168th Street Station (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)
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The 168th Street station (formerly the Washington Heights–168th Street station) is an underground
New York City Subway The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system in New York City serving the New York City boroughs, 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 Tr ...
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 ...
complex shared by 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 Manhatt ...
and
IND Eighth Avenue Line The IND Eighth Avenue Line is a rapid transit line in the B Division of the New York City Subway. Opened in 1932, it was the first line of the Independent Subway System (IND); as such, New Yorkers originally applied the ''Eighth Avenue Subwa ...
. It is located at the intersection of 168th Street and Broadway in the Washington Heights neighborhood of
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
and served by the 1 and A trains at all times, and the C train at all times except late nights. It is the northern terminus for all C trains. The Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line station was built for the
Interborough Rapid Transit Company The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) was the private operator of New York City's original underground subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT ...
(IRT), and was a station on the West Side Branch of the city's first subway line, which was approved in 1900. The station opened on April 14, 1906. The Eighth Avenue Line station was built as an express and terminal station for the
Independent Subway System The Independent Subway System (IND; formerly the ISS) was a rapid transit rail system in New York City that is now part of the New York City Subway. It was first constructed as the IND Eighth Avenue Line, Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan in 1932. ...
(IND) and opened on September 10, 1932, as part of the IND's first segment. The IRT station has two
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, ...
s and two tracks. The IND station has two
island platform An island platform (also center platform (American English) or centre platform (British English)) is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway inte ...
s and four tracks, although the track configuration is reversed from most New York City Subway express stations, with express trains using the outer tracks and local trains using the inner tracks. The transfer between the IRT platforms and the IND platforms has been within
fare control In rail transport, the paid area is a dedicated "inner" zone in a railway station or metro station, accessible via turnstiles or other barriers, to get into which, visitors or passengers require a valid ticket, checked smartcard or a pass. A s ...
since July 1, 1948. The IND station contains elevators, which make it compliant with the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ...
(ADA). While the IRT station can only be reached by elevators, it is not ADA-accessible. The IRT station's interior is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.


History


IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line


Construction and opening

Planning for a subway line in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
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 The New York State Legislature consists of the Bicameralism, two houses that act as the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York: the New York State Senate and the New York State Assem ...
passed the Rapid Transit Act. The subway plans were drawn up by a team of engineers led by
William Barclay Parsons William Barclay Parsons Jr. (April 15, 1859 – May 9, 1932) was an American civil engineer. He founded Parsons Brinckerhoff, one of the largest American civil engineering firms. Early life Parsons was born on April 15, 1859 in New York City, ...
, the Rapid Transit Commission's chief engineer. It called for a subway line from
New York City Hall New York City Hall is the Government of New York City, seat of New York City government, located at the center of City Hall Park in the Civic Center, Manhattan, Civic Center area of Lower Manhattan, between Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway, Park R ...
in
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to 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 We ...
, where two branches would lead north into
the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
. 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 John B. McDonald (November 7, 1844 – March 17, 1911) was an Irish people, Irish-born contractor who is best known for overseeing construction of Early history of the IRT subway, New York City's first subway line from 1900 to 1904. Early life J ...
and funded by August Belmont Jr., signed the initial Contract 1 with the Rapid Transit Commission in February 1900, under 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 Heins & LaFarge was a New York City–based architectural firm founded by Philadelphia-born architect George Lewis Heins (1860–1907) and Christopher Grant LaFarge (1862–1938), the eldest son of the artist John La Farge. They were the architec ...
was hired to design the underground stations. Belmont incorporated the
Interborough Rapid Transit Company The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) was the private operator of New York City's original underground subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT ...
(IRT) in April 1902 to operate the subway. The 168th Street station was constructed as part of the IRT's West Side Line (now the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line) from 133rd Street to a point 100 feet (30 m) north of 182nd Street. Work on this section was conducted by L. B. McCabe & Brother, who started building the tunnel segment on May 14, 1900. The 168th Street station was one of three stations to be built within the deep-level Fort George Mine Tunnel. The station was equipped with elevators from its opening, since the IRT's contract with the city mandated elevators in stations that were more than deep. At the 168th Street station, the only means of access was via two elevators and a staircase, and the station cavern extended north and south of 168th Street. The original New York City Subway line from
City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
to 145th Street on the West Side Branch opened in October 1904, with the line being extended to 157th Street a week later. The 168th and
181st Street The borough of Manhattan in New York City contains 214 numbered east–west streets ranging from 1st to 228th, the majority of them designated in the Commissioners' Plan of 1811. These streets do not run exactly east–west, because the grid pla ...
stations had been scheduled to open on May 1, 1905, but the caverns and elevator shafts at these stations were not even fully excavated at the beginning of that year. Workers wanted to expedite the line's opening to serve baseball fans traveling to
American League Park American League Park, known by historians as American League Park I, was a baseball park that formerly stood in the Trinidad_(Washington,_D.C.), Trinidad neighborhood of Washington, D.C., at the corner of Florida Avenue and Trinidad Avenue NE on ...
, the home of the Highlanders (now
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
), which occupied the western side of Broadway from 165th to 168th Street. A train crashed into a temporary bulkhead at the south end of the station in March 1905; this caused a fire that weakened the tunnel's roof, which then collapsed and killed a firefighter. The damage caused by the crash delayed the station's completion by several months. Although the Fort George tunnel was nearly completed by January 1906, elevators had not been installed at the 168th and 181st Street stations. The West Side Branch was extended northward from 157th Street to a temporary terminus at 221st Street, near the
Harlem River Ship Canal Spuyten Duyvil Creek () is a short tidal estuary in New York City connecting the Hudson River to the Harlem River Ship Canal and then on to the Harlem River. The confluence of the three water bodies separate the island of Manhattan from t ...
, on March 12, 1906, with the station at 168th Street not yet open. This extension was initially served by shuttle trains operating between 157th Street and 221st Street. The 168th Street station opened for service on April 14, 1906. The station originally only had two elevators, each measuring , as well as a set of 119 steps; this contributed to serious overcrowding on the station's first day of operation. On May 30, 1906, express trains began running through to 221st Street. The opening of the first subway line helped contribute to the development of Washington Heights, although development around the 168th Street station was initially limited because of the presence of American League Park, as well as covenants that restricted development on many lots west of Broadway.


