The long wait is finally over as the MTA announced today that the transfer between the IND Broadway-Lafayette station and the uptown 6 at Bleecker St. will open on Tuesday, September 25. Kevin Ortiz, a Transit spokesperson, dropped the news via his Twitter account this afternoon. I’ll have more on this news later, but it goes without saying that it’s about time. This project has been delayed numerous times, and the opening date for the transfer had remained shrouded in mystery for some time. It should prove to be a very popular transfer point for East Side-bound riders coming into the city from Brooklyn.
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Wow, it’s about time! This transfer has been a long time coming and has been delayed forever! I can’t wait to make the trip, tho! It’ll be great to have a full transfer there! I’m especially happy since I live on the F line and it has been difficult transferring uptown for the Lexington line.
It sure IS about time!
Considering all the delays in THIS project, and in the 47th St. Grand Central entrance project, can we really believe the MTA’s stated completion dates for the Second Avenue Subway, the East Side Access, etc.?
Well, I’d sure say its about time! The IND Opened in 1932!
But the IRT Bleecker Street station was still 260 feet away from Houston Street when the IND opened, because Bleecker was only built for five-car trains. It wasn’t until the late 1940s, when the city extended the downtown IRT platforms to accommodate 10-car trains that the platform was extended to Houston Street and they could knock a hole in the wall to connect the IRT and the IND.
(…which they still didn’t do right away, and then — for whatever reason — decided when the IRT uptown local platforms south of 14th were extended to build the extra 260 feet to the north instead of the south of Bleecker. That was the dumb move that led to the oddball transfer point, a problem which took half a century to correct.)
I believe the Bleecker Street station was extended as it was originally because there used to be a gas station at Houston and Lafayette and the station owner at the time refused to move, forcing the extension to be northward than southward. This could not have been changed until about a decade ago I believe.
Total hoax. Can’t believe you fell for it again, Ben.
Hah! This time it’s a 100 percent legit source. It’s even on Transit’s own Twitter feed. Any further delays will be entirely unexpected (but perhaps not at all unsurprising).
Eh, they seem like they’re pretty much done with it.
The first time I saw (or was aware of, in any case) a subway map, I wondered why the East Side IRT split into two just north of Houston Street. It was the 1959 version, and it seemed odd that they built a subway in two pieces. Of course I didn’t realize at first that it was just a cartographic detail that was intended to show a one-way transfer, but now – 53 years later – no one need be misled anymore.
That’s right.
I was the 10-year-old kid who noticed that “split” on the 1961 subway map.
Would be helpful if a map of the connection were provided!
There’s a rendering of the transfer attached to this post, and when the map is updated, I’ll showcase. What sort of map do you need though? It’s the same connection as between the downtown 6 and the B/D/F/M but with a little bit of a longer walk underneath the IRT tracks.
It seems to me that with the opening of this transfer it would make sense to rethink the split in service between the B/Q and N/D. All four lines crawl through the junction between the Manhattan Bridge and DeKalb because they must merge with other lines. Switching the terminals for the D and Q in Brooklyn would eliminate the need for merging. Considering all four lines take very similar routes through Manhattan (the Sixth Avenue and Broadway line stations are all very close to one another) the only justification for providing both Sixth Avenue and Broadway service from each Brooklyn station is that the Sixth Avenue line does not have a good transfer point for east side trains. But that’s about to change. Rejiggering the B/D and N/Q to stay together in Brooklyn would further reduce travel time as most passengers will be able to take either train, greatly reducing wait time. Anyone know if this is being considered?
Interesting proposal. I’m for anything that would speed up that crawl.
I don’t think Brooklyn riders will give up their one seat rides, especially considering how annoying the transfer at Atlantic-Barclays is, and the fact that the Broadway line does not not conect to the 8th Ave line (Times Square does not count)
The main issue is that 4th Ave express trains don’t stop at DeKalb, which would allow for easy transfers between them and the Brighton lines. Otherwise, I’d totally be up for it, because merging just slows everything down.
The current set-up is locked in by political and practical limitations.
1) The Brighton Express must be the B, if you want the part time service in Brooklyn to match the part time service in the Bronx.
2) There was a huge political demand for West End trains to stop at Grand Street, to serve that portion of Chinatown.
The aug 2012 map already made the nortbound 6 able to transfer at that station
I’m hoping that next on the agenda is a free transfer between the A/C at Lafayette St and the G at Fulton St to the B/D/N/Q/R/2/3/4/5/LIRR at Atlantic Ave–Barclays Center.
Or the A/C/F at Jay St to the 2/3/4/5 at Borough Hall. Each only one block away from each other.
What time will the ribbon-cutting ceremony take place at the uptown (6) platform?
December, when it will actually open (the September date is a hoax; just watch).
The official opening is at noon – see:
http://www.mta.info/nyct/servi.....ckerSt.htm
As of Tuesday (opening day), the MTA’s online subway map was updated with the change. Today (opening day + 2), the Weekender has been updated. This leaves only the Night Service map showing the one-way transfer at Bleecker.
The MTA just announced an update to the Night Map. It should be available soon around the city and online.