49th Street station (BMT Broadway Line)

The 49th Street station is a local station on the BMT Broadway Line of the New York City Subway. Located at West 49th Street and Seventh Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, it is served by the N train at all times, the R train at all times except late nights, the W train on weekdays, and the Q train during late nights.

 49 Street
 "N" train​​"R" train​​"W" train
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Downtown platform
Station statistics
AddressWest 49th Street & Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10019
BoroughManhattan
LocaleMidtown Manhattan
Coordinates40.760423°N 73.983779°W / 40.760423; -73.983779
DivisionB (BMT)[1]
Line   BMT Broadway Line
Services   N all times (all times)
​   Q late nights only (late nights only)
​   R all except late nights (all except late nights)
​   W weekdays only (weekdays only)
TransitBus transport New York City Bus: M7, M20, M50, M104
StructureUnderground
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks4
Other information
OpenedJuly 10, 1919 (1919-07-10)[2]
Rebuilt1973
AccessibleThis station is partially compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Partially ADA-accessible; accessibility to rest of station planned (northbound platform accessible via elevator)
Opposite-
direction
transfer		No
Traffic
20197,410,041[3] Decrease 11.7%
Rank50 out of 424[3]
Services
Preceding station New York City Subway New York City Subway Following station
57th Street–Seventh Avenue
N all times ​R all times except late nights ​W weekdays only
via Lexington Avenue–59th Street
Local		 Times Square–42nd Street
N all times ​R all times except late nights ​W weekdays only
services split
Location
49th Street station (BMT Broadway Line) is located in New York City Subway
49th Street station (BMT Broadway Line)
49th Street station (BMT Broadway Line) is located in New York City
49th Street station (BMT Broadway Line)
49th Street station (BMT Broadway Line) is located in New York
49th Street station (BMT Broadway Line)
Track layout

to 57th Street–Seventh Avenue
to Times Square–42nd Street
Street map

Station service legend
Symbol Description
Stops all times except late nights Stops all times except late nights
Stops all times Stops all times
Stops weekdays during the day Stops weekdays during the day
Stops late nights only Stops late nights only

History

Operation of the Broadway Line was assigned to the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT; after 1923, the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation or BMT) in the Dual Contracts, adopted on March 4, 1913.[4] Before construction started, the plans for the Broadway Line's stations in midtown were changed several times. Originally, there was going to be an express station at 47th Street, and there would have been local stations at 42nd and 57th Streets.[5] In December 1913, the plans were changed so that both 47th and 57th Streets were express stations, and the local stop at 42nd Street was relocated to 38th Street.[6] Opponents of the plan said it would cause large amounts of confusion, as Times Square was a "natural" transfer point.[7] In February 1914, the PSC ordered the BRT to make the Broadway Line's 42nd Street station an express station;[8][9] at that time, the station at 49th Street was changed to a local station, and 57th Street became an express station.[10] The change was made at the insistence of Brooklynites who wanted an express station in the Theater District of Manhattan.[11]

This station opened on July 10, 1919.[2][12] Initially, the station was only served by local trains from Brooklyn, whereas express trains terminated at Times Square.[13][14]

The station was operated by the BMT until the city government took over the BMT's operations on June 1, 1940.[15][16]

1960s and 1970s renovations

In September 1967, city transportation administrator Arthur E. Palmer Jr. announced that the 49th Street station would be renovated and would receive experimental amenities, maps, and signs[17] as part of a pilot project to measure how effective improvements in station environments were on rider attitudes to transit service. Devices to melt snow would be constructed into stairways, entrances would receive brighter lighting, new fixtures would be installed in bathrooms, and token booths would be relocated to allow clerks to have unobstructed views of the entire platform. Furthermore, sound resistant barriers would be installed between local and express tracks to dampen noise.[18] The city government applied for a grant from the United States Department of Transportation,[19] and was awarded $1.023 million on September 30, 1968.[20] The total estimated project cost was $2.5 million. In September 1968, a contract to extend the platforms from 570 feet (170 m) to 615 feet (187 m) to accommodate ten-car trains was awarded. This work had to be completed before work could start on the other station improvements.[18]

