The Jerome Avenue Line is served locally by the 4 train at all times, except for the 138th Street–Grand Concourse station, as well as select trains which run express to Burnside Avenue from 149th Street-Grand Concourse. Other than those, the 4 serves 138th Street at all times except rush hours in the peak direction, and the 5 train stops at 138th Street all times except late nights.
Though named for Jerome Avenue, the southernmost portion of the line runs underground beneath the Grand Concourse. North of the 149th Street station around the vicinity of Franz Sigel Park, the line curves to the northwest and emerges from a tunnel under Gerard Avenue north of East 153rd Street, and becomes an elevated line over River Avenue just south of the intersection with East 157th Street. Just north of Yankee Stadium station, the line encounters the skeletal remains of the IRT Ninth Avenue elevated line between Gate Number 8 and the east end of the 164th Street Parking Garage, between the intersections of 162nd and 164th Streets. Almost a block after 167th Street station, the line finally runs over the eponymous road when River Avenue ends at Jerome Avenue across from the intersection of West 169th Street.
The line remains over Jerome Avenue for most of the rest of its journey. The north end of the Mount Eden Avenue station can be seen from the Cross Bronx Expressway. After the northwest entrance of the historic Concourse Yard and then north of 198th Street, the road briefly moves east of the line. North of Bedford Park Boulevard station, Jerome Avenue returns under the line and between the intersections with East 205th Street and West 205th Street, a spur for the Jerome Yard branches off to the northwest as well. The IRT Jerome Avenue Line finally ends at Woodlawn, while Jerome Avenue itself continues north towards the Major Deegan Expressway.
History
Planning
A Woodlawn-bound 4 local train made up of 10 R142 Cars leaves the Mosholu Parkway station before the last stop on the line, Woodlawn.
For more than two decades, there had been calls to provide transit service to the residents of the Western Bronx. When the first subway was being planned, a branch of the line to this area was under consideration, but it was not found to be feasible to build such a connection because of financial reasons. The Board of Rapid Transit Commissioners, on June 1, 1905, adopted three rapid transit routes: Numbers 15, 16, and 17, all with the purpose of serving the underserved western area of the borough. Route 15 would have been a four-track subway under Jerome Avenue, with a connection to the Ninth Avenue Elevated through 162nd Street. Route 16 called for a three-track elevated line along Jerome Avenue, extending from Clarke Place north to Woodlawn Road. Route 17 would have required the construction of a subway line under Gerard Avenue to form the southern connection to the Jerome Avenue Line. Of the three options, Route 15 was approved by the New York City Board of Estimate on July 14, 1905, and by Mayor George McClellan two weeks later.[4]
On June 16, 1908, the proposal to construct a subway under Gerard Avenue was abandoned because of the soil conditions, which made the project too expensive to be constructed at the time. Instead, the Commission adopted Route 23, known as the River Avenue route, which provided for an elevated railroad and subway connecting the Jerome Avenue elevated line with the Lexington Avenue Line. This route was utilized as part of the Jerome Avenue Line. The route was approved by the Board of Estimate on June 26, 1908, and by the Mayor four days later.[4]
Construction and opening
The Dual Contracts, which were signed on March 19, 1913, were contracts for the construction and/or rehabilitation and operation of rapid transit lines in the City of New York. The contracts were "dual" in that they were signed between the City and two separate private companies (the Interborough Rapid Transit Company and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company), all working together to make the construction of the Dual Contracts possible. The Dual Contracts promised the construction of several lines in the Bronx. As part of Contract 3, the IRT agreed to build an elevated line along Jerome Avenue in the Bronx.[5][6][7]
The first part of the line opened on June 2, 1917 as a shuttle service between Kingsbridge Road and 149th Street. Only the southbound platform was in use at Kingsbridge Road.[4][8] This was in advance of through service to the IRT Lexington Avenue Line, which began on July 17, 1918.[9]
The line was extended from Kingsbridge Road to its final terminal of Woodlawn on April 15, 1918.[10] This section was initially served by shuttle service, with passengers transferring at 167th Street.[11][12] The Jerome Avenue line cost approximately $7 million, with $3 million spent on the elevated section and $4 million spent on the underground section.[13] The construction of the line encouraged development along Jerome Avenue and led to the growth of the surrounding communities.[4]
Beginning on July 17, 1918, Ninth Avenue El service was extended to Kingsbridge Road.[14] On January 2, 1919, rush hour Ninth Avenue El express trains began running to Woodlawn.[14] On December 11, 1921, Lexington Avenue–Jerome Avenue subway trains began running north of 167th Street at all times, replacing elevated trains, which ran to Woodlawn during rush hours, but terminated at 167th Street during non-rush hours.[16] Four were killed and 45 injured in a collision between two trains on April 29, 1929, two hundred feet north of 167th Street station.[17]
Later changes
Sign announcing the end of Ninth Avenue El service south of the 155th Street station.
