Times Square–42nd Street/Port Authority Bus Terminal station

Times Square–42 Street/  Port Authority Bus Terminal  ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
New York City Subway station complex
Entrance to the station at 42nd Street & 7th Avenue
Station statistics
Address	West 42nd Street, Broadway, Seventh, & Eighth Avenues New York, NY 10036
Borough	Manhattan
Locale	Times Square, Midtown Manhattan
Coordinates	40°45′21.6″N 73°59′13.2″W / 40.756000°N 73.987000°W / 40.756000; -73.987000Coordinates: 40°45′21.6″N 73°59′13.2″W / 40.756000°N 73.987000°W / 40.756000; -73.987000
Division	A (IRT), B (BMT, IND)[1]
Line	42nd Street Shuttle    BMT Broadway Line    IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line    IND Eighth Avenue Line    IRT Flushing Line
Services	1  (all times) ​   2  (all times) ​   3  (all times)​    7  (all times) <7>  (rush hours until 9:30 p.m., peak direction)​​ ​   A  (all times)​ ​   C  (all except late nights)​ ​   E  (all times)​    N  (all times) ​   Q  (all times) ​   R  (all except late nights) ​   W  (weekdays only)​    S  (all except late nights)
Transit	NYCT Bus: M7, M20, M34A SBS, M42, M104, SIM8, SIM8X, SIM22, SIM25, SIM26, SIM30 MTA Bus: BxM2 Port Authority Bus Terminal New Jersey Transit Bus: 107, 108, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 119, 121, , 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 144, 145, 148, , , 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 177, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, , , 319, 320, 321, ,
Structure	Underground
Levels	5
Other information
Opened	June 3, 1917; 104 years ago (1917-06-03)[2]
Station code	611[3]
Accessible	Partially ADA-accessible (all lines except 42nd Street Shuttle; passageway between IND platforms and rest of complex is not accessible)
Traffic
2019	65,020,294[4]  0.1%
Rank	1 out of 424[4]
showLocation Show map of New York City SubwayShow map of New York CityShow map of New YorkShow all
showStreet map Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
showStation service legend Symbol Description Stops all times except late nights Stops all times Stops rush hours in the peak direction only
Times Square–42nd Street Subway Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
MPS	New York City Subway System MPS
NRHP reference No.	04001016[5]
Added to NRHP	September 17, 2004

Times Square–42nd Street/Port Authority Bus Terminal is a New York City Subway station complex located under Times Square and the Port Authority Bus Terminal, at the intersection of 42nd Street, Seventh and Eighth Avenues, and Broadway in Midtown Manhattan. The complex allows free transfers between the IRT 42nd Street Shuttle, the BMT Broadway Line, the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line and the IRT Flushing Line, with a long transfer to the IND Eighth Avenue Line one block west at 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal. The complex is served by the 1, 2, 3, 7, A, E, N, and Q trains at all times; the W train during weekdays; the C, R, and 42nd Street Shuttle (S) trains at all times except late nights; and <7> trains during rush hours in the peak direction.

The present shuttle platforms were built for the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) as a local station on the city's first subway line, which was approved in 1900. The station opened on October 27, 1904, as one of the original 28 stations of the New York City Subway. As part of the Dual Contracts between the IRT and the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT), the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line platforms opened in 1917, followed by the Broadway Line platforms in 1918 and the Flushing Line platforms in 1928. The original platforms were also reconfigured to serve the shuttle. The Eighth Avenue Line platforms opened in 1932 as part of the Independent Subway System (IND). The complex has been reconstructed numerous times over the years. The free transfer between the IRT and BMT opened in 1948 while the transfer to the IND opened in 1988. The complex, excluding the IND station, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. In the early 21st century, the shuttle station was reconfigured.

Excluding closed platforms, the Flushing Line and shuttle stations have one island platform and two tracks, while the Broadway Line, Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line, and Eighth Avenue Line stations have two island platforms and four tracks. Most of the complex is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, except the shuttle platforms and IND passageway. The Times Square–42nd Street complex is the busiest station complex in the system, serving 65,020,294 passengers in 2019.^[4]

History[]

The IRT platforms have been connected to each other as a transfer station as the lines opened: first between the 42nd Street Shuttle and the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line in 1917, then the transfer was incorporated with the Flushing Line in 1927.^[6] On December 24, 1932, a 600-foot-long (180 m) passageway was opened, connecting the IND Eighth Avenue Line station and the IRT platforms, with a new entrance at West 41st Street between Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue.^[6][7] The passageway was not located within a fare control, and passengers had to pay an extra fare to transfer between the IND and the IRT station.^[7] The free transfer between the IRT and BMT was added on July 1, 1948.^[8] The block-long passageway that runs west to the 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal station on the IND Eighth Avenue Line was reopened within fare control on December 11, 1988.^[9]

First subway[]

A section of the original IRT northbound platform at Times Square, now a closed-off section of the track 4 shuttle platform

