevated tracks, including steel or cast-iron elevated structures , concrete viaducts , embankments , open cuts and surface routes. As of 2019 , there are 168 miles (270 km) of elevated tracks. All of these construction methods are completely grade-separated from road and pedestrian crossings, and most crossings of two subway tracks are grade-separated with flying junctions . The sole exceptions of at-grade junctions of two lines in regular service are

10152-407: The tunnel was completely within the limits of the present-day City Hall station under Broadway. The Great Blizzard of 1888 helped demonstrate the benefits of an underground transportation system. A plan for the construction of the subway was approved in 1894, and construction began in 1900. Even though the underground portions of the subway had yet to be built, several above-ground segments of

10260-444: The two companies. This arrangement had to end when the IRT lengthened trains. The two companies worked out an agreement in which the revenue collected on those stations was shared. After 1949, the track layout around the station was greatly simplified. Only the original southern side of the Queensboro Plaza station remains in service, with two tracks on each level. Queens-bound trains use the upper level, while Manhattan-bound trains use

10368-542: The union's founding, there have been three union strikes over contract disputes with the MTA: 12 days in 1966 , 11 days in 1980 , and three days in 2005 . By the 1970s and 1980s, the New York City Subway was at an all-time low. Ridership had dropped to 1910s levels, and graffiti and crime were rampant. Maintenance was poor, and delays and track problems were common. Still, the NYCTA managed to open six new subway stations in

10476-476: The upper level, continued north to a merge with the lower level, and then returned via the lower level. Before that, trains reversed direction using a double crossover south of the platforms. Since the platforms were IRT-size, the BMT used its own elevated cars to provide service on the lines, with a required transfer at Queensboro Plaza. Shuttles from Astoria came in on the west side lower track and then reversed direction to head to Flushing; Flushing trains came in on

10584-455: The upper track and reversed direction towards Astoria. During the early period of dual service on the Astoria and Flushing portions, IRT and BMT trains had their own stopping marks on the platforms and the sections of the platforms were separated. Passengers had separate entrances to the platforms depending on which service they wanted. This set-up prevented free transfers between the trains of

10692-408: The west (former BMT) platforms were closed. Once the project was completed, the IRT started using the Flushing Line only and the BMT started using the Astoria Line only. With the station's renovation, it became easier for passengers to transfer between the IRT and BMT lines. Instead of having to climb between the upper and lower level platforms, passengers were able to use cross-platform transfers. There

10800-721: The work. The foundations of tall buildings often ran near the subway construction, and in some cases needed underpinning to ensure stability. This method worked well for digging soft dirt and gravel near the street surface. Tunnelling shields were required for deeper sections, such as the Harlem and East River tunnels, which used cast-iron tubes. Rock or concrete-lined tunnels were used on segments from 33rd to 42nd streets under Park Avenue ; 116th to 120th Streets under Broadway ; 145th to Dyckman Streets (Fort George) under Broadway and St. Nicholas Avenue ; and 96th Street and Broadway to Central Park North and Lenox Avenue . About 40% of

10908-499: The world's first passenger railway service operated in the same manner as turnpike roads . When it opened in 1807, anyone with a suitable horse-drawn waggon could use the line in exchange for paying a toll. The railway operated in this manner until passenger services ceased in 1826 or 1827 because of the construction of a turnpike road parallel to the railway. The Stockton and Darlington Railway of 1825 opened with mostly horse-drawn trains, with all able to operate their own trains on

11016-538: The years, the MTA has been involved in a number of lawsuits over the lack of accessibility in its stations. The Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association filed what may have been the first of these suits in 1979, based on state law. The lawsuits have relied on a number of different legal bases, but most have centered around the MTA's failure to include accessibility as a part of its plans for remodeling various stations. As of January 2022 , ADA-accessibility projects are expected to be started or completed at 51 stations as part of

11124-474: Was a crossover just west of the station which allowed the Astoria trains to access the Steinway tunnels. This was removed directly after the joint operation ceased in 1949. Much of the mezzanine was rebuilt as part of the project, including the pedestrian bridges leading to either side of Queens Plaza. On the north side of the lower level, a new window wall was constructed. After the end of BMT/IRT dual service,

11232-528: Was awarded in May 1994. Work on the renovation began in early 1998, at which point the project was expected to last four years. The W train started serving the Astoria Line, including the Queensboro Plaza station, in 2001. The W was discontinued in June 2010 and replaced with the Q until November 2016, when the W was restored. In 2018, it was announced that the Queensboro Plaza station may receive elevators as part of

11340-692: Was known as the Broadway–Lexington Avenue route (later the Broadway Line ) in Manhattan on December 31, 1907. A proposed Tri-borough system was adopted in early 1908. Operation of Manhattan's Broadway Line was assigned to the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT, subsequently the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation or BMT) in the Dual Contracts , adopted on March 4, 1913. The Dual Contracts also included opening

11448-412: Was leased to the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT), and over 150,000 passengers paid the 5-cent fare ($ 2 in 2023 dollars ) to ride it on the first day of operation. By the late 1900s and early 1910s, the lines had been consolidated into two privately owned systems, the IRT and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT, later Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation , BMT). The city built most of

11556-487: Was swapped with that of the N in 1987, so the N went to Ditmars Boulevard (serving Queensboro Plaza) and the R went to 71st Avenue . In April 1993, the New York State Legislature agreed to give the MTA $ 9.6 billion for capital improvements. Some of the funds would be used to renovate nearly one hundred New York City Subway stations, including Queensboro Plaza. The contract for the project's design

11664-410: Was to be part of the city-operated IND, and was to comprise almost 1 ⁄ 3 of the current subway system. By 1939, with unification planned, all three systems were included within the plan, which was ultimately never carried out. Many different plans were proposed over the years of the subway's existence, but expansion of the subway system mostly stopped during World War II . Though most of

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