57th Street station (IND Sixth Avenue Line)

57th Street is a station on the IND Sixth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 57th Street and Sixth Avenue (Avenue of the Americas) in Manhattan, it is served by the F train at all times and the <F> train during rush hours in the peak direction. North of the station, the Sixth Avenue Line turns east and becomes the IND 63rd Street Line.

 57 Street
 ​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
The 57th Street station in December 2018.
Station statistics
AddressWest 57th Street & Sixth Avenue
New York, NY 10019
BoroughManhattan
LocaleMidtown Manhattan
Coordinates40.764259°N 73.977213°W / 40.764259; -73.977213
DivisionB (IND)
Line      IND Sixth Avenue Line
ServicesF and <F>
Transit connections NYCT Bus: M5, M7, M31, M57
StructureUnderground
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
Other information
OpenedJuly 1, 1968 (1968-07-01)
ClosedJuly 9, 2018 (2018-07-09) (reconstruction)
RebuiltDecember 19, 2018 (2018-12-19)
Station code224[1]
Wireless service[2]
Opposite-direction transfer availableYes
Traffic
Passengers (2019)4,550,216[3]  101.8%
Rank106 out of 424[3]
Station succession
Next northLexington Avenue–63rd Street: F and <F>
Next south47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center: F and <F>

First announced in 1962, the 57th Street station was opened on July 1, 1968, at the cost of $13.2 million. The station was a terminal station until 1989, after which all service was extended to 21st Street–Queensbridge. The station was temporarily served by shuttle trains in the 1990s during the 63rd Street Line's reconstruction. From July to December 2018, the station was closed for an extensive five-month renovation.

History
Track layout
to Lexington Av–63 St
to 47–50 Sts
The station in 2016, prior to renovations.

The station was built as part of the Chrystie Street Connection, which expanded train capacity on the Sixth Avenue Line. The Sixth Avenue extension to the new terminal at 57th Street was announced in 1962.[4] The next year, the contract to construct the IND Sixth Avenue Line between 52nd and 58th Streets, including the 57th Street station, was awarded to Slattery Construction Company for $7.5 million (equivalent to $63,400,000 in 2019).[5] Construction of the spur ultimately cost $13.2 million.[6]

The 57th Street station opened on July 1, 1968,[4][6] as one of two stations added during construction of the Chrystie Street Connection, the other being Grand Street.[7] The opening of the station was celebrated by a 300-guest lunch on the platform on June 27, which was attended by Deputy Mayor Robert W. Sweet; MTA Chairman William J. Ronan; and Avenue of the Americas Association president Eyssell. The new station was intended to serve the new residential and commercial developments being built in the immediate area.[6] Upon its opening, the 57th Street station acted as the terminus of two services, the B during rush hours and KK during off-peak hours.[7][8][4][6] The KK was renamed the K in 1974 and eliminated in 1976.[9][10] From 1978 to 1990, this station was also served by the JFK Express service to the eponymous airport.[11][12][13][14]

When the north side of the Manhattan Bridge was closed for construction from 1986-1998 and again from July to December 2001, this station was only served by a shuttle train along Sixth Avenue, which traveled to Grand Street.[15] Starting in 1988, this station was served by Q trains on weekdays, B trains on weekday evenings and weekends, and F trains during late nights. This was the terminal for all services until the IND 63rd Street Line to 21st Street–Queensbridge opened on October 29, 1989[16][17] Late night F-train service was replaced by a shuttle in 1997. Since December 2001, when the 63rd Street Tunnel Connector opened in Queens, the F route has served this station at all times,[18][19][20][21] simultaneous with the withdrawal of all other services from the 63rd Street Line.[18][20][21]

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.[22][23] In January 2018, the NYCT and Bus Committee recommended that Judlau Contracting receive the $125 million contract for the renovations of 57th and 23rd Streets on the IND Sixth Avenue Line; 28th Street on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line, and 34th Street–Penn Station on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line and IND Eighth Avenue Line.[24] However, the MTA Board temporarily deferred the vote for these packages after city representatives refused to vote to award the contracts.[25][26] The contract was put back for a vote in February, where Judlau's contract was ultimately approved.[27] The station was closed for renovations on July 9, 2018,[28] and reopened on December 19, 2018.[29]

Station layout
G Street level Exit/entrance
M Mezzanine Fare control, station agent, MetroCard vending machines
P
Platform level		 Northbound ← toward 179th Street (Lexington Avenue–63rd Street)
Island platform
Southbound → toward Coney Island (47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center) →
Street entrances before renovation (left) and afterward (right)

57th Street station contains two tracks and a single island platform serving both tracks.[30] The platform is 615 feet (187 m) long, and is 24 feet (7.3 m) wide. The station stretches from 55th Street to 58th Street. From the full-length mezzanine, which is 48 feet (15 m),[31] there are six staircases to the platform. The station walls are plain white, with "57th St" stenciled on long, narrow tiles along the wall.[32] The platform is approximately 35 feet (11 m) below ground.[6]

Prior to the 2018 renovation of the station, the "Next Train" indicator lights still hung from the platform ceiling, dating from the period when the station was a terminal two decades prior.[33] There is an unused tower and crew area at the southern end of the platform.[34]

A plaque of Colonel John T. O'Neill is located in the station[35]

The station contains a bronze plaque of Colonel John T. O'Neill, a former chief engineer of the New York City Transit Authority.[35]

Exits

There are eight street staircases spread on both sides of Sixth Avenue from 56th to 57th Streets.[36] Before the station's renovation, these entrances had an unusual design compared to older stations, with lit posts reading "SUBWAY" on their side rather than the lighted red-or-green globes typical to other station entrances.[37] The station's exits are distributed as follows:

