142-395: [REDACTED] The Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall/Chambers Street station is a New York City Subway station complex in Lower Manhattan . The complex is served by trains of the IRT Lexington Avenue Line and the BMT Nassau Street Line . The station is served by the 4 , 6 , and J trains at all times; the 5 train at all times except late nights; the <6> train during weekdays in
284-532: 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
426-497: 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
568-500: A bronze latticed balustrade, as well as plaques with the words svbway entrance . This stair measures 64 feet (20 m) wide and, at the time of the BMT station's construction, could accommodate 1,280 passengers per minute. Two stairs and an elevator rise from the western side of the IRT mezzanine to City Hall Park, just southwest of the intersection of Centre and Chambers Streets, in front of
710-1016: A challenging project in the early 1890s tunneling underneath downtown Baltimore to bring the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad to the Baltimore Harbor. The so-called Howard Street Tunnel is still in use by freight trains. He also worked on the San Francisco Harbor , the Canadian Pacific Railway , the Entre Ríos Railway in South America, the Northwestern Elevated Railroad in Chicago , a bridge in Montreal and
852-535: A competing subway line. Ryan agreed to pay McDonald $ 250,000 in two installments up front plus $ 50,000 a year for five years not to be involved in construction for any company other than the Metropolitan Street Railway Company, Ryan's company. By the time McDonald testified to the arrangement in 1907, Ryan and Belmont had merged their companies. Before the subway, McDonald had made a name for himself on other rail projects, including
994-492: A cream trim line with chambers st written on it in black sans-serif font at regular intervals. The easternmost side platform retains most of its original decoration, with pink marble wainscoting, as well as pink marble pilasters spaced every 15 feet (4.6 m). Between the pilasters and above the wainscoting are panels made of white tile, with gold-tiled borders. A maroon, blue, and gold tile frieze runs atop each panel, interrupted by T-shaped ceramic plaques with depictions of
1136-769: 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
1278-728: A new exit was provided at Reade Street and Lafayette Street, and a new passageway under Reade Street was built connecting to the Chambers Street station on the BMT Nassau Street Line. At the center of the enlarged platforms, a new overpass was built, providing more direct access to the Municipal Building . The tile walls on the unused eastern side platform were completed in December 1959, and a signal tower, maintainers' rooms, relay rooms, and tile walls on
1420-467: A north–south direction, with the BMT platforms to the east of the IRT platforms. Just below street level, there are two overpasses above the IRT platforms, one at the center of the station and another near the south end. There is also an underpass at the extreme north end of the station. The underpass and northern overpass date from the 1962 renovation while the southern overpass is part of the original circulation plan. The overpasses connect each platform with
1562-542: 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
SECTION 10
#17327719446591704-560: A refrigeration plant to the station in August 1906. The plant consisted of four pumps at the northern end of the station, which could draw up to 300 or 400 U.S. gallons per minute (19 or 25 L/s) of groundwater; the water was then chilled and sent through ducts above the platforms. To address overcrowding, in 1909, the New York Public Service Commission proposed lengthening the platforms at stations along
1846-469: 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. John B. McDonald John B. McDonald (November 7, 1844 – March 17, 1911)
1988-610: A single tail track south of the station. The tail track is 620 feet (190 m) long from the switch points to the bumper block , where an emergency exit is available. Before the extension to Broad Street opened, the two westernmost (now southbound) tracks ramped up to just before the portal from the Brooklyn Bridge, ending at a wooden gate. These tracks did not have any third rails and were never used. North of this station, there are numerous switches connecting all four tracks. The easternmost two tracks are stubs that end behind
2130-482: 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
2272-431: A subway. The tunnel was never extended for political and financial reasons. Today, no part of this line remains as 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
2414-755: A team of engineers led by William Barclay Parsons , the Rapid Transit Commission's chief engineer. It called for a subway line from New York City Hall in Lower Manhattan to the Upper West Side , where two branches would lead north into the Bronx . A plan was formally adopted in 1897, and all legal conflicts concerning the route alignment were resolved near the end of 1899. The Rapid Transit Construction Company, organized by John B. McDonald and funded by August Belmont Jr. , signed
2556-497: 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
2698-595: Is Fulton Street . The station is the southern terminus for 6 and <6> trains, which turn via the City Hall Loop to head back uptown. When the subway opened, the next local stop to the north was Worth Street , and the next local stop to the south was City Hall ; both of these stations were closed in the mid-20th century. The Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall station contains four tracks, two island platforms , and two unused side platforms . From each island platform, one elevator and one stair lead to
