East 180th Street Subway Station (White Plains Road Line)

East 180th Street (originally East 180th Street–Morris Park Avenue) is an elevated express station on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of East 180th Street and Morris Park Avenue in the Bronx, it is served by the 2 and 5 trains at all times.

History

This station was built under the Dual Contracts. It opened on March 3, 1917, as part of an extension of the IRT White Plains Road Line from East 177th Street–East Tremont Avenue to East 219th Street–White Plains Road, providing the Bronx communities of Williamsbridge and Wakefield with access to rapid transit service. Service on the new portion of the line was operated as a four-car shuttle from 177th Street due to the power conditions at the time.

When the East 180th Street station opened, it also served as a connection to the New York, Westchester and Boston Railroad Administration Building, built in 1913, as well as the NYW&B platforms at East 180th Street.

From March 2010 to 2013, the station underwent a rehabilitation coordinated by Lee Harris Pomeroy Architects and completed by Citnalta Construction Corporation. Improvements included fixing up the entrance and forecourt; replacing parts of the canopy roof, track beds, platforms and platform edges; adding new elevator access to improve circulation; and repairing electrical, mechanical, plumbing, lighting and communication equipment. Community groups hoped to see the return of businesses inside the station such as a barber shop, shoe repair, and dry cleaners which existed many decades ago.

The New York City Transit Authority paid $66.6 million for the station's renovation and the Citnalta Construction Corporation contributed the cost of the 45-inch clock with Roman numerals on the facade. The East 180th Street Station rehab project was completed and closed out in May 2013 at a $49.5 million cost, with another $10.4 million included for ADA access. It had been delayed six months to resolve and complete punch work.

Station layout

The NYPD's Transit District #12 resides directly across the street from the East 180th Street station at 460 Morris Park Ave.

New York City Subway platforms

The New York City Subway station has two island platforms and three tracks. All 2 trains, and 5 trains at all times except rush hours and late nights, stop at the outer tracks. The center track is used by 5 service during rush hours in the peak direction (when it runs express to or from Third Avenue–149th Street) and late nights (when shuttle trains from Eastchester–Dyre Avenue terminate here). The express run to Third Avenue–149th Street is 3.4 miles (5.5 km) long and bypasses seven stations, making it the second-longest express run in the system, after the 3.5-mile (5.6 km) express run between 125th Street and 59th Street–Columbus Circle on the IND Eighth Avenue Line, which also bypasses seven stations.

The south end of the platforms has a staff-only bridge allowing access from the platforms to the East 180th Street Yard directly to the west.

Heading north, after West Farms Square–East Tremont Avenue, trains turn east and enter the S-curve to East 180th Street. To the northeast are the Unionport Yard and a signal tower; just to the northwest is the flyover that carries the southbound track of the IRT Dyre Avenue Line. The 2 train continues on the IRT White Plains Road Line to Wakefield–241st Street, while the 5 train diverges to the Dyre Avenue Line northeast. Some 5 trains continue on the White Plains Road Line during rush hours and run local to Nereid Avenue.

Exits

Until the 1980s, the station had escalators to the street level via a mezzanine, the remains of which are visible beneath the tracks. A walk is now required to reach fare control, which is in the former New York, Westchester and Boston Railway station house. A secondary exit leads to 180th Street.

New York, Westchester and Boston Railway platforms

Disused platform of the New York, Westchester, and Boston Railway

Directly to the east of the platforms are the platforms of the old New York, Westchester and Boston Railway's 180th Street station. The station was designed by Fellheimer & Long with Allen H. Stem Associated Architects. Its design is reminiscent of late 19th and early 20th century revivals. After the demise of NYW&B in 1937, a portion of the main line was bought by the city of New York, which converted it into the subway and renamed it the IRT Dyre Avenue Line. The line north of Dyre Avenue and south of East 180th Street was abandoned and demolished, leaving the Dyre Avenue Line with no rail connections, so subway service debuted in 1940 as a full-time shuttle.

In 1957, a flyover connection between the IRT White Plains Road and Dyre Avenue Lines opened, allowing trains from the latter to travel to Manhattan and Brooklyn. All services that formerly used the NYW&B tracks and platforms moved to the White Plains Road Line platforms and tracks. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 23, 1980.

The original NYW&B station house on Morris Park Avenue is still in use as the main entrance. It is also home to some office space, a small convenience store, and until recently, a New York City Transit Police precinct (which now has a building across the street from the station entrance). Restoration of the station house was completed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 2013.

Text imported from Wikipedia article "East 180th Street station" and modified on May 28, 2020 according to the CC-BY-SA 4.0 International license.