Division A (IRT) Transit connections NYCT Bus: Bx1, Bx33 Platforms 2 side platforms Borough The Bronx Tracks 3 | Line IRT Jerome Avenue Line Structure Underground Opened 17 July 1918 Locale Mott Haven | |
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Services 4 (all except rush hours, peak direction)
5 (all except late nights) Address Bronx, NY 10451, United States Similar 149th Street–Grand Concourse, Third Avenue–138th Street, Woodlawn, Eastchester–Dyre Avenue, Bowling Green | ||
138th Street–Grand Concourse is a local station on the IRT Jerome Avenue Line of the New York City Subway, located at the T intersection of East 138th Street and the Grand Concourse in the Bronx neighborhood of Mott Haven. It is served by the 4 train at all times except rush hours in peak direction and 5 train at all times except late nights.
Contents
Station layout
Until 1972, it had a connection to the 138th Street Station which served both the Harlem and Hudson Divisions of the New York Central Railroad. This underground station opened on July 17, 1918, making it the newest station on the line. It has two side platforms and three tracks, and is the only other station on the line to be built underground. The center express track is used by the 4 train during rush hours in the peak direction.
Both platform walls have their original mosaic trim line with "MH" tablets on it. This indicates that the station's original name was Mott Haven Avenue. The original name tablets are covered with black plates reading "138 Street" in white Akzidenz-Grotesk lettering. 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.
It is the southernmost station on the IRT Jerome Avenue Line. To the south, the line crosses the Harlem River into East Harlem, Manhattan and the three tracks merge into two and merge with the IRT Pelham Line to form the four-track IRT Lexington Avenue Line. To the north, the local tracks split into two. One set of tracks (the inner set) continues along Jerome Avenue, and the other set of tracks (the outer set) descends to a lower level and makes a sharp turn to merge with the IRT White Plains Road Line directly west of 149th Street–Grand Concourse. The 5 train uses these tracks during daytime hours.
In 2011, the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives took a poll of subway riders to "rank the stank" (i.e. vote for the smelliest subway station in the system). This station was ranked the smelliest of four nominated stations, receiving 35% of the votes.
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 either 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.