68th Street–Hunter College station

68th Street–Hunter College is a local station on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of Lexington Avenue and 68th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It is served by the 6 train at all times, the <6> train during weekdays in the peak direction, and the 4 train during late nights.

 68 Street–Hunter College
 ​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Uptown 6 train arriving
Station statistics
AddressEast 68th Street & Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10021
BoroughManhattan
LocaleUpper East Side
Coordinates40.767834°N 73.964124°W / 40.767834; -73.964124
DivisionA (IRT)
Line      IRT Lexington Avenue Line
Services      4  (late nights)
​      6  (all times) <6>  (weekdays until 8:45 p.m., peak direction)
Transit connections NYCT Bus: M66, M98, M101, M102, M103
StructureUnderground
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
Other information
OpenedJuly 17, 1918 (July 17, 1918)[1]
Station code399[2]
Accessiblenot ADA-accessible; accessibility planned
Wireless service[3]
Opposite-direction transfer availableYes
Traffic
Passengers (2019)6,699,711[4]  2.5%
Rank61 out of 424[4]
Station succession
Next north77th Street: 4  ​6  <6>
Next south59th Street: 4  ​6  <6>

History

On February 15, 1917, the Public Service Commission agreed to change the name of the under-construction station from 68th Street to 68th Street–Hunter College at the request of officials of Hunter College.[5]

On July 17, 1918, the IRT Lexington Avenue Line opened north to 125th Street, along with the 68th Street station. Service was originally provided by a shuttle on the line's local tracks. Through service along the Park Avenue section of the Original Subway was provided on August 1, 1918.[1][6]

In 1981, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) listed the station among the 69 most deteriorated stations in the subway system.[7]

This station was renovated in September 1984 as part of the MTA's Adopt-A-Station Program in conjunction with a renovation of Hunter College.[8]

Station layout
Track layout
to 77 St
to 59 St
Name mosaic
G Street level Exit/entrance
P
Platform level		 Side platform
Northbound local ← toward Pelham Bay Park or Parkchester (77th Street)
← toward Woodlawn late nights (77th Street)
Southbound local → toward Brooklyn Bridge (59th Street) →
→ toward New Lots Avenue late nights (59th Street) →
Side platform
Express tracks[9] Northbound express ← do not stop here
Southbound express → do not stop here →
Mezzanine

This underground station has two local tracks and two side platforms. The express tracks of the Lexington Avenue Line, used by the 4 and 5 trains during daytime hours, pass beneath the station and are not visible from the platforms.[10]

Both platforms have their original mosaic trim line with "68" tablets on it at regular intervals and name tablets reading "68th STREET-HUNTER COLLEGE" in two lines.[11] On small sections of the platforms on either ends, where they were extended in the 1950s, there are blue trim lines with "68TH ST" written on it in white lettering.[12] Blue columns run along both platforms at regular intervals with alternating ones having the standard black station name plate in white lettering.[13] Both platforms have emergency exits from the lower level express tracks.

Toward the south end of the platforms are two stairs leading to the only mezzanine in the station. It has been renovated with stainless steel fare control rails and features red accent stripes in the IND style. Old wall lights exist but are not functional. The waiting area inside fare control has windows that allow a full view of the platforms and tracks.[14] The northern half of the station without the mezzanine has very high ceilings.[15]

Exits
Exterior stair, SW corner of 68th Street and Lexington Avenue
Exit location[16] Exit type Number of exits
NW corner of 68th Street and Lexington Avenue Staircase 1
SW corner of 68th Street and Lexington Avenue Staircase 1
NE corner of 68th Street and Lexington Avenue Staircase 1
SE corner of 68th Street and Lexington Avenue
(indoors, below Hunter College's East Building)		 Staircase 1
West Building of Hunter College Passageway 1

Outside of the large turnstile bank that provides access to and from the station, there is a token booth and a passageway on each side separated from the waiting area by a steel fence. Each passageway leads to a small staircase going up to either northern corner of 68th Street and Lexington Avenue. On the east side of the mezzanine is a short staircase going up to a landing, where a larger staircase goes up to the southeast corner of 68th Street and Lexington Avenue underneath Hunter College's East Building. The west side of the mezzanine has a direct entrance to the West Building of Hunter College and a double-wide marble staircase going up to the plaza on the southwest corner of 68th Street and Lexington Avenue.[16] The entrance at the southeast corner contains a sign with the word "Subway" in a unique typeface seen only on the Hunter campus.[17] This sign, and other signs around the college campus that are set in the same typeface, was created by Barbara Stauffacher Solomon as part of Ulrich Franzen's 1984 expansion of the campus.[18]

