DeKalb Avenue station (BMT lines)

DeKalb Avenue  ​​​​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Platform view
Station statistics
Address	DeKalb Avenue & Flatbush Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11201
Borough	Brooklyn
Locale	Downtown Brooklyn, Fort Greene
Coordinates	40°41′25″N 73°58′56″W / 40.690254°N 73.982277°W / 40.690254; -73.982277Coordinates: 40°41′25″N 73°58′56″W / 40.690254°N 73.982277°W / 40.690254; -73.982277
Division	B (BMT)[1]
Line	BMT Brighton Line BMT Fourth Avenue Line
Services	B  (weekdays until 11:00 p.m.) ​   D  (late nights) ​   N  (late nights, and limited rush hour service in the reverse-peak direction) ​   Q  (all times) ​   R  (all times) ​   W  (limited rush hour service only)
Transit	NYCT Bus: B25, B26, B38, B52, B54
Structure	Underground
Platforms	2 island platforms cross-platform interchange
Tracks	6
Other information
Opened	June 22, 1915; 106 years ago (1915-06-22)[2] (Fourth Avenue) August 1, 1920; 101 years ago (1920-08-01) (Brighton)[3]
Station code	026[4]
Accessible	ADA-accessible
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Traffic
2019	6,708,640[5]  1%
Rank	60 out of 424[5]
Station succession
Next north	Canal Street (Broadway via Bridge): Q  Jay Street–MetroTech (Broadway via Tunnel): N  R  ​W  Grand Street (Sixth Avenue via Bridge): B  ​D  Myrtle Avenue (via Bridge, closed): no regular service
Next south	Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center (Brighton): B  ​Q  Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center (Fourth Avenue): D  ​N  ​R  ​W
showLocation Show map of New York City SubwayShow map of New York CityShow map of New YorkShow all
showTrack layout Legend to Canal St to Grand St ramps onto Manhattan Br Myrtle Av to Jay St DeKalb Av to Atlantic Av (4 Av) to Atlantic Av (Brighton)
showStreet map Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
showStation service legend Symbol Description Stops all times except late nights Stops all times Stops weekdays only Stops late nights only Stops rush hours only Stops rush hours in the peak direction only

DeKalb Avenue is an express station on the BMT Brighton Line and a local station on the BMT Fourth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of DeKalb and Flatbush Avenues in Downtown Brooklyn. It is served by the Q and R trains at all times, the B train on weekdays, and the D and N trains during late nights. During rush hours only, a few W train trips also serve this station.

History[]

HEET turnstiles

This station opened on June 22, 1915,^[2] and was completed on August 1, 1920.^[3] Since it opened, DeKalb Avenue has been referred to as "the heart of the BMT",^[6] as it is a major transfer point between BMT services with lines splitting north and south of the station. Platform extensions were built into a curve south of the station in 1927 to allow for longer trains. They were closed and replaced by straight extensions to the north in 1960. The abandoned portions can be seen from the open platforms and trains.

Track configuration[]

The station has been reconfigured a number of times. The current configuration dates from a 1956–1961 reconstruction project to straighten the platforms and eliminate a level junction north of the station, which had caused a switching bottleneck; a station at Myrtle Avenue was closed as part of the renovation.^[7] Other plans, such as connections to the BMT Fulton Street Line and IRT Eastern Parkway Line, were considered at times.

An early plan called the Ashland Place Connection would have allowed trains on the elevated BMT Fulton Street Line to run into the subway through DeKalb Avenue, making the bottleneck even worse.^[8][9] This was not built, in part because the city was more interested in building its own system, the IND.^[10] However, a whole new subway was also planned, splitting from this line and heading under the East River to the BMT Broadway Line at City Hall. This plan was considered in various forms between late 1916 and 1926. Because of this, the DeKalb Avenue station was also built with provisions for a possible track connection to Nevins Street station.

Until the mid-1950s, though, the extreme outside tracks in each direction hosted the Fourth Avenue Line local tracks and the next pair hosted the Brighton Line. The middle tracks, which bypassed the station, hosted the Fourth Avenue express tracks. A group of level crossovers at the northern end of the station allowed all tracks access to both sides of the Manhattan Bridge and to the Montague Street Tunnel. The Fourth Avenue local tracks led straight onto the Manhattan Bridge west of the station, while the Brighton line tracks led straight to the Montague Street Tunnel, so the crossovers allowed trains from both lines to switch between the bridge and the tunnel.^[7] This led to so many train delays on the Fourth Avenue and Brighton lines that in 1952, the junction was earmarked for "top priority" reconstruction.^[11]