  • One stair, NW corner of 6th Avenue and 57th Street[36]
  • One stair, NE corner of 6th Avenue and 57th Street[36]
  • One stair, SW corner of 6th Avenue and 57th Street[36]
  • Two stairs, east side of 6th Avenue between 56th and 57th Streets[36]
  • One stair, NW corner of 6th Avenue and 56th Street[36]
  • One stair, SW corner of 6th Avenue and 56th Street[36]
  • One stair, SE corner of 6th Avenue and 56th Street[36]

During the 57th Street station's renovation, glass barrier fences, next-train arrival "countdown clocks", and digital neighborhood wayfinding maps were installed around all of the exit stairs at street level, similar to at other stations renovated as part of the Enhanced Station Initiative. The two exits at the southern corner of 56th Street also received canopies similar to other Enhanced Station Initiative stations.[38]

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References
  1. "Station Developers' Information". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  2. "NYC Subway Wireless – Active Stations". Transit Wireless Wifi. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  3. "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership 2014–2019". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  4. Raskin, Joseph B. (2013). The Routes Not Taken: A Trip Through New York City's Unbuilt Subway System. New York, New York: Fordham University Press. doi:10.5422/fordham/9780823253692.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-82325-369-2.
  5. "IND Contract Awarded". The New York Times. December 27, 1963. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  6. "Luncheon in Subway Opens Station". The New York Times. June 27, 1968. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  7. Perlmutter, Emanuel (November 16, 1967). "SUBWAY CHANGES TO SPEED SERVICE: Major Alterations in Maps, Routes and Signs Will Take Effect Nov. 26" (PDF). nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  8. Perlmutter, Emanuel (November 27, 1967). "BMT-IND CHANGES BEWILDER MANY; Transit Authority Swamped With Calls From Riders as New System Starts". The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  9. 1972 system map NYCSubway Retrieved August 12, 2009
  10. Burks, Edward C. (August 14, 1976). "215 More Daily Subway Runs Will Be Eliminated by Aug. 30". nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  11. Grynbaum, Michael M. (November 25, 2009). "If You Took the Train to the Plane, Sing the Jingle". Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  12. "New "JFK Express" Service Begun in Howard Beach". New York Leader Observer. Fultonhistory.com. September 28, 1978. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  13. Pitt, David E. (October 22, 1989). "Transit Agency Wants to End Airport Express". The New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2009.
  14. "Train to the Plane". YouTube. Retrieved August 30, 2009.
  15. 1987 system map NYCSubway Retrieved August 12, 2009
  16. Lorch, Donatella (October 29, 1989). "The 'Subway to Nowhere' Now Goes Somewhere". The New York Times. Retrieved September 26, 2009.
  17. Kershaw, Sarah (December 17, 2001). "V Train Begins Service Today, Giving Queens Commuters Another Option". The New York Times. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  18. "Review of F Line Operations, Ridership, and Infrastructure" (PDF). nysenate.gov. MTA New York City Transit Authority. October 7, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 31, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  19. "Review of the G Line" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. July 10, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  20. "E,F Detour in 2001, F trains via 63 St, E no trains running, take R instead". The Subway Nut. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  21. Kennedy, Randy (May 25, 2001). "Panel Approves New V Train but Shortens G Line to Make Room". The New York Times. Retrieved March 20, 2010.
  22. "MTA Will Completely Close 30 Subway Stations For Months-Long "Revamp"". Gothamist. Archived from the original on August 1, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  23. "MTAStations" (PDF). governor.ny.gov. Government of the State of New York. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  24. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (January 22, 2018). "NYCT/Bus Committee Meeting" (PDF). p. 135. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 27, 2018. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  25. Barone, Vincent (January 24, 2018). "Controversial cosmetic subway improvement plan falters". am New York. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  26. Siff, Andrew (January 24, 2018). "MTA Shelves Plan to Modernize Subway Stations Amid Criticism". NBC New York. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  27. "Foes Hit Gov's Station Fix Plan". NY Daily News. February 13, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  28. "Repairs and Improvements Coming to Three Manhattan 6FM Subway Stations". www.mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. June 15, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  29. "Planned Service Changes for: Wednesday, December 19, 2018". www.mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  30. Dougherty, Peter (2020). Tracks of the New York City Subway 2020 (16th ed.). Dougherty. OCLC 1056711733.
  31. "For Immediate Release: Wednesday, February 5, 1964" (PDF). New York City Office of the Mayor. February 5, 1964. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  32. Cox, Jeremiah (May 20, 2010). 57th Sts on the off white track walls (image) – via The Subway Nut.
  33. Cox, Jeremiah (May 20, 2010). A now unused Next Train indicator the first 21 years of the station it served as a terminal as well as when the 63 Street line had to be rebuilt due to the track bed having a faulty new design (image) – via The Subway Nut.
  34. Cox, Jeremiah (May 20, 2010). At one end of the platform is an unused tower (image) – via The Subway Nut.
  35. Frattini, Dave (April 1, 2000). The Underground Guide to New York City Subways. Macmillan. p. 135. ISBN 9780312253844 – via Google Books.
  36. "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Midtown West" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  37. Cox, Jeremiah (May 20, 2010). Old Subway text on the side of one of the posts on a street stair (image) – via The Subway Nut.
  38. "Enhanced Stations Initiative: Community Board 6" (PDF). cbsix.org. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. June 13, 2018. p. 11. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
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