1900s and 1910s

When the 168th Street station opened, the two elevators could fit only 50 passengers each, and they became severely overcrowded during peak times. During baseball games at American League Park, many fans opted to instead take the subway to 157th Street, then pay an additional 25 cents for a taxi to the stadium. The elevators' capacity limitations prompted the Public Service Commission to decide against constructing additional deep-level subway lines; newer routes, such as the
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
and
Lexington Avenue Lexington Avenue, often colloquially abbreviated as "Lex", is an avenue on the East Side (Manhattan), East Side of Manhattan in New York City. The avenue carries southbound one-way traffic from East 131st Street (Manhattan), 131st Street to Gra ...
lines, were instead built using the
cut-and-cover A tunnel is an underground or undersea passageway. It is dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, or laid under water, and is usually completely enclosed except for the two Portal (architecture), portals common at each end, though ther ...
method. In Fiscal Year 1909, work was done to increase the carrying load of the elevators at the station. Officials had decided against adding additional elevators because it would only cost $6,300 to update the existing elevator cabs. By the early 1910s, the elevators could carry 80 people at once and were staffed by elevator operators. To address overcrowding, in 1909, the
New York Public Service Commission The New York Public Service Commission is the public utilities commission of the New York state government that regulates and oversees the electric, gas, water, and telecommunication industries in New York as part of the Department of Public Ser ...
proposed lengthening the platforms at stations along 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 $ million in ) spent on platform lengthening, $500,000 (equivalent to $ million in ) was spent on building additional entrances and exits. It was anticipated that these improvements would increase capacity by 25 percent. The northbound platform at the 168th Street station was extended to the south. The arched ceiling adjacent to the platform extension was replaced with a flat roof made of steel beams, since the arch's structural integrity was compromised by the platform extension. The southbound platform was not lengthened. Six-car local trains began operating in October 1910, and ten-car express trains began running on the West Side Line on January 24, 1911. Subsequently, the station could accommodate six-car local trains, but ten-car trains could not open some of their doors.