2840-489: 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
2982-406: 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
SECTION 20
#17327719446593124-670: 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 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
3266-427: 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
3408-554: 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
3550-424: The <6> train stops here during weekdays in the peak direction. The 5 train always makes express stops, and the 6 and <6> trains always make local stops; the 4 train makes express stops during the day and local stops at night. The next station to the north is Canal Street for local trains and 14th Street–Union Square for express trains. The next station to the south for 4 and 5 trains
3692-577: 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
3834-600: 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
3976-548: 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
4118-652: 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
4260-549: 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
4402-719: 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,
Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall/Chambers Street station - Misplaced Pages Continue
4544-720: 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
4686-542: The Nassau Street Line ) was approved on January 25, 1907, as a four-track line; it was to connect the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, and Williamsburg Bridge via Centre Street , Canal Street , and Delancey Street . Unlike previous subway contracts that the city government had issued, the BRT was responsible only for constructing the Centre Street Loop and installing equipment, not for operating
4828-620: The Nassau Street Loop ), rather than using the Manhattan Bridge and terminating at Chambers Street. The line was completed in 1931, and the Chambers Street station became a through station. At this point, the BMT's center island platform and the two side platforms were closed. A new northern mezzanine was built in 1938 when the entrances under the north side of the Municipal Building were closed. This mezzanine
4970-527: The New York City Board of Transportation (BOT) received bids for the lengthening of platforms at three stations on the Centre Street Loop, including the Chambers Street station, to accommodate eight-car trains. The Board of Estimate approved funds for the project in July 1926, and the extensions were completed in 1927, bringing the length of the platforms to 535 feet (163 m). By the mid-1920s,
5112-612: 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
5254-553: The Tweed Courthouse . The stairs are part of the IRT station's original entrance. The elevator, a replica of an original IRT subway entrance kiosk , opened in 1992 and was designed by Urbahn Associates. A long passageway at the eastern side of the IRT mezzanine leads to a stair within a plaza just south of the Manhattan Municipal Building. This exit is smaller and faces the large BMT entrance under
5396-745: The Worth Street station, the latter station was to be closed. The NYCTA allocated $ 6 million to the station's renovation in January 1959. Harold Sandifer of the NYCTA designed the renovation in conjunction with the planned redevelopment of the Civic Center neighborhood. Work started on May 18, 1959. The project lengthened the platforms from 295 feet (90 m) to 523 feet (159 m) and widened them. The platforms were extended northward by 220 feet (67 m) to just south of Reade Street. In addition,
5538-408: The Z stops here during rush hours in the peak direction. The station is between Canal Street to the north and Fulton Street to the south. The Chambers Street station has four tracks, three island platforms, and one side platform (originally two); the westernmost side platform has been demolished, while the center island platform and the easternmost side platform are unused. Terminating trains use
5680-416: The caissons in the building's foundation were positioned to avoid the station's platforms. Although McKim, Mead & White were selected for the building's construction, their original plans were rejected by the city's buildings superintendent because he felt that the underlying layer of soil and sand was not strong enough to carry the building. Uncertainty over the building's design resulted in delays in
5822-644: 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,
Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall/Chambers Street station - Misplaced Pages Continue
5964-448: The jack-arched concrete station roofs. There is a 1-inch (25 mm) gap between the trough wall and the platform walls, which are made of 4-inch (100 mm)-thick brick covered over by a tiled finish. The ceiling is double-height above much of the station's length, but drops beneath the south mezzanine and the original north mezzanine. The westernmost side platform was tiled over during the 1962 renovation; it contains yellow tiles and
6106-422: The 1962 renovation. The northbound platform ranges from 18 to 21 feet (5.5 to 6.4 m) wide, while the southbound platform ranges from 16 to 20 feet (4.9 to 6.1 m) wide. Platform extensions are at both ends of the original platforms. The ones at the south end are closed off, but contain gap fillers and original mosaic tiles. The 1962 platform extensions are at the north end; it was deemed easier to lengthen