Planning for a subway line in New York City dates to 1864.^[10]:21 However, development of what would become the city's first subway line did not start until 1894, when the New York State Legislature authorized the Rapid Transit Act.^{[10]:139–140} The subway plans were drawn up by a team of engineers led by William Barclay Parsons, chief engineer of the Rapid Transit Commission. It called for a subway line from New York City Hall in lower Manhattan to the Upper West Side, where two branches would lead north into the Bronx.^[11]:3 A plan was formally adopted in 1897, which called for the subway to run under several streets in lower Manhattan before running under Fourth Avenue, 42nd Street, and Broadway. A previous proposal had called for the entire length of the subway to use Broadway, but the "awkward alignment...along Forty-Second Street", as the commission put it, was necessitated by objections to using the southernmost section of Broadway. Legal challenges were resolved near the end of 1899.^[10]:148 The Rapid Transit Construction Company, organized by John B. McDonald and funded by August Belmont Jr., signed the initial Contract 1 with the Rapid Transit Commission in February 1900,^[12] in which it would construct the subway and maintain a 50-year operating lease from the opening of the line.^[10]:165 In 1901, the firm of Heins & LaFarge was hired to design the underground stations.^[11]:4 Belmont incorporated the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) in April 1902 to operate the subway.^[10]:182

The present shuttle station at Times Square–42nd Street was constructed as part of the route segment underneath 42nd Street and Times Square, which extended from Park Avenue and 41st Street to Broadway and 47th Street. Construction on this section of the line began on February 25, 1901. Work for that section had been awarded to Degnon-McLean.^[12] The Times Square–42nd Street station opened on October 27, 1904, as one of the original 28 stations of the New York City Subway from City Hall to 145th Street on the West Side Branch.^[10]:186[13] Times Square itself had recently been renamed (from Long Acre Square) in order to give the new subway station a distinctive name.^[14]

After the first subway line was completed in 1908,^[15] the station was served by local trains along both the West Side (now the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line to Van Cortlandt Park–242nd Street) and East Side (now the Lenox Avenue Line). West Side local trains had their southern terminus at City Hall during rush hours and South Ferry at other times, and had their northern terminus at 242nd Street. East Side local trains ran from City Hall to Lenox Avenue (145th Street).^[16]

Expansion[]

To address overcrowding, in 1909, the New York Public Service Commission proposed lengthening platforms at stations along the original IRT subway.^[17]: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 $13,888,000 in 2020) was spent on building additional entrances and exits. It was anticipated that these improvements would increase capacity by 25 percent.^[18]:15 Platforms at local stations, such as the Times Square station, were lengthened by between 20 to 30 feet (6.1 to 9.1 m). The northbound platform was extended to the north and south, while the southbound platform was lengthened to the south, necessitating a reconfiguration of the Knickerbocker Hotel entrance.^{[18]:109–110}

Dual Contracts[]

In 1913, as part of the Dual Contracts, the New York City Public Service Commission planned to split the original IRT system 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. The original alignment under 42nd Street would become a shuttle service, and a new set of platforms would be built for the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line.^[19] The Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line station opened on June 3, 1917, as part of an extension of the IRT to South Ferry.^[2] It was served by a shuttle train to 34th Street–Penn Station until the rest of the extension opened a year later on July 1, 1918. This meant that the subway would be expanded down the West Side of Manhattan to neighborhoods such as Greenwich Village and the western portion of the Financial District.^[20] On August 1, the Dual Contracts' "H system" was put into service, and the former main line platform became part of the 42nd Street Shuttle.^[21]

Also planned under the Dual Contracts was the Broadway Line of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT), subsequently the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT). The Broadway Line station was planned as a local station, with the express station to be located at 47th Street. In 1914, the Public Service Commission ordered BRT Chief Engineer Craven to make the Broadway Line station an express station, at the insistence of Brooklynites who wanted an express station in the Theater District of Manhattan.^[22] The Broadway Line station opened on January 5, 1918.^[23]

Finally, the Dual Contracts also included completing and opening the Steinway Tunnel as part of the new Flushing subway line.^[24][25]:168 The tunnel, running under the East River with trolley loops on both the Manhattan and Queens sides, had sat unused since 1907, when test runs had been performed in the then-nearly-complete tunnel.^[26] The route was to go from Times Square through the tunnel over to Long Island City and from there continue toward Flushing.^[24][27] The Flushing Line station opened on March 14, 1927, extending the Flushing Line westward from its previous terminus at Fifth Avenue.^[28]

Independent Subway System[]

The Eighth Avenue Line station opened on September 10, 1932, as part of the city-operated Independent Subway System (IND)'s initial segment, between Chambers Street and 207th Street.^[29][30] The IND's lower level was built together with the upper level platforms in the late 1920s/early 1930s, but existed as an unfinished shell until it was completed^[31]:484 The lower level opened on August 25, 1952,^[32] to serve rush hour E trains.^[32][33] For most of its existence, the lower level platform was only used for occasional service specials, including summer "Rockaway Special" trains to Beach 98th Street at the Rockaways' Playland beginning in 1958, the Aqueduct Racetrack special fare trains from 1959 to 1981, and rush hour E trains in the 1970s, beginning on March 23, 1970.^{[34][35][36][37]}

Mid-20th century[]

The Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line station was the site of a 1928 wreck that killed 16 people, the second worst in New York City history (the worst being the Malbone Street Wreck in Brooklyn, which killed at least 93).