1920s to 1940s

Public Service Commission employees began preparing plans for an additional elevator at the station in 1919. The city government authorized the construction of additional elevators at the station in February 1922; there were to be four new shafts on the west side of Broadway, and elevator cabs were to be installed in two of the shafts. The city began receiving bids for the elevator shafts in April 1922, and they also awarded a contract for a new station entrance to Holbrook, Cabot & Rollins Corporation for $283,000 the next month. The city received bids for the elevator cabs that December and awarded the contract to the
Otis Elevator Company Otis Worldwide Corporation (trade name, branded as the Otis Elevator Company, its former legal name) styled as OTIS is an American company that develops, manufactures and markets elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and related equipment. ...
. In Fiscal Year 1923, work began on the installation of a new entrance with elevators on the west side of Broadway to increase the capacity of the station. The following fiscal year, the IRT reported that work to construct new entrances to the station was 87 percent complete. The two elevators entered service on June 26, 1924. The city government took over the IRT's operations on June 12, 1940. Platforms at IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line stations between and , including those at 168th Street, were lengthened to between 1946 and 1948, allowing full ten-car express trains to stop at these stations. A contract for the platform extensions at 168th Street and eight other stations on the line was awarded to Spencer, White & Prentis Inc. in October 1946, with an estimated cost of $3.891 million. The platform extensions at these stations were opened in stages. On April 6, 1948, the platform extension opened for stations from 103rd Street to
Dyckman Street Dyckman Street ( ), occasionally called West 200th Street, is a street in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is commonly considered to be a crosstown street because it runs from the Hudson River to the Harlem River and int ...
, including this station but excluding 125th Street.


IND Eighth Avenue Line

Plans for a second subway line with a station at 168th Street and Broadway date as far back as 1914. That year, engineer
Reginald Pelham Bolton Reginald Pelham Bolton (1856–1942) was an Anglo-American engineer, archaeologist and historian who conducted many digs in northern Manhattan during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He and his fellow "Relic Hunters" uncovered thousands of ...
proposed a short extension of the elevated
IRT Ninth Avenue Line The IRT Ninth Avenue Line, often called the Ninth Avenue Elevated or Ninth Avenue El, was the first elevated railway in New York City. It opened in July 1868 as the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway, as an experimental single-track Cable car ...
to Riverside Drive, with an intermediate station at 168th Street and Broadway to relieve congestion at the IRT subway stop there. The Transit Commission proposed another subway line to Broadway and 168th Street, an unbuilt extension of the
Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation The Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT) was an urban transit holding company, based in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, and incorporated in 1923. The system was sold to the city in 1940. Today, together with the IND subway sy ...
's Broadway Line, in 1922. New York City mayor
John Francis Hylan John Francis Hylan (April 20, 1868January 12, 1936), also known as "Red Mike" Hylan, was the 96th Mayor of New York City (the seventh since the consolidation of the five boroughs), from 1918 to 1925. From rural beginnings in the Catskills, Hylan ...
's original plans for the
Independent Subway System The Independent Subway System (IND; formerly the ISS) was a rapid transit rail system in New York City that is now part of the New York City Subway. It was first constructed as the IND Eighth Avenue Line, Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan in 1932. ...
(IND), proposed in 1922, included building over of new lines and taking over nearly of existing lines. The lines were designed to compete with the existing underground, surface, and elevated lines operated by the IRT and
Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation The Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT) was an urban transit holding company, based in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, and incorporated in 1923. The system was sold to the city in 1940. Today, together with the IND subway sy ...
(BMT). On December 9, 1924, the
New York City Board of Transportation The New York City Board of Transportation or the Board of Transportation of the City of New York (NYCBOT or BOT) was a city transit commission and operator in New York City, consisting of three members appointed by the Mayor of New York City, m ...
(BOT) gave preliminary approval to the construction of a subway line along Eighth Avenue, running from 207th Street. The BOT announced a list of stations on the new line in February 1928, with an express station at 167th Street; this station would be the northern terminus of local service. Most of the Eighth Avenue Line was dug using a cheap
cut-and-cover A tunnel is an underground or undersea passageway. It is dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, or laid under water, and is usually completely enclosed except for the two Portal (architecture), portals common at each end, though ther ...
method. In September 1928, the Woodcrest Construction Company received a $375,014 contract to construct the 155th Street, 163rd Street, and 168th Street stations on the new line. A preview event for the new subway was hosted on September 8, 1932, two days before the official opening. The Eighth Avenue Line station opened on September 10, 1932, as part of the city-operated IND's initial segment, the Eighth Avenue Line between
Chambers Street Chambers Street may refer to: Streets * Chambers Street, Edinburgh, Scotland * Chambers Street (Manhattan), New York City, U.S. * Chamber Street, once known as Chambers Street, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, England New York City Subway station ...
and 207th Street. There was a direct connection with the IRT station at 168th Street; initially, passengers had to pay an additional fare to transfer between the IRT and the IND. Construction of the whole line cost $191.2 million (equivalent to $ million in ). While the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line already provided service to Washington Heights, the new Eighth Avenue subway via St. Nicholas Avenue provided an alternative route. In particular, the IND's 168th Street station provided easy access to the
Columbia University Irving Medical Center Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) is the academic medical center of Columbia University and the largest campus of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. The center's academic wing consists of Columbia's colleges and schools of Physician ...
, as trains from 168th Street could reach
Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York City, is the southernmost part of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The neighborhood is History of New York City, the historical birthplace o ...
within a half hour.