6248-410: 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
6390-450: 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
6532-415: 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,
6674-524: 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
6816-561: The American Encaustic Tile Company, which subcontracted the installations at each station. New York City Subway July 3, 1868 ; 156 years ago ( 1868-07-03 ) (first elevated, rapid transit operation) [REDACTED] The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system in New York City serving the boroughs of Manhattan , Brooklyn , Queens , and the Bronx . It
6958-732: The BMT's operations on June 1, 1940, and the IRT's operations on June 12, 1940. Both sections of the station complex were listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 2005. Planning for a subway line in New York City dates to 1864. However, development of what would become the city's first subway line did not start until 1894, when the New York State Legislature passed the Rapid Transit Act. The subway plans were drawn up by
7100-552: The BRT added a first-aid room at the northern end of the Chambers Street station's center island platform; at the time, the IRT's Brooklyn Bridge station also had a first-aid room. The next year, the Wagner Engineering Company installed red-white-and-green navigational signs at the BMT station, in conjunction with the addition of navigational signs to the IRT station. The station's platforms originally could only fit six 67-foot-long (20 m) cars. In April 1926,
7242-440: The BRT did not want to pay the annual rental fee that was mandated for the usage of the connection. The overpass across William Street was closed in 1913 to make way for the proposed connection. In 1929, the overpass was reopened after it became clear that the connection would not be built. The finished portions of the tunnel to the Brooklyn Bridge led directly to wine vaults under the bridge. The masonry and steel ramp connecting to
SECTION 50
#17327719446597384-568: The Brooklyn Bridge was demolished in the early 1950s when the bridge's elevated tracks were removed. Three years after the Chambers Street station opened, its platforms were so overcrowded that one New York Times article described them as "more dangerous during the rush hours than at the Grand Central or the Fourteenth Street Stations", in part because more space was devoted to stairways than to platforms. In 1921,
7526-463: The Brooklyn Bridge, which are situated atop each pilaster. The Brooklyn Bridge ceramic tiles display the bridge's vertical cables but do not depict its diagonal cables. At intervals of every three panels, there are tile plaques with the station's name in place of the frieze. Sections of the original design, including the ceiling and walls, are heavily damaged or deteriorated. The two "express" tracks, currently unused in regular revenue service, merge into
7668-469: The Chambers Street station was one of the last "key stations" to be selected. The Chambers Street station, having fallen into disuse over the years, was voted the ugliest station in the system in a 2003 poll of railfans . The station's token booths were shuttered in May 2005, after fare tokens were replaced with MetroCards ; station agents were deployed elsewhere in the station to answer passengers' queries. This
7810-593: 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,
7952-407: The IRT spend $ 70,000 (equivalent to $ 1,515,000 in 2023) to add platform gap fillers to the northbound platform; the absence of gap fillers had resulted in passenger injuries 26 times in the preceding two years. The same year, as part of a remodeling of City Hall Park, city parks commissioner Robert Moses proposed removing two of the station's exit stairways and relocating two entrance stairs. With
8094-536: The Lenox Avenue Line, and the following day, ten-car express trains were inaugurated on the West Side Line. By 1914, city engineers had prepared plans for the construction of five additional entrances to the Brooklyn Bridge station: three to the street and two to nearby buildings. At that point, nearly two-fifths of commuters entered the station through a single entrance below the bridge. In 1918,
8236-558: The Lexington Avenue Line opened north of Grand Central–42nd Street , and the original line was divided into an H-shaped system. All trains were sent via the Lexington Avenue Line. In 1922, the Rapid Transit Commission awarded a contract to the Wagner Engineering Company for the installation of navigational signs at the Brooklyn Bridge station and several other major subway stations. The IRT platforms received blue-and-white signs. The Transit Commission requested in 1938 that
8378-493: The Lexington Avenue Line platforms during the late 1980s. 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 Brooklyn Bridge. Three elevators opened in 1992, making the station compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The elevators cost $ 3.4 million (equivalent to $ 6.8 million in 2023) and connected
8520-521: The MTA began planning to renovate the Chambers Street and 190th Street stations for a combined $ 100 million; the work would involve "historically sensitive" repairs, as both stations are on the NRHP. The project was to be funded by congestion pricing in New York City , but the renovation was postponed in June 2024 after the implementation of congestion pricing was delayed. The IRT and BMT platforms both run in