In Fiscal Year 1937, the express-track side of the southbound Broadway–Seventh Avenue platform was extended 6.5 feet (2.0 m) to the south to provide ample space at the center door of ten-car trains. In addition, a new entrances to the northwestern corner of Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street through the Rialto Building was opened.^[38]

On June 1, 1940, the title of the BMT was transferred to the City of New York, signifying the first phase of unification of New York's subway system with the IND as well as eventual public operation of the entire system. The IRT would be merged two weeks later. At midnight, a ceremony commemorating the transfer, with five hundred people in attendance, was held at the Times Square station. The last BMT train had left the 57th Street station five minutes earlier. When the train arrived at Times Square, BMT president William S. Menden handed over his company's properties to Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia, who then gave them to New York City Board of Transportation chairman John H. Delaney. The Board of Transportation operated the New York City Transit System until the creation of the New York City Transit Authority in 1953.^[39]

The Flushing Line platforms at Times Square, as well as platforms at all other stations on the Flushing Line with the exception of Queensboro Plaza, were extended in 1955–1956 to accommodate 11-car trains.^[40]

The BMT station received a minor overhaul in the late 1970s when the MTA fixed the station's structure and the overall appearance, and it repaired staircases and platform edges, removed pedestrian ramps, and replaced lighting.

Late 20th and early 21st centuries[]

Phase 1 and 2 renovation[]

The station underwent total reconstruction in stages starting in 1994.^[6] Phase 1 rebuilt the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line platforms with a new mezzanine, stairs, and elevators, and was completed in 2002. Phase 2, finished in 2006, rebuilt the Broadway Line, Flushing Line, and Eighth Avenue Line portions of the station.^[6] The reconstruction included a new entryway on the south side of 42nd Street between Seventh Avenue and Broadway, featuring a bright neon and colored glass flashing sign with the train route symbols and the word "Subway". The street level fare control at this site features restored original "Times Square" mosaics from the Contract I station walls (now used by the shuttle), and both escalators and stairs lead into the complex. There are also similar renovated entrances on the northwest and southwest corners of Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street, the latter of which has both escalators and stairs, while the former has only stairs.

In 1999, a US$44 million renovation of the complex began.^[6] The goal was to reduce congestion and improve rider access, comfort and safety by improving visual lines and increasing pedestrian capacity. The main corridor was widened 15 feet (4.6 m), and the number of sharp corners reduced; ADA accessibility was introduced with elevators; new escalators; and other corridors were widened. The mezzanine above the BMT Broadway Line, which formerly housed a record shop named Record Mart, now features a large oval balcony looking over the trackway and has reduced the sense of claustrophobia described by many riders. In 2004, four unisex stall bathrooms were opened on the mezzanine between the IRT and BMT lines; they are staffed and maintained by employees of the Times Square Alliance, the local Business Improvement District. Record Mart reopened in 2007 on the south side of the IRT/BMT corridor,^[41] and when it closed permanently in 2020, it had been Manhattan's oldest operating record store.^[42]

In the late 2000s, the MTA began construction on an extension of the IRT Flushing Line to 34th Street, which would require demolishing the IND Eighth Avenue lower level platform.^[35] As of January 2010, the lower level platform was being demolished as part of the Flushing Line extension.^[43] Transit blogger Benjamin Kabak, who was invited to tour the Flushing Line extension and view construction progress, reported in February 2012 that the lower level platform had been "bisected" by the Flushing Line extension.^[44] The tunnels slope down through where the old lower level platform was.^[45] On September 13, 2015, the Flushing Line was extended one stop west from Times Square to 34th Street–Hudson Yards.^[46][47]

Phase 3 renovation[]

The shuttle platform is the only station in the station complex that does not have ADA-accessibility. Although planning had been completed in 2006, the project was delayed due to a lack of funding.^[48] However, as part of the 2015–2019 Capital Program, the MTA is scheduling some improvements to make it accessible under the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. As part of the program, the 42nd Street Shuttle will become ADA-accessible, and the shuttle will be reconfigured from three tracks to two tracks. A new platform, 28 feet (8.5 m) wide and located between tracks 1 and 4, would be built along the section of the shuttle that runs under 42nd Street, which is located within a straight tunnel. The whole project will cost $235.41 million. The Times Square shuttle platform will be extended 360 feet (110 m) east to allow for a second point of entry at Sixth Avenue, with a connection to the IND Sixth Avenue Line as well a second connection to the IRT Flushing Line via its Fifth Avenue station.^[49][50][51]

Widened platform at Times Square, which will be built during the restoration project

Track 1 platform at the start of construction; Track 3 (since removed) is blocked off by a blue construction wall

The entire Times Square station will be rehabilitated with congestion mitigation measures. A wider stairway would be installed from the shuttle mezzanine to street level, a new control area would be installed at the bottom of the stairway, and 21 columns would be removed. The cost of this part of the project is $30 million.^[49][50] In conjunction, a second project will add access to the Times Square complex. As part of the project, the eastern platform would be closed to public access, and the exit to 43rd Street was closed, covered over, and turned into an emergency exit starting on October 19, 2019. This entrance would be replaced by a new entrance with a twenty-foot wide stairway covered by a canopy. The staircase would lead from the shuttle mezzanine to street level, blocking portions of the station's original finishes. A new control area would be installed at the bottom of the stairway. To further increase capacity, 21 columns would be eliminated; other columns at the station would be thinned, requiring the underpinning of roof beams; and 142 columns in the concourse area would be relocated away from the car doors. This project would cost $28.93 million.^[49]