Consolidation into single complex

When the IND station opened, it was connected to the IRT station at the same intersection via a passageway. This corridor originally required payment of an additional fare, but it was placed inside fare control on July 1, 1948.


1950s to 1970s

On December 28, 1950, the
New York City Board of Transportation The New York City Board of Transportation or the Board of Transportation of the City of New York (NYCBOT or BOT) was a city transit commission and operator in New York City, consisting of three members appointed by the Mayor of New York City, m ...
issued a report concerning the construction of bomb shelters in the subway system. Five deep stations in Washington Heights, including the IRT's 168th Street station, were considered to be ideal for being used as bomb-proof shelters. The program was expected to cost $104 million (equivalent to $ million in ). These shelters were expected to provide limited protection against conventional bombs, while providing protection against shock waves and air blast, as well as from the heat and radiation from an atomic bomb. To become suitable as shelters, the stations would require water-supply facilities, first-aid rooms, and additional bathrooms. However, the program, which required federal funding, was never completed. To increase passenger flow, officials replaced the IND station's pocket-change booths with high turnstiles in 1957, which prompted many complaints from passengers. In Fiscal Year 1958, two elevators at the IRT station were replaced with automatic ones, which began operating in January 1958. Fluorescent lighting at the IRT station was installed during Fiscal Year 1961. The 168th Street station was a major transfer hub for interstate buses to
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
until the 1960s, when the nearby
George Washington Bridge Bus Station The George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter bus terminal at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The bus station is owned and operated by the Port Author ...
opened; the last interstate bus stop was relocated in 1967. By 1970, the 168th Street station on the Eighth Avenue Line was among the subway system's 12 worst bottlenecks for passenger flow. The
New York City Transit Authority The New York City Transit Authority (also known as NYCTA, the TA, or simply Transit, and branded as MTA New York City Transit) is a New York state public-benefit corporations, public-benefit corporation in the U.S. state of New York (state), New ...
(NYCTA) was considering renovating the 168th Street station by 1975. The station's token booth was closed at some point during the 1970s but reopened in 1979.


1980s and 1990s

The Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line station was renovated in the late 1980s. By 1988, the project had been delayed by 20 months due to changes in the project's scope; the overpass and platform walls had yet to be restored. The renovation was completed in 1990 at a cost of $2.5 million. The project included relocating pipes and ducts, retiling the lower portions of the walls, and removing dirt from the vaulted ceiling. The NYCTA's director of architecture had wanted to clean the ceiling, but this would have required the installation of scaffolding, and the NYCTA could only use a chemical solution that was less potent than most chemical-cleaning solutions. By the early 1990s, many homeless people were sheltered within the 168th Street station and the tunnels near it; the city's largest homeless shelter was nearby. The MTA closed one of the station's entrances in March 1991 due to concerns about crime. Although the closed entrance had recorded over 50 felonies per year, some locals opposed the closure because it would create inconvenience. Passengers also frequently complained that the IRT station was overheating during the summer, prompting the
Metropolitan Transportation Authority The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is a New York state public benefit corporations, public benefit corporation in New York (state), New York State responsible for public transportation in the New York metropolitan area, New York Ci ...
(MTA) to operate one of the station's fans all the time in 1991. This was not repeated during 1992 because one of the station's fans had broken. The MTA installed a ventilation shaft for the IRT station in 1993 to alleviate overheating. During the early 1990s, the MTA also removed three of the station's high entry-exit turnstiles to increase passenger flow. The IRT station's elevators gained a reputation for unreliability. ''Newsday'', in 1992, reported that one of the station's elevators had recorded 40 outages in six months and was non-functional for a quarter of that time. Between July 5 and September 8, 1997, trains did not stop at the IRT station while the elevators were modernized. The NYCTA opted to close the station entirely because it would have taken two years to replace the elevators one at a time and because the staircase to the station could not handle the 18,000 passengers that used the station every day. A shuttle bus service was provided to 181st Street on the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line during the station's closure. The project cost $4 million (equivalent to $ million in ).


