Wikipedia

137th Street–City College station

The 137th Street–City College station is a local station on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 137th Street and Broadway in Hamilton Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, it is served by the 1 train at all times. The station serves the nearby City College of New York and Riverbank State Park.

 137 Street–City College
 "1" train
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Southbound platform
Station statistics
AddressWest 137th Street & Broadway
New York, New York
BoroughManhattan
LocaleHamilton Heights
Coordinates40°49′16″N 73°57′14″W / 40.821°N 73.954°W / 40.821; -73.954
DivisionA (IRT)[1]
Line   IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line
Services   1 all times (all times)
TransitBus transport NYCT Bus: M4, M5
StructureUnderground
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks3 (2 in regular service)
Other information
OpenedOctober 27, 1904 (120 years ago) (1904-10-27)[2]
Accessiblenot ADA-accessible; currently undergoing renovations for ADA access
Opposite-
direction
transfer		No
Traffic
20232,738,004[3] Increase 8.1%
Rank124 out of 423[3]
Services
Preceding station New York City Subway New York City Subway Following station
145th Street
toward Van Cortlandt Park–242nd Street
Local 		125th Street
toward South Ferry
Location
137th Street–City College station is located in New York City Subway
137th Street–City College station
137th Street–City College station is located in New York City
137th Street–City College station
137th Street–City College station is located in New York
137th Street–City College station
Track layout

Legend
to 157th Street
145th Street
137th Street Yard
137th Street–City College
to 125th Street
Street map

Map

Station service legend
Symbol Description
Stops all times Stops all times

The 137th Street station was constructed for the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) as part of the city's first subway line, which was approved in 1900. Construction of the line segment that includes 137th Street began on May 14 of the same year. The station opened on October 27, 1904, as one of the original 28 stations of the New York City Subway. The station's platforms were lengthened in 1948, and the station was renovated in the late 20th century.

The 137th Street station contains two side platforms and three tracks; the center track is not used in regular service. The station was built with tile and mosaic decorations. The platforms contain exits to Broadway's intersection with 137th Street and are not connected to each other within fare control.

History

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Construction and opening

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Northbound platform in 1905

Planning for a subway line in New York City dates to 1864.[4]: 21  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.[4]: 139–140  The subway plans were drawn up by 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.[5]: 3  A plan was formally adopted in 1897,[4]: 148  and all legal conflicts concerning the route alignment were resolved near the end of 1899.[4]: 161 

The Rapid Transit Construction Company, organized by John B. McDonald and funded by August Belmont Jr., signed the initial Contract 1 with the Rapid Transit Commission in February 1900,[6] under which it would construct the subway and maintain a 50-year operating lease from the opening of the line.[4]: 165  In 1901, the firm of Heins & LaFarge was hired to design the underground stations.[5]: 4  Belmont incorporated the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) in April 1902 to operate the subway.[4]: 182 

The 137th 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.[6] The section of the West Side Line around this station was originally planned as a two-track line, but in early 1901, was changed to a three-track structure to permit train storage in the center track.[7]: 93 [8]: 189–190  A third track was added directly north of 96th Street, immediately east of the originally planned two tracks.[9]: 14  By late 1903, the subway was nearly complete, but the IRT Powerhouse and the system's electrical substations were still under construction, delaying the system's opening.[4]: 186 [10] As late as October 26, 1904, the day before the subway was scheduled to open, the walls and ceilings were incomplete.[11]

The 137th Street 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.[2][4]: 186  The opening of the first subway line helped contribute to the development of Morningside Heights and Harlem.[12]: 8 

Service changes and station renovations

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After the first subway line was completed in 1908,[13] 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.[14] 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 to Brooklyn.[15]

To address overcrowding, in 1909, the New York Public Service Commission proposed lengthening the platforms at stations along the original IRT subway.[16]: 168  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 was anticipated that these improvements would increase capacity by 25 percent.[17]: 15  The northbound platform at the 137th Street station was extended 150 feet (46 m) to the south,[17]: 112  while the southbound platform was not lengthened.[17]: 106  Six-car local trains began operating in October 1910,[16]: 168  and ten-car express trains began running on the West Side Line on January 24, 1911.[16]: 168 [18] Subsequently, the station could accommodate six-car local trains, but ten-car trains could not open some of their doors.[19]

The city government took over the IRT's operations on June 12, 1940.[20][21] Platforms at IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line stations between 103rd Street and 238th Street, including those at 137th Street, were lengthened to 514 feet (157 m) between 1946 and 1948, allowing full ten-car express trains to stop at these stations.[19] A contract for the platform extensions at 137th Street and eight other stations on the line was awarded to Spencer, White & Prentis Inc. in October 1946,[22] with an estimated cost of $3.891 million.[23] The platform extensions at these stations were opened in stages. On April 6, 1948, the platform extension at 137th Street opened.[19][24] Simultaneously, the IRT routes were given numbered designations with the introduction of "R-type" rolling stock, which contained rollsigns with numbered designations for each service.[25] The route to 242nd Street became known as the 1.[26] In 1959, all 1 trains became local.[27]

