Avenue H (BMT Brighton Line)
Encyclopedia
Avenue H is a local station
on the BMT Brighton Line
of the New York City Subway
. Located at Avenue H between East 15th and East 16th Streets on the border of Midwood
and Flatbush, Brooklyn
, it is served by the Q
train at all times. The campuses of Brooklyn College
and Midwood High School
are nearby.
s. The center two tracks are the express tracks used by the B
train on weekdays. The ~620 foot (~189m) platform accommodates full-length trains typically composed of eight 75 foot (22.86m) or ten 60 foot (18.29 m) cars. The station is located at a transitional point on the right-of-way. North of the station, the roadbed ramps down to an open-cut. South of the station, the line is on a raised earthen embankment
. This is the result of an increase of grade on the line in the early 1900s which then allowed it to pass over (rather than under, as before) the newly depressed grade of the LIRR's Bay Ridge Branch
and the nearby Manhattan Beach Junction station. The station platform lies over this crossing which exists between Avenues H and I.
Due to the change in elevation, the north end of this station is slightly above ground level and as a result, road traffic on Avenue H dead-ends on both sides of the line. However, there is a pedestrian tunnel underneath the embankment that connects the sidewalk on both sides.
The southbound (Coney Island-bound) local track is technically known as A1 while the northbound (Manhattan-bound) one is A2; the "A" designation is used for chaining
purposes along the Brighton Line from the Manhattan Bridge
to Coney Island. Although they cannot be accessed at Avenue H, the southbound and northbound express tracks are known as A3 and A4, respectively.
. The station house, also known as the headhouse, through which the station is entered, is a landmarked
wood frame structure built in 1905 as a real estate office of the T.B. Ackerson Company to sell homes in the new community. It was converted to railroad use in 1907, at the same time that the station was renamed "Avenue H."
In 2003, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
announced plans to demolish the structure, citing its wood construction as a fire hazard. The community intervened, emphasizing the building's historic importance, architectural significance, connecting to the adjacent community and the fact that several other wooden station houses on the subway system had been given landmark status earlier.
On June 29, 2004, the station house was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. This allows renovations inside, but preserves the major structure and exterior. The contract to "restore the landmark station control house" as well as rehabilitation of the platforms and other stations structures was advertised for bids by the MTA for January 2007.
The official designation report describes the building:
The stationhouse is shared with a Secure AAA driving school and currently undergoing reconstruction.
ramp is currently under construction from street level on the west side of Avenue H to this station house. A bank of turnstile
s was installed in the underpass below the tracks.
Metro station
A metro station or subway station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as "metro", "underground" and "subway". It is often underground or elevated. At crossings of metro lines, they are multi-level....
on the BMT Brighton Line
BMT Brighton Line
The BMT Brighton Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Local service is provided at all times by the Q train. The Q is joined by the B express train on weekdays...
of the New York City Subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
. Located at Avenue H between East 15th and East 16th Streets on the border of Midwood
Midwood, Brooklyn
Midwood is a neighborhood in the south central part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, New York, USA, roughly halfway between Prospect Park and Coney Island. The neighborhood is within Community District 14...
and Flatbush, Brooklyn
Flatbush, Brooklyn
Flatbush is a community of the Borough of Brooklyn, a part of New York City, consisting of several neighborhoods.The name Flatbush is an Anglicization of the Dutch language Vlacke bos ....
, it is served by the Q
Q (New York City Subway service)
The Q Broadway Express is a service of the New York City Subway. It is colored yellow on the route sign, on station signs and the official subway map, as it represents a service provided on the BMT Broadway Line through Manhattan....
train at all times. The campuses of Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...
and Midwood High School
Midwood High School
Midwood High School, at Brooklyn College, is a public, urban, co-ed high school located on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, New York City.Midwood High School was for many years the recipient of multiple accolades because of its competitive educational programs and for the achievements of its students...
are nearby.
Design and Layout
Avenue H is laid out in a typical local stop setup. There are four tracks and two side platformSide platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
s. The center two tracks are the express tracks used by the B
B (New York City Subway service)
The B Sixth Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored orange on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map, since it runs over the IND Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan....
train on weekdays. The ~620 foot (~189m) platform accommodates full-length trains typically composed of eight 75 foot (22.86m) or ten 60 foot (18.29 m) cars. The station is located at a transitional point on the right-of-way. North of the station, the roadbed ramps down to an open-cut. South of the station, the line is on a raised earthen embankment
Embankment (transportation)
To keep a road or railway line straight or flat, and where the comparative cost or practicality of alternate solutions is prohibitive, the land over which the road or rail line will travel is built up to form an embankment. An embankment is therefore in some sense the opposite of a cutting, and...
. This is the result of an increase of grade on the line in the early 1900s which then allowed it to pass over (rather than under, as before) the newly depressed grade of the LIRR's Bay Ridge Branch
Bay Ridge Branch
The Bay Ridge Branch is a rail line owned by the Long Island Rail Road and operated by the New York and Atlantic Railway in the U.S. State of New York...
and the nearby Manhattan Beach Junction station. The station platform lies over this crossing which exists between Avenues H and I.
Due to the change in elevation, the north end of this station is slightly above ground level and as a result, road traffic on Avenue H dead-ends on both sides of the line. However, there is a pedestrian tunnel underneath the embankment that connects the sidewalk on both sides.
The southbound (Coney Island-bound) local track is technically known as A1 while the northbound (Manhattan-bound) one is A2; the "A" designation is used for chaining
New York City Subway chaining
New York City Subway chaining is a method to precisely specify locations along the New York City Subway lines. It measures distances from a fixed point, called chaining zero, following the twists and turns of the railroad line, so that the distance described is understood to be the "railroad...
purposes along the Brighton Line from the Manhattan Bridge
Manhattan Bridge
The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan with Brooklyn . It was the last of the three suspension bridges built across the lower East River, following the Brooklyn and the Williamsburg bridges...
to Coney Island. Although they cannot be accessed at Avenue H, the southbound and northbound express tracks are known as A3 and A4, respectively.
Landmarked station house
The station was opened around 1900 as Fiske Terrace, a two-track surface station serving the new planned community of Fiske Terrace in Midwood, BrooklynMidwood, Brooklyn
Midwood is a neighborhood in the south central part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, New York, USA, roughly halfway between Prospect Park and Coney Island. The neighborhood is within Community District 14...
. The station house, also known as the headhouse, through which the station is entered, is a landmarked
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The Commission was created in April 1965 by Mayor Robert F. Wagner following the destruction of Pennsylvania Station the previous year to make way for...
wood frame structure built in 1905 as a real estate office of the T.B. Ackerson Company to sell homes in the new community. It was converted to railroad use in 1907, at the same time that the station was renamed "Avenue H."
In 2003, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
announced plans to demolish the structure, citing its wood construction as a fire hazard. The community intervened, emphasizing the building's historic importance, architectural significance, connecting to the adjacent community and the fact that several other wooden station houses on the subway system had been given landmark status earlier.
On June 29, 2004, the station house was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. This allows renovations inside, but preserves the major structure and exterior. The contract to "restore the landmark station control house" as well as rehabilitation of the platforms and other stations structures was advertised for bids by the MTA for January 2007.
The official designation report describes the building:
The stationhouse is shared with a Secure AAA driving school and currently undergoing reconstruction.
Reconstruction
This station began reconstruction in September 2009. Both platforms were rebuilt with new edges, windscreens, and canopies. An additional stationhouse on the extreme north end of the Coney Island-bound platform was added on what was once marshland. An ADA-accessibleAmericans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
ramp is currently under construction from street level on the west side of Avenue H to this station house. A bank of turnstile
Turnstile
A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be made so as to enforce one-way traffic of people, and in addition, it can restrict passage only to people who insert a coin, a ticket, a pass, or similar...
s was installed in the underpass below the tracks.
External links
- Station Reporter — Q Train
- Subway.com.ru — Photos of: BMT Brighton Line: Avenue H
- Art's Archives — Manhattan Beach Branch http://www.arrts-arrchives.com/mbbr1.html http://www.arrts-arrchives.com/mbbr2.html http://www.arrts-arrchives.com/mbbr3.html http://www.arrts-arrchives.com/mbbr4.html (Original photographs of the Avenue H station, signal houses and nearby Manhattan Beach Junction LIRR station)
- The Little Station in the Woods — Historical article about the station before it was landmarked.
- Avenue H: Brooklyn Communities Save Their Landmark Station House
- The Subway Nut — Avenue H Pictures
- Avenue H Station House from Google Maps Street View
- underpass & High Exit Only Turnstile at Avenue H from Google Maps Street View