2000s to present

Several of the elevators in the station are staffed by elevator attendants, who are also employed at four other deep-level stations in Washington Heights. The elevator attendants are intended to reassure passengers, as the elevators are the only entrance to the platforms, and passengers often wait for the elevators with an attendant. The attendants at the five stations are primarily maintenance and cleaning workers who suffered injuries that made it hard for them to continue doing their original jobs. In July 2003, to reduce costs, the MTA announced that as part of its 2004 budget it would eliminate 22 elevator operator positions at the IRT's 168th Street station and four others in Washington Heights, leaving one full-time operator per station. The agency had intended to remove all the attendants at these stops, but kept one in each station after many riders protested. In addition, the MTA began operating all elevators at all times; prior to the change, each elevator only operated if it was staffed by an elevator operator. The change took effect on January 20, 2004, and was expected to save $1.15 million a year. In November 2007, the MTA proposed savings cuts to help reduce the agency's deficit. As part of the plan, all elevator operators at 168th Street, along with those in four other stations in Washington Heights, would have been cut. MTA employees had joined riders in worrying about an increase in crime as a result of the cuts after an elevator operator at 181st Street on the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line helped save a stabbed passenger. The move was intended to save $1.7 million a year. However, on December 7, 2007, the MTA announced that it would not remove the remaining elevator operators at these stations, due to pushback from elected officials and residents from the area. In October 2018, the MTA once again proposed removing the elevator operators at the five stations, but this was reversed after dissent from the Transport Workers' Union. The MTA again suggested reassigning elevator operators to station-cleaner positions in June 2023, prompting local politicians to sue to prevent the operators' reassignments. The IRT station was added to the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 2005. The IRT elevators remained unreliable in the early 21st century; in 2007 alone, one of the station's elevators malfunctioned 18 times while passengers were inside. From 2013 to 2016, the IRT station was partially renovated, with the station ceiling and northbound platform tilework replaced with replicas and flooring replaced. After a series of elevator malfunctions in 2017, elected officials began advocating for the replacement of the IRT station's elevators, which were nearly twice as old as the average elevator in the New York City Subway system. By then, the elevators broke down hundreds of times per year, inconveniencing passengers who needed to travel to Columbia University Medical Center. From January 5 to December 20, 2019, the IRT station was closed so the elevator cars could be replaced, and elevator shafts, mechanical components, and the stairways could be upgraded. During this time, a free out-of-system transfer was provided to the at Inwood–207th Street, from both 207th Street and 215th Street. The IND station was planned to be renovated starting in 2016 as part of the 2010–2014 MTA Capital Program. An MTA study conducted in 2015 found that 48 percent of components in the IND station were out of date. According to a study conducted by
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
researchers and published in 2024, the 168th Street IRT station had some of the highest particulate matter pollution levels of any subway station in New York City.


Service history


IRT station

After the first subway line was completed in 1908, the station was served by West Side local and express trains. Express trains began at South Ferry in Manhattan or Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, and ended at 242nd Street in the Bronx. Local trains ran from City Hall to 242nd Street during rush hours, continuing south from City Hall to South Ferry at other times. In 1918, the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line opened south of Times Square–42nd Street, and the original line was divided into an H-shaped system. The original subway north of Times Square thus became part of the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line. Local trains were sent to South Ferry, while express trains used the new
Clark Street Tunnel Clark is an English language surname with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland, ultimately derived from the Latin ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educated ...
to Brooklyn. The IRT routes at the station were given numbered designations in 1948 with the introduction of "R-type" rolling stock, which contained
rollsign A destination sign (North American English) or destination indicator/destination blind (British English) is a sign mounted on the front, side or rear of a public transport vehicle, such as a bus, tram/streetcar or light rail vehicle, that di ...
s with numbered designations for each service. The route to 242nd Street became known as the 1. All 1 trains became local in 1959, and increased and lengthened service was implemented during peak hours on the 1 train on February 6, 1959. In April 1988, the
New York City Transit Authority The New York City Transit Authority (also known as NYCTA, the TA, or simply Transit, and branded as MTA New York City Transit) is a New York state public-benefit corporations, public-benefit corporation in the U.S. state of New York (state), New ...
(NYCTA) unveiled plans to speed up service on the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line through the implementation of a
skip-stop Skip-stop is a public transit service pattern which reduces travel times and increases capacity by having vehicles ''skip'' certain ''stops'' along a route. Originating in rapid transit systems, skip-stop may be also used in light rail and bus ...
service: the 9 train. When skip-stop service started in 1989, it was only implemented north of 137th Street–City College on weekdays, and 168th Street was served by both the 1 and the 9. Skip-stop service ended on May 27, 2005, as a result of a decrease in the number of riders who benefited.