In the early 1970s, the station underwent a major renovation to designs by Philip Johnson and John Burgee.[21][22] During this renovation, the original decorations were replaced with bright orange tiles.[21] In addition, the station was repainted, new token booths were installed, the floors were redone in terrazzo, the lighting was replaced, six entrances were renovated,[23] and an additional staircase was added at the southeastern corner of 47th Street and Seventh Avenue.[24] Johnson said the renovations had been intended to give the station a cheerful character, "like a big shopping center".[23] Noise-dampening panels were installed on the ceilings and tracks as part of an experiment.[25] Work on the project began on March 28, 1973; at the time, it was budgeted at $1.7 million.[24] The renovation was finished the same year.[21][22]

Station layout
Ground Street level Exit/entrance
Disabled access Elevator at northeast corner of 49th Street and Seventh Avenue for northbound trains only
Platform level Side platform Disabled access
Northbound local ← "N" train toward Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard (57th Street–Seventh Avenue)
← "R" train toward Forest Hills–71st Avenue (57th Street–Seventh Avenue)
← "W" train toward Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard weekdays (57th Street–Seventh Avenue)
← "Q" train toward 96th Street late nights (57th Street–Seventh Avenue)
Northbound express ← "Q" train does not stop here
Southbound express → "N" train[lower-alpha 1]"Q" train do not stop here →
Southbound local ← "N" train toward Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue via Sea Beach (Times Square–42nd Street) →
← "R" train toward Bay Ridge–95th Street (Times Square–42nd Street) →
← "W" train toward Whitehall Street–South Ferry weekdays (Times Square–42nd Street) →
← "Q" train toward Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue via Brighton late nights (Times Square–42nd Street) →
Side platform
Entrance to downtown trains at 49th Street

This underground station has four tracks and two side platforms. The two center express tracks are used by the Q train at all times except late nights.

49th Street was originally built in the same style as the other BMT Broadway stations. The red glazed brick was installed over the original BMT-style tiled walls as part of the 1973 renovation,[21] as were ceiling noise-dampening panels[25] and terrazzo flooring.[23] The station also had tile and concrete benches at some point in the late 20th century.[26] Since the renovation, three of the four street entrances have been reconstructed, leaving only the 47th Street exit on the southbound platform with the red brick appearance; additionally, the noise dampening experiment was not repeated at any other station. Additional false brick tiles were added some time after the 1973 renovation, indicating the presence of a station facility. A passageway leading to an exit at West 47th Street and Broadway was also added after the renovation. Also, one of the staircases on the southbound side is walled off, making only one staircase available to the southbound side. Yellow tactile treads on both platforms' edges were installed in 2015.

South of this station, the downtown local track descends slightly before ascending again. This is due to Broadway and Seventh Avenue intersecting at the narrow point of Times Square under 45th Street. As a result, the downtown local track of the BMT Broadway Line has to cross beneath the uptown local track of the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line.[27][28]

Exits
Passageway to Rockefeller Center

There are four sets of platform-level fare controls, with no crossover or crossunder. Each platform has a full-time booth at the north end (49th Street) and a part-time booth at the south end (47th Street). Only the northbound platform is ADA-accessible. An elevator was constructed in conjunction with a new office tower at the northeast corner of West 49th Street and Seventh Avenue. The elevator conceals an out-of-system underground passageway leading to Rockefeller Center and the 47th–50th Streets station on the IND Sixth Avenue Line.[29]

  • Disabled access One stair and one elevator, within 745 7th Avenue building, NE corner of 7th Avenue and 49th Street (northbound only)[29]
  • One stair, within 1626 Broadway building, NW corner of 7th Avenue and 49th Street (southbound only)[29]
  • One stair, on street, SW corner of 7th Avenue and 49th Street (southbound only)[29]
  • One stair, within TSX Broadway (under Palace Theatre), SE corner of 7th Avenue and 47th Street (northbound only)[29]
  • Two stairs, on street underneath 2 Times Square building, north side of 47th Street between Broadway and 7th Avenue (southbound only)[29]

Notes
  1. Select southbound rush hour N train trips via the Second Avenue Subway bypass this station.

