86th Street station (IND Eighth Avenue Line)

86 Street   ​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
The southbound platform
Station statistics
Address	West 86th Street & Central Park West New York, New York
Borough	Manhattan
Locale	Upper West Side
Coordinates	40°47′07″N73°58′10″W / 40.785286°N 73.969316°W / 40.785286; -73.969316
Division	B (IND) [1]
Line	IND Eighth Avenue Line
Services	A   (late nights) ​   B   (weekdays during the day) ​   C   (all except late nights)
Transit	NYCT Bus: M10, M86 SBS
Structure	Underground
Levels	2
Platforms	2 side platforms (1 on each level)
Tracks	4 (2 on each level)
Other information
Opened	September 10, 1932(92 years ago) (1932-09-10) [2]
Closed	June 4, 2018;6 years ago (2018-06-04) (reconstruction)
Rebuilt	October 26, 2018;5 years ago (2018-10-26)
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Traffic
2023	2,486,809 [3]   19.9%
Rank	139 out of 423 [3]
Services Preceding station New York City Subway Following station 96th Street A   ​ B   ​ C   via 145th Street Local 81st Street–Museum of Natural History A   ​ B   ​ C   via 59th Street–Columbus Circle does not stop here
Location Show map of New York City Subway Show map of New York City Show map of New York
Track layout Legend to 96th Street Superimposed tracks (right tracks above left) to 81st Street Upper level Lower level
Street map
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times except late nights Stops late nights only Stops weekdays during the day

The 86th Street station is a local station on the IND Eighth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at Central Park West and 86th Street on the Upper West Side, it is served by the B on weekdays, the C train at all times except nights, and the A train during late nights only.

History

New York City mayor John Francis Hylan's original plans for the Independent Subway System (IND), proposed in 1922, included building over 100 miles (160 km) of new lines and taking over nearly 100 miles (160 km) of existing lines. The lines were designed to compete with the existing underground, surface, and elevated lines operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and BMT. ^{[4] [5]} On December 9, 1924, the New York City Board of Transportation (BOT) gave preliminary approval for the construction of the IND Eighth Avenue Line. ^[6] This line consisted of a corridor connecting Inwood, Manhattan, to Downtown Brooklyn, running largely under Eighth Avenue but also paralleling Greenwich Avenue and Sixth Avenue in Lower Manhattan. ^{[6] [7]} The BOT announced a list of stations on the new line in February 1928, with a local station at 86th Street. ^[8]

The finishes at the five stations between 81st Street and 110th Street were 18 percent completed by May 1930. ^[9] By that August, the BOT reported that the Eighth Avenue Line was nearly completed and that the five stations from 81st to 110th Street were 99 percent completed. ^[10] The entire line was completed by September 1931, except for the installation of turnstiles. ^[11] A preview event for the new subway was hosted on September 8, 1932, two days before the official opening. ^{[12] [13]} The 86th Street station opened on September 10, 1932, as part of the city-operated IND's initial segment, the Eighth Avenue Line between Chambers Street and 207th Street. ^{[14] [15]} Construction of the whole line cost $191.2 million (equivalent to $4,269.8 million in 2023). While the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line already provided parallel service, the new Eighth Avenue subway via Central Park West provided an alternative route. ^[16]

Under the 2015–2019 MTA Capital Plan, the station underwent a complete overhaul as part of the Enhanced Station Initiative and was entirely closed for several months. Updates included cellular service, Wi-Fi, USB charging stations, interactive service advisories and maps. ^{[17] [18]} A request for proposals for the 72nd Street, 86th Street, Cathedral Parkway–110th Street, and 163rd Street–Amsterdam Avenue stations was issued on June 1, 2017, ^[19] and the New York City Transit and Bus Committee officially recommended that the MTA Board award the $111 million contract to ECCO III Enterprises in October 2017. ^[20] As part of the renovations, the station was closed from June 4, 2018, to October 26, 2018. ^[21]

Station layout

Ground	Street level	Exit/entrance
Basement 1	Northbound express	← do not stop here
	Northbound local	← weekdays toward Bedford Park Boulevard or 145th Street (96th Street) ← toward 168th Street (96th Street) ← toward Inwood–207th Street late nights (96th Street)
	Side platform
	Mezzanine	Fare control, station agent, MetroCard and OMNY machines
Basement 2	Southbound express	→ do not stop here →
	Southbound local	→ weekdays toward Brighton Beach (81st Street–Museum of Natural History) → → toward Euclid Avenue (81st Street–Museum of Natural History) → → toward Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue late nights (81st Street–Museum of Natural History) →
	Side platform

This underground station has two levels with northbound trains on the upper level and southbound trains on the lower one. From west to east, each level has one side platform, one local track and one express track. ^[22]

The platforms have no tile band, but mosaic name tablets reading "86TH ST." in white sans-serif lettering on a midnight blue background with a black border are present. There are also small "86" tile captions and directional signs in white lettering on a black background. Grey (previously blue) I-beam columns run along both platforms at regular intervals with alternating ones having the standard black station name plate in white lettering.

