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Bay Ridge Avenue (BMT Fourth Avenue Line)

 Bay Ridge Avenue
 "R" train
MTA NYC logo.svg New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Reopening of Bay Ridge Av ESI (23822869568).jpg
Bay Ridge-bound platform
Station statistics
AddressBay Ridge Avenue & Fourth Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11220
BoroughBrooklyn
LocaleBay Ridge
Coordinates40°38′1.24″N 74°1′25.87″W / 40.6336778°N 74.0238528°W / 40.6336778; -74.0238528Coordinates: 40°38′1.24″N 74°1′25.87″W / 40.6336778°N 74.0238528°W / 40.6336778; -74.0238528
DivisionB (BMT)
LineBMT Fourth Avenue Line
Services      R all times (all times)
Transit connectionsBus transport New York City Bus: B9, B64, B70; B37 (on Third Avenue); B63 (on Fifth Avenue)
StructureUnderground
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
Other information
OpenedJanuary 15, 1916 (103 years ago) (1916-01-15)[1]
ClosedApril 29, 2017; 2 years ago (2017-04-29) (reconstruction)
RebuiltOctober 13, 2017; 2 years ago (2017-10-13)
Station code036[2]
Wireless serviceWi-Fi and cellular service is provided at this station[3]
Traffic
Passengers (2018)2,228,497[4] Increase 73.8%
Rank211 out of 424
Station succession
Next north59th Street: R all times
Next south77th Street: R all times

Bay Ridge Avenue is a station on the BMT Fourth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of Bay Ridge Avenue and Fourth Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. It is served by the R train at all times.[5]

History[]

The station prior to renovation

On January 24, 1913, construction began on Route 11B2, which includes this station and extends between 61st Street and 89th Street. Construction was completed on this section in 1915.[6] Bay Ridge Avenue opened on January 15, 1916 as part of an extension of the BMT Fourth Avenue Line from 59th Street to 86th Street.[1][7]

As a local station, the platforms were originally 435 feet (133 m) long, allowing for six-car locals.[8] On February 16, 1925, the Board of Transportation directed its engineers to prepare plans to lengthen the platforms at twelve stations along the Fourth Avenue Line, including this station, to accommodate eight-car trains at the cost of $633,000.[9]

This station was overhauled in the late 1970s.[citation needed] The original trim lines were replaced with white cinderblock tiles, except for small recesses in the walls, which contained blue-painted cinderblock tiles. The staircases were repaired and new platform edges were installed. The blue cinderblock field contained the station-name signs and white text pointing to the exits. The renovation also replaced incandescent lighting with fluorescent lighting. The landing in the southbound platform's second entrance is the only area in the station that contains the original 1915 trim line with "B.R." tiled on it.[10][11] These tiles were all removed during the 2017 renovation.

Under the 2015–2019 MTA Capital Plan, the station underwent a complete overhaul as part of the Enhanced Station Initiative and was entirely closed for several months. Updates included cellular service, Wi-Fi, USB charging stations, interactive service advisories and maps, improved signage, and improved station lighting.[12][13] From January to May 2016, Grimshaw Architects worked on a design for the station's renovation, with Arup Group acting as a consultant. The award for Package 1 of the renovations, which covered renovations at the Prospect Avenue, 53rd Street, and Bay Ridge Avenue stations on the BMT Fourth Avenue Line, was awarded on November 30, 2016.[14] Citnalta-Forte Joint Venture was selected to renovate the three stations under a $72 million design–build contract, the first such contract in the subway system's history.[15] The station closed on April 29, 2017 for these renovations[16][17] and reopened on October 13, 2017.[18]

Station layout[]

[ ]
Track layout
Legend
to 59 St
to 77 St
G Street Level Exit/Entrance
B1 Mezzanine Fare control, station agent
B2 Side platform, doors will open on the right
Northbound ← "R" train toward Forest Hills–71st Avenue (Whitehall Street late nights) (59th Street)
Southbound → "R" train toward Bay Ridge–95th Street (77th Street) →
Side platform, doors will open on the right
The 68th Street exit-only staircase before reconstruction

This underground station has two tracks and two side platforms.[19] The station's mezzanine is above the platforms with two staircases leading to each.[20][21] Only the 95th Street-bound platform has columns, except for the extreme ends of the platform, which have no columns.[22] All of the columns are painted blue and are standard I-beams. All columns have "Bay Ridge Av" signs on them.[23]

The Fourth Avenue Line south of 59th Street was built as a two-track structure under the west side of Fourth Avenue with plans for two future tracks on the east side of the street. The bridge across the Long Island Rail Road's Bay Ridge Branch to the north of this station, but under Fourth Avenue, was built for four tracks, but only the space for the two west tracks were ever used.[24] The tunnel leading up to each side of the bridge was built for two tracks only.[25][26] Daylight can briefly be seen from the bridge.[27] If the two additional tracks were built, the east platform on all local stops south of 59th Street would be removed.[28] As a result, there is space for an additional trackway at this station for the Bay Ridge-bound express track. This can also be found at 77th Street.[6]