8662-638: The Montague Street Tunnel had not yet been completed. The loop configuration permitted trains arriving in either direction from the Fourth Avenue Line in Brooklyn to pass through Chambers Street and return to Fourth Avenue without having to reverse direction. Chambers Street was designed to be the BRT's Manhattan hub near City Hall , as the business and population center of the city was still near Manhattan island's southern end at
SECTION 60
#17327719446598804-479: The Montague Street Tunnel, but trains were no longer able to run in a loop. In 1990, all weekend service on the Nassau Street Line was eliminated south of Chambers Street; this continued until 2015. By 2000, the MTA had announced plans to make the Chambers Street station ADA-accessible. The agency had been required in 1994 to create a list of 100 "key stations" that it planned to make ADA-accessible, and
8946-922: The West Side (now the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line to Van Cortlandt Park–242nd Street ) and East Side (now the Lenox Avenue Line ). West Side local trains had their southern terminus at City Hall during rush hours and South Ferry at other times, and had their northern terminus at 242nd Street. East Side local trains ran from City Hall to Lenox Avenue (145th Street) . Express trains had their southern terminus at South Ferry or Atlantic Avenue and had their northern terminus at 242nd Street, Lenox Avenue (145th Street), or West Farms ( 180th Street ). Express trains to 145th Street were later eliminated, and West Farms express trains and rush-hour Broadway express trains operated through to Brooklyn. One of
9088-615: 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
9230-526: 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
9372-417: The building. At the far south end, two stairs rise to the south side of Frankfort Street, in front of Pace University 's One Pace Plaza building. Several entrances have been closed and slabbed over. One stair from the IRT mezzanine led directly to the Brooklyn Bridge walkway, and was removed by August 2000 as part of a project to widen the bridge walkway. Another stair rose from the northern BMT mezzanine to
9514-526: The change would cost $ 600,000, not including land-acquisition costs of $ 1.055 million. The New York City Board of Estimate approved $ 875,000 for the station's widening that July, excluding funds for land acquisition. By April 1910, the Public Service Commission sought to downsize the station to four tracks, as it would have been not only very difficult but also extremely expensive to modify the Municipal Building's foundation to accommodate
9656-479: The closure of the City Hall station at the end of 1945, the Brooklyn Bridge station became the southernmost station for local services that formerly terminated at City Hall. As part of a reconstruction of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1951, the city planned to build a subway entrance just south of the bridge approach. The New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) also announced plans in 1956 to add fluorescent lights above
9798-486: The completion of the renovation, the Brooklyn Bridge station was renamed Brooklyn Bridge–Worth Street . The American Society of Mechanical Engineers and American Society of Civil Engineers dedicated a plaque at the Brooklyn Bridge station in 1978, recognizing the original IRT line as "the first fully electrically signaled railroad in the United States and the first practical subway in New York City". This plaque
9940-410: 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
10082-491: The construction of the first New York City Subway line. McDonald won the job with a $ 35 million bid in 1900, but he did not have the capital necessary to post the surety bonds the city required, so he turned to the banker August Belmont Jr. , for financial backing. After that, McDonald effectively worked for the company that Belmont formed, the Interborough Rapid Transit Company , but McDonald
10224-598: The construction of the proposed Brooklyn loop station underneath it, even as the rest of the line was nearly completed by early 1909. Furthermore, the BRT did not originally want to operate the loop. The Public Service Commission proposed in February 1909 to expand the station to six tracks, which would allow the station to serve a proposed subway under Third Avenue , in addition to the Williamsburg Bridge and Manhattan Bridge lines. The commission estimated that
10366-425: 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
10508-669: The eastern side platform, which was used to prevent access to that platform when it was not in service. As with other stations built as part of the original IRT, the station was constructed using a cut-and-cover method. The tunnel is covered by a U-shaped trough that contains utility pipes and wires. The bottom of this trough contains a foundation of concrete no less than 4 inches (100 mm) thick. Each platform consists of 3-inch-thick (76 mm) concrete slabs, beneath which are drainage basins. The platforms contain I-beam columns spaced every 15 feet (4.6 m). Additional columns between
10650-434: The edges of the station's platforms. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the NYCTA undertook a $ 138 million (equivalent to $ 1.44 billion in 2023) modernization project for the Lexington Avenue Line. As part of the modernization program, the NYCTA announced in early 1957 that the Brooklyn Bridge station would be extended about 250 feet (76 m) to the north and that the platforms would be widened and straightened to remove
