53rd Street is a local station on the BMT Fourth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at 53rd Street and Fourth Avenue in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, it is served by the R train at all times, several W trains during rush hours, and the N train during late nights only.
Video 53rd Street (BMT Fourth Avenue Line)
History
This station opened on June 22, 1915 as part of the initial portion of the BMT Fourth Avenue Line to 59th Street, one station to the south from here.
This station was overhauled in the late 1970s. The Transit Authority repaired the station's structure and appearance, particularly the staircases and platform edges. The overhaul also replaced the original wall tiles, trim line, signs, and incandescent lighting. The "new" station walls originally contained cinderblock tiles (colored gray with yellow indentation), black and white signs, and fluorescent lights.
Station rehabilitation
Under the 2015-2019 MTA Capital Plan, the station, along with thirty other New York City Subway stations, underwent a complete overhaul as part of the Enhanced Station Initiative and was entirely closed for 5 months. Updates included cellular service, Wi-Fi, USB charging stations, interactive service advisories and maps, improved signage, and improved station lighting. From January to May 2016, Grimshaw Architects worked on a design for the station's renovation, with Arup Group acting as a consultant.
The award for Package 1 of the renovations, which covered renovations at the Prospect Avenue, 53rd Street, and Bay Ridge Avenue stations on the BMT Fourth Avenue Line, was awarded on November 30, 2016. Citnalta-Forte Joint Venture was selected to renovate the three stations under a $72 million design-build contract, the first such contract in the subway system's history. The station was closed on March 27, 2017 for these renovations, and reopened on September 8, 2017, ahead of schedule.
Maps 53rd Street (BMT Fourth Avenue Line)
Station layout
This underground station has four tracks and two side platforms. The two center tracks are used by N trains during daytime hours. The station walls contain refurbished cinderblock tiles (colored beige with black indentation), black and white signs, and fluorescent lights. The 2017 renovation added ADA-compliant platform treads and a gray tiled floor, as well as indirect lighting atop the station wall, relocated from above the platform edge.
On the platforms, street signs and arrows leading to the station's exits are painted white on the wall tiles. Columns run along the entire length of both platforms and are painted black. Every other column has a "53 Street" sign on it in black with white text. All are rounded except for the ones near the two staircases to the station's main entrance, which was where the platforms were extended.
The 2017 artwork at this station consists of nature-inspired mosaics by Brooklyn-based artist Mickalene Thomas.
Exits
The station's main entrance has two staircases to each platform and one to each northern corner of Fourth Avenue and 53rd Street. The mezzanine allows transfer between directions and contains some original mosaic directional and arrow signs. The one by the staircases to the southbound platform displays "Ft. Hamilton & Coney Island" while the one by the Manhattan-bound platform staircases displays "Down Town Trains."
The southbound platform has an additional entrance near the north end. Two platform-level turnstiles lead to a small landing before a three-flight staircase goes up to 52nd Street and Fourth Avenue. Prior to the 2017 renovation, the entrance was exit-only. The landing area contained the original 1915 trim band with a single "53" tiled on it prior to the renovation of the station.
References
External links
- Media related to 53rd Street (BMT Fourth Avenue Line) at Wikimedia Commons
- nycsubway.org - BMT 4th Avenue: 53rd Street
- Station Reporter -- R Train
- The Subway Nut -- 53rd Street Pictures
- Rebuilt Platforms from Google Maps Street View
- Rebuilt Mezzanine from Google Maps Street View
- Rebuilt 53rd Street Entrance from Google Maps Street View
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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