In 1981, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority listed the station among the 69 most deteriorated stations in the subway system.[28] A renovation of the 137th Street station was funded as part of the MTA's 1980–1984 capital plan.[29] The MTA received a $106 million grant from the Urban Mass Transit Administration in October 1983; most of the grant would fund the renovation of eleven stations,[30][31] including 137th Street.[30] Before Barack Obama became president of the United States, one of his first community organizing efforts after graduating from Columbia University was in conjunction with drawing attention to the poor condition of the station. In 1984 or 1985, Obama, who was working for the New York Public Interest Research Group, was among the leaders of May Day efforts to bring attention to the subway system, particularly the station serving City College. Obama traveled to stations to get people to sign letters addressed to local officials and the MTA. Obama was photographed holding a sign saying "May-Day! May-Day!! Sinking Subway System!"[32][33]

In April 1988,[34] the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) unveiled plans to speed up service on the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line through the implementation of a skip-stop service: the 9 train.[35] When skip-stop service started in 1989, it was only implemented north of 137th Street–City College on weekdays, and it was the northernmost local stop served by both the 1 and the 9.[36][37][38] Skip-stop service ended on May 27, 2005, as a result of a decrease in the number of riders who benefited.[39][40]

On January 2, 2007, film student Cameron Hollopeter suffered a seizure in the station and fell off the platform onto the tracks. Wesley Autrey saved his life as a train was approaching.[41] Autrey was given numerous awards and prizes,[42][43] and his two daughters were given a scholarship.[44]

In 2019, as part of an initiative to increase the accessibility of the New York City Subway system, the MTA announced that it would install elevators at the 137th Street–City College station as part of the MTA's 2020–2024 Capital Program.[45] In December 2022, the MTA announced that it would award a $146 million contract for the installation of eight elevators across four stations, including 137th Street.[46] Construction efforts on the elevator project at 137th Street began in early 2024 and are expected to be completed by March 2025.[47]

Station layout

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Ground Street level Exit/entrance
Platform level Side platform
Northbound local ←   toward Van Cortlandt Park–242nd Street (145th Street)
←   alighting passengers only (select AM rush trips)
Peak-direction express → No regular service
Southbound local →   toward South Ferry (125th Street) →
Side platform
 
Mosaic by Heins & LaFarge
 
Cartouche with three faces

This station was part of the original subway, and has two side platforms and three tracks, the center one being an unused express track.[48] The station is served by the 1 at all times[49] and is between 145th Street to the north and 125th Street to the south.[50] The platforms were originally 350 feet (110 m) long, like at other stations north of 96th Street,[5]: 4 [51]: 8  but as a result of the 1948 platform extension, became 520 feet (160 m) long.[19] The platform extensions are at the southern ends of the original platforms.[51]: 40 

Design

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As with other stations built as part of the original IRT, the station was constructed using a cut-and-cover method.[52]: 237  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.[51]: 9  Each platform consists of 3-inch-thick (7.6 cm) concrete slabs, beneath which are drainage basins. The original platforms contained circular, cast-iron Doric-style columns spaced every 15 feet (4.6 m), while the platform extensions contained I-beam columns. Additional columns between the tracks, spaced every 5 feet (1.5 m), support the jack-arched concrete station roofs.[5]: 4 [51]: 9  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.[51]: 9  The columns have been overlaid with heavy brick blocks.

The decorative scheme consists of silver and blue tile tablets (which may not have been original to the station design); white tile bands; a buff terracotta cornice; and green terracotta plaques.[51]: 40  The mosaic tiles at all original IRT stations were manufactured by the American Encaustic Tile Company, which subcontracted the installations at each station.[51]: 31  The decorative work was performed by tile contractor Manhattan Glass Tile Company and terracotta contractor Atlantic Terra Cotta Company.[51]: 40  The mosaics are in pink and black. The ceramic cartouche is also in pink and shows a three-faced figure. The three faces represent "Respice", "Adspice", and "Prospice", and are an emblem of the nearby City College.

