The BMT’s 4th Ave. line to Bay Ridge celebrates its 100th anniversary this week. This photo shows the 77th St. station on the eve of its opening. (Photo courtesy of the Transit Museum)
A century ago, what eventually became the R train made its first trip down 4th Ave. to Bay Ridge. Subway access to this seaside community in Brooklyn would forever change the neighborhood, and like many other NYC neighborhoods and subway lines, the history of Bay Ridge’s BMT is of unfulfilled promises. That subway, after all, never could find its way across the Narrows to Staten Island.
These days, the R train is the line Bay Ridge residents hate to love and love to hate. Politicians are pressing the MTA to improve service that many say has fallen off since the Montague St. Tubes reopened, and I promise I’ll have more on that next week. In the meantime, for some three-day weekend reading, check out Hey Ridge’s paean to the R train. The neighborhood blog offers up more than you ever knew you wanted to know about the R train and its history. I highly recommend the post for its photos and the tale it tells about New York ambition then and now.
Meanwhile, on the Sea Beach line, a massive overhaul of some very sorry-looking stations begins next week, and it’s going to mean backtracking and increased travel time. Details and more in this week’s service advisories. As a word of warning, check these carefully when you travel this weekend. The press release from the MTA wasn’t complete, and while I’ve tried to fill where I can, I’m sure I’ve missed something.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, January 15 to 7:30 a.m. Sunday, January, 17 and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday, January 17 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, January 18, Brooklyn-bound 4 trains run express from 14 St-Union Sq to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall.
From 6:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, January 16, and from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Sunday, January 17, 5 trains run every 20 minutes between Eastchester-Dyre Av and Bowling Green.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, January 15 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, January 18, Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall bound 6 trains run express from 14 St-Union Sq to Brooklyn Bridge.
From 3:45 a.m. Saturday, January 16 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, January 18, Hudson Yards-bound 7 trains run express from Mets-Willets Point to 74 St-Broadway.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, January 15 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, January 18, A trains are rerouted via the F in both directions between W 4 St-Wash Sq and Jay St-MetroTech.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, January 15 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, January 18, A trains run local in both directions between W 4 St-Wash Sq and 59 St-Columbus Circle.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, January 15 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, January 17, and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday, January 17 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, January 18, Manhattan-bound A trains run express 59 St-Columbus Circle to 125 St.
From 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, January 16 and January 17, C trains are rerouted via the F line in both directions between W 4 St-Wash Sq and Jay St-MetroTech.
From 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, January 16 and January 17, Manhattan-bound C trains run express 59 St-Columbus Circle to 125 St.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, January 15 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, January 18, D trains are suspended in both directions between 59 St-Columbus Circle and Coney Island-Stillwell Av. F, N, Q, R trains and shuttle buses provide alternate service.
- N trains replace the D in Brooklyn between Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr and Coney Island-Stillwell Av.
- D trains run express via the A from 59 St-Columbus Circle to and from Chambers St.
- Free shuttle buses run between W 4 St-Wash Sq and Grand St, stopping at B’way-Lafayette St. Transfer between trains and shuttle buses at W 4 St-Wash Sq.
- For Brooklyn, take the N instead. Transfer to/from D trains via the passageway at Times Sq-42 St/Port Authority.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, January 15 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, January 18, E trains are rerouted via the F line in both directions between 21 St-Queensbridge and W 4 St-Wash Sq. Free shuttle buses run between Court Sq-23 St and 21 St-Queensbridge, stopping at Queens Plaza.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, January 16 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, January 18, E trains run local in both directions in Queens.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, January 16 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, January 18, F trains run local in both directions between Forest Hills-71 Av and 21 St-Queensbridge.
Beginning 5:00 a.m. Monday, January 18 until Spring 2017, Astoria-Ditmars Blvd bound N trains skip 86 St, Avenue U, Kings Hwy, 20 Av, 18 Av, New Utrecht Av, and Fort Hamilton Pkwy. N trains will stop at Bay Pkwy and 8 Av.
- To 86 St, Avenue U, and Kings Hwy, take the Astoria-bound N to Bay Pkwy and transfer to a Coney Island-bound N.
- To 20 Av, 18 Av, New Utrecht Av, and Fort Hamilton Pkwy, take the Astoria-bound N to 8 Av and transfer to a Coney Island-bound N.
- From these stations, take a Coney Island-bound N to Bay Pkwy or Stillwell Av and transfer to an Astoria-bound N.
- For New Utrecht Av-62 St, take the D instead. Transfer to an Astoria-bound N train at 36 St.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, January 15 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, January 18, N trains are rerouted via the D line in both directions between Coney Island-Stillwell Av and 36 St. Free shuttle buses and R trains provide alternate service.
From 3:45 a.m. Saturday, January 16 to 10 p.m. Sunday, January 17, Manhattan-bound Q trains run express from Sheepshead Bay to Kings Hwy.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, January 15 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, January 17, and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday, January 17 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, January 18, 36 St-bound R trains stop at 53 St and 45 St.
9 comments
Awesome photo of an entrance to the subway system in what otherwise appears to be a suburban community in Anywhere, U.S.A.
With a *dirt road*, no less.
Long live the R train.
and 1 house from that block still stands @ corner of 76th (2 in the middle seem to have been demolished about 7-8 years ago)
I love that the subway station pictured predates even paved roads!
What I find amazing is that a not yet open station has not only no physical barrier blocking the entrance, but not even so much as a sign saying not to enter. Imagine THAT today!
On one hand, it’s possible there was a gate at the bottom of the staircase. On the other, hell yeah that would never happen today.
On the third hand by the day before opening the station was fully staffed and they were down there meeting and greeting anyone who wandered down.
Related to weekend track work (and your Jan 19 poll on which option to choose when renovating stations), as an UWS resident, I couldn’t help but notice (and be inconvenienced) by the almost weekly service change of either Manhattan-bound or Brooklyn-bound C trains running express from 59 St-Columbus Circle to 125 St. I was curious to see exactly how long this has been going on, and using your archive of Service Advisories, found that it went back to August 2013! Two and half years (and counting) is too long. Why not “FastTrack” for this type of work? I’m sure this happens throughout the system.