The northern section of the original west platform wall dating from 1904 would be removed, and Jamestown, OTS, would build elevators connecting the station with an observation deck at One Times Square. The wall would be broken into sections and moved to the New York Transit Museum to mitigate the adverse effects of the station renovation. To further mitigate damage done to portions of the original station, certain features would be repaired and restored, including the original southwest platform and control area wall finishes, the original cast iron columns, the ceiling plaster ornamentation, and the cast iron guard rails. In addition, the east platform walls that are located within back-of-house space would continue to be protected. The damaged Knickerbocker marble lintel located at the west platform control area would be replicated. To reference portions of the original tracks located at tracks 2 and 3, the granite paving for the shuttle platform would be modified with a veneer steel rail. These sixty-foot-long sections would be located on the new platform between tracks 1 and 4. Finally, a display case or plaque describing the history of the station will be installed underneath the replicated Knickerbocker lintel.^[50][52]

The construction contract for the project was originally scheduled to be awarded in June 2018. However, this was delayed by several months because of changes to the project schedule and cost. The construction duration was expected to be extended by three months, and the cost would increase by $25 million, because of additions to the original construction plan.^[53] A construction contract was awarded in March 2019, with an estimated completion date of March 2022.^[54] The shuttle was temporarily closed in mid-2020 for this work.^[55]

Failed terrorist plots[]

The Times Square station has been targeted by two failed terrorist plots. In September 2009, Najibullah Zazi and alleged co-conspirators planned suicide bombings on subway trains near this station and the Grand Central–42nd Street station, but the plot was discovered before they could carry it out.^[56] There was also an attempted bombing on December 11, 2017, during the morning rush hour, when a pipe bomb device partially detonated in the passageway connecting the IND Eighth Avenue Line station with the rest of the complex.^[57]

Station layout[]

Physical locations of the platforms

G	Street level	Exits/entrances
B1	Upper mezzanine	Fare control, station agents, MetroCard machines, passageway to Port Authority Bus Terminal Elevators located: on the southeast corner of Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street for ​​​​​​​​ trains only. inside north wing of bus terminal at Eighth Avenue between 41st Street and 42nd Street, near airport bus ticket office for ​​ trains only. inside the InterContinental Hotel at the southwest corner of Eighth Avenue at 44th Street, for ​​ trains only. There is both an elevator and a lift; the lift can be manually operated by a station agent's assistance. Note: Passageway between IND platforms and rest of the complex is a steep grade
	Side platform
	Track 4	→ toward Grand Central (Terminus) →
	Track 3	→ No Passenger Service
	Side platform, not in service
	Track 1	→ toward Grand Central (Terminus) →
	Side platform
B2 Broadway platforms	Northbound local	← toward Ditmars Boulevard (49th Street) ← toward 71st Avenue (49th Street) ← toward Ditmars Boulevard weekdays (49th Street) ← toward 96th Street late nights (49th Street)
	Island platform
	Northbound express	← toward 96th Street (57th Street–Seventh Avenue)
	Southbound express	→ toward Coney Island via Brighton (34th Street–Herald Square) → → toward Coney Island via Sea Beach (limited rush hour trips) (34th Street–Herald Square) →
	Island platform
	Southbound local	→ toward Coney Island via Sea Beach (34th Street–Herald Square) → → toward 95th Street (34th Street–Herald Square) → → toward Whitehall Street weekdays (34th Street–Herald Square) → → toward Coney Island via Brighton late nights (34th Street–Herald Square) →
B2 Broadway–Seventh Avenue platforms	Northbound local	← toward 242nd Street (50th Street/Broadway)) ← toward 241st Street late nights (50th Street/Broadway)
	Island platform
	Northbound express	← toward 241st Street (72nd Street) ← toward 148th Street (72nd Street)
	Southbound express	→ toward Flatbush Avenue (34th Street–Penn Station/Seventh) ← toward New Lots Avenue (34th Street–Penn Station/Seventh) → → late night termination track →
	Island platform
	Southbound local	→ toward South Ferry (34th Street–Penn Station/Seventh) → → toward Flatbush Avenue late nights (34th Street–Penn Station/Seventh) →
B2 Eighth Avenue platforms	Northbound local	← toward 168th Street (50th Street) ← toward Jamaica Center (50th Street) ← toward 207th Street late nights (50th Street)
	Island platform
	Northbound express	← toward 207th Street (59th Street–Columbus Circle)
	Southbound express	→ toward Far Rockaway, Lefferts Boulevard or Rockaway Park (34th Street–Penn Station/Eighth) →
	Island platform
	Southbound local	→ toward Euclid Avenue (34th Street–Penn Station/Eighth) → → toward World Trade Center (34th Street–Penn Station/Eighth) → → toward Far Rockaway late nights (42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal) →
B3	Passageway	To Eighth Avenue, Port Authority, ​​ trains
B4 Flushing platform	Southbound	← toward Hudson Yards (Terminus)
	Island platform
	Northbound	→ toward Flushing–Main Street (Fifth Avenue) →

Play media

Entrance

Times Square was named for The New York Times. The Times headquarters, built by Times owner Adolph S. Ochs, housed the original subway station (now the shuttle platforms) in its basement.^[58][59][60]