IND station

The A express train has always served the IND station since its inception in 1932. Local service was initially provided by the AA train from 168th Street to Chambers Street/Hudson Terminal; at the time, local services were denoted by double letters and express services by single letters. The AA was discontinued in 1933 when the CC began running on the local tracks along the Eighth Avenue and
Concourse A concourse is a place where pathways or roads meet, such as in a hotel, a convention center, a railway station, an airport terminal, a hall, or other space. The term is not limited to places where there are literally pathways or roadways or t ...
lines. The original BB train started running with the opening of the Sixth Avenue Line on December 15, 1940, ran as a rush-hour only local service starting at 168th Street–Washington Heights. The "B" designation was originally intended to designate express trains originating in Washington Heights and going to
Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...
on the Sixth Avenue Line. The AA was resurrected when the BB was created, running outside rush hours. The AA was renamed the K in 1985, while the BB was renamed the B. The K train was completely replaced by the C midday service on December 11, 1988, with all local service at 168th Street being provided by the B. On March 1, 1998, the B and the C switched northern terminals, ending B service to Washington Heights; the C began serving the station at all times except late nights.


Station layout

The IRT platforms are very deep, with the only public connection between the platforms and
fare control In rail transport, the paid area is a dedicated "inner" zone in a railway station or metro station, accessible via turnstiles or other barriers, to get into which, visitors or passengers require a valid ticket, checked smartcard or a pass. A s ...
being made via elevator. Close to street level is an upper mezzanine level with an unstaffed fare control area. Four elevators lead down to a lower mezzanine below the IRT platforms. At the upper mezzanine, a closed passageway exists behind the elevator bank. The IRT's 168th Street station was one of the few on the original IRT line to contain elevators. The IRT station is one of three stations in the New York City Subway system that can be accessed solely by elevators. The other two, also located on the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line, are
181st Street The borough of Manhattan in New York City contains 214 numbered east–west streets ranging from 1st to 228th, the majority of them designated in the Commissioners' Plan of 1811. These streets do not run exactly east–west, because the grid pla ...
one stop to the north, as well as Clark Street on the in
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
. However, the IRT station is not
ADA-accessible The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ...
. As part of the 2017 Fast Forward plan to modernize the subway system, 50 more stations will become ADA-accessible during the MTA's 2020–2024 Capital Program, allowing all riders to have an accessible station within two stops in either direction. To meet this goal, one station in the Washington Heights/ Inwood area will have to be made accessible on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line. The 168th Street station was ultimately selected to be retrofitted as part of the plan. The accessibility project was to be funded by
congestion pricing in New York City Congestion pricing in New York City, also known as the Central Business District Tolling Program or CBDTP, began on January 5, 2025. It applies to most motor vehicular traffic using the central business district area of Manhattan south of 6 ...
, but it was postponed in June 2024 after the implementation of congestion pricing was delayed. A slightly sloped corridor within fare control leads between the IRT and IND mezzanines. A full-length mezzanine extends above the IND platforms. Elevators from the mezzanine to the street, and to each IND platform, make that portion of the station ADA-accessible.