Following the closure of the lower portion of the Ninth Avenue Elevated on June 11, 1940,[18] service from 155th Street to Burnside Avenue in the Bronx was continued as the "Polo Grounds Shuttle," or the 155th Street Shuttle, at all hours. A paper transfer issuance was established between the shuttle and the IND Concourse Line station at 155th Street at the Polo Grounds.[14] IRT composite construction subway cars replaced the wooden elevated cars on the line, but retained the elevated third rail shoes.[14] Dual third rail operation remained in use on the Jerome Avenue Line to the yards at Bedford Park until shuttle service ended in 1958; the structure and the bridge were removed in 1962.[14] The northern terminal of the shuttle was cut back to 167th Street on June 1, 1941. Service ended on August 31, 1958 as a result of the departure of the New York Giants baseball team (moved to San Francisco) and the ending of passenger service on the New York Central's Putnam Division.[19][14][20]
In Fiscal Year 1960, work began on the extension of platforms at some stations on the line to 525 feet (160m) to accommodate ten-car trains. In addition, work to replace wooden platforms at six stations on the line with concrete ones was completed. Replacing the wooden platforms with concrete ones reduced maintenance costs and increased the longevity of the platforms.[21]
In 1986, the New York City Transit Authority launched a study to determine whether to close 79 stations on 11 routes, including the Jerome Avenue Line north of 167th Street, due to low ridership and high repair costs.[22][23] Numerous figures, including New York City Council member Carol Greitzer, criticized the plans.[23][24]
On March 27, 2004, Mount Eden Avenue and 167th Street closed for three months to be renovated. On July 5, 2004, Fordham Road, 170th Street, and 176th Street closed for four months so they could be renovated. As part of the project, new canopy roofs, walls, lighting, staircases, floors, token booths, and public address systems would be installed at each station.[25][26]
In 2006, work began on a $55 million contract to renovate five stops on the line to bring them into a state of good repair. As part of the project, station mezzanines were refurbished, electrical upgrades were completed, platform floors, canopy roofs, and windscreens were replaced. In addition, fluorescent lighting and tactile platform edge strips were installed. Work on the project was completed in phases so as to reduce inconveniences to riders. From June 17, 2006 to October 16, 2006, Bedford Park Boulevard and Burnside Avenue were closed for repairs.[27] From October 30, 2006, to January 2007, the northbound platform at Mosholu Parkway was closed to be renovated. Work on the southbound platform began on August 13, 2007, and was expected to be completed in mid-November 2007.[28] As part of the project, the southern entrance to the station was reopened.[27] From March 5, 2007 to May 21, 2007, Kingsbridge Road and 183rd Street were closed to be renovated. The stations reopened eight weeks ahead of schedule.[29]
As part of a pilot program to evaluate express service on the line, from June 8, 2009 to June 26, 2009, the MTA operated four trains southbound on the express track between 7:15a.m. and 8:00a.m.. The trains entered service at Woodlawn, switched to the express track after stopping at Mosholu Parkway, and ran express to 149th Street–Grand Concourse, stopping only at Burnside Avenue.[30] From October 26, 2009, to December 11, 2009, another pilot program to run express service ran, this time adding Bedford Park Boulevard–Lehman College as an additional stop. A fifth train had also been added and trains now ran every 20 minutes from 7:00a.m. to 8:20a.m.[31]
Station listing
Station service legend
Stops all times
Stops all times except late nights
Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction
The 4 Lexington Avenue Express is a rapid transit service in the A Division of the New York City Subway. Its route emblem, or "bullet", is colored forest green since it uses the IRT Lexington Avenue Line in Manhattan.
The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) was the private operator of New York City's original underground subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT was purchased by the city on June 12, 1940, along with the younger BMT and IND systems, to form the modern New York City Subway. The former IRT lines are now the A Division or IRT Division of the Subway.
The Woodlawn station is the northern terminal of the New York City Subway's IRT Jerome Avenue Line. The station is located at the intersection of Bainbridge and Jerome Avenues, outside Woodlawn Cemetery. Despite the station name, this intersection is in the Norwood neighborhood of the Bronx, and not in Woodlawn. It is served by the 4 train at all times. This station was constructed by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company as part of the Dual Contracts and opened in 1918.
The Mosholu Parkway station is a local station on the IRT Jerome Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Mosholu Parkway and Jerome Avenue in the Bedford Park and Norwood neighborhoods of the Bronx, it is served by the 4 train at all times.
The Bedford Park Boulevard–Lehman College station is a local station on the IRT Jerome Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Bedford Park Boulevard immediately west of Jerome Avenue in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx, it is served by the 4 train at all times. It is also the only station on the Jerome Avenue Line north of 170th Street that is not located above Jerome Avenue. This station was constructed by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company as part of the Dual Contracts and opened in 1918.