References
  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. Legislative Documents. J.B. Lyon Company. January 1, 1920.
  3. "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership 2014–2019". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  4. James Blaine Walker, Fifty Years of Rapid Transit, 1864–1917, published 1918, pp. 224-241
  5. "Station Sites for New Subways; Pamphlet Issued by Utilities Board Contains List of Stops on Dual System". The New York Times. July 6, 1913. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  6. "Station Spacing Favors Times Sq.; B.R.T. Plan Might Put Two Express Stops Above There in Seventh Avenue And Eight Blocks Apart Besides Leaving No Room for New Station Between 42d and 32d Streets on Broadway". The New York Times. December 2, 1913. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  7. "Times Sq. Natural Point of Transfer; Unless Express Station Is Put There, Great Confusion Will Result". The New York Times. December 3, 1913. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  8. "Make Times Square an Express Stop; Public Service Commission Will Put a Local Station at Forty-seventh Street". The New York Times. February 6, 1914. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  9. "Important Subway Matters Settled". The Standard Union. February 6, 1914. p. 1. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  10. Report of the Public Service Commission of The First District of the State Of New York For The Year Ending December 31, 1915. New York State Public Service Commission. January 1, 1916.
  11. "42d Street an Express Stop.; A Big Victory for Brooklynites, Says The Brooklyn Eagle". The New York Times. February 8, 1914. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  12. "Broadway End of Subway Opened; First Passenger Train Sent at Midnight Over Route from Times Square to 57th St. Earlier Special Trip. Party of Officials and Citizen Delegations Taken Over New Tracks and to Coney Island" (PDF). The New York Times. July 10, 1919. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  13. "Broadway Subway Line To Be Extended to 57th Street". New-York Tribune. July 4, 1919. p. 14. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 576110371.
  14. "Open New Subway July 9; B.R.T. Extension from Times Sq. to 57th St. to be Put Into Operation". The New York Times. July 4, 1919. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 3, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  15. "B.M.T. Lines Pass to City Ownership; $175,000,000 Deal Completed at City Hall Ceremony-- Mayor 'Motorman No. 1'". The New York Times. June 2, 1940. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 19, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  16. "City Takes Over B. M. T. System; Mayor Skippers Midnight Train". New York Herald Tribune. June 2, 1940. p. 1. ProQuest 1243059209.
  17. Roberts, Steven V. (September 30, 1967). "Subway Stations to Be Redesigned; Grand Central and Times Sq. Under Consideration". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  18. Mazza, Frank (October 1, 1968). "TA to Spiff Up 49th St. Station". New York Daily News. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  19. Perlmutter, Emanuel (September 24, 1968). "Private Group Gives $450,000 To Help Beautify IRT Station". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  20. Madden, Richard L. (August 13, 1970). "M.T.A. Said to Lag in Getting U.S. Aid: Rep. Rosenthal's Charge is Rebutted by Authority". The New York Times. p. 47. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 117990711.
  21. Stern, Robert A. M.; Mellins, Thomas; Fishman, David (1995). New York 1960: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Second World War and the Bicentennial. New York: Monacelli Press. p. 452. ISBN 1-885254-02-4. OCLC 32159240. OL 1130718M.
  22. Goldberger, Paul (1979). The City Observed, New York: A Guide to the Architecture of Manhattan. The Visible city. Random House. p. 146. ISBN 978-0-394-50450-6.
  23. Burks, Edward C. (February 21, 1970). "Subways' Colored Tile Gets Cover‐Up Job". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  24. "Dressing Up a Station". New York Daily News. March 28, 1973. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  25. Bird, David (October 11, 1973). "Noise, Graffiti and Air Grate On Riders of City Subways". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  26. Lambert, Bruce (January 7, 1996). "Neighborhood Report: New York Up Close;Subway Benches May Ease the Wait". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  27. Adler, Jerry (May 13, 1993). Tower of Debt. p. 46. Retrieved July 31, 2018. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  28. "TIMES SQ. STATION ON A NEW PLAN; Broadway Association Will Urge Linking Up of All Lines by Two-Level Tracks". The New York Times. May 2, 1913. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  29. "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Midtown West" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.

Further reading
  • 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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