Exits

The full-time
fare control In rail transport, the paid area is a dedicated "inner" zone in a railway station or metro station, accessible via turnstiles or other barriers, to get into which, visitors or passengers require a valid ticket, checked smartcard or a pass. A s ...
area is at the center of the mezzanine, and has a turnstile bank, token booth, and one staircase and one elevator going up to the southeast corner of West 168th Street and Saint Nicholas Avenue. The part-time side at the north end of the mezzanine has HEET turnstiles and three staircases, two to the southwest corner of Broadway and 169th Street and one to the northwest corner. An exit-only turnstile in the middle of the mezzanine, near the corridor leading to the IRT platforms, leads to a staircase going up to north end of
Mitchell Square Park Mitchel Square Park is a small urban park in the Washington Heights neighborhood of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is a two part, triangle-shaped park formed by the intersection of Saint Nicholas Avenue, Broadway and 167th Street. ...
on the south side of West 168th Street between Broadway and Saint Nicholas Avenue. The passageway leading to the IRT elevators is just beyond the full-time fare control area. There are two exit stairs past this part-time fare control area, near the southwest corner of Broadway and 168th Street, which face north and south. The southernmost portion of the mezzanine, which is outside fare control, is closed. It features one passage on the east side of the IND station with two exits to the southeastern corner of 167th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue and a passage on the west side of the IND station with two exits to Mitchel Square Park. The closed mezzanine area is now used for
New York City Transit The New York City Transit Authority (also known as NYCTA, the TA, or simply Transit, and branded as MTA New York City Transit) is a public-benefit corporation in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City. Pa ...
employees only. The western area was closed in the 1980s for safety reasons, while the eastern area was closed in 1992.


IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line platforms

The 168th Street station (sometimes announced on the trains as the Washington Heights-168th Street station) on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line has two tracks and two
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, ...
s, and is served by the 1 train at all times. The station is between
181st Street The borough of Manhattan in New York City contains 214 numbered east–west streets ranging from 1st to 228th, the majority of them designated in the Commissioners' Plan of 1811. These streets do not run exactly east–west, because the grid pla ...
to the north and 157th Street to the south. It is one of three in the deep-level Fort George Mine Tunnel, along with the 181st Street and
191st Street station The 191st Street station is a station on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of St. Nicholas Avenue and 191st Street in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, it is serve ...
s to the north; the tunnel allows the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line to travel under the high terrain of Washington Heights. Sources disagree on the station's depth, which has been variously cited as , , or . The station was originally long but was extended to fit trains in 1948. Near the north end of the station, there are four elevators adjacent to the southbound platform, which lead to the fare control level. These elevators are accessed via a concourse several steps above the southbound platform. The lower sections of the concourse walls are clad with white tile, topped by a band of green tile, while the tops of the walls and the ceilings are made of concrete. Two footbridges with staircases connect the platforms. The elevators rise to the upper mezzanine level, which connects with the IND platforms. A rear passageway at the lower mezzanine level allows passengers to board and alight on different sides of the elevator cabs. The northern open bridge and northbound platform features a passageway east of the northbound side to an eastern elevator shaft. This shaft contained the two original elevators to and from the platforms. Each shaft measured wide. The eastern elevator shaft are planned to be reused for ADA accessibility to at least the northbound platform. There is also a stairway on the extreme northern end of both platforms, which ascends to a relay and signal power room. This stairway is not visible to the public.


Design

Much of the station is contained within a vault that measures wide and high. The lowest of the vault walls are wainscoted with rust-colored brick. Atop the brick wainscoting are a
belt course A belt course, also called a string course or sill course, is a continuous row or layer of stones or brick set in a wall. Set in line with window sills, it helps to make the horizontal line of the sills visually more prominent. Set between the ...
made of marble and a multicolored mosaic frieze measuring about thick. The tops of the walls contain tan brick. Tile name tablets are placed above the frieze at regular intervals, with white letters on a dark-green background surrounded by floral designs. These tablets contain the text "168th Street". The center of the vault ceiling has multicolored terracotta medallions at regular intervals; these formerly held lighting fixtures. Where the elevator shafts are positioned, the station widens to . The station's platform extensions have ceilings that are above the platform level. At the portals between the original vault and the much lower ceilings of the platform extensions, there is a wide arch over the tracks flanked by narrow arches over each platform. These transitions are clad with tan brick. The arch over the tracks has a volute with a laurel wreath. Between the arches, the lower portions of the walls are clad in gray marble. The walls of the platform extensions have white ceramic tiles with mosaic friezes as well as plaques with the words "168th Street". The walls are divided every by multicolored tile pilasters that are wide. There are two tile panels with the number "168" in each panel. Columns near the platform edge, clad with white tile, support the jack-arched concrete station roof.


