96th Street station (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)

96 Street
96 Street
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
	Uptown platform
Station statistics
Address	East 96th Street & Lexington Avenue; New York, NY 10029
Borough	Manhattan
Locale	Carnegie Hill & East Harlem
Coordinates	40°47′09″N 73°57′03″W / 40.785773°N 73.950949°WCoordinates: 40°47′09″N 73°57′03″W / 40.785773°N 73.950949°W
Division	A (IRT)
Line	IRT Lexington Avenue Line
Services	4 (late nights); 6 (all times) <6> (weekdays until 8:45 p.m., peak direction)
Transit	NYCT Bus: M98, M101, M102, M103; Short Line Bus: 208
Structure	Underground
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	July 17, 1918 (103 years ago)
Station code	396
Opposite-; direction; transfer	No
Traffic
2019	5,145,222 0.1%
Rank	88 out of 424
Station succession
Next north	103rd Street: 4 6 <6>
Next south	86th Street: 4 6 <6>
Location
	Show map of New York City SubwayShow map of New York CityShow map of New YorkShow all
Track layout
	Legend
Street map
Station service legend
Symbol	Description
	Stops all times
	Stops late nights only
	Stops rush hours in the peak direction only

The 96th Street station is a local station on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Lexington Avenue and 96th Street in the Carnegie Hill and East Harlem neighborhoods of Manhattan, it is served by the 6 train at all times, the <6> train during weekdays in the peak direction, and the 4 train during late nights.

This station was constructed as part of the Dual Contracts by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company and opened in 1918. It was renovated in the 1990s.

History[]

A view of the station in March 1918, before it opened

Name mosaic

Following the completion of the original subway, there were plans to construct a line along Manhattan's east side north of 42nd Street. The original plan for what became the extension north of 42nd Street was to continue it south through Irving Place and into what is now the BMT Broadway Line at Ninth Street and Broadway. In July 1911, the IRT had withdrawn from the talks, and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) was to operate on Lexington Avenue. The IRT submitted an offer for what became its portion of the Dual Contracts on February 27, 1912.^[7]^[8]

In 1913, as part of the Dual Contracts, which were signed on March 19, 1913,^[9] the Public Service Commission planned to split the original Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) system from looking like a "Z" system (as seen on a map) to an "H"-shaped system. The original system would be split into three segments: two north–south lines, carrying through trains over the Lexington Avenue and Broadway–Seventh Avenue Lines, and a west–east shuttle under 42nd Street. This would form a roughly "H"-shaped system.^[10]^[11] It was predicted that the subway extension would lead to the growth of the Upper East Side and the Bronx.^[12]^[13]

96th Street station opened on July 17, 1918, with service initially running between Grand Central–42nd Street station and 167th Street via the line's local tracks.^[4] On August 1, the "H system" was put into place, with through service beginning on the new east and west side trunk lines, and the institution of the 42nd Street Shuttle along the old connection between the sides.^[14] The cost of the extension from Grand Central was $58 million.^[15]

The station was renovated in the 1990s, and had its original tilework restored.

Station layout[]

G	Street level	Exit/entrance
P Platform level	Side platform
	Northbound local	← toward Pelham Bay Park or Parkchester (103rd Street) ← toward Woodlawn late nights (103rd Street)
	Southbound local	→ toward Brooklyn Bridge (86th Street) → → toward New Lots Avenue late nights (86th Street) →
	Side platform
Express tracks^[16]	Northbound express	← do not stop here
Express tracks^[16]	Southbound express	→ do not stop here →

Mosaic frieze

The station has two local tracks and two side platforms. The 6 stops here at all times, and the 4 stops here during late nights.^[17]^[18] The express tracks run on a lower level and are not visible from the platforms.^[19]

A crossover is provided, with a mosaic in the mezzanine entitled City Suite, commissioned in 1994. There are new^[when?] "96th Street" mosaics, and a window in the mezzanine overlooks the tracks, giving a view of oncoming trains from the south. The south end of the station features a rounded ceiling due to problems encountered during construction. Both platforms have emergency exits from the lower level express tracks.