On November 30, 1955, the New York City Transit Authority sent a recommendation to the Board of Estimate for the approval of a $13,152,831 contract to eliminate the bottleneck. The elimination of the bottleneck was the first step in a larger plan to improve transit service between Brooklyn and Manhattan.^[12]

Myrtle Avenue closing notice

During the reconstruction of the junction that started in 1956 and was completed by April 1961, the Brighton Line tracks were connected to the DeKalb Avenue station's outermost tracks. A diamond crossover north of the station had caused frequent bottlenecks, but was removed during the realignment and replaced with two flying junctions.^[13] All switches immediately north of the station were eliminated. The junction towards the Manhattan Bridge was rebuilt. To make room for a new flying junction, the Myrtle Avenue station was closed. That station's northbound platform remains visible from passing trains, but the southbound platform was demolished to accommodate the new flying junction that replaced the diamond crossover. Platforms were also doubled in length to accommodate ten-car trains of 60-foot-long (18 m) cars.^[14] It was estimated that the reconstruction of the junction increased the junction's train capacity by 25%.^[11] The Chrystie Street Connection project was also tied to this improvement, as it resulted in more trains using the bridge, as well as connecting trains to the IND Sixth Avenue Line (and thus, to IND lines to the Bronx and Queens).^[11][15] Over the years, as more of the business community migrated to Midtown Manhattan, the slower tunnel route via Lower Manhattan became less popular, and it is now the least used of the three northbound routing options.

Station overhauls[]

Station name mosaic

After the 1961 reconstruction period, some adjustments were made to the station. In the mid 1960s, the station platforms were extended northward at least 150 feet (46 m) to accommodate for a 600 feet (180 m) train. It also added new '60s modern look tiling.

DeKalb Avenue received another overhaul in the 1970s where the station's structure and over all appearance were improved. The MTA fixed and replaced wall tiles, old signs, and incandescent lighting to the 1970s modern look wall tiles, signs and fluorescent lights. Staircases and platform edges were also fixed.^{[citation needed]} In spite of the renovation, however, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority listed the station among the 69 most deteriorated stations in the subway system in 1981.^[16]

The latest major overhaul was in 2004–2006. The station was repaired as well as upgraded for ADA-accessibility. The MTA repaired the staircases, retiled the walls, added new tiles to the floors, upgraded the station's lights and public address system, installed ADA yellow safety threads along the platform edge and replaced the trackbeds for all trains entering or bypassing the station. It also installed elevators on both platforms, as well as elevators to the street level.^[17]

Station layout[]

G	Street level	Exit/entrance
M	Mezzanine	Fare control, station agent, MetroCard machines Elevator at southeast corner of DeKalb Avenue and Flatbush Avenue Ext
P Platform level	Northbound local via Bridge	← weekdays toward Bedford Park Boulevard or 145th Street (Grand Street) ← toward 96th Street (Canal Street) ← toward 205th Street late nights (Grand Street) ← toward Ditmars Boulevard (select weekday trips) (Canal Street) → (No service: Myrtle Avenue)
	Island platform
	Northbound local via Tunnel	← toward 71st Avenue (Whitehall Street late nights) (Jay Street–MetroTech) ← toward Ditmars Boulevard late nights (Jay Street–MetroTech) ← toward Ditmars Boulevard (select weekday trips) (Jay Street–MetroTech)
	Northbound express via Bridge	← [a] do not stop here
	Southbound express via Bridge	→ do not stop here →
	Southbound local via Tunnel	→ toward 95th Street (Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center/Fourth) → → toward Coney Island via Sea Beach late nights (Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center/Fourth) → → toward 86th Street (select weekday trips) (Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center/Fourth) →
	Island platform
	Southbound local via Bridge	→ weekdays toward Brighton Beach (Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center/Brighton) → → toward Coney Island via Brighton (Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center/Brighton) → → toward Coney Island via West End late nights (Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center/Fourth) → → toward Coney Island via Sea Beach (select weekday trips) (Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center/Fourth) →

This underground station has six tracks with island platforms between the two outer pairs of tracks, while the two center tracks bypass the station. The platform columns are painted red on their lower halves and cream on their upper halves.

Exits[]

Street stair

Elevator and stair outside the Applebee's restaurant

This station has two entrances/exits, each with access to either the east or west side of Flatbush. The staffed exit is near the south end and has two staircases and one elevator from each platform that go up to a waiting area above the platforms and tracks that contains two restrooms open from 5:00 a.m. to midnight. Outside of the turnstile bank is a token booth, a single street stair to the southwest corner of DeKalb Avenue and the Flatbush Avenue Extension built inside a store front, and two staircases that meet at their landings and an elevator that go up to the southeast corner outside an Applebee's restaurant.^[18] The centers of the platforms have a crossover that connects them both. Both the crossover and the staffed exit were part of a wide mezzanine area, but most of the mezzanine was closed off and converted to crew rooms.