Five separate stations comprise the Times Square complex. The shallowest station is the 42nd Street Shuttle platform, which runs in an northwest-southeast direction under 42nd Street east of Broadway, and is 20 feet (6.1 m) below street level. The IND Eighth Avenue Line station is 30 feet (9.1 m) below the street, running under Eighth Avenue in approximately a north-south direction, one block west of the other platforms. The IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line station runs 40 feet (12 m) under Seventh Avenue and is parallel to the IND Eighth Avenue Line platforms. The BMT Broadway Line station runs in a true north-south alignment 50 feet (15 m) under Broadway. The deepest station, serving the IRT Flushing Line, is 60 feet (18 m) below street level and runs roughly west-east under 41st Street.^[5]:3[61]

Mezzanine[]

There are several mezzanines throughout the complex, connected by several ramps and stairs. The primary, upper mezzanine is near the level of the shuttle platforms and consists of four passageways in a trapezoidal layout, arranged under 42nd Street, Broadway, 41st Street, and Seventh Avenue. An oval-shaped cut is on the Broadway side of the main mezzanine, below which are the northern ends of the BMT platforms. A pair of escalators to the Flushing Line is at the southwestern corner of this mezzanine.^{[5]:3–4, 18–19} Some parts of the mezzanine have glass-tiled walls, while other parts are clad with white ceramic tile topped by mosaic bands.^[5]:7 "Music Under New York" controls various spots within the mezzanine for performers.

Near the south end of the BMT platforms, there is a smaller mezzanine overhead, which leads to exits at 40th Street.^{[5]:3, 19}

Under the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line platforms, but above the Flushing Line platforms, is a lower mezzanine level extending from west to east. This mezzanine connects to a steep ramp that leads to the passageway to the IND Eighth Avenue Line platforms.^{[5]:7, 18}

Exits[]

From the Eighth Avenue portion of the complex, there is one street stair to each of the northwest, northeast, and southeast corners of Eighth Avenue and 40th Street. There are two underground passageways to Port Authority Bus Terminal: one between 40th and 41st Streets, and a wheelchair accessible passageway between 41st and 42nd Streets. At the intersection of Eighth Avenue and 42nd Street, there is one street stair to the northwest corner, one stair inside a building on the northeast corner, and one escalator bank inside a building on the southeast corner. One street stair leads to the southwest corner of Eighth Avenue and 43rd Street. Finally, there is one street stair to each of the northwest, southwest, and southeast corners of Eighth Avenue and 44th Street. The southwest-corner entrance also has a wheelchair lift that leads to an elevator. All of these exits are closest to the Eighth Avenue Line platforms and are signed as serving the A, C, E, and 7 trains.^[62]

From the Times Square portion of the complex, several exits are signed as serving most or all of the services in the complex. There are two exits inside buildings on 42nd Street west of Seventh Avenue, one each on the north and south sides. On the south side of 42nd Street between Seventh Avenue and Broadway, there is an elevator and escalator bank. One street stair rises to the southeast corner of Broadway and 42nd Street. A block to the south, one stair goes into a building at the northeast corner of 41st Street and Seventh Avenue, and two street stairs go to the southeast corner. An exit-only stair rises to the southwest corner of 41st Street and Broadway.^{[62][5]:19–20}

Two sets of exits on 40th Street are separate from the main mezzanine areas and are signed as only serving certain services. At 40th Street and Seventh Avenue, one stair goes into a building at the southwest corner, and one street stair goes to the southeast corner. These serve a mezzanine above the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line platforms and are signed as serving the 1, 2, 3, 7, and S trains. One street stair rises to each of the corners of 40th Street and Broadway, serving the southern mezzanine above the Broadway Line platforms. Those entrances are signed as serving the N, Q, R, W, and S trains.^{[62][5]:19–20}

There are several closed exits throughout the station complex. Until 1981, there was a stair to the southeastern corner of 41st Street and 8th Avenue.^[63][64] Another stair rose to the south side of 41st Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues in the passageway between the Eighth Avenue Line station and the rest of the station complex, and was closed in 1989 due to very low usage.^[65] A street stair to the northeastern corner of 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue, by One Times Square,^[66] was closed around 1998–2000.^[67] Two stairs to the northeastern corner of 41st Street and Seventh Avenue were closed during the same time, as were stairs to both western corners of that intersection.^[67] In 2019, a stair to the southwestern corner of 43rd Street and Broadway was closed as part of the shuttle modernization project.^[68][69]

IRT 42nd Street Shuttle platforms[]

Times Square
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Shuttle platform for track 1
Station statistics
Division	A (IRT)[70]
Line	IRT 42nd Street Shuttle
Services	S  (all except late nights)
Structure	Underground
Platforms	3 side platforms (all connected at west end, 2 in service)
Tracks	3 (2 in service)
Other information
Opened	October 27, 1904; 116 years ago (1904-10-27)[71]
Station code	468[3]
Accessible	ADA-accessible to mezzanine only; currently undergoing renovations for ADA access
Opposite- direction transfer	N/A
Former/other names	42 Street
Station succession
Next west	Track 1: (Terminal): S  Track 4: 50th Street: no regular service
Next east	Grand Central: S
showTrack layout Legend to 50 St Movable pedestrian bridge over Track 4 to Grand Central
showStation service legend Symbol Description Stops all times except late nights

