59th Street–Columbus Circle station

Coordinates: 40°46′05″N 73°58′55″W / 40.767997°N 73.981934°W / 40.767997; -73.981934
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 59 Street–Columbus Circle
 "1" train​"A" train​"B" train​"C" train​"D" train
New York City Subway station complex
Station entrance north of Columbus Circle
Station statistics
AddressIntersection of West 59th Street, Eighth Avenue & Broadway
New York, NY 10023
BoroughManhattan
LocaleColumbus Circle, Midtown Manhattan
Coordinates40°46′05″N 73°58′55″W / 40.767997°N 73.981934°W / 40.767997; -73.981934
DivisionA (IRT), B (IND)[1]
LineIND Eighth Avenue Line
IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line
Services   1 all times (all times)
​   2 late nights (late nights)​
   A all times (all times)
​   B weekdays during the day (weekdays during the day)
​   C all except late nights (all except late nights)
​   D all times (all times)
TransitBus transport NYCT Bus: M5, M7, M10, M12, M20, M104
Bus transport MTA Bus: BxM2
Levels2
Other information
OpenedJuly 1, 1948; 75 years ago (1948-07-01)[2]
AccessibleThis station is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ADA-accessible
Traffic
202315,842,348[3] Increase 15%
Rank7 out of 423[3]
Location
59th Street–Columbus Circle station is located in New York City Subway
59th Street–Columbus Circle station
59th Street–Columbus Circle station is located in New York City
59th Street–Columbus Circle station
59th Street–Columbus Circle station is located in New York
59th Street–Columbus Circle station
Street map

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 late nights only Stops late nights only
Stops weekdays during the day Stops weekdays during the day

59th Street–Columbus Circle is a New York City Subway station complex shared by the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line and the IND Eighth Avenue Line. It is the eighth-busiest station complex in the system.[4] It is located at Columbus Circle in Manhattan, where 59th Street, Broadway and Eighth Avenue intersect, and serves Central Park, the Upper West Side, Hell's Kitchen, and Midtown Manhattan. The station is served by the:

  • 1, A, and D trains at all times
  • C train at all times except late nights
  • B train during weekdays until 11:00 p.m.
  • 2 train during late nights

Station layout

Template:NYCS Platform Layout 59th Street-Columbus Circle Station

Entrances and exits

Newly rehabilitated retail space

This station complex has many entrances/exits from the streets. The one at the north end of Columbus Circle leads to the Trump International Hotel and Tower. It has a double wide staircase going down to an intermediate level before another double-wide staircase goes down to fare control, where a now unused token booth and turnstile bank lead to the IND mezzanine as well as the north end of the northbound IRT platform. There is also one elevator from the back of the staircase that goes down to fare control.[5]

Two staircases from the northwest corner of Broadway and West 60th Street go down to an unstaffed fare control area, where three full height turnstiles and a short staircase provide direct access to the north end of the southbound IRT platform. Another staircase at the southern island of the aforementioned intersection go down to a bank of turnstiles leading to the center of the same platform.[5]

The Time Warner Center at the northwest corner of West 58th Street and Eighth Avenue has a set of elevators, escalators, and staircases going down to fare control, where a token booth and turnstile bank provide entrance/exit to the station. A single staircase goes down to each IND platform at their extreme south end while a passageway leads to the southbound IRT platform. The mezzanine also has a staircase going up to the northeast corner of West 58th Street and Eighth Avenue. There is a passageway leading to another staircase that goes up to the northwest corner of West 57th Street and Eighth Avenue. This staircase is built within the Hearst Tower.[5] A complex of restaurants and shops called "Turnstyle" opened in this passageway in April 2016.[6]

The south end of the northbound IRT platform has a same-level unstaffed fare control area containing full height turnstiles and two staircases going up to the south corners of West 59th Street and Broadway.[5]

In October 1992, at a public hearing, New York City Transit proposed closing street staircase S6 to the northwest corner 61st Street and Central Park West and reopening street staircase S2 at 60th Street and Central Park West, located to the east of the circular stair, in order to expand the Transit Police District Command to accommodate more officers and increase the efficiency of the operation. The circular staircase was expected to be reconstructed to provide more direct access The 61st Street exit was operated part-time, closing at nights, consisted of a high exit turnstile and was used by 2400 daily passengers. It was located in a remote unmonitored portion of the station, making safety an added consideration for its closure. Four staircases to the two platforms that led to the passageway leading to the exit were removed.[7][8]

IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line platforms

 59 Street–Columbus Circle
 "1" train
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Uptown platform
Station statistics
DivisionA (IRT)[1]
Line   IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line
Services   1 all times (all times)
​   2 late nights (late nights)
StructureUnderground
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks4
Other information
OpenedOctober 27, 1904; 119 years ago (1904-10-27)[9]
AccessibleThis station is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ADA-accessible
Opposite-
direction
transfer		Yes
Traffic
202315,842,348[3] Increase 15%
Rank7 out of 423[3]
Station succession
Next northTemplate:NYCS next
Next southTemplate:NYCS next
Station service legend
Symbol Description
Stops all times Stops all times
Stops late nights only Stops late nights only
59th Street – Columbus Circle (IRT)
MPSNew York City Subway System MPS
NRHP reference No.04001015[10]
NYCL No.1096
Significant dates
Added to NRHPSeptember 17, 2004
Designated NYCLNovember 24, 1981[11]
Track layout
Legend
to 66 St
to 50 St

59th Street–Columbus Circle on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line has four tracks and two side platforms.[12]

History

Operation of the first subway began on October 27, 1904, with the opening of the original 28 stations of the New York City Subway from City Hall to 145th Street on the West Side Branch including the 59th Street station.[13]: 162–191 [14]

Despite being a major transfer point to the IND Eighth Avenue Line, the station was constructed as a local stop prior to the IND's construction in 1932. During the 1950s, the New York City Transit Authority considered converting the station to an express stop by rerouting the local tracks to the outside of the platforms.[15] This would have coincided with 72nd Street becoming a local stop by fencing off or walling up the express side of the island platforms there. The conversion of the station to an express station was planned to serve the under construction New York Coliseum.[15]

When the station opened, there was an underpass between the downtown and uptown platforms. In 1991, it was closed and the staircase entrances covered over. Today, passengers use the IND mezzanine and platforms to transfer between directions. Both platforms have two fare controls which are on the same level, one of which connects to the mezzanine leading to the IND platforms.

Image gallery

  • Name in mosaics
    Name in mosaics
  • Original cartouche featuring Columbus's ship the Santa Maria
    Original cartouche featuring Columbus's ship the Santa Maria
  • Detailed view of the ceiling
    Detailed view of the ceiling
  • The uptown platform in 1978
    The uptown platform in 1978

IND Eighth Avenue Line platforms

 59 Street–Columbus Circle
 "A" train​"B" train​"C" train​"D" train
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Station statistics
DivisionB (IND)[1]
Line   IND Eighth Avenue Line
Services   A all times (all times)
​   B weekdays during the day (weekdays during the day)
​   C all except late nights (all except late nights)
​   D all times (all times)
StructureUnderground
Platforms3 island platforms (2 in passenger service)
cross-platform interchange
Tracks4
Other information
OpenedSeptember 10, 1932; 91 years ago (1932-09-10)[16]
AccessibleThis station is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ADA-accessible
Opposite-
direction
transfer		Yes
Traffic
202315,842,348[3] Increase 15%
Rank7 out of 423[3]
Station succession
Next northTemplate:NYCS next
Template:NYCS next
Next southTemplate:NYCS next
Template:NYCS next
Template:NYCS next
Station service legend
Symbol Description
Stops all times except late nights Stops all times except late nights
Stops all times Stops all times
Stops late nights only Stops late nights only
Stops weekdays during the day Stops weekdays during the day
style="color:white;background:#Template:NYCS color;Template:Linear-gradient;text-align:center;padding:5px"|
Track layout
Legend
to 125 St
to 72 St
to 7 Av–53 St
to 50 St
to 42 St–PABT

59th Street–Columbus Circle on the IND Eighth Avenue Line, which opened on September 10, 1932, is a large express station. There are four tracks and three island platforms with the outer two in revenue service.