The Kingsbridge Road station is a local station on the elevated IRT Jerome Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Kingsbridge Road and Jerome Avenue in the Kingsbridge Heights neighborhood of the Bronx, it is served by the 4 train at all times. The station is adjacent to the Kingsbridge Armory. It was constructed by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company as part of the Dual Contracts and opened in 1917.
The Fordham Road station is a local station on the IRT Jerome Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Fordham Road and Jerome Avenue in the University Heights and Fordham Heights neighborhoods of the Bronx, it is served by the 4 train at all times. This station was constructed by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company as part of the Dual Contracts and opened in 1917.
The 183rd Street station is a local station on the elevated IRT Jerome Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 183rd Street and Jerome Avenue in the University Heights and Fordham Heights neighborhoods of the Bronx, it is served by the 4 train at all times. This station was constructed by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company as part of the Dual Contracts and opened in 1917.
The Burnside Avenue station is an express station on the IRT Jerome Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Burnside and Jerome Avenues in the Morris Heights and University Heights neighborhoods of the Bronx, it is served by the 4 train at all times. It also serves as a rush hour short turn northern terminal for select 4 trains from Crown Heights–Utica Avenue.
The 176th Street station is a local station on the IRT Jerome Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 176th Street and Jerome Avenue in the Morris Heights neighborhood of the Bronx, it is served by the 4 train at all times. This station was constructed by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company as part of the Dual Contracts and opened in 1917.
The Mount Eden Avenue station is a local station on the IRT Jerome Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Mount Eden and Jerome Avenues in the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx, it is served by the 4 train at all times. This station was constructed by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company as part of the Dual Contracts and opened in 1917.
The 170th Street station is a local station on the IRT Jerome Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 170th Street and Jerome Avenue in the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx, it is served by the 4 train at all times. This station was constructed by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company as part of the Dual Contracts and opened in 1917.
The 167th Street station is a local station on the IRT Jerome Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 167th Street and River Avenue in the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx, it is served by the 4 train at all times. This station was constructed by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company as part of the Dual Contracts and opened in 1917.
The IRT Ninth Avenue Line, often called the Ninth Avenue Elevated or Ninth Avenue El, was the first elevated railway in New York City. It opened in July 1868 as the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway, as an experimental single-track cable-powered elevated railway from Battery Place, at the south end of Manhattan Island, northward up Greenwich Street to Cortlandt Street. By 1879 the line was extended to the Harlem River at 155th Street. It was electrified and taken over by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company in 1903.
The Concourse Line is an IND rapid transit line of the New York City Subway system. It runs from 205th Street in Norwood, Bronx, primarily under the Grand Concourse, to 145th Street in Harlem, Manhattan. It is the only B Division line in the Bronx, and also the only line in the Bronx with all stations underground.
The 149th Street–Grand Concourse station is a New York City Subway station complex shared by the IRT Jerome Avenue Line and the IRT White Plains Road Line. It is located at East 149th Street and Grand Concourse in Mott Haven, Melrose and Concourse in the Bronx. The complex is served by the 2 and 4 trains at all times, and by the 5 train at all times except late nights.
The White Plains Road Line is a rapid transit line of the A Division of the New York City Subway serving the central Bronx. It is mostly elevated and served both subway and elevated trains until 1952. The original part of the line, the part opened as part of the first subway was called the West Farms Division, and the extension north to 241st Street as part of the Dual Contracts was called the White Plains Road Line. Eventually, however, the two parts came to be known as the White Plains Road Line.
The 161st Street–Yankee Stadium station is a New York City Subway station complex shared by the elevated IRT Jerome Avenue Line and the underground IND Concourse Line. It is located at the intersection of 161st Street and River Avenue in the Highbridge and Concourse neighborhoods of the Bronx. It is generally served by the 4 train at all times; the D train at all times except rush hours in the peak direction ; and the B train weekdays until evening.
Jerome Avenue is one of the longest thoroughfares in the New York City borough of the Bronx, New York, United States. The road is 5.6 miles (9.0 km) long and stretches from Concourse to Woodlawn. Both of these termini are with the Major Deegan Expressway which runs parallel to the west. Most of the elevated IRT Jerome Avenue Line runs along Jerome Avenue. The Cross Bronx Expressway interchanges with Jerome and the Deegan. Though it runs through what is now the West Bronx neighborhood, Jerome Avenue is the dividing avenue between nominal and some named "West" and "East" streets in the Bronx; Fifth Avenue, and to a lesser extent, Broadway, also splits Manhattan into nominal "West" and "East" streets.
Note that this is a list of New York City Subway lines, which are the physical infrastructure over which services operate. Lines with colors next to them are trunk lines; trunk lines determine the color of New York City Subway service bullets, except for shuttles, which are dark gray.
Stations and line segments in italics are closed, demolished, or planned (temporary closures are marked with asterisks). Track connections to other lines' terminals are displayed in brackets. Struck through passenger track connections are closed or unused in regular service.
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