The Times Square shuttle platforms date from the original IRT subway, completed in 1904. It was originally a four-track local stop with two side platforms outside the local tracks. Most of the wall along the side platform for track 1 was removed in 1914 to provide a connection to the new Times Square station on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line.^[5]:5 Three shuttle tracks served it from 1918 to 2020; the southbound express track (formerly track 2) was removed and replaced by a temporary wooden platform for access to the original northbound express track (formerly track 3). An underpass formerly connected the original side platforms, running between the downtown local track of the BMT Broadway Line (which runs perpendicular to the shuttle) and the other three tracks of that line. Track 3 was taken out of service on November 7, 2020, and have been removed.^[72]

Plan of the original station before reconfiguration

The old local platforms still serve tracks 1 and 4, while the southbound express track was removed and replaced with a platform for track 3. All three platforms connected on the west (railroad north) side. A movable walkway crossed track 4, the former northbound local track; the walkway could be temporarily removed to allow access to and from that track. North of the station, track 4 merges into the northbound IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line local track along the original subway alignment, north of the current Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line station.^[6] The other three tracks once curved parallel to this. Track 1 ends at a bumper block at the west end of the platforms, as formerly did track 3. There is no track connection between track 4 and the other tracks anywhere along the shuttle.^[6]

Because of the curvature on the platforms, gap fillers under the platforms were used on tracks 1 and 3. These two platforms were concave and curved toward the shuttle trains. Track 1 was 295 feet (89.9 m) long and track 3 was 285 feet (86.9 m) long. Track 4 did not have gap fillers because of the convex curve of the platform, curving away from the shuttle trains. The platform serving Track 4 was only 150 feet (45.7 m) long, and could barely fit the three 51.4-foot-long (15.7 m) cars of the shuttle.^[5]:5

Design[]

As with other stations built as part of the original IRT, the station was constructed using a cut-and-cover method.^[73]:237 The tunnel is covered by a "U"-shaped trough that contains utility pipes and wires. The bottom of this trough contains a foundation of concrete no less than 4 inches (100 mm) thick.^{[5]:3–4[74]:9} Each platform consists of 3-inch-thick (7.6 cm) concrete slabs, beneath which are drainage basins. The platform next to track 1 contain circular Doric columns spaced every 15 feet (4.6 m). Prior to the 2019–2022 reconstruction, there were additional columns between the tracks and on track 3's platform, spaced every 5 feet (1.5 m), which supported the jack-arched concrete station roofs.^{[5]:5–6[11]:4[74]:9} The renovation removed or relocated many of these columns so that they are spaced at wider intervals.^[49] There is a 1-inch (25 mm) gap between the trough wall and the platform walls, which are made of 4-inch (100 mm)-thick brick covered over by a tiled finish.^{[5]:3–4[74]:9}

The original decorative scheme for the side platforms consisted of blue tile station-name tablets, blue and pink tile bands, multicolored tile pilasters, a buff faience cornice, and buff faience plaques.^[74]:36 The mosaic tiles at all original IRT stations were manufactured by the American Encaustic Tile Company, which subcontracted the installations at each station.^[74]:31 The decorative work was performed by faience contractor Grueby Faience Company.^[74]:36 The former southbound local platform (serving track 1) still has a vestiges of a doorway to the Knickerbocker Hotel,^[6][5]:5 while the northbound local platform (serving track 4) retains a former doorway to the Times Building.^[6] Small sections of the original wall remained before the station's reconstruction, with brick wainscoting capped by a marble band and white tiles.^[5]:5

Track 1 platform, looking toward connection to other two platforms

Platform for track 3, with a train on that track

View from removable walkway over track 4, looking toward the Broadway–Seventh Avenue tunnel

Second and third cars of a train on track 4

A view of the platform on Track 4 in 1958

BMT Broadway Line platforms[]

Times Square–42 Street  ​​​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Uptown platform
Station statistics
Division	B (BMT)[75]
Line	BMT Broadway Line
Services	N  (all times) ​   Q  (all times) ​   R  (all except late nights) ​   W  (weekdays only)
Structure	Underground
Platforms	2 island platforms cross-platform interchange
Tracks	4
Other information
Opened	January 5, 1918; 103 years ago (1918-01-05)[23]
Station code	011[3]
Accessible	ADA-accessible (Transfer accessible to IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line & IRT Flushing Line platforms only)
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Station succession
Next north	57th Street–Seventh Avenue (express): N  ​Q  49th Street (local): N  ​Q  ​R  ​W
Next south	34th Street–Herald Square: N  ​Q  ​R  ​W
showTrack layout Legend to 57 St to 49 St to 34 St to 34 St
showStation service legend Symbol Description Stops all times except late nights Stops all times Stops weekdays only Stops weekends only

Times Square–42nd Street is an express station on the BMT Broadway Line that has four tracks and two island platforms.^[76] The N and Q trains stop here at all times.^[77][78] The R stops here at all times except late nights,^[79] while the W stops here during weekdays.^[80] Two stairs and one elevator from each platform ascend to the primary mezzanine. At the far south end of each platform, two stairs ascend to the southern BMT mezzanine. Near the center of the southbound platform, a set of stairs rises to the 41st Street corridor of the primary mezzanine.^{[5]:3, 19}

