West Eighth Street–New York Aquarium station

West 8 Street–New York Aquarium
West 8 Street–New York Aquarium
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Station statistics
Address	West 8th Street near Surf Avenue; Brooklyn, New York
Borough	Brooklyn
Locale	Coney Island
Coordinates	40°34′34.24″N 73°58′32.88″W / 40.5761778°N 73.9758000°W
Division	B (BMT/IND)
Line	BMT Brighton Line; IND Culver Line; BMT Culver Line (formerly)
Services	F (all times) <F> (two rush hour trains, peak direction); Q (all times)
Transit	NYCT Bus: B36, B68
Structure	Elevated
Levels	2
Platforms	4 side platforms (2 on each level)
Tracks	4 (2 on each level)
Other information
Opened	May 19, 1919; 105 years ago
Opposite-; direction; transfer	Yes
Former/other names	Coney Island–West Eighth Street
Traffic
2023	640,138 9.7%
Rank	355 out of 423
Services
Services
Location
Track layout
	Legend
Upper level
Lower level
	Former tracks
	to Ocean Parkway
Street map
Station service legend
Symbol	Description
	Stops all times
	Stops rush hours in the peak direction only (limited service)
	Stops weekdays and weekday late nights

The West Eighth Street–New York Aquarium station is a New York City Subway station, located on the BMT Brighton Line and IND Culver Line in the Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn. The station is located over the private right-of-way of the defunct New York and Coney Island Railroad north of Surf Avenue, running easterly from West 8th Street. It is served by the F and Q trains at all times, and by the <F> train during rush hours in the peak direction. This station is geographically the southernmost station in the entire New York City Subway system.

History

The station, originally identified as Coney Island–West Eighth Street, replaced the Culver Depot, the surface terminus of the Brighton Beach and Culver Lines. The new station consisted of a two-level elevated line, with two tracks and two side platforms on each level. Brighton service began serving the station on June 13, 1919,^[3] with Brighton Local trains using the lower level and Brighton Express trains (when operated) using the upper level. On May 1, 1920, Culver trains began sharing the lower level with the Brighton Line.

The usage of both levels varied over the years, with different Brighton services using the lower level at different times. Brighton Locals used the lower level of West 8th Street until 1954,^[3] when the track connection between the Brighton Line at Ocean Parkway and the lower level of West 8th Street station was severed. Brighton and Culver trains have had exclusive use of their respective levels ever since. The structure for the connector tracks still exists.

In September 1954, the NYCTA announced that it would build a 700 feet (210 m)-long overpass connecting the station with the then proposed New York Aquarium. The estimated cost for the project was $500,000, and it was expected to be completed by November 1955.^[4]

In 2002, it was announced that West Eighth Street would be one of ten subway stations citywide to receive renovations.^[5] The station was closed in August 2002 in conjunction with the reconstruction of the Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue terminal,^[6] and service was restored on May 23, 2004.^[7] The renovation took place during the temporary closure.

The pedestrian bridge was torn down on August 8, 2013, due to safety issues. A crosswalk and widened sidewalks replaced the bridge, which was built when the New York Aquarium was first opened at that location.^[8] In 2024, the MTA announced that it would install low platform fences at the West Eighth Street–New York Aquarium station and at the Clark Street station to reduce the likelihood of passengers falling onto the tracks.^[9]^[10] The barriers would consist of low yellow fences, spaced along the length of the platform; there would not be sliding platform screen doors between the barriers.^[9]

Station layout

3F Brighton platforms	Side platform
	Southbound	← toward Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue (Terminus)
	Northbound	→ toward 96th Street (Ocean Parkway) →
	Side platform
2F Culver platforms	Side platform
	Southbound	← toward Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue (Terminus)
	Northbound	→ toward Jamaica–179th Street (Neptune Avenue) →
	Side platform
G	Street level	Exit/entrance, fare control

The current station continues to have two tracks and two side platforms on each level; the BMT Brighton Line currently uses the upper level and the IND Culver Line uses the lower level.