Exits[]

The station has staircases leading to all four corners of the intersection of Lexington Avenue and 96th Street.^[20]

References[]

^ "Borough of Manhattan, New York City". Government of New York City. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
^ "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.
^ "Manhattan Bus Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. July 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Lexington Av. Line to be Opened Today" (PDF). The New York Times. July 17, 1918. p. 13. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
^ "Station Developers' Information". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
^ "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership 2014–2019". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
^ Walker, James Blaine (1918). Fifty Years of Rapid Transit — 1864 to 1917. New York, N.Y.: Law Printing. pp. 230–233. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
^ "Petition for Subway in Lexington Ave". The New York Times. May 22, 1912. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 16, 2009. A petition is being circulated among the residents and property owners of the section just south of the Grand Central Station, in Park and Lexington Avenues, protesting against the proposed abandonment of the construction of the Subway in Lexington Avenue, between Forty-third and Thirty-second Streets.
^ "Subway Contracts Solemnly Signed; Cheers at the Ceremonial Function When McCall Gets Willcox to Attest" (PDF). The New York Times. March 20, 1913. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
^ "Money Set Aside For New Subways; Board of Estimate Approves City Contracts to be Signed To-day with Interboro and B.R.T." (PDF). The New York Times. March 19, 1913. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
^ Engineering News-record. McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. 1916. p. 846.
^ Whitney, Travis H. (March 10, 1918). "The Seventh and Lexington Avenue Subways Will Revive Dormant Sections — Change in Operation That Will Transform Original Four-Tracked Subway Into Two Four-Tracked Systems and Double Present Capacity of the Interborough". The New York Times. p. 12. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
^ "Public Service Commission Fixes July 15 For Opening of The New Seventh and Lexington Avenue Subway Lines — Will Afford Better Service and Less Crowding — Shuttle Service for Forty-Second Street — How the Various Lines of the Dual System Are Grouped for Operation and List of Stations on All Lines". The New York Times. May 19, 1918. p. 32. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
^ "Open New Subway Lines to Traffic; Called a Triumph — Great H System Put in Operation Marks an Era in Railroad Construction — No Hitch in the Plans — But Public Gropes Blindly to Find the Way in Maze of New Stations — Thousands Go Astray — Leaders in City's Life Hail Accomplishment of Great Task at Meeting at the Astor". The New York Times. August 2, 1918. p. 1. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
^ "Finish a New Link of the Dual Subway; Lexington Avenue Line North of Forty-second Street to Begin Local Service Wednesday. Branch Extends to Bronx Through service, with Times SquareGrand Central Shuttle Connections, to Open Soon. Changes in the Bronx". The New York Times. July 11, 1918. p. 20. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
^ Station Reporter — 6 Train
^ "4 Subway Timetable, Effective September 13, 2020". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
^ "6 Subway Timetable, Effective September 13, 2020". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
^ Dougherty, Peter (2006) [2002]. Tracks of the New York City Subway 2006 (3rd ed.). Dougherty. OCLC 49777633 – via Google Books.
^ "96th Street Neighborhood Map". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. April 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2020.

External links[]

nycsubway.org – IRT East Side Line: 96th Street
nycsubway.org — City Suite Artwork by Laura Bradley (1994)
Station Reporter — 4 Train
Station Reporter — 6 Train
MTA's Arts For Transit — 96th Street (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)
96th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
Platforms from Google Maps Street View

[1] "Borough of Manhattan, New York City". Government of New York City. Retrieved December 28, 2020.

[2] "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.

[3] "Manhattan Bus Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. July 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2020.

[lexopens-4] "Lexington Av. Line to be Opened Today" (PDF). The New York Times. July 17, 1918. p. 13. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 21, 2020.

[stationinformation-5] "Station Developers' Information". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 13, 2017.

[ridership-6] "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership 2014–2019". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.

[7] Walker, James Blaine (1918). Fifty Years of Rapid Transit — 1864 to 1917. New York, N.Y.: Law Printing. pp. 230–233. Retrieved November 6, 2016.

[8] "Petition for Subway in Lexington Ave". The New York Times. May 22, 1912. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 16, 2009. A petition is being circulated among the residents and property owners of the section just south of the Grand Central Station, in Park and Lexington Avenues, protesting against the proposed abandonment of the construction of the Subway in Lexington Avenue, between Forty-third and Thirty-second Streets.