10792-403: The elevators' construction was awarded in August 2018. The station received two elevators to the platforms, as well as three new ramps in the mezzanine: one in the corridor between the IRT and BMT stations, and one from the BMT mezzanine to each platform elevators. The station platforms were modified to reduce the gap between trains and the platform edges, and a pedestrian bridge was installed above
10934-584: 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 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
11076-484: The exits and the BMT's southern mezzanine, and contain wrought iron balustrades. A pedestrian corridor runs above the eastern side of the IRT station. The BMT mezzanine level, slightly lower than the IRT mezzanine level, is split into north and south sections, with various offices and service rooms in the unused portions of both mezzanines. The connection to the IRT is within the southern mezzanine. The mezzanines contain tiled piers and walls, with pink wainscoting . Along
11218-426: The expanded station. Ultimately, the BRT's Chambers Street station was built with five platforms and four tracks. The BRT tunnel under Centre Street was completed by 1910, except for the section under the Municipal Building, but the tunnel remained unused for several years. In March 1913, the Public Service Commission authorized the BRT to lay tracks, install signals, and operate the loop. The Bradley Construction Company
11360-521: The express platform northward, as the curves at the south end were extremely difficult to reconstruct. There are two unused side platforms, one beside either local track. A combination of island and side platforms was also used at 14th Street–Union Square on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line and 96th Street on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line . These side platforms were built to accommodate extra passenger volume and were built to
11502-416: The five-car length of the original IRT local trains. When trains were lengthened, the side platforms were deemed obsolete, and they were closed and walled off in 1962. The side platforms house electrical equipment and are blocked off with metal grates. A staircase from the western side of the mezzanine leads to the original western side platform. A sliding grate was installed on the bottom of the deck leading to
11644-482: 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
11786-400: 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),
11928-530: The former northbound local track, and the former southbound express track (the current northbound track). The Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall station is an express station on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line , beneath Centre Street . It stretches between a point just south of Duane Street, to the north, and Park Row , to the south. The 4 and 6 trains stop here at all times; the 5 train stops here at all times except late nights; and
12070-559: 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
12212-458: The initial Contract 1 with the Rapid Transit Commission in February 1900, in which it would construct the subway and maintain a 50-year operating lease from the opening of the line. In 1901, the firm of Heins & LaFarge was hired to design the underground stations. Belmont incorporated the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) in April 1902 to operate the subway. The Brooklyn Bridge station
12354-642: 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 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
12496-411: The inner tracks while through trains use the outer tracks. From the BMT station, there are stairs and elevators leading to the mezzanines above. The easternmost side platform had seven stairs, while the center island platform and the westernmost side platform had six stairs. The eastern island platform has five stairs and the western island platform has four stairs. The elevators are at the southern ends of
12638-463: 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
12780-403: 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
12922-636: The loop. Construction contracts for the Nassau Street Line were awarded in early 1907. A proposed Tri-borough system was adopted in early 1908, incorporating the Nassau Street Line. Operation of the line was assigned to the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT; after 1923, the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation or BMT) in the Dual Contracts , adopted on March 4, 1913. The Chambers Street station
13064-411: The mezzanine to the street and to each platform. The station was renamed Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall by the mid-1990s. The renovation was completed in 1996; the station was one of thirteen citywide whose renovations were completed that year at a total cost of $ 127 million (equivalent to $ 253.9 million in 2023). After the original IRT opened, the city began planning new lines. The Centre Street Loop (later
13206-430: The need for gap fillers. At the time, the island platforms narrowed at their northern ends to 5 feet (1.5 m), while the local side platforms could only accommodate four cars, resulting in delays. In addition, the express platforms could not accommodate 10-car trains because of the gap fillers at the southern end of the station. Since the northern end of the expanded station would be only about 600 feet (180 m) from
13348-519: The new subway to the existing Brooklyn Bridge , the under-construction Manhattan Bridge , or the newly-completed Williamsburg Bridge . As such, no plans had been drawn up for the eastern portion of the Brooklyn Bridge station or its approaches by early 1903, which caused delays in ordering steel. By late 1903, the subway was nearly complete, but the IRT Powerhouse and the system's electrical substations were still under construction, delaying
