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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Avenue H Station House

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Station service legend
Symbol Description
Stops all times Stops all times
Official nameAvenue H Station HouseDesignatedJune 29, 2004Reference no.2158

The Avenue H station is a local station on the BMT Brighton Line of the New York City Subway. It is located at Avenue H between East 15th and East 16th Streets near the border of Midwood and Flatbush, Brooklyn. The station is served by the Q train at all times. It is also served by the B train on weekdays until early 2025.

The Avenue H station was opened on or around April 26, 1897 as Fiske Terrace, a two-track surface station serving the new planned community of Fiske Terrace in Midwood, Brooklyn. It served the Kings County Elevated Railway and then the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT). The station house serving the northbound platform, built in 1906 as a sales office for Fiske Terrace, was converted to a passenger facility shortly afterward when the station was substantially rebuilt in 1907. The Avenue H station became part of the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT) system in 1923 and the New York City Transit system in 1940. It was renovated in the first decade of the 21st century.

The Avenue H station contains two side platforms and four tracks; express trains use the inner two tracks to bypass the station. The platforms sit on an embankment slightly above ground level and crosses above the Bay Ridge Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. There is a station house adjacent to each platform. The station house serving the northbound platform is a New York City designated landmark. Both platforms' station houses contain ramps from the street, which make the station compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The southbound ramp was completed in September 2011; a ramp for the northbound platform was completed in June 2021.

History

Early history

The Brooklyn, Flatbush and Coney Island Railway (BF&CI; now the BMT Brighton Line) opened in 1878. There was originally no station at the site of what is now Avenue H station. The nearest stations were South Midwood to the north and South Greenfield to the south, while Avenue H site did not have any station, though the railway passed below the nearby New York & Manhattan Beach Railway (now LIRR). The BF&CI was reorganized as the Brooklyn and Brighton Beach Railroad in 1887 and was subsequently leased by the Kings County Elevated Railway (KCER) in 1896. The KCER was subsumed into the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) by 1899.

Northbound station house, originally a sales office

What is now the Avenue H station opened April 27, 1897 on land contributed by the Fiske Brothers. as a two-track surface station on the BRT's Brighton Beach Line. The first station house was a small structure at the northeast corner of Avenue H and the railroad.

On June 8, 1905 Thomas Benton Ackerson paid $285,000 to George P. and Elizabeth Fiske for their Flatbush estate with a mansion (since demolished) called Fiske Terrace. Ackerson's T.B. Ackerson Company soon began construction, and named the development Fiske Terrace after the estate.

According to a 1907 brochure for the development, the company so swiftly transformed the land "from a wooded hilltop to a high class developed Suburban Home Site" that the project would "go down in history as being the most rapidly developed of its kind on record."

In 1906 Ackerson built a real estate office on the southwest corner of East 15th Street and Avenue to sell homes in their development. In a contemporary brochure the building was depicted as having exterior siding and other materials made of wood.

The sales office was converted to railroad use and "debuted as a transit station" on August 23, 1907,and was renamed "Avenue H". In this same time frame, the Brighton Beach Line was rebuilt as a four-track railroad and regraded from Church Avenue to Sheepshead Bay. This rebuilding placed the Avenue H station at the transition point between the open cut to the north and the embankment to the south. after which the railway was to pass over the Bay Ridge Branch and the nearby Manhattan Beach Junction station; previously, the line crossed underneath the Bay Ridge Branch. With the station house on the surface, the station remained open during the regrading project.

On August 1, 1920, a tunnel under Flatbush Avenue opened, connecting the Brighton Line to the Broadway subway in Manhattan. At the same time, the line's former track connections to the Fulton Street Elevated were severed. Subway trains from Manhattan and elevated trains from Franklin Avenue served Brighton Line stations, sharing the line to Coney Island.

The Brighton Line became part of the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT) in 1923 and then became the property of the City of New York in 1940.

21st century

In 2003, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced plans to demolish the station house, citing its wood construction as a fire hazard. The community objected, emphasizing the building's historic importance, architectural significance, connection to the adjacent community and the fact that several other wooden station houses on the subway system were already city landmarks. On June 29, 2004, the exterior of the station house was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, although this designation did not affect the interior. The contract to "restore the landmark station control house" as well as rehabilitation of the platforms and other stations structures was advertised for bids by the MTA for January 2007.