South of the station, trains can either continue on Eighth Avenue or diverge east to the Seventh Avenue station via the IND Sixth Avenue Line. North of the station are crossovers in both directions, and the northbound tracks cross over the southbound tracks to form a two-level configuration to 103rd Street. The next express station to the north, 125th Street, is 3.35 miles (5.391 km) away with seven local stations in between. This is the longest distance between two express stops in the system.

At the middle of each open platform, there are two staircases and one elevator that connect with the northbound platform of IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line. There is also one staircase from each platform at the north end leading to the same area. A single staircase at the extreme south end connects to the southbound IRT platform. There are two newsstands, one each at the center of both platforms.

This station formerly had a 1992 artwork called Hello Columbus, made by various New York City artists and public school students. Sol LeWitt created tile work on the stairway from the IND platforms to the uptown IRT platform entitled Whirls and Twirls, installed in 2009.[7] Large white "59"s are placed over the blue stripes–similar to the "42"s at 42nd Street–Port Authority.

History

Passageway between the two IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line platforms via the center IND platform.
The unused center platform during renovation

When the Eighth Avenue Line was being built, the station was originally planned to be located at 57th Street, with entrances extending up to 61st Street. This station, along with the IRT station, was designed as a major transit hub under Columbus Circle.[17] The station opened on September 10, 1932, as part of the city-operated Independent Subway System (IND)'s initial segment, the Eighth Avenue Line between Chambers Street and 207th Street.[16]

The center platform was originally built along with the other platforms, but was first used in passenger service in 1959. It served the purpose of a Spanish solution, allowing passengers to exit both sides of subway cars as the express trains would open the doors on both sides. Newer subway cars' door controls made it more difficult to open doors on both sides of the train simultaneously; thus this solution became impractical and the platform was closed on November 8, 1973. In 2007–2010, it was converted to a crossunder between the IRT side platforms. Large metal fences have been erected to keep people away from the edges.

Nearby points of interest

References

  1. ^ a b c "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. ^ "Transfer Points Under Higher Fare". The New York Times. June 30, 1948. p. 19.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Annual Subway Ridership (2018–2023)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Annual Subway Ridership (2018–2023)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Midtown West" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  6. ^ Kral, Georgia (April 19, 2016). "Inside TurnStyle, the food and retail hub under Columbus Circle". am New York. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  7. ^ a b Review of the A and C Lines (PDF) (Report). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. December 11, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 3, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  8. ^ * NYC Transit Committee Agenda September 1994. New York City Transit. September 16, 1994. pp. D.70.
  9. ^ "Our Subway Open: 150,000 Try It; Mayor McClellan Runs the First Official Train". The New York Times. October 28, 1904. p. 1. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  10. ^ "NPS Focus". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  11. ^ "Interborough Rapid Transit System, Underground Interior" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. November 24, 1981. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  12. ^ Dougherty, Peter (2006) [2002]. Tracks of the New York City Subway 2006 (3rd ed.). Dougherty. OCLC 49777633 – via Google Books.
  13. ^ Walker, James Blaine (1918). Fifty Years of Rapid Transit — 1864 to 1917. New York, N.Y.: Law Printing. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  14. ^ "Subway Opening To-day With Simple Ceremony – Exercises at One O'Clock – Public to be Admitted at Seven – John Hay May Be Present – Expected to Represent the Federal Government – President Roosevelt Sends Letter of Regret" (PDF). The New York Times. October 27, 1904. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  15. ^ a b Authority, New York City Transit (1953). Report.
  16. ^ a b "List of the 28 Stations on the New 8th Av. Line". The New York Times. September 10, 1932. p. 6. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  17. ^ "PLAN HUGE CENTRE OF SUBWAY TRAFFIC; Transit Lines Will Build Dual Station at Columbus Circle Four Blocks in Length. 16 ENTRANCES PROPOSED Growth of Section From 1905 to 1926 Is Indicated by Rise of 7,167,592 Fares". The New York Times. April 24, 1927. Retrieved October 6, 2018.

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.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 59th Street – Columbus Circle (New York City Subway).

NYC Subway.org:

Miscellaneous:

Google Maps Street View:

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