Exits

This station has three fare control areas, all of which are on the upper level. The full-time one at 86th Street is at the south end and has a turnstile bank, token booth, and three street stairs. Two staircases lead to the southwest corner of Central Park West and 86th Street, and one leads to the northwest corner of that intersection. Right inside fare control, there is a staircase going down to the lower level. ^[23] The station's other two entrances/exits are unstaffed. The one at 87th Street, at the center of the upper level, has a staircase connecting both platforms. The one street stair leads to the northwest corner of Central Park West and 87th Street. ^[23] The third fare control area at 88th Street has three turnstiles and one gate, installed as part of the station's renovation. These replace the two HEET turnstiles and one exit-only turnstile ^[23] which were present beforehand. There is one staircase leading to the northwest corner of Central Park West and 88th Street. ^[23]

References

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. "List of the 28 Stations on the New 8th Av. Line". The New York Times . September 10, 1932. p. 6. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved April 21, 2020.
3. "Annual Subway Ridership (2018–2023)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
4. "Two Subway Routes Adopted by City". The New York Times. August 4, 1923. p. 9. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved August 1, 2019.
5. "Plans Now Ready to Start Subways". The New York Times. March 12, 1924. p. 1. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved August 1, 2019.
6. "Hylan Subway Plan Links Four Boroughs at $450,000,000 Cost". The New York Times. December 10, 1924. p. 1. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
7. Raskin, Joseph B. (2013). The Routes Not Taken: A Trip Through New York City's Unbuilt Subway System. New York, New York: Fordham University Press. doi:10.5422/fordham/9780823253692.001.0001. ISBN   978-0-82325-369-2.
8. "Express and Local Stations For New Eighth Avenue Line". New York Herald Tribune. February 5, 1928. p. B1. ISSN   1941-0646. ProQuest   1113431477.
9. "Progress is Rapid on 8th Av. Subway; Board's Engineers Report Spurt in Building Is Likely to Open the Line in July, 1930". The New York Times. May 26, 1930. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved April 29, 2023.
10. "Eighth Av. Subway Nearly Completed; Basic Construction Work From Chambers to 207th St. Done Except on Few Short Stretches". The New York Times. August 24, 1930. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved March 15, 2023.
11. O'Brien, John C. (September 9, 1931). "8th Ave. Line Being Rushed For Use Jan. 1: Turnstile Installation on Subway Begins Monday; Other Equipment Ready for Start of Train Service City Has Yet to Find Operating Company Transit Official on Trip, 207th to Canal Street, Inspects Finished Tube". New York Herald Tribune. p. 1. ISSN   1941-0646. ProQuest   1331181357.
12. "Sightseers Invade New Subway When Barricade Is lifted". The New York Times. September 9, 1932. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
13. "8th Av. Subway Gets First 5c. by Woman's Error: She Peers Into a Station, Hears Train, Pays for Ride, but Is Day Too Early Preparing for Tomorrow's Rush on 8th Ave. Subway". New York Herald Tribune. September 9, 1932. p. 1. ProQuest   1125436641.
14. Crowell, Paul (September 10, 1932). "Gay Midnight Crowd Rides First Trains In The New Subway: Throngs at Station an Hour Before Time, Rush Turnstiles When Chains are Dropped" (PDF). The New York Times . Retrieved November 8, 2015.
15. Sebring, Lewis B. (September 10, 1932). "Midnight Jam Opens City's New Subway: Turnstiles Click Into Action at 12:01 A. M. as Throngs Battle for Places in 'First' Trains Boy, 7, Leads Rush At 42d St. Station City at Last Hails 8th Ave. Line After 7-Year Wait; Cars Bigger, Clean Transit Commissioner Officially Opening New Subway at Midnight". New York Herald Tribune. p. 1. ISSN   1941-0646. ProQuest   1114839882.
16. Duffus, R. l (September 9, 1932). "NEW LINE FIRST UNIT IN CITY-WIDE SYSTEM; 8th Av. Tube to Ease West Side Congestion at Once -- Branches to Link 4 Boroughs Later. LAST WORD IN SUBWAYS Run From 207th to Chambers St. Cut to 33 Minutes -- 42d St. Has World's Largest Station. COST HAS BEEN $191,200,000 Years of Digging Up City Streets, Tunneling Rock and Building Road Finally Brought to Completion". The New York Times. p. 12. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved August 3, 2017.
17. Whitford, Emma (January 8, 2016). "MTA Will Completely Close 30 Subway Stations For Months-Long "Revamp"". Gothamist. Archived from the original on August 1, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
18. "MTAStations" (PDF). governor.ny.gov. Government of the State of New York. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
19. "Enhanced Stations Initiative Program; Contract A·36622C (Package 3) for Design & Construction at 72nd Street, 86th Street, Cathedral Parkway (110th Street), and 163rd Street - Amsterdam Avenue Stations on the 8th Avenue Line (IND), Manhattan" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. June 1, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
20. "New York City Transit and Bus Committee Meeting" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. October 23, 2017. p. 131. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 31, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
21. Warerkar, Tanay (February 19, 2018). "MTA will shutter 4 Upper Manhattan subway stations for repairs". Curbed NY. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
22. Dougherty, Peter (2006) [2002]. Tracks of the New York City Subway 2006 (3rd ed.). Dougherty. OCLC   49777633 – via Google Books.
23. "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Upper West Side" (PDF). mta.info . Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2016.

External links

• nycsubway.org — IND 8th Avenue: 86th Street Archived May 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
• Station Reporter — B Train
• Station Reporter — C Train
• The Subway Nut — 86th Street Pictures Archived June 29, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
• 86th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• 87th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• 88th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Platform from Google Maps Street View