138th Street–Grand Concourse station

History

In 1956, the New York City Transit Authority announced plans to add fluorescent lighting to the station. The fluorescent lights were installed along the edges of the station's platforms.

The walls of both platforms retain their original mosaic trim line with "MH" tablets on it – a relic of the station's former name. The platforms were extended at both ends in the 1950s; the design of these platform extensions are in contrast from the original portions, as they have a blue trim with "138TH ST" in white lettering. Blue i-beam columns run along both platforms at regular intervals with alternating ones having the standard black number plates in white lettering.

Until 1972, the station had a connection to the New York Central Railroad's 138th Street Station, which served trains on the railroad's Harlem and Hudson Divisions.

In 2011, the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives took a poll of subway riders to vote for the smelliest subway station in the system, as part of its "rank the stank" contest. This station was ranked the smelliest of four nominated stations, receiving 35% of the votes.

From November 18, 2019, to March 30, 2020, the northbound platform was temporarily closed for renovations. From April 27, 2020, to July 27, 2020, the southbound platform was temporarily closed for renovations.

Station layout

The 138th Street–Grand Concourse station has two side platforms and three tracks, and is one of only two on the IRT Jerome Avenue Line to be built underground. The 4 train skips this station during rush hours in the peak direction. It is the southernmost station on the IRT Jerome Avenue Line. To the south, the line crosses the Harlem River to the next stop, the 125th Street station in East Harlem, Manhattan. The three tracks merge into two and then merge with the IRT Pelham Line to form the four-track IRT Lexington Avenue Line. To the north, the local tracks split into two: an inner set that continues north to the Jerome Avenue Line's 149th Street–Grand Concourse station, and an outer set that descends to a lower level and makes a sharp turn to merge with the IRT White Plains Road Line directly west of that line's 149th Street–Grand Concourse station. The 5 train uses these tracks during daytime hours.

Both platform walls have their original mosaic trim line with "MH" tablets on it, a relic of Mott Haven Avenue, the former name of the station. At either ends of the platform, where they were extended in the 1950s, the walls have a blue trim with "138TH ST" in white lettering. Blue i-beam columns run along both platforms at regular intervals with alternating ones having the standard black number plates in white lettering.

The station was built with tablets displaying "Mott Haven" and others displaying "138th Street–Mott Haven." The ones with "138th Street" were painted over with text reading "138th Street–Grand Concourse", but all were eventually covered with black plates reading "138 Street" in white Standard (Akzidenz-Grotesk) lettering. During the station's renovation in the late 2010s, most of the tablets were restored.

Until 1972, the station had a connection to the 138th Street Station which served both the Harlem and Hudson Divisions of the New York Central Railroad.

Exits

This station has one mezzanine above the center of the platforms and tracks. Two staircases from each platform go up to a waiting area/crossover, where a turnstile bank provides access to and from the station. Outside fare control, there is a token booth and two staircases going up to the northern corners of East 138th Street and the Grand Concourse. The mezzanine has its original "Uptown Trains" and "Downtown Trains" mosaic tablets and trim line.

References

References

1. (April 13, 1918). "Jerome Av. Line Ordered Opened". The New York Times.
2. (1940-06-13). "City Transit Unity Is Now a Reality; Title to I.R.T. Lines Passes to Municipality, Ending 19-Year Campaign". The New York Times.
3. (June 13, 1940). "Transit Unification Completed As City Takes Over I. R. T. Lines: Systems Come Under Single Control After Efforts Begun in 1921; Mayor Is Jubilant at City Hall Ceremony Recalling 1904 Celebration". New York Herald Tribune.
4. Walsh, Kevin. (November 23, 2019). "138th Street Station, Mott Haven".
5. Katz, Ralph. (1956-01-27). "Subway Stations to Get New Lights; $3,750,000 to Be Spent on Fluorescents for I.R.T. and B.M.T. Transfer Points". The New York Times.
6. (1943). "Hagstrom's Street Map of The Bronx".
7. "Hagstrom's Map of Westchester County, New York; 1943 (Greater New York Roads)".
8. Murphy, Michael. (August 26, 2011). "138th Street – Grand Concourse Voted the Smelliest Subway Station in New York City".
9. "Uptown 4/5 trains skip 138 St-Grand Concourse".
10. (March 31, 2020). "Downtown 4/5 trains skip 138 St-Grand Concourse".
11. {{NYCS const. trackref. trackbook
12. {{NYCS const. map
13. (1943). "Hagstrom's Street Map of The Bronx".
14. "Hagstrom's Map of Westchester County, New York; 1943 (Greater New York Roads)".
15. (April 2018). "138th Street–Grand Concourse Neighborhood Map". Metropolitan Transportation Authority.