This station underwent reconstruction from September 2009 to December 2011. Both platforms were rebuilt with new windscreens, canopies, and tactile strip edges. The respective platform being rebuilt was closed while it was under renovation. An additional unstaffed station house the southbound platform was added on adjacent property at Avenue H. The new station house includes an ADA-accessible ramp. The northbound station house was also renovated, and several turnstiles were added to the station. The station fully reopened in September 2011 and the northbound station house was completed two months later at a cost of $47.6 million.

Northbound accessibility for this station was proposed in February 2019 as part of the MTA's "Fast Forward" program. By September 2020, the accessible ramp from the northbound station house to the northbound platform was expected to be completed in June 2021. The work started in October 2020 and necessitated minor service diversions; it also created a park at the dead-end on Avenue H west of East 16th Street. To facilitate the construction of an accessible wheelchair ramp, the northbound platform was closed for renovations during March and April 2021. The ramp was completed on June 29, 2021, and was officially dedicated in mid-July 2021. The project cost $14 million. At the time of the ramp's completion, the New York City Subway system had 26 ramps, and the Avenue H station was one of only 14 stations in the system with ramps.

Station layout

Platform level Side platform Disabled access
Northbound local ← "Q" train toward 96th Street, "b" train toward Bedford Park Boulevard or 145th Street (Newkirk Plaza)
Northbound express No regular service
Southbound express No regular service
Southbound local "Q" train toward Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue, "b" train toward Brighton Beach (Avenue J) →
Side platform Disabled access
Ground Street level Entrances/exits, station building and agent, MetroCard and OMNY vending machines
Disabled access
* Ramp on north side of Avenue H and East 15th Street for southbound trains.
  • Ramp on south side of Avenue H and East 16th Street for northbound trains.
The passageway underneath the tracks at Avenue H

The Avenue H station is laid out in a typical local stop setup. There are four tracks and two side platforms. The center two tracks are the express tracks used by the B train on weekdays. North of the station, the roadbed ramps down to an open-cut. South of the station, the line is on a raised earthen embankment. The station platform lies over the Bay Ridge Branch crossing which exists between Avenues H and I.

Due to the change in elevation, the north end of this station is slightly above ground level. Avenue H dead-ends on both sides of the line and vehicles cannot pass between the two sections of the avenue, but a pedestrian underpass connects the sidewalk on both sides.

The southbound (Coney Island-bound) local track is technically known as A1 while the northbound (Manhattan-bound) one is A2; the "A" designation is used for chaining purposes along the Brighton Line from the Manhattan Bridge to Coney Island. Although they cannot be accessed at Avenue H, the southbound and northbound express tracks are known as A3 and A4, respectively.

Exits

Northbound station house

The main entrance is the station house on the east side of the tracks, adjacent to the northbound platform on the south side of Avenue H. Designed in a similar Colonial Revival and Queen Anne style to the neighborhood's residences, the station house is one story high and contains wooden shingles on its facade. The pyramidal roof is covered in asphalt shingles and has a brick corbelled chimney. A portico with peeled-log wooden posts wraps around the station house, with overhanging eaves. The station house, designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission as a city landmark in 2004, is the only such structure in the New York City Subway system that was not originally intended as a rapid transit facility.

There are several doorways into the station house. The Avenue H facade, along the north side of the station building, consists of four bays with two wood-and-glass doors leading to the fare control area. The East 16th Street facade, along the east side, also is four bays wide but contains two wood-and-glass doors, a storefront, and a roll-down gate. There is modern signage along the exterior of the station house. Inside the station house, there are turnstiles and a full-time booth. There is also a HEET adjacent to the station house, from which a stair leads to the northbound platform, and an underpass leads to a single staircase to the Coney Island-bound platform. Access to these stairs is also available via turnstiles in the underpass. There is an exit-only turnstile on either side of the underpass.

Southbound station house

Southbound station house

Another station house is on the north end of the southbound platform, adjacent to the west side of the track. The ADA-accessible ramp and a stair leads to the unstaffed brick station house. The ramp wraps around the station house to adjust for the height difference between the station house and ground level. This station house contains a bank of regular and High Entry/Exit Turnstiles.

