Freeman Street station

Freeman Street  ​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Northbound platform
Station statistics
Address	Freeman Street & Southern Boulevard Bronx, NY 10459
Borough	The Bronx
Locale	Crotona Park East, East Morrisania
Coordinates	40°49′48″N 73°53′31″W / 40.83°N 73.892°W / 40.83; -73.892Coordinates: 40°49′48″N 73°53′31″W / 40.83°N 73.892°W / 40.83; -73.892
Division	A (IRT)[1]
Line	IRT White Plains Road Line
Services	2  (all times) ​   5  (all times except rush hours in the peak direction and late nights)
Transit	NYCT Bus: Bx19
Structure	Elevated
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	3
Other information
Opened	November 26, 1904; 116 years ago (1904-11-26) (3rd Ave. Line; Bergen Avenue By-pass) July 10, 1905; 116 years ago (1905-07-10) (White Plains Rd. Line)
Station code	429[2]
Opposite- direction transfer	No
Traffic
2019	1,358,821[4]  0.3%
Rank	316 out of 424[4]
Station succession
Next north	174th Street: 2  ​5
Next south	Simpson Street: 2  ​5
showLocation Show map of New York City SubwayShow map of New York CityShow map of New YorkShow all
showTrack layout Legend to 174th St to Simpson St
showStreet map Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
showStation service legend Symbol Description Stops all times Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction

Freeman Street is a local station on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Freeman Street and Southern Boulevard in the Bronx, it is served by the 2 train at all times, and the 5 train at all times except late nights and rush hours in the peak direction.

History[]

Early history[]

The initial segment of the IRT White Plains Road Line opened on November 26, 1904 between 180th Street–Bronx Park and Jackson Avenue. Initially, trains on the line were served by elevated trains from the IRT Second Avenue Line and the IRT Third Avenue Line. Once the connection to the IRT Lenox Avenue Line opened on July 10, 1905, trains from the newly opened IRT subway ran via the line.^[5][6][7]

To address overcrowding, in 1909, the New York Public Service Commission proposed lengthening platforms at stations along the original IRT subway.^[8]: 168 As part of a modification to the IRT's construction contracts, made on January 18, 1910, the company was to lengthen station platforms to accommodate ten-car express and six-car local trains. In addition to $1.5 million (equivalent to $41.7 million in 2020) spent on platform lengthening, $500,000 (equivalent to $13,887,500 in 2020) was spent on building additional entrances and exits. It was anticipated that these improvements would increase capacity by 25 percent.^[9]: 15 The northbound platform at the Freeman Street station was extended 50 feet (15 m) to the front and 40 feet (12 m) to the rear,^[9]: 114 while the southbound platform was not lengthened.^[9]: 106 On January 23, 1911, ten-car express trains began running on the White Plains Road Line.^{[8]: 168 [10]}

Station renovations[]

In Fiscal Year 1915, an additional stairway was being added to the station.^[11]

The New York State Transit Commission announced plans to extend the southbound platforms at seven stations on the line from Jackson Avenue to 177th Street to accommodate ten-car trains for $81,900 on August 8, 1934. The platform at Freeman Street would be lengthened from 350 feet (110 m) to 505 feet (154 m).^[12]

The Bergen Avenue cutoff, which allowed Third Avenue trains to access the White Plains Road Line, was abandoned on November 5, 1946, as part of the gradual curtailment of elevated service on the IRT Third Avenue Line.^[6] On June 13, 1949, the platform extensions at this station, as well as those on White Plains Road Line stations between Jackson Avenue and 177th Street, opened. The platforms were lengthened to 514 feet (157 m) to allow full ten-car express trains to open their doors. Previously, the stations could only platform six-car local trains.^[13]

The station was renovated in 2004.^{[citation needed]}

Station layout[]

P Platform level	Side platform
	Northbound local	← toward 241st Street (174th Street) ← toward Dyre Avenue (174th Street)
	Peak-direction express	← PM rush does not stop here ← AM rush does not stop here →
	Southbound local	← toward Flatbush Avenue via Seventh (Simpson Street) → ← toward Flatbush Avenue via Lexington weekdays, Bowling Green evenings/weekends (Simpson Street) →
	Side platform
G	Street level	Exit/entrance

Northern street stair

This elevated station has three tracks and two side platforms.^[14] The center express track is used by the 5 train during rush hours in the peak direction.^[15]

As with other original IRT elevated viaducts, the elevated structure at Freeman Street is carried on two column bents, one on each side of the road, at places where the tracks are no more than 29 feet (8.8 m) above the ground level. There is zigzag lateral bracing at intervals of every four panels.^[16]

The 2007 artwork at this station, The El, was designed by the artist Daniel Hauben and commissioned through the MTA Arts & Design program. It consists of four faceted-glass windbreaks and two niche windows, depicting the roadway and the elevated tracks above, which recede in the background.^[17][18] According to the artist, the artwork is designed to convey a "feeling of both great depth and the sprawling vastness of the city".^[18]

Exits[]

The station has heaters, as well as a wooden mezzanine, floor, and open old booth similar to the one at Simpson Street. Exits lead to all corners of Freeman Street and Southern Boulevard.^[19]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Freeman Street (IRT White Plains Road Line).

• nycsubway.org – IRT White Plains Road Line: Freeman Street