Track layout

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In the past, 137th Street was sometimes used as a terminal station. There are switches north of the station that allow northbound trains to enter the underground 137th Street Yard, then return to the other side of the station for the next trip south. The center express track that passes through the station is currently unused in revenue service.[48]

Just south of the station, the tracks emerge onto the Manhattan Valley Viaduct. The line is elevated at 125th Street, and then underground once again at 116th Street–Columbia University, allowing trains to maintain a relatively level grade while passing through highly uneven terrain.[48]

Exits

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Street stair

Both platforms have same-level fare control containing a bank of turnstiles and staircases to the street. The northbound platform has two staircases on the east side of Broadway at 137th Street, and the southbound platform has a token booth and two staircases, one to each western corner of Broadway and 137th Street. There are no crossovers or crossunders to allow transfers between directions.[53]

References

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  1. ^ "Glossary". Second Avenue Subway Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) (PDF). Vol. 1. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. March 4, 2003. pp. 1–2. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Our Subway Open: 150,000 Try It; Mayor McClellan Runs the First Official Train". The New York Times. October 28, 1904. p. 1. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Annual Subway Ridership (2018–2023)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Walker, James Blaine (1918). Fifty Years of Rapid Transit — 1864 to 1917. New York, N.Y.: Law Printing. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d "Interborough Rapid Transit System, Underground Interior" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. October 23, 1979. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  6. ^ a b Report of the Board of Rapid Transit Railroad Commissioners for the City of New York For The Year Ending December 31, 1904 Accompanied By Reports of the Chief Engineer and of the Auditor. Board of Rapid Transit Railroad Commissioners. 1905. pp. 229–236.
  7. ^ Report of the Board of Rapid Transit Railroad Commissioners For And In The City of New York Up to December 31, 1901. Board of Rapid Transit Railroad Commissioners. 1902. Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  8. ^ Report of the Public Service Commission For The First District of the State of New York For The Year Ending December 31, 1909. Albany: Public Service Commission. 1910. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  9. ^ "New York City's Subway Turns 100" (PDF). The Bulletin. 47 (10). Electric Railroaders' Association. October 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  10. ^ "First of Subway Tests; West Side Experimental Trains to be Run by Jan. 1 Broadway Tunnel Tracks Laid, Except on Three Little Sections, to 104th Street -- Power House Delays". The New York Times. November 14, 1903. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  11. ^ "Clamor for Tickets for Subway Opening; Distribution Plan Criticised by Engineers and Many Others". The New York Times. October 26, 1904. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  12. ^ "New York MPS 110th Street--Cathedral Parkway Subway Station (IRT)". Records of the National Park Service, 1785 - 2006, Series: National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records, 2013 - 2017, Box: National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records: New York, ID: 75313907. National Archives.
  13. ^ "Our First Subway Completed At Last — Opening of the Van Cortlandt Extension Finishes System Begun in 1900 — The Job Cost $60,000,000 — A Twenty-Mile Ride from Brooklyn to 242d Street for a Nickel Is Possible Now". The New York Times. August 2, 1908. p. 10. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  14. ^ Herries, William (1916). Brooklyn Daily Eagle Almanac. Brooklyn Daily Eagle. p. 119. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  15. ^ "Open New Subway Lines to Traffic; Called a Triumph" (PDF). The New York Times. August 2, 1918. p. 1. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 21, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  16. ^ a b c Hood, Clifton (1978). "The Impact of the IRT in New York City" (PDF). Historic American Engineering Record. pp. 146–207 (PDF pp. 147–208). Archived (PDF) from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  17. ^ a b c Report of the Public Service Commission for the First District of the State of New York For The Year Ending December 31, 1910. Public Service Commission. 1911. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  18. ^ "Ten-car Trains in Subway to-day; New Service Begins on Lenox Av. Line and Will Be Extended to Broadway To-morrow". The New York Times. January 23, 1911. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 5, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  19. ^ a b c d Report for the three and one-half years ending June 30, 1949. New York City Board of Transportation. 1949. hdl:2027/mdp.39015023094926.
  20. ^ "City Transit Unity Is Now a Reality; Title to I.R.T. Lines Passes to Municipality, Ending 19-Year Campaign". The New York Times. June 13, 1940. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  21. ^ "Transit Unification Completed As City Takes Over I. R. T. Lines: Systems Come Under Single Control After Efforts Begun in 1921; Mayor Is Jubilant at City Hall Ceremony Recalling 1904 Celebration". New York Herald Tribune. June 13, 1940. p. 25. ProQuest 1248134780.