Nearby points of interest

See also

References

Notes

  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.
  2. ^ "Annual Subway Ridership (2018–2023)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  3. ^ "Avenue H Station House" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. June 29, 2004. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  4. ^ "Q Subway Timetable, Effective June 30, 2024". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  5. ^ "B Subway Timetable, Effective June 30, 2024". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  6. ^ "Another Coney Island Railroad; Opening of the Brooklyn and Flatbush Line to Brighton Beach". The New York Times. July 2, 1878. p. 5. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 11, 2019. The Brooklyn, Flatbush and Coney Island Railroad was formally opened for public travel yesterday [July 1, 1878]
  7. ^ "The Little Station in the Woods". The Third Rail. October 27, 2000. p. 2. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  8. ^ Cudahy, B.J. (2009). How We Got to Coney Island: The Development of Mass Transportation in Brooklyn and Kings County. Fordham University Press. ISBN 978-0-8232-2211-7. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  9. ^ Anderson, Bob. "Joint LIRR / BRT Elevated/Rapid Transit Service". www.lirrhistory.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2000. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  10. ^ "Union of Brooklyn Roads; Kings County Elevated Leases Part of Brooklyn and Brighton Beach". The New York Times. February 6, 1896. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  11. ^ Walsh, Kevin (October 4, 1998). "The lore of the franklin Avenue Shuttle". forgotten-ny.com. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  12. ^ "Flatbush Notes". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. May 16, 1896. p. 7.
  13. ^ "Parkville Notes". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. April 27, 1897. p. 10. Charles H Severs of Washington avenue has finished work on the railroad station at Fiske Terrace.
  14. ^ "The Little Station in the Woods". The Third Rail. December 25, 1999. p. 3. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  15. ^ Croghan, Lore (May 3, 2017). "Brooklyn's second-quirkiest landmark is in Victorian Flatbush". Brooklyn Eagle. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  16. ^ "Flatbush Dwellings Sold; Good Demand for Houses in Fiske Terrace and Other Sections". The New York Times. July 19, 1908. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  17. ^ Jackson, Kenneth T., ed. (1995). The Encyclopedia of New York City. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. 982, 984. ISBN 0300055366.
  18. ^ "New Subway Link Opens; Service Started Through Queens and Montague Street Tubes". The New York Times. August 1, 1920. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  19. ^ "Montague Street Tube, Brighton Subway Operation Begun". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 1, 1920. p. 53. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2018 – via Brooklyn Public Library; newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Kennedy, Randy (September 30, 2003). "Tunnel Vision; Short Line. Small Train. Little Graffiti". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  21. ^ Bahrampour, Tara (March 30, 2003). "Neighborhood Report: Midwood; A Community's Future May Rest on a Station's Past". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  22. ^ "Press Release - NYC Transit - Temporary Loss of Brighton Line Express". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. July 29, 2009. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  23. ^ "AVENUE H, Brighton Line". April 30, 2014.
  24. ^ "Flatbush, Midwood Subway Stops to Reopen After 2 Years". WNYC. September 12, 2011. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  25. ^ Ng, Alfred (September 13, 2011). "H and M stations are back!". Brooklyn Paper. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  26. ^ Rosenberg, Eli (November 13, 2011). "Country station at a city price". Brooklyn Paper. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  27. ^ mtainfo (February 6, 2019). NYCT Public Event - Discussion About the Next Accessible Subway Stations - 02/06/2019 (video). Archived from the original on December 19, 2021 – via YouTube.
  28. ^ "Transit and Bus Committee Meeting September 2020". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 23, 2020. pp. 268, 333. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  29. ^ "Avenue H Brighton Station ADA Project". Brooklyn Community Board 14. March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  30. ^ "Transit and Bus Committee Meeting". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. July 19, 2021. p. 74. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  31. ^ Verde, Ben (July 15, 2021). "Brooklyn's folksiest subway station is now ADA accessible". Brooklyn Paper. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  32. ^ "Upgrade of 1907 Midwood subway now 21st century". Brooklyn Eagle. July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  33. ^ "MTA Looks to Ramp Up Subway Accessibility With Fewer Costly Elevators". The City. August 18, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  34. ^ Avenue H (BMT Brighton Line) NYCSubway Retrieved June 25, 2009
  35. ^ Dougherty, Peter (2006) [2002]. Tracks of the New York City Subway 2006 (3rd ed.). Dougherty. OCLC 49777633 – via Google Books.
  36. ^ "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Flatbush" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Avenue H (BMT Brighton Line).
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