13490-589: The northwestern corner of Centre Street and Duane Street (east of the current Foley Square entrance), though this was also sealed by 1992 to reduce the maintenance costs associated with maintaining two adjacent staircases. The northern BMT mezzanine contained bronze doors on the east wall, now sealed, which led to the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse . Under the northern side of the Manhattan Municipal Building were additional subway staircases, although this entrance area
13632-524: The northwestern corner of Reade and Centre Streets. The IRT underpass continues to the northern BMT mezzanine, where a stair rises to the southern end of Foley Square . At the center of the complex, a wide stair under the southern side of the Manhattan Municipal Building , just southeast of the intersection of Centre and Chambers Streets, serves the southern BMT mezzanine, and was one of the original BMT entrances. The wide stair has
13774-559: The now-closed Queens-bound side platform. These tracks were formerly connected to the south tracks of the Manhattan Bridge , until they were disconnected in 1967 as part of the Chrystie Street Connection , with the BMT Broadway Line being connected to the south tracks instead. Also north of this station, the former southbound express track (now the northbound track) splits into two tracks just south of Canal Street :
13916-575: The original 28 stations of the New York City Subway. The Chambers Street station was built for the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (later the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation , or BMT) as part of the Dual Contracts . The Nassau Street Line station opened on August 4, 1913. Over the years, several modifications have been made to both stations, which were connected within a single fare control area in 1948. The Lexington Avenue Line's Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall station, under Centre Street , has two island platforms , two side platforms , and four tracks;
14058-416: The original IRT subway. As part of a modification to the IRT's construction contracts made on January 18, 1910, the company was to lengthen station platforms to accommodate ten-car express and six-car local trains. In addition to $ 1.5 million (equivalent to $ 49.1 million in 2023) spent on platform lengthening, $ 500,000 (equivalent to $ 16.4 million in 2023) was spent on building additional entrances and exits. It
14200-425: The peak direction; and the Z train during rush hours in the peak direction. It is the southern terminal for all 6 trains. The complex comprises two stations, Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall and Chambers Street . The Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall station was built for the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT), and was an express station on the city's first subway line . The station opened on October 27, 1904, as one of
14342-404: 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
14484-436: The platform extension project was substantially completed by the end of 1963. The old platform extensions at the southern end of the station, which were used for express service and had gap fillers, were abandoned. The project cost $ 6 million; it allowed trains on the 6 route to be lengthened to nine cars, and allowed ten-car express trains to open all doors at the station (previously, only the doors of eight cars had opened). Upon
14626-489: The public. These plaques and tablets were in the original design, but they had been concealed behind a wall of beige tiles by the late 20th century. The walls adjacent to the tracks are decorated with modern white tiles, surrounded near the top and bottom by red tile bands. The bands wrap around alcoves that are placed at regular intervals on the walls. The spaces above the alcoves contain black-on-green plaques with back-to-back "B"s, which alternate with white-on-green tablets with
14768-437: 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 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,
14910-504: 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
15052-477: 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
15194-403: 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
15336-403: The rubber-covered stairs three at a time to beat out the rest of the crowd". Express trains were extended south on January 16, 1905, when a 0.3-mile (0.48 km)-long extension to Fulton Street opened. The station was originally placed on a sharp curve, requiring the installation of platform gap fillers . Initially, the Brooklyn Bridge station was served by local and express trains along both
15478-521: The side platforms are not in use. The Nassau Street Line's Chambers Street station, under the Manhattan Municipal Building , has three island platforms, one side platform, and four tracks; only the outer tracks and two of the island platforms are in use. The complex contains elevators that make it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 . The two adjacent stations on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line and BMT Nassau Street Line are connected by two passageways. The south one opened in 1914 and
15620-412: The station's entrances was closed in 1905 because the Rapid Transit Commission had not authorized the entrance's construction. As part of an experiment to improve the subway line's ventilation , the commission installed ventilation fans at the station in June 1905. Two large cooling fans were installed at the station the next month; this was later increased to four fans. The Rapid Transit Commission added