The tunnel is covered by a "U"-shaped trough that contains utility pipes and wires. The bottom of this trough contains a concrete foundation no less than 4 inches (100 mm) thick. Each platform consists of 3-inch-thick (7.6 cm) concrete slabs, beneath which are drainage basins. The platforms contain I-beam columns spaced every 15 feet (4.6 m). Additional columns between the tracks, spaced every 5 feet (1.5 m), support the jack-arched concrete station roofs. The trackside walls also contain exposed I-beam columns, dividing the trackside walls into 5-foot-wide panels. The panels on the trackside walls consist of white square ceramic tiles. A frieze with multicolored geometric patterns runs atop the trackside walls, and a plaque with a framed white "42" tile is placed inside the frieze every 15 feet. The walls at the south ends of the platforms are not tiled.^{[5]:3–4, 6}

The express tracks north of the station spread out to pass around a crossunder in the Times Square shuttle platforms.^[76] This crossunder was sealed off in the 1960s.

IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line platforms[]

Times Square–42 Street  ​​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Downtown platform
Station statistics
Division	A (IRT)[81]
Line	IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line
Services	1  (all times) ​   2  (all times) ​   3  (all times)
Structure	Underground
Platforms	2 island platforms cross-platform interchange
Tracks	4
Other information
Opened	June 3, 1917; 104 years ago (1917-06-03)[2]
Rebuilt	1998-2002
Station code	317[3]
Accessible	ADA-accessible (Transfer accessible to BMT Broadway Line and IRT Flushing Line platforms only)
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Station succession
Next north	72nd Street (express): 2  ​3  50th Street (local): 1  ​2
Next south	(Terminal): 3  34th Street–Penn Station: 1  ​2  ​3
showTrack layout Legend to 72 St to 50 St from shuttle track 4 to 34 St–Penn Sta
showStation service legend Symbol Description Stops all times except late nights Stops all times Stops late nights only

Times Square–42nd Street is an express station on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line, with four tracks and two island platforms.^[76] The 1, 2, and 3 trains stop here at all times.^[82][83][84] The station serves as the southern terminal of 3 trains during late nights.^[84] The platforms are 510 feet (160 m) long, and were extended to the south in 1959.^[5]:6 Stairways to the other lines are provided at the northern end and in the center of each platform; two stairways from each platform lead to the lower mezzanine level while the remainder lead to mezzanines above the platforms. An elevator leads from each platform to the upper mezzanine; the southbound elevator also leads to the lower mezzanine and the Flushing Line platform.^[5]:17

The tunnel is covered by a "U"-shaped trough that contains utility pipes and wires. The bottom of this trough contains a concrete foundation no less than 4 inches (100 mm) thick. Each platform consists of 3-inch-thick (7.6 cm) concrete slabs, beneath which are drainage basins. The platforms contain I-beam columns spaced every 15 feet (4.6 m). Additional columns between the tracks, spaced every 5 feet (1.5 m), support the jack-arched concrete station roofs. The trackside walls also contain exposed I-beam columns, dividing the trackside walls into 5-foot-wide panels. The panels on the trackside walls consist of white square ceramic tiles. A frieze with multicolored geometric patterns runs atop the trackside walls, and a plaque with a stylized "T" is placed inside the frieze at intervals of every three panels.^{[5]:3–4, 6}

Just south of the station, a fifth center track begins, formed by a connection from each express track. This track merges back into the two express tracks just before 34th Street–Penn Station.^[76] This center track was used in the past for turning rush hour "Gap Trains", which would head back up north. It is currently used for short turning 3 trains during nights.^[85]

IND Eighth Avenue Line platforms[]

42 Street–  Port Authority Bus Terminal  ​​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Downtown platform
Station statistics
Division	B (IND)[86]
Line	IND Eighth Avenue Line
Services	A  (all times) ​   C  (all except late nights) ​   E  (all times)
Structure	Underground
Levels	2 (lower level demolished)
Platforms	2 island platforms cross-platform interchange (upper level) 1 abandoned side platform (lower level)
Tracks	4 (upper level) 1 (lower level)
Other information
Opened	September 10, 1932; 88 years ago (1932-09-10)[29] (upper level) August 25, 1952; 69 years ago (1952-08-25)[32] (lower level)
Closed	1981 (lower level)
Station code	163[3]
Accessible	ADA-accessible (passageway to other services not accessible)
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Station succession
Next north	59th Street–Columbus Circle (express): A  50th Street (local): A  ​C  50th Street (Queens Boulevard): E
Next south	34th Street–Penn Station: A  ​C  ​E
showTrack layout Legend to 59 St–Columbus Cir to 50 St lower level to 50 St upper level to former lower level from former lower level to 34 St–Penn Sta
showStation service legend Symbol Description Stops in station at all times Stops all times except late nights Stops late nights only Stops late nights and weekends only Stops weekdays only Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction Stops all times except weekdays in the peak direction Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction Stops rush hours only Stops rush hours in the peak direction only Station is closed (Details about time periods)

42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal is an express station on the IND Eighth Avenue Line. It is partly underneath the Port Authority Bus Terminal. The A and E trains stop here at all times,^[87][88] while the C train stops here at all times except late nights.^[89] It has one operational platform level, two offset island platforms, and a long mezzanine. Formerly, it also had a lower level with a single side platform.