The other entrance/exit is at the station's extreme north end and is unstaffed. An up-only escalator and long staircase from each platform goes up to a mezzanine above the tracks. Two pairs of exit-only turnstiles and one set of four turnstiles provide entrance/exit from the system. This entrance has two street stairs, one to Fleet Street on the east side outside Long Island University Brooklyn and the other to the former Albee Square on the west side, outside the City Point development.^[18]

Detail of DeKalb Improvisation artwork

Both fare control areas feature a 2005 artwork called DeKalb Improvisation by Stephen Johnson. It consists of a large mural in the main fare control area and several smaller ones in the secondary one.

Track layout[]

North of the station, the outer and bypass tracks head towards the Manhattan Bridge to Manhattan with a flying junction, where express trains can use either the north side of the bridge via the Chrystie Street Connection to the IND Sixth Avenue Line or the south side of the bridge to the BMT Broadway Line. Local trains continue on the middle tracks north along the BMT Fourth Avenue Line into the Montague Street Tunnel towards the BMT Broadway Line or the BMT Nassau Street Line, the latter of which is unused in revenue service.^[13]

South of the station, the bypass tracks become the express tracks on the Fourth Avenue Line. The four remaining tracks become six tracks at a flying junction.^[13] Trains headed south on the tunnel local tracks or outer tracks proceed to the BMT Brighton Line or switch from those two tracks and provide the route to the Fourth Avenue Line local tracks. In the current service pattern, the tunnel route is not used for Brighton Line trains.^[13]

The station has a shortened mezzanine because room was needed for a proposed Lafayette Avenue line. The subway connection was never built. North of this station, near the Manhattan Bridge, there is a provision for a never-built loop back to southern Brooklyn without crossing the Manhattan Bridge into Manhattan. Bellmouths for the unbuilt loop are visible from passing trains. South of this station, a junction was built at Fulton Street for a never-built branch to run via Lafayette Avenue and Broadway.^[13]

Service patterns[]

Jay Street–MetroTech (BMT Fourth Avenue Line)	Canal Street (BMT Broadway Line)	Grand Street (IND Sixth Avenue Line)
North-west of the station
BMT Fourth Avenue Line local    N  (late nights)    R  (all times) ​   W  (limited rush hour service only)	BMT Broadway Line    N  (all except late nights) ​   Q  (all times)	IND Sixth Avenue Line express    B  (weekdays until 11:00 p.m.) ​   D  (all times)
tunnel tracks	Manhattan Bridge south	Manhattan Bridge north
In the station
inner platform tracks (tunnel)    N  (late nights)    R  (all times) ​   W  (limited rush hour service only)	center tracks (bridge, bypass)    D  (all except late nights) ​   N  (all except late nights) ​   Q  (limited rush hour service only)	outermost tracks (bridge)    B  (weekdays until 11:00 p.m.) ​   D  (late nights) ​   Q  (all times)
South of the station
BMT Fourth Avenue Line local    D  (late nights)    N  (late nights)    R  (all times)    W  (limited rush hour service only)	BMT Fourth Avenue Line express    D  (all except late nights) ​   N  (all except late nights) ​   Q  (limited rush hour service only)	BMT Brighton Line    B  (Weekday rush hours, middays and early evenings) ​   Q  (all times)
Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center (BMT Fourth Avenue Line)		Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center (BMT Brighton Line)

References[]

Further reading[]

• "Plans New Transit Tube to Brooklyn", New York Times December 7, 1919; page E1

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to DeKalb Avenue (BMT Fourth Avenue Line).

• nycsubway.org – BMT Brighton Line: DeKalb Avenue
• nycsubway.org – DeKalb Improvisation Artwork by Stephen T. Johnson (2004):
• nycsubway.org – Detailed track layout around DeKalb Ave:
• Station Reporter — B Train
• Station Reporter — Q Train
• Station Reporter — R Train
• The Subway Nut — DeKalb Avenue Pictures
• MTA's Arts For Transit — DeKalb Avenue (BMT Fourth Avenue Line)
• DeKalb Avenue (east of Flatbush Avenue Extension) entrance from Google Maps Street View
• DeKalb Avenue (west of Flatbush Avenue Extension) entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Fleet Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Northbound platform from Google Maps Street View
• Southbound platform from Google Maps Street View