15762-537: The station's southern overpass, two stairs lead to the northern overpass, and one stair leads to the north-end underpass. The island platforms allow for cross-platform interchanges between local and express trains heading in the same direction. Terminating trains use the outer tracks while through trains use the inner tracks. The station is approximately 537 feet (164 m) long and 85 feet (26 m) wide. The island platforms were originally 295 feet (90 m) long but were lengthened to about 523 feet (159 m) during
15904-523: The station, the line becomes a bi-level tunnel with the southbound track stacked above the northbound one. Like the IRT station, the tunnel is covered by a U-shaped trough that contains utility pipes and wires. The bottom of this trough contains a foundation of concrete no less than 4 inches (100 mm) thick. Each platform consists of 3-inch-thick (76 mm) concrete slabs, beneath which are drainage basins. The platforms contain double-height, tile-clad columns spaced every 15 feet (4.6 m), which support
16046-513: The subway itself was pushing the city's population north and leaving Chambers Street behind. Nonetheless, the city government agreed in 1927 to extend the Nassau Street Line from the Chambers Street station south to the Montague Street Tunnel to Brooklyn , as was required under the Dual Contracts. The extension would permit trains from southern Brooklyn to loop through Lower Manhattan without reversing direction (a service pattern known as
16188-508: 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
16330-508: The system's opening. In addition, the Brooklyn Bridge station itself remained unfinished as late as February 1904. The Brooklyn Bridge station opened on October 27, 1904, as one of the original 28 stations of the New York City Subway from City Hall to 145th Street on the West Side Branch. The station's first-ever passenger was described by Newsday as an "anonymous middle-aged Brooklyn woman who picked up her skirt and raced down
16472-471: The time. Initially, trains only used the western two tracks of the Centre Street tunnel, and the station was not served by Manhattan Bridge trains. The station remained incomplete for more than a year after it had opened, and workers temporarily suspended construction at the station from November 1913 to March 1914. The remaining work, which included installation of staircases and completion of ceilings,
16614-414: The tops of the walls are yellow mosaic-tile bands with white-and-red surrounds and blue rectangular panels. The north mezzanine has a section of rectangular yellow tiled wall dating to the 1962 renovation. There is a doorway in the south mezzanine, topped by a stone lintel reading "Women", which formerly led to a women's restroom. At the north end of the complex, two stairs extend from the IRT underpass to
16756-418: The tracks, connecting both of the open platforms. To accommodate the ramps, elevators, and pedestrian bridge, portions of the station and mezzanine were removed or reconfigured. These improvements made the station compliant with the ADA, and were funded as part of the 2015–2019 MTA Capital Program. The project was to take at least 24 months to be completed. The elevators had opened by September 1, 2020. In 2023,
16898-582: The tracks, spaced every 5 feet (1.5 m), support the jack-arched concrete station roofs. There is a 1-inch (25 mm) gap between the trough wall and the platform walls, which are made of 4-inch (100 mm)-thick brick covered over by a tiled finish. The westernmost side platform retains ten faience plaques of eagles, made by the Grueby Faience Company , which are not visible to the public. The easternmost side platform also has eagle faience plaques and mosaic tablets, also not visible to
17040-625: The underground portions of the subway had yet to be built, several above-ground segments of 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 ,
17182-490: 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
17324-404: The unused western side platform were completed in May 1960. A temporary transfer passageway to the Chambers Street station opened in June 1961, while the old passageway was being demolished. The downtown platform's extension opened in 1961, and the uptown platform's extension opened on August 31, 1962. The overpass and the permanent passageway to the Chambers Street station opened in June 1963, and
17466-414: The western and eastern island platforms. The station is approximately 537 feet (164 m) long and 120 feet (37 m) wide. Both of the platforms in revenue service are 23 feet (7.0 m) wide; the northbound platform is 534 feet (163 m) long, while the southbound platform is 520 feet (160 m) long. The southbound platform is slightly higher at the southern end of the station because, south of
17608-551: The words brooklyn bridge in Arial font . Smaller white-on-green plaques with the words "City Hall" are above the brooklyn bridge tablets. The back-to-back "B"s, and the white walls with red tile bands, are also used in the design of the mezzanine. However, the wall of the eastern corridor retains some original design, with brick wainscoting, marble pilasters , and original cream-on-olive plaques with back-to-back "B"s. The mosaic tiles at all original IRT stations were manufactured by
17750-721: 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
17892-533: 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 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;