The 2005 artwork here is called Wavewall by Vito Acconci.^[11]

Exits

This station contains two entrances. The first one is located on West Eighth Street, on the west end of the station. It has a full-time station agent booth and a ramp to the mezzanine, where there are turnstiles and stairs to the platforms. There are also two stairs that lead from the mezzanine down to the west side of West Eighth Street.^[12]

The second one leads to the intersection of West Fifth Street and Brighton Avenue, past the east end of the station. It contains three High Entry-Exit turnstiles and leads directly to the Manhattan-bound platform of the lower level, as well as an escalator that leads directly to the Manhattan-bound platform of the upper level. The eastern entrance also connects to a path running northward to West Sixth Street, which at this point is a dirt road only for pedestrians that runs directly underneath the Culver Line.^[12]

Gallery

Abandoned trackways from lower level of station to the BMT Brighton Line
Entrance from West 8th Street
Zoom on the staircase by Vito Acconci
Manhattan-bound F train of R160s enters the station
The Brighton Line platforms on the upper level
The Culver Line platforms on the lower level
Street stair and pedestrian overpass to Aquarium, demolished in August 2013

References

^ "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.
^ ^a ^b "Annual Subway Ridership (2018–2023)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
^ ^a ^b "www.nycsubway.org: BMT Brighton Line". Retrieved August 15, 2016.
^ "Proposed B. M. T. Overpass to Coney Island Aquarium" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
^ "RENOVATION IS SET FOR 10 SUBWAY STATIONS". NY Daily News. June 11, 2002. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
^ Bahrampour, Tara (August 25, 2002). "NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: CONEY ISLAND; Trek to Beach Will Get Harder as Station Gets a Face-Lift". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
^ Chan, Sewell (May 28, 2005). "And Now for the Good News From the Subway System". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
^ "Bridge abridged! Aquarium span scrapped". August 9, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
^ ^a ^b Roberts-Grmela, Julian; Seiwell, Emma (January 21, 2024). "MTA testing subway platform barriers in Manhattan, Brooklyn aimed at preventing track falls". New York Daily News. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
^ Heyward, Giulia (January 21, 2024). "MTA installs new platform barriers at 191st Street station". Gothamist. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
"New yellow safety barriers appear at subway station in Washington Heights". NBC New York. January 21, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
^ "MTA - Arts & Design | NYCT Permanent Art". web.mta.info. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
^ ^a ^b "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Coney Island" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2016.

External links

nycsubway.org – Station: West 8th Street (Brighton/Culver Line)
The Subway Nut - West Eighth Street Pictures
MTA's Arts For Transit — West 8th Street–New York Aquarium
West Eighth Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
Surf Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View
Upper level from Google Maps Street View

[SASDEIS-DIVISION-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.

[riderref-2] "Annual Subway Ridership (2018–2023)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2024.

[nycsubway.org-3] "www.nycsubway.org: BMT Brighton Line". Retrieved August 15, 2016.

[4] "Proposed B. M. T. Overpass to Coney Island Aquarium" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved October 10, 2016.

[5] "RENOVATION IS SET FOR 10 SUBWAY STATIONS". NY Daily News. June 11, 2002. Retrieved January 8, 2018.

[6] Bahrampour, Tara (August 25, 2002). "NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: CONEY ISLAND; Trek to Beach Will Get Harder as Station Gets a Face-Lift". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 14, 2020.

[7] Chan, Sewell (May 28, 2005). "And Now for the Good News From the Subway System". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 14, 2020.

[8] "Bridge abridged! Aquarium span scrapped". August 9, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2016.

[Roberts-Grmela_Seiwell_2024_m652-9] Roberts-Grmela, Julian; Seiwell, Emma (January 21, 2024). "MTA testing subway platform barriers in Manhattan, Brooklyn aimed at preventing track falls". New York Daily News. Retrieved January 21, 2024.

[Heyward_2024_o410-10] Heyward, Giulia (January 21, 2024). "MTA installs new platform barriers at 191st Street station". Gothamist. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
"New yellow safety barriers appear at subway station in Washington Heights". NBC New York. January 21, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2024.

[11] "MTA - Arts & Design | NYCT Permanent Art". web.mta.info. Retrieved August 15, 2016.

[MTA-NameofNeighborhood-2015-12] "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Coney Island" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2016.