Elevators

The MTA proposes to build elevators here under the 2010–2014 MTA Capital Program, as part of the MTA's 100 Key ADA-accessible stations program.[19][20] The project would include building elevators at 68th Street and new staircase entrances at 69th Street and Lexington Avenue. In late 2011 and early 2012, the project faced local opposition; opponents claimed the new staircases would ruin the character of 69th Street.[21][22][23] The MTA insisted the new entrances were necessary to reduce congestion at the station's current entrances. The 69th Street Tenants Corporation suggested building new entrances at 67th Street or 70th Street instead,[24]:15–4 (PDF p. 212) although the station does not reach under either of those streets.[24]:S-6 to S-8 (PDF pp. 20–22) The proposal would have required construction of new passageways connecting the platforms to 67th Street to 70th Street, which would be more expensive and take longer to construct.[24]:Figures 2–4 and 2–5 (PDF pp. 74–75)

The MTA originally hoped to award a construction contract by November 2013, but the project stalled for several years. In 2016, the MTA released an environmental assessment for the project, proposing to build a new southbound-only entrance at the southwest corner of 69th Street and Lexington Avenue, and a new northbound-only entrance on the east side of Lexington Avenue midblock between 68th and 69th Streets, at the suggestion of the 69th Street Tenants Corporation.[24] As of July 2017, project design was still delayed, due to unresolved conflicts regarding real estate and infrastructure relocation work.[25] The MTA hoped to award a contract by August 2018,[26] with construction starting in December 2018, and completed in April 2021.[27] As of December 2019, a contract for the elevators' construction was projected to be awarded in July 2020 and be completed by 2023.[28] The project will include a new northbound entrance and mezzanine in a Lexington Avenue storefront between 68th and 69th Streets, as well as a new southbound entrance at Lexington Avenue and 69th Street.[24]:Figure 2–10 (PDF p. 83)

gollark: Okay, wow, oops.
gollark: What?
gollark: We need some sort of simulation of trippable cables
gollark: What did yemmel explodinate?
gollark: What could POSSIBLY go wrong?!

References
  1. "Lexington Av. Line to be Opened Today" (PDF). The New York Times. July 17, 1918. p. 13. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  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 2014–2019". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  5. "Station Named for Hunter College". The New York Times. February 16, 1917. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  6. "Open New Subway Lines to Traffic; Called a Triumph" (PDF). The New York Times. August 2, 1918. p. 1. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  7. Gargan, Edward A. (June 11, 1981). "Agency Lists Its 69 Most Deteriorated Subway Stations". The New York Times. p. B5S. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 31, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  8. Cox, Jeremiah (August 15, 2008). "Plaque for the station's renovations under the 'Adapt-a-Station' program". subwaynut.com. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  9. Station Reporter — 6 Train
  10. Dougherty, Peter (2006) [2002]. Tracks of the New York City Subway 2006 (3rd ed.). Dougherty. OCLC 49777633 – via Google Books.
  11. Whitehorne, Wayne (January 31, 1998). "Name tablet". www.nycsubway.org. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  12. Cox, Jeremiah (June 11, 2011). "1950s era trimline is at an extreme end of the platforms of eight streetstairs". subwaynut.com. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  13. Cox, Jeremiah (June 11, 2011). "Looking down the downtown platform has the 1950s era wall gives way to more conventional wall tiling". subwaynut.com. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  14. Harris, David (November 16, 2007). "68th Street Mezzanine". www.nycsubway.org. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  15. Cox, Jeremiah (June 11, 2011). "Approaching the entrance area almost suspended inside the station ceiling the platform roof gets lower". subwaynut.com. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  16. "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Upper East Side" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  17. Cox, Jeremiah (June 11, 2011). "An artsy Subway sign for the 68 St-Hunter College Station entrance". subwaynut.com. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  18. Plitt, Amy (July 14, 2017). "The forgotten history of a retro NYC subway entrance". Curbed NY. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  19. "Capital Program Oversight Committee Meeting" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 26, 2016. p. 115. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  20. "The MTA's Key Station Plan for subway accessibility - The Weekly Nabe". The Weekly Nabe. June 13, 2013.
  21. "At 69th Street, a new entrance and NIMBYs". secondavenuesagas.com. October 10, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  22. "UES Residents Blast Subway Entrance Plans for Landmarked Blocks". dnainfo.com. Archived from the original on January 16, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  23. Buckley, Cara (February 25, 2012). "Subway Entrances? Not on Our Block". The New York Times. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  24. "68th Street/Hunter College Subway Station Improvement Project Manhattan, New York Environmental Assessment And Proposed Section 4(f) De Minimis Impact Finding" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. February 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  25. "Capital Program Oversight Committee Meeting" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. July 24, 2017. p. 84. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  26. "Transit and Bus Committee Meeting February 2018" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. February 20, 2018. p. 326. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  27. "T6041307 ADA Accessibility at 68 St-Hunter College Station on the Lexington Av Line". web.mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  28. "Project Details". MTA. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
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