18034-538: 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
18176-510: Was an Irish -born contractor who is best known for overseeing construction of New York City's first subway line from 1900 to 1904. John B. McDonald was born on November 7, 1844, in Cork, Ireland to Bartholomew McDonald, a contractor and cellar digger. At a young age, he came to New York City and attended public schools. His father became served as a representative in the New York City Board of Aldermen . From 1900 to 1904, McDonald oversaw
18318-506: Was anticipated that these improvements would increase capacity by 25 percent. At the Brooklyn Bridge station, the northbound island platform was extended 15 feet (4.6 m) north and 135 feet (41 m) south, while the southbound island platform was extended 165 feet (50 m) south, necessitating the relocation of some tracks. Six-car local trains began operating in October 1910. On January 23, 1911, ten-car express trains began running on
18460-401: Was built as part of contract 9-O-1, which cost $ 1.226 million (equivalent to $ 41,575,000 in 2023). It was to sit under the Manhattan Municipal Building , a large office structure being planned for the city government. One of the conditions of an architectural design competition for the Municipal Building was that its foundation could not block train tracks, stairways, or platforms. As such,
18602-491: Was built by the Cayuga Construction Company. The western side platform was demolished with the expansion of the IRT station between 1960 and 1962. The Chrystie Street Connection , opened in 1967, severed the Nassau Street Line's connection to the Manhattan Bridge, so that the bridge tracks could connect instead to the uptown IND Sixth Avenue Line . The new connection preserved Nassau Street service via
18744-507: Was closed by 1938. The largest staircase under the Municipal Building's northern section was 43 feet (13 m) wide and could originally accommodate 800 passengers per minute. The Chambers Street station on the BMT Nassau Street Line is beneath the Manhattan Municipal Building , stretching from Duane Street in the north to a point just south of Chambers Street to the south. The J stops here at all times and
18886-415: Was completed on September 14, 1914. A track connection between the Brooklyn Bridge's elevated-railroad tracks and the Centre Street tunnel was planned in the station's design. The BRT had agreed to build the loops in September 1913, and, according to a 1916 report, the connection had been completed for just over $ 740,000 (equivalent to $ 20,720,000 in 2023). However, the connection was never opened because
19028-417: Was constructed as part of the IRT's original line south of Great Jones Street . The Degnon-McLean Contracting Company was awarded the contract for Section 1, from the City Hall loop to Chambers Street, and the contract for Section 2, from Chambers Street to Great Jones Street. Work began on Section 1 on March 24, 1900, and work began on Section 2 on July 10, 1900. Initially, Parsons was unsure whether to connect
19170-444: Was credited with being an extremely able builder. The initial segment from City Hall to Grand Central , across 42nd Street to Times Square , and up Broadway to 145th Street —was completed on schedule on October 27, 1904. It was a remarkable achievement given the complexity and novelty of the project and periodic labor turmoil. In 1905, McDonald was hired away by a rival transit mogul, Thomas Fortune Ryan , who proposed to build
19312-402: Was hired to install station finishes; by June 1913, the firm had completed the installation of tile and marble, and it was working on plastering. The BRT's Chambers Street station opened on August 4, 1913, relieving traffic on elevated lines that had used the Brooklyn Bridge. Originally, trains arrived from the north via either the Williamsburg Bridge or the Manhattan Bridge, as the connection to
19454-930: Was in use in 1864 as a steam railroad called the Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Rail Road . The first underground line of 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
19596-412: 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
19738-430: Was part of a pilot program that was tested at seven other stations. The MTA announced in May 2018 that it would start renovating the Chambers Street station that August. At the time, local news station NY1 said: "It is easily one of the most decrepit stations in the city's entire system", and a writer for The Village Voice said that the station "was the undisputed poster station of the system's decay". A contract for
19880-445: Was placed inside fare control on July 1, 1948. A second passageway, at the north end of the stations, was opened in the evening of September 1, 1962, when the Lexington Avenue Line platforms were extended and the Worth Street station was closed. Originally, the stations were operated by separate companies: the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT). The city government took over
20022-573: Was removed before 2005. The MTA announced in late 1978 that it would modernize the Brooklyn Bridge station. The improvements included new finishes on the walls and floors; acoustical, signage, and lighting improvements; replacement of old mechanical equipment; and new handrails. In 1983, the MTA added funding for a renovation of the Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall station to its 1980–1984 capital plan. In addition, to speed up passenger flow, dozens of platform conductors were assigned to direct crowds on
20164-410: 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
#658341