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v t e Stations of the New York City Subway, by service
Queens Blvd Express/ Sixth Avenue Local	Jamaica–179th Street 169th Street Parsons Boulevard Sutphin Boulevard Briarwood Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike 75th Avenue Forest Hills–71st Avenue Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue 21st Street–Queensbridge Roosevelt Island Lexington Avenue–63rd Street 57th Street 47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center 42nd Street–Bryant Park/Fifth Avenue 34th Street–Herald Square 23rd Street 14th Street West Fourth Street–Washington Square Broadway–Lafayette Street/Bleecker Street Second Avenue Delancey Street East Broadway York Street Jay Street–MetroTech Bergen Street Carroll Street Smith–Ninth Streets Fourth Avenue Seventh Avenue 15th Street–Prospect Park Fort Hamilton Parkway Church Avenue Ditmas Avenue 18th Avenue Avenue I Bay Parkway Avenue N Avenue P Kings Highway Avenue U Avenue X Neptune Avenue West Eighth Street–New York Aquarium Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue
Queens Blvd Express/ Sixth Avenue Local (Rush Hour Express)	Jamaica–179th Street 169th Street Parsons Boulevard Sutphin Boulevard Briarwood Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike 75th Avenue Forest Hills–71st Avenue Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue 21st Street–Queensbridge Roosevelt Island Lexington Avenue–63rd Street 57th Street 47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center 42nd Street–Bryant Park 34th Street–Herald Square 23rd Street 14th Street West Fourth Street–Washington Square Broadway–Lafayette Street Second Avenue Delancey Street East Broadway York Street Jay Street–MetroTech Seventh Avenue Church Avenue Ditmas Avenue 18th Avenue Avenue I Bay Parkway Avenue N Avenue P Kings Highway Avenue U Avenue X Neptune Avenue West Eighth Street–New York Aquarium Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue
Second Avenue/ Broadway Express/ Brighton Local	96th Street 86th Street 72nd Street Lexington Avenue–63rd Street 57th Street–Seventh Avenue 49th Street* Times Square–42nd Street 34th Street–Herald Square 28th Street* 23rd Street* 14th Street–Union Square Eighth Street–New York University* Prince Street* Canal Street DeKalb Avenue Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center Seventh Avenue Prospect Park Parkside Avenue Church Avenue Beverley Road Cortelyou Road Newkirk Plaza Avenue H Avenue J Avenue M Kings Highway Avenue U Neck Road Sheepshead Bay Brighton Beach Ocean Parkway West Eighth Street–New York Aquarium Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue
See also Lists by borough (The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens) Accessible Closed Terminals Transfer Commons category Note: Service variations, station closures, and reroutes are not reflected here. Stations with asterisks have no regular peak, reverse peak, or midday service on that route. See linked articles for more information.

v t e Stations of the New York City Subway, by line (physical trackage)
Culver Line	[← to York Street, Sixth Ave. Line] Jay Street–MetroTech [← to Hoyt–Schermerhorn Streets, Crosstown Line] Bergen Street Carroll Street Smith–Ninth Streets Fourth Avenue Seventh Avenue 15th Street–Prospect Park Fort Hamilton Parkway Church Avenue Demolished stations [← Ninth Avenue, West End Line] Fort Hamilton Parkway 13th Avenue Ditmas Avenue 18th Avenue Avenue I Bay Parkway Avenue N Avenue P Kings Highway Avenue U Avenue X Neptune Avenue Culver Depot West Eighth Street–New York Aquarium Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue
Brighton Line	[← to Canal Street, Broadway Line via Manhattan Bridge / ← to Grand Street, Sixth Ave. Line via Manhattan Bridge and Chrystie Street Connection / ~~← to Jay Street–MetroTech, Fourth Ave. Line~~] DeKalb Avenue Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center Seventh Avenue Prospect Park Parkside Avenue Church Avenue Beverley Road Cortelyou Road Newkirk Plaza Avenue H Avenue J Avenue M Kings Highway Avenue U Neck Road Sheepshead Bay Brighton Beach Ocean Parkway Culver Depot West Eighth Street–New York Aquarium Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue
See also Lists by borough (The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens) Accessible Closed Terminals Transfer Commons category Stations and line segments in italics are closed, demolished, or planned (temporary closures are marked with asterisks). Track connections to other lines' terminals are displayed in brackets. ~~Struck through~~ passenger track connections are closed or unused in regular service.