Gallery

File:168th Street IRT Broadway 1.JPG, Mosaic name tablet File:168th Street IRT Broadway 4.JPG, Details of the mosaic work on the wall File:168th Street - Middle of Platform.JPG, Middle of uptown platform under renovation in 2013 File:168th Street southbound number 1 subway platform under reconstruction.jpg, The southbound platform under reconstruction in 2015


IND Eighth Avenue Line platforms

The 168th Street station is an express station on the
IND Eighth Avenue Line The IND Eighth Avenue Line is a rapid transit line in the B Division of the New York City Subway. Opened in 1932, it was the first line of the Independent Subway System (IND); as such, New Yorkers originally applied the ''Eighth Avenue Subwa ...
that has four tracks and two
island platform An island platform (also center platform (American English) or centre platform (British English)) is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway inte ...
s. The A train stops here at all times, making express stops during the day and local stops during the night; and the C train stops at all times except late nights and always makes local stops. The station is the northern terminus for C trains; the next station to the north is 175th Street for A trains. The next station to the south is 163rd Street–Amsterdam Avenue for local trains and 145th Street for express trains. Unlike other express stations in the subway system, the express tracks, used by the A train, are on the outside and the local tracks, used by the C train, are on the inside. This is to make it easier for C trains to originate and terminate here, and turn around north of the station to make the southbound trip to Brooklyn. South of this station, the outer express tracks descend to a lower level below the inner local tracks, creating a two-over-two track layout. North of the station, the inner local tracks continue north underneath
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
to the 174th Street Yard, while the outer express tracks turn sharply under
Fort Washington Avenue Fort Washington Avenue is a major north-south street in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. It runs from Fort Tryon Park to 159th Street, where it intersects with Broadway. It goes past Bennett Park, the highest natural point ...
before continuing for four more stops before ending at Inwood–207th Street. During the night, the A train makes local stops, using the northbound local track at this station before crossing over to the express one afterwards and the southbound express track at this station before crossing over to the local one afterwards. Both outer track walls have a maroon trim line with a black border and small "168" tile captions below them in white numbering on a black border. The maroon trim line was part of a color-coded tile system used throughout the IND. The tile colors were designed to facilitate navigation for travelers going away from
Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York City, is the southernmost part of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The neighborhood is History of New York City, the historical birthplace o ...
. Because 168th Street is the northernmost express station on the Eighth Avenue Line, the color-coded tiles at stations north of 168th Street were originally maroon. This station has a full-length mezzanine above the platforms and tracks. Black I-beam columns run along the platform, alternating ones having the standard black name plate with white lettering.


Gallery

File:R46 C Train @ 168th Street September 2019.jpg, An
R46 R46 or R-46 may refer to: Roads * R46 expressway (Czech Republic), now the D46 motorway * R46 (South Africa) Other uses

* R-46 (missile), a Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile * R46 (New York City Subway car) * Escadrille R46, a unit ...
C train at 168th Street File:168 Street wall vc.jpg, Deteriorating walls File:IND Eighth 168th Street Tile Caption.jpg, Close up of tile caption


Nearby points of interest

Nearby points of interest include
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital The NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (abbreviated as NYP) is a nonprofit academic medical center in New York City. It is the primary teaching hospital for Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. The hospit ...
/
Columbia University Medical Center Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) is the academic medical center of Columbia University and the largest campus of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. The center's academic wing consists of Columbia's colleges and schools of Physicia ...
, Fort Washington Armory,
Fort Washington Park Fort Washington, located near the community of Fort Washington, Maryland, was for many decades the only defensive fort protecting Washington, D.C. The original fort, overlooking the Potomac River, was completed in 1809, and was begun as Fort ...
on the
Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...
waterfront, and remnants of the
Audubon Ballroom The Audubon Theatre and Ballroom, generally referred to as the Audubon Ballroom, was a theatre and ballroom located at 3940 Broadway at West 165th Street in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was built in 191 ...
.


Notes


References


External links

* * * Station Reporter â€
168 Street/Broadway Complex
* The Subway Nut â€
Washington Heights–168th Street Pictures

168th Street entrance to Eighth Avenue Line from Google Maps Street View

169th Street entrance to Eighth Avenue Line from Google Maps Street View

168th Street entrance to Broadway-Seventh Avenue Line from Google Maps Street View

IRT overpass from Google Maps Street View

IRT platforms from Google Maps Street View

IND platforms from Google Maps Street View
{{National Register of Historic Places in New York IND Eighth Avenue Line stations IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line stations Broadway (Manhattan) New York City Subway stations in Manhattan New York City Subway terminals New York City Subway transfer stations Railway and subway stations on the National Register of Historic Places in Manhattan Washington Heights, Manhattan Railway stations in the United States opened in 1948 Railway stations in the United States opened in 1906 Railway stations in the United States opened in 1932 1948 establishments in New York City 1906 establishments in New York City 1932 establishments in New York City