[9] "Subway Contracts Solemnly Signed; Cheers at the Ceremonial Function When McCall Gets Willcox to Attest" (PDF). The New York Times. March 20, 1913. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 11, 2018.

[nyt19130319-10] "Money Set Aside For New Subways; Board of Estimate Approves City Contracts to be Signed To-day with Interboro and B.R.T." (PDF). The New York Times. March 19, 1913. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 10, 2017.

[11] Engineering News-record. McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. 1916. p. 846.

[HSystem-12] Whitney, Travis H. (March 10, 1918). "The Seventh and Lexington Avenue Subways Will Revive Dormant Sections — Change in Operation That Will Transform Original Four-Tracked Subway Into Two Four-Tracked Systems and Double Present Capacity of the Interborough". The New York Times. p. 12. Retrieved August 26, 2016.

[13] "Public Service Commission Fixes July 15 For Opening of The New Seventh and Lexington Avenue Subway Lines — Will Afford Better Service and Less Crowding — Shuttle Service for Forty-Second Street — How the Various Lines of the Dual System Are Grouped for Operation and List of Stations on All Lines". The New York Times. May 19, 1918. p. 32. Retrieved November 6, 2016.

[14] "Open New Subway Lines to Traffic; Called a Triumph — Great H System Put in Operation Marks an Era in Railroad Construction — No Hitch in the Plans — But Public Gropes Blindly to Find the Way in Maze of New Stations — Thousands Go Astray — Leaders in City's Life Hail Accomplishment of Great Task at Meeting at the Astor". The New York Times. August 2, 1918. p. 1. Retrieved November 6, 2016.

[:14-15] "Finish a New Link of the Dual Subway; Lexington Avenue Line North of Forty-second Street to Begin Local Service Wednesday. Branch Extends to Bronx Through service, with Times SquareGrand Central Shuttle Connections, to Open Soon. Changes in the Bronx". The New York Times. July 11, 1918. p. 20. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 8, 2017.

[16] Station Reporter — 6 Train

[tt4-17] "4 Subway Timetable, Effective September 13, 2020". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved December 9, 2020.

[tt6-18] "6 Subway Timetable, Effective September 13, 2020". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved December 9, 2020.

[tracks-19] Dougherty, Peter (2006) [2002]. Tracks of the New York City Subway 2006 (3rd ed.). Dougherty. OCLC 49777633 – via Google Books.

[NeighborhoodMap-20] "96th Street Neighborhood Map". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. April 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2020.

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v t Stations of the New York City Subway, by service
Lexington Avenue Local	Pelham Bay Park Buhre Avenue Middletown Road Westchester Square–East Tremont Avenue Zerega Avenue Castle Hill Avenue Parkchester St. Lawrence Avenue Morrison Avenue–Soundview Elder Avenue Whitlock Avenue Hunts Point Avenue Longwood Avenue East 149th Street East 143rd Street–St. Mary's Street Cypress Avenue Brook Avenue Third Avenue–138th Street 125th Street 116th Street 110th Street 103rd Street 96th Street 86th Street 77th Street 68th Street–Hunter College 59th Street 51st Street Grand Central–42nd Street 33rd Street 28th Street 23rd Street 14th Street Astor Place Bleecker Street Spring Street Canal Street Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall
Pelham Bay Park Express	Pelham Bay Park Buhre Avenue Middletown Road Westchester Square–East Tremont Avenue Zerega Avenue Castle Hill Avenue Parkchester Hunts Point Avenue Third Avenue–138th Street 125th Street 116th Street 110th Street 103rd Street 96th Street 86th Street 77th Street 68th Street–Hunter College 59th Street 51st Street Grand Central–42nd Street 33rd Street 28th Street 23rd Street 14th Street Astor Place Bleecker Street Spring Street Canal Street Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall
See also Lists by borough (The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens) Accessible Closed Terminals Transfer Commons category Note: Service variations, station closures, and reroutes are not reflected here. Stations with asterisks have no regular peak, reverse peak, or midday service on that route. See linked articles for more information.