The 96th Street station is a local station on the

IND Eighth Avenue Line The IND Eighth Avenue Line is a rapid transit line in New York City, United States, and is part of the B Division of the New York City Subway. Opened in 1932, it was the first line of the Independent Subway System (IND), and the ''Eighth Avenu ...

of the

New York City Subway The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system 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 2 ...

. Located at West 96th Street and Central Park West on the

Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper West ...

, it is served by the B on weekdays, the C train at all times except nights, and the A train during late nights only.

History

The station opened on September 10, 1932, as part of the city-operated

Independent Subway System The Independent Subway System (IND or ISS), formerly known as the Independent City-Owned Subway System (ICOSS) or the Independent City-Owned Rapid Transit Railroad (ICORTR), was a rapid transit rail system in New York City that is now part of th ...

(IND)'s initial segment, the Eighth Avenue Line between Chambers Street and 207th Street. Construction of the whole line cost $191.2 million (equivalent to $ million in ). While the

IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line The IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line (also known as the IRT Seventh Avenue Line or the IRT West Side Line) is a New York City Subway line. It is one of several lines that serves the A Division, stretching from South Ferry in Lower Manhatta ...

already provided parallel service, the new Eighth Avenue subway via Central Park West provided an alternative route. In 2019, the

Metropolitan Transportation Authority The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the New York City metropolitan area of the U.S. state of New York. The MTA is the largest public transit authority in th ...

announced that the station would become ADA-accessible as part of the agency's 2020–2024 Capital Program.

Station layout

This underground station has two levels with northbound trains using the upper level and southbound trains using the lower level. Each level has one

side platform A side platform (also known as a marginal platform or a single-face platform) is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platforms ...

to the west of two tracks. The platforms have no trim line, but name tablets read "96TH ST." in white

sans-serif In typography and lettering, a sans-serif, sans serif, gothic, or simply sans letterform is one that does not have extending features called "serifs" at the end of strokes. Sans-serif typefaces tend to have less stroke width variation than seri ...

font on a midnight blue background and black border. "96" signs in the same format as the directional signs run along the platform walls at regular intervals at the same level as the name tablets. Blue columns run along both platforms at regular intervals with alternating ones having the standard black station name plate in white numbering.

Exits

All fare control areas are on the upper level platform and two staircases, one adjacent to each area, go down to the lower level. The full-time one at 96th Street is at the center of the platform. A staircase of four steps go down to a bank of three

turnstile A turnstile (also called a turnpike, gateline, baffle gate, automated gate, turn gate in some regions) is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. A turnstile can be configured to enforce one-way human traffic. In addition, a t ...

s that lead to a token booth. The other fare control area at 97th Street, at the station's extreme north end, is unstaffed, containing High Entry/Exit Turnstiles. The northwest staircase was relocated with a longer passageway due to the widening of 97th Street. Two staircases connect the two platforms. There are currently three exits to the following locations: *Southwestern corner of West 96th Street and Central Park West. *Both western corners (one staircase each) of West 97th Street and Central Park West. Directional signs that have been covered indicate that there was a third set of exits that led to both western corners (one staircase each) to West 95th Street. Further evidence of this exit's existence includes new tiling with doorways that lead to converted storage spaces on both levels. This exit was closed by 1940 and possibly as early as November 1932 - just two months after the opening of the station - due to frequent vandalism.

References

External links

* * Station Reporter �
B Train
* Station Reporter �

* The Subway Nut �
96th Street Pictures

96th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View

97th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View

Platform from Google Maps Street View
{{DEFAULTSORT:96th Street (IND Eighth Avenue Line) IND Eighth Avenue Line stations Eighth Avenue (Manhattan) New York City Subway stations in Manhattan New York City Subway stations located underground Railway stations in the United States opened in 1932 Upper West Side Central Park 1932 establishments in New York City