  22. ^ Crowell, Paul (October 11, 1946). "Improvement Costs Voted for Subway; Board of Estimate Appropriates $31,291,000 for New Cars and Station Lengthening" (PDF). The New York Times. p. 24. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 21, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  23. ^ "City Approves $35,153,000 Subway Outlay: Board of Estimate Awards Contract for 400 Cars and 10 Station Projects". New York Herald Tribune. October 11, 1946. p. 40. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1287183692.
  24. ^ "More Long Platforms – Five Subway Stations on IRT to Accommodate 10-Car Trains" (PDF). The New York Times. July 10, 1948. p. 8. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  25. ^ Brown, Nicole (May 17, 2019). "How did the MTA subway lines get their letter or number? NYCurious". amNewYork. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  26. ^ Friedlander, Alex; Lonto, Arthur; Raudenbush, Henry (April 1960). "A Summary of Services on the IRT Division, NYCTA" (PDF). New York Division Bulletin. 3 (1). Electric Railroaders' Association: 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 14, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  27. ^ "Wagner Praises Modernized IRT — Mayor and Transit Authority Are Hailed as West Side Changes Take Effect". The New York Times. February 7, 1959. p. 21. Archived from the original on January 1, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  28. ^ Gargan, Edward A. (June 11, 1981). "Agency Lists Its 69 Most Deteriorated Subway Stations". The New York Times. p. B5S. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  29. ^ Goldman, Ari L. (April 28, 1983). "M.T.A. Making Major Addition to Capital Plan". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  30. ^ a b Moses, Charles T. (October 3, 1983). "TA Gets Funds to Fix Subways". Newsday. p. 3. ISSN 2574-5298. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  31. ^ Gargan, Edward A. (October 3, 1983). "City Speeding Its Subway Repairs". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  32. ^ Fink, Jason (November 9, 2008). "Obama stood out, even during brief 1985 NYPIRG job". Newsday. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  33. ^ Harpaz, Beth J. (November 22, 2009). "Obama's 'lost years' in Manhattan – Hawaii's Newspaper". The Honolulu Advertiser. Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  34. ^ Brozan, Nadine (June 4, 1989). "'Skip-Stop' Subway Plan Annoys No. 1 Riders". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  35. ^ Moore, Keith (June 10, 1988). "TA's skip-stop plan hit". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  36. ^ "#1 Riders: Your Service is Changing". New York Daily News. August 20, 1989. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  37. ^ "Announcing 1 and 9 Skip-Stop Service on the Broadway-Seventh Avenue Line" (PDF). New York City Transit Authority. August 1989. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 26, 2020. Retrieved August 1, 2009.
  38. ^ Lorch, Donatella (August 22, 1989). "New Service For Subways On West Side". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  39. ^ Chan, Sewell (May 25, 2005). "On Its Last Wheels, No. 9 Line Is Vanishing on Signs". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  40. ^ "Noteworthy – 9 discontinued". May 7, 2005. Archived from the original on May 7, 2005. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  41. ^ Buckley, Cara (January 3, 2007). "Man Is Rescued by Stranger on Subway Tracks". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 14, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  42. ^ Loeser, Stu; Kelly, Matthew (January 4, 2007). "Mayor Bloomberg Presents Award to Subway Hero Wesley Autrey". nyc.gov. Archived from the original on April 21, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  43. ^ Chung, Jen (January 5, 2007). "City Honors Awesome Subway Hero Wesley Autrey". Gothamist. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  44. ^ Coultan, Mark (January 6, 2007). "NY toasts Subway Superman after death-defying rescue". The Age. Melbourne. Archived from the original on April 21, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  45. ^ "Press Release - MTA Headquarters - MTA Announces 20 Additional Subway Stations to Receive Accessibility Improvements Under Proposed 2020-2024 Capital Plan". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. December 19, 2019. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  46. ^ "Capital Program Oversight Committee Meeting December 2022". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. December 19, 2022. pp. 107–109. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  47. ^ Schwalb, Jessica (April 11, 2024). "ADA upgrades at 137th Street-City College station delayed, set to finish by March 2025". Columbia Spectator.
  48. ^ a b c Dougherty, Peter (2006) [2002]. Tracks of the New York City Subway 2006 (3rd ed.). Dougherty. OCLC 49777633 – via Google Books.
  49. ^ "1 Subway Timetable, Effective December 17, 2023". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  50. ^ "Subway Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  51. ^ a b c d e f g h Framberger, David J. (1978). "Architectural Designs for New York's First Subway" (PDF). Historic American Engineering Record. pp. 1–46 (PDF pp. 367–412). Archived (PDF) from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  52. ^ Scott, Charles (1978). "Design and Construction of the IRT: Civil Engineering" (PDF). Historic American Engineering Record. pp. 208–282 (PDF pp. 209–283). Archived (PDF) from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  53. ^ "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Harlem / Hamilton Heights" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.

Further reading

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  • Stookey, Lee (1994). Subway ceramics : a history and iconography of mosaic and bas relief signs and plaques in the New York City subway system. Brattleboro, Vt: L. Stookey. ISBN 978-0-9635486-1-0. OCLC 31901471.
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