The 2017 artwork at this station called Strata consists of a set of tile mosaics by Katy Fischer, which commemorate the Native American, Dutch, and English colonial histories of the area.[18]

Exits[]

From the mezzanine outside of fare control, two staircases lead to either southern corners of Bay Ridge and Fourth Avenues.[29]

The southbound platform has an additional entrance near the north end. Prior to the 2017 renovation, the entrance was exit-only.[citation needed] Two platform level turnstiles lead to a small landing, where a double-flight staircase goes up to the northwest corner of 68th Street and Fourth Avenue.[30][31]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Subway Running To Eighty-Sixth Street Starts Building Boom In Bay Ridge". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 15, 1916. Retrieved June 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Station Developers' Information". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  3. ^ "NYC Subway Wireless – Active Stations". Transit Wireless Wifi. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  4. ^ "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership 2013–2018". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  5. ^ "R Train Timetable Subway Timetable January 1, 2017" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. January 1, 2017. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  6. ^ a b Rogoff, David (May 1961). "New York Division ERA Bulletin May 1961". Google Docs. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  7. ^ Senate, New York (State) Legislature (January 1, 1917). Documents of the Senate of the State of New York.
  8. ^ Fourth Avenue Subway, Brooklyn's New Transportation Line: A Part of the Dual System of Rapid Transit of the City of New York. Public Service Commission. June 19, 1915.
  9. ^ "12 B-M. T. STATIONS TO BE LENGTHEHED; Transportation Board Orders Engineers to Prepare Contracts for Brooklyn Work. COST PUT AT $633,000 Letter to Commission Urges That Company Be Compelled to Buy New Cars". The New York Times. February 17, 1925. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  10. ^ Cox, Jeremiah (June 9, 2009). "A view of almost all of the trim-line left on the Brooklyn-bound platform, outside of fare control at the 68 Street exit at Bay Ridge Avenue". subwaynut.com. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  11. ^ Cox, Jeremiah (June 9, 2009). "A close up of the letters BR in the platform's only intact trim area, on the outside area of the High Exit Turnstile exit only exit to 68 St at Bay Ridge Avenue". subwaynut.com. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  12. ^ "MTA Will Completely Close 30 Subway Stations For Months-Long "Revamp"". Gothamist. Archived from the original on August 1, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  13. ^ "MTAStations" (PDF). governor.ny.gov. Government of the State of New York. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  14. ^ "Capital Program Oversight Committee Meeting" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. November 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  15. ^ "Three Brooklyn R Stations are First in Major Subway Station Modernization Project". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. March 22, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  16. ^ Spivack, Caroline (January 16, 2017). "Shuttle scuttle: Riders demand extra buses during three subway stations' closure". Brooklyn Paper. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  17. ^ "MTA will close these Brooklyn subway stops to facilitate upgrades". Curbed NY. March 22, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  18. ^ a b Mascali, Nikki M. (October 13, 2017). "MTA unveils new Bay Ridge Avenue R station". Metro US. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  19. ^ Dougherty, Peter (2006) [2002]. Tracks of the New York City Subway 2006 (3rd ed.). Dougherty. OCLC 49777633 – via Google Books.
  20. ^ Cox, Jeremiah (June 9, 2009). "Looking towards a boring 1970s cinderblocked wall and the two staircases down to the 95 St-bound platform at Bay Ridge Avenue". subwaynut.com. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  21. ^ Cox, Jeremiah (June 9, 2009). "Looking across to the Manhattan-bound platform with the two staircases that lead up to the mezzanine at Bay Ridge Avenue visible". subwaynut.com. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  22. ^ Cox, Jeremiah (June 9, 2009). "Looking across the tracks to the columnless Manhattan-bound platform at Bay Ridge Av". subwaynut.com. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  23. ^ Cox, Jeremiah (June 9, 2009). "A close up of a Bay Ridge Av column sign". subwaynut.com. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  24. ^ Video on YouTube
  25. ^ Anastasio, Joe (June 12, 2006). "The Ridge Bridge". LTV Squad. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  26. ^ "www.nycsubway.org: BMT 4th Avenue Line". www.nycsubway.org. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  27. ^ "Bay Ridge Bridge". Photobucket. 2006. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  28. ^ "Brooklyn Subway Extension Plan: Fourth Ave. Line to 86th St., Tunnel to Staten Island, and Eventually a Through Route to Coney Island" (PDF). nytimes.com. The New York Times. February 16, 1912. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  29. ^ Cox, Jeremiah (June 9, 2009). "One of the two entrance staircases to Bay Ridge Avenue, down to the station's small mezzanine area". subwaynut.com. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  30. ^ Cox, Jeremiah (June 9, 2009). "Approaching the High Exit gate exit to 68 St & 4 Avenue at Bay Ridge Avenue". subwaynut.com. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  31. ^ "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Bay Ridge" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.

External links[]