The Gates Avenue station is a local

station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...

on the elevated BMT Jamaica Line 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 the intersection of Gates Avenue and Broadway at the border of Bedford–Stuyvesant and

Bushwick, Brooklyn Bushwick is a neighborhood in the northern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bounded by the neighborhood of Ridgewood, Queens, to the northeast; Williamsburg to the northwest; East New York and the cemeteries of Highland Par ...

. It is served by the Z train during rush hours in the peak direction and by the J train at all other times.

History

Gates Avenue is the oldest station in the subway system to have been built as a rapid transit station; it has been serving BMT trains for approximately years. While Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue is the oldest station currently in operation in the

system, having originally opened in 1869 as a

Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , often abbreviated as the LIRR, is a commuter rail system in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk Co ...

station, that station had an 8-year disruption in service while being converted to subway

loading gauge A loading gauge is a diagram or physical structure that defines the maximum height and width dimensions in railway vehicles and their loads. Their purpose is to ensure that rail vehicles can pass safely through tunnels and under bridges, and ke ...

, meaning that Gates Avenue is the system's oldest station in continuous operation. Gates Avenue was originally opened by the Union Elevated Railroad on May 13, 1885 for the BMT Lexington Avenue Line, and has been in continuous operation since then. The BMT Jamaica Line connected to the station on June 25, 1888. Prior to the Dual Contracts, trains either operated down Broadway to

Broadway Ferry Broadway Ferry was a ferry landing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City, United States at the foot of Broadway. Boats connected it to the Grand Street Ferry, East 23rd Street Ferry, and James Slip landings in Manhattan. In Brooklyn, the Br ...

(which closed upon the opening of the Williamsburg Bridge tracks to

Essex Street Essex Street is a north-south street on the Lower East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan. North of Houston Street, the street becomes Avenue A, which goes north to 14th Street. South of Canal Street it becomes Rutgers Street, the ...

) or Lexington Avenue, eventually merging onto the Myrtle Avenue El. The Dual Contracts expanded the BMT Jamaica Line, including Gates Avenue, to three tracks, allowing for express service, as well as expanding service in Manhattan down Nassau Street. In 1950, the Lexington Avenue El closed, resulting in the redirection of all trains to the Williamsburg Bridge.

Station layout

left, Western exit stair of northbound platform This station has two side platforms and three tracks with the center express track not normally used. Each platform has beige windscreens and red canopies (both with green frames) that run along the entire length except for a small section at both ends. The 2002 artwork here is called ''Dream Train'' by Chris Robinson and features mass transit-related stained glass windows in the station house and the windscreens. South of this station, the BMT Jamaica Line connected to the BMT Lexington Avenue Line before it ceased operation on October 13, 1950 and some remains are visible. The next stop on the Lexington Avenue El was Reid Avenue on its way to Downtown Brooklyn and

Park Row, Manhattan Park Row is a street located in the Financial District, Civic Center, and Chinatown neighborhoods of the New York City borough of Manhattan. The street runs east-west, sometimes called north-south because the western end is nearer to the Fina ...

Exits

The station has exits on both the west (railroad north) end and the east (railroad south) end of its platforms. Despite the station's name, there is no longer an open exit to Gates Avenue. On the west end, each platform has a single staircase leading to an elevated station house beneath the tracks. It has a turnstile bank and token booth. Outside fare control, two staircases lead to both eastern corners of Quincy Street and Broadway. The eastern exits are now emergency exits leading to both western corners of Palmetto Street and Broadway, just east of Gates Avenue. These exits were closed in the 1980s due to high crime. There is a closed station house around the intermediate level of the staircases.

References

External links

* * Station Reporter �
J train
* The Subway Nut �
Gates Avenue Pictures
* MTA's Arts For Transit �

* [https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=40.690043,-73.923022&spn=0,0.013314&z=17&layer=c&cbll=40.690185,-73.923276&panoid=ICqU9R9nmlcxYgQKvjg9LA&cbp=12,127.28,,0,-1.02 Quincy Street entrance from Google Maps Street View]
Platforms from Google Maps Street View

Gates Avenue Tower at Broadway Elevated Junction: Lexington Avenue Line (BMT) (New York Transit Museum; Flickr)
{{NYCS stations navbox by line, jamaica=yes BMT Jamaica Line stations 1885 establishments in New York (state) BMT Lexington Avenue Line stations New York City Subway stations in Brooklyn New York City Subway stations located aboveground Railway stations in the United States opened in 1885 Bushwick, Brooklyn Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn