.gif)
Marcy Avenue (BMT Jamaica Line)
Encyclopedia
Marcy Avenue is a station
on the BMT Jamaica Line
of the New York City Subway
. Located at the intersection of Marcy Avenue and Broadway in Brooklyn
, it is served by the J train at all times, the M
train on weekdays, and the Z train during rush hours in the peak direction.
in Brooklyn and eastbound services ran to Canarsie (this routing is no longer used due to the later building of the Canarsie Line) and a connection over the Williamsburg Bridge to Delancey Street/Essex Street in Manhattan opened in 1908. In 1913, trains were extended further down the newly opened Nassau Street Line to Chambers Street. A year later, a connection was built to allow Myrtle Avenue to run on the Broadway Elevated.
The Dual Contracts expansion projects radically changed operations at Marcy Avenue. A third track was added, allowing trains to run express, although the track remains as a stub-end at Marcy Avenue for storage and turn-arounds. The Contracts also provided for the merger of the Jamaica Line from Broadway Junction to 168th Street with the Broadway Elevated, in turn making the Broadway Elevated part of the Jamaica Line and giving trains three eastern terminals.
The BMT gave its train routes numbers in 1924 and denoted Myrtle Avenue trains as "10," Canarsie trains as "14," and Jamaica trains as "15," all of which stopped at Marcy Avenue at all times. Four years later, the 14th Street–Eastern District Line
merged with the Canarsie Line and the connection between the latter and the Jamaica Line was discontinued, cutting the 14 back to Eastern Parkway in the process. After the completion of the Nassau Street Line, the 15 was extended to Broad Street and the 14 ended at Canal Street. When the BMT lines were renamed alphabetically in the 1960s, the 10 became the M
, the 14 became the KK, and the 15 became the J (express) and JJ (local).
Service remained constant until the Chrystie Street Connection
opened on 26 November 1967, causing a number of service changes and additions. The JJ absorbed the KK and ran to both Canal Street and Broad Street and then further extended to Atlantic Avenue – Pacific Street. The J was then extended down to the Brighton Line via the Montague Street Tunnel
and merged with the QT to form the QJ to Brighton Beach. The KK was re-introduced in 1968 to travel up the IND Sixth Avenue Line
to 57th Street
, replacing JJ service. Most of these services were eliminated in the 1970s because of financial issues; the first major cutback occurred when the QJ was reduced to Broad Street and relabeled as the J. The KK was renamed the K
and stopped running entirely in 1976. The M
was truncated to Chambers Street. The Z was established in 1988 for rush hour trains in a skip-stop pattern along with the J, a pattern that does not affect Marcy Avenue.
When the Williamsburg Bridge
was closed for reconstruction in 1999, a temporary platform was placed over the middle track as this was the terminal for M
trains during that time.
All four fare control areas of the station are on platform level. As a result, there is no free transfer between directions. The primary ones, elevated station houses adjacent to the platforms. Each station house has doors leading to the stairs and platform, turnstile bank, token booth, and two stairs and one ADA-compliant elevator to the streets. The stairs on the Manhattan-bound station house go down to either northern corners of Marcy Avenue and Broadway while the stairs on the Queens-bound station house go down to either southern corners.
Both platforms have a HEET
entrance/exit at their extreme west end added during a 1990s renovation. A single full height turnstile leads to a canopied staircase that goes down to either side of Broadway near Havemeyer Street.
The 2005 artwork here is called A Space Odyssey by Ellsworth Ausby. It consists of stained glass windows depicting space travel on the platform windscreens.
Just west of this station, there is a short section of track continuing straight which once led to the Broadway Ferry Spur. As now configured, westbound trains run over the Williamsburg Bridge
, connecting to the BMT Nassau Street Line
in Manhattan
. To the east, there are switches that are used by the J and Z trains when they run express to Myrtle Avenue
weekdays in peak direction.
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 Jamaica Line
BMT Jamaica Line
The Jamaica Line is an elevated rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It runs from the Williamsburg Bridge southeast over Broadway to East New York, Brooklyn, and then east over Fulton Street and Jamaica Avenue to...
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 the intersection of Marcy Avenue and Broadway in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, it is served by the J train at all times, the M
M (New York City Subway service)
The M Sixth Avenue Local is a rapid transit service of the B Division of the New York City Subway. It is colored orange on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map, since it runs on the IND Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan....
train on weekdays, and the Z train during rush hours in the peak direction.
History
Marcy Avenue opened on 25 June 1888 a part of the Broadway Elevated, one of the first elevated lines in New York City. Trains traveled westbound to the Broadway Ferry terminal on the East RiverEast River
The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
in Brooklyn and eastbound services ran to Canarsie (this routing is no longer used due to the later building of the Canarsie Line) and a connection over the Williamsburg Bridge to Delancey Street/Essex Street in Manhattan opened in 1908. In 1913, trains were extended further down the newly opened Nassau Street Line to Chambers Street. A year later, a connection was built to allow Myrtle Avenue to run on the Broadway Elevated.
The Dual Contracts expansion projects radically changed operations at Marcy Avenue. A third track was added, allowing trains to run express, although the track remains as a stub-end at Marcy Avenue for storage and turn-arounds. The Contracts also provided for the merger of the Jamaica Line from Broadway Junction to 168th Street with the Broadway Elevated, in turn making the Broadway Elevated part of the Jamaica Line and giving trains three eastern terminals.
The BMT gave its train routes numbers in 1924 and denoted Myrtle Avenue trains as "10," Canarsie trains as "14," and Jamaica trains as "15," all of which stopped at Marcy Avenue at all times. Four years later, the 14th Street–Eastern District Line
BMT Canarsie Line
The Canarsie Line is a rapid transit line of the BMT Division of the New York City Subway system, named after its terminus in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn...
merged with the Canarsie Line and the connection between the latter and the Jamaica Line was discontinued, cutting the 14 back to Eastern Parkway in the process. After the completion of the Nassau Street Line, the 15 was extended to Broad Street and the 14 ended at Canal Street. When the BMT lines were renamed alphabetically in the 1960s, the 10 became the M
M (New York City Subway service)
The M Sixth Avenue Local is a rapid transit service of the B Division of the New York City Subway. It is colored orange on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map, since it runs on the IND Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan....
, the 14 became the KK, and the 15 became the J (express) and JJ (local).
Service remained constant until the Chrystie Street Connection
Chrystie Street Connection
The Chrystie Street Connection is a major connecting line of the New York City Subway, and is one of the few connections between lines of the BMT and IND divisions...
opened on 26 November 1967, causing a number of service changes and additions. The JJ absorbed the KK and ran to both Canal Street and Broad Street and then further extended to Atlantic Avenue – Pacific Street. The J was then extended down to the Brighton Line via the Montague Street Tunnel
Montague Street Tunnel
The Montague Street Tunnel carries the trains of the New York City Subway under the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. It opened to revenue service on Sunday, August 1, 1920 at 2 am with a holiday schedule, the same day as the 60th Street Tunnel. Regular service began...
and merged with the QT to form the QJ to Brighton Beach. The KK was re-introduced in 1968 to travel up the IND Sixth Avenue Line
IND Sixth Avenue Line
The Sixth Avenue Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in the United States. It runs mainly under Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, and continues south through the Rutgers Street Tunnel to Brooklyn...
to 57th Street
57th Street (IND Sixth Avenue Line)
57th Street is a station on the IND Sixth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 57th Street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, it is served by the F train at all times...
, replacing JJ service. Most of these services were eliminated in the 1970s because of financial issues; the first major cutback occurred when the QJ was reduced to Broad Street and relabeled as the J. The KK was renamed the K
K (New York City Subway service)
K or KK was the label for the following New York City Subway services:*K , earlier KK, discontinued in 1976*K , replaced the AA in 1985 and merged into the C in 1988...
and stopped running entirely in 1976. The M
M (New York City Subway service)
The M Sixth Avenue Local is a rapid transit service of the B Division of the New York City Subway. It is colored orange on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map, since it runs on the IND Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan....
was truncated to Chambers Street. The Z was established in 1988 for rush hour trains in a skip-stop pattern along with the J, a pattern that does not affect Marcy Avenue.
When the Williamsburg Bridge
Williamsburg Bridge
The Williamsburg Bridge is a suspension bridge in New York City across the East River connecting the Lower East Side of Manhattan at Delancey Street with the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn at Broadway near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway...
was closed for reconstruction in 1999, a temporary platform was placed over the middle track as this was the terminal for M
M (New York City Subway service)
The M Sixth Avenue Local is a rapid transit service of the B Division of the New York City Subway. It is colored orange on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map, since it runs on the IND Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan....
trains during that time.
Station layout
This station has two side platforms on three tracks and is the westernmost station on the Jamaica Line. The center track dead ends at the west (railroad north) end and is thus, unusable for service. Both platforms have beige windscreens and red canopies with green frames that run along the entire length except for a section at the southeast (railroad south), where they have waist-high black steel fences.All four fare control areas of the station are on platform level. As a result, there is no free transfer between directions. The primary ones, elevated station houses adjacent to the platforms. Each station house has doors leading to the stairs and platform, turnstile bank, token booth, and two stairs and one ADA-compliant elevator to the streets. The stairs on the Manhattan-bound station house go down to either northern corners of Marcy Avenue and Broadway while the stairs on the Queens-bound station house go down to either southern corners.
Both platforms have a HEET
Heet
Heet or HEET may refer to*HEET, High Entrance/Exit Turnstile*Iso-HEET, a brand of isopropanol antifreeze produced by Gold Eagle*Hīt, a city in Iraq...
entrance/exit at their extreme west end added during a 1990s renovation. A single full height turnstile leads to a canopied staircase that goes down to either side of Broadway near Havemeyer Street.
The 2005 artwork here is called A Space Odyssey by Ellsworth Ausby. It consists of stained glass windows depicting space travel on the platform windscreens.
Just west of this station, there is a short section of track continuing straight which once led to the Broadway Ferry Spur. As now configured, westbound trains run over the Williamsburg Bridge
Williamsburg Bridge
The Williamsburg Bridge is a suspension bridge in New York City across the East River connecting the Lower East Side of Manhattan at Delancey Street with the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn at Broadway near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway...
, connecting to the BMT Nassau Street Line
BMT Nassau Street Line
The BMT Nassau Street Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway system in Manhattan. It is served by the and trains which are colored brown on maps and signage...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. To the east, there are switches that are used by the J and Z trains when they run express to Myrtle Avenue
Myrtle Avenue (BMT Jamaica Line)
Myrtle Avenue is a two-level express station on the BMT Jamaica Line of the New York City Subway...
weekdays in peak direction.
External links
- Station Reporter — J Train
- Station Reporter — M Train
- The Subway Nut — Marcy Avenue Pictures
- The Official Subway and Rail Art Guide
- MTA's Arts For Transit — Marcy Avenue (BMT Jamaica Line)
- Marcy Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View
- Havemeyer Street entrance from Google Maps Street View