Wall mosaics

The platform level of the station contains four tracks and two wide offset island platforms; the northbound platform extends from 42nd to 44th Streets, while the southbound platform extends from 40th to 42nd Streets. Passageway to Times Sq-42 St subway station is stair-free but contains ramps; however, these ramps are not ADA access compliant. The station's mezzanine extends four blocks from 40th to 44th Streets, and connects with the rest of the complex by a long passageway underneath 41st Street.^[90][91]

Former lower level[]

In addition to the level currently in use, there was formerly a lower platform on the southbound side (one track underneath the downtown local track on the upper level, and one side platform underneath the island platform above). The lower level featured two high-speed escalators to the mezzanine, and three staircases to the upper-level platform. The walls featured 1950s-era cream tiles, a purple and black tile band, and white mosaic name plates with black "42ND ST" text.^[32][33][34]

Theories differ on why the lower level platform was built. The platform could only be reached by trains originating from Queens via the IND Queens Boulevard Line, and 53rd Street (the current E service). Some commentators have speculated that this was meant to allow Manhattan-bound E trains from Queens to hold at 42nd Street without slowing down service on trains traveling from Central Park West,^[35] while the reported purpose of the platform upon its opening was to allow E trains to load and unload passengers without having to wait for one of the two upper level tracks to clear.^[32][33] Others have suggested that the lower level platform was built to prevent the IRT Flushing Line from being extended westward. The IND lower level platform was located just beyond the tail tracks on the IRT Flushing Line platform.^[91][35][45] Film producers have used the lower level platform for several films, most notably Ghost (1990), starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore.^[34][35] By the 2010s, the lower level platform had been bisected by the extension of the Flushing Line.^[45]

A sign at the western end of the passageway ramp, informing customers that the passageway to rest of the complex is not wheelchair accessible

IRT Flushing Line platform[]

Times Square–42 Street  ​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
The IRT Flushing Line platform
Station statistics
Division	A (IRT)[92]
Line	IRT Flushing Line
Services	7  (all times) <7>  (rush hours until 9:30 p.m., peak direction)​
Structure	Underground
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	March 14, 1927; 94 years ago (1927-03-14)[93]
Station code	467[3]
Accessible	ADA-accessible (Transfer accessible to IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line and BMT Broadway Line platforms only)
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Station succession
Next east	Fifth Avenue: 7  <7> ​
Next west	10th Avenue: future 34th Street–Hudson Yards: 7  <7> ​
showTrack layout Legend to 5 Av to 34 St Queensboro Subway Service Extended To Times Square station 1927
showStation service legend Symbol Description Stops all times Stops rush hours in the peak direction only

Times Square–42nd Street on the IRT Flushing Line has one island platform and two tracks, located deep below West 41st Street. Stairs, escalators, and an elevator along the platform lead to various mezzanines. There are "TS" tile mosaics along the station walls. An office is located at the north (compass east) end of the platform. An elevator connects with the Downtown IRT Seventh Avenue platform and then the mezzanine. The elevators make this platform, along with the platform at Grand Central accessible to wheelchair passengers.

The platform consists of 3-inch-thick (7.6 cm) concrete slabs, beneath which are drainage basins. The platform contains I-beam columns spaced every 15 feet (4.6 m).^[5]:3–4 Large H-section columns, supporting horizontal I-beams, also support the tall ceilings of the Flushing Line station. Above the escalators, X-supports and diagonally braced lateral beams also support the ceiling. The trackside walls also contain exposed I-beam columns, dividing the trackside walls into 5-foot-wide panels. The panels on the trackside walls consist of white square ceramic tiles. A frieze with multicolored geometric patterns runs atop the trackside walls, and a plaque with a framed white "TS" tile is placed inside the frieze every 15 feet. Similar mosaics run along the bases of the trackside walls as well.^[5]:6–7

The tracks continue south (compass west) beyond the station to the 34th Street station. These tracks formerly led to an unused storage and layover area, but the extension of the Flushing Line, whose trackwork was completed in 2013, included the addition of third rails to the layover tracks, as well as the inspection and replacement of these tracks.^[94] The closed lower level platform at 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal on the IND Eighth Avenue Line was blocking the line but since removed.^[34] Currently, all Flushing-bound service is on the eastbound track, labeled track 2, and 34th Street-bound service is on the westbound track, labeled track 1.^[47]

Artwork[]

George Lewis Heins and Christopher Grant LaFarge were the first commissioned architects of the IRT. They designed the original Times Square Station, which was located at the current Grand Central Shuttle stop.

In many of their stations, Heins and LaFarge use symbolic imagery to honor a neighborhood or its namesake. When Squire Vickers took over as chief designer and architect of the IRT in 1906, he continued this tradition of using symbolism to speak to a station's history.

The colored tile trim of the IRT portions of the station closely resembles the Confederate flag.^[95] Scholars believe that Vickers and his colleagues unmistakably reference the symbol of the South to pay homage to New York Times owner Adolph S. Ochs. The Times had built a new headquarters directly above part of the subway station in 1904.^[96] The Confederacy was a significant part of Ochs' heritage, and the eccentric Vickers relished literary and historical imagery.^[97] After a 2010s movement in which Confederate monuments nationwide were removed, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced in August 2017 that these tiles would be replaced;^[98][99] the tiles were subsequently covered with stickers.^[100]

• 

  Original colored tile trim, before the station renovation of the late 1990s. Scholars believe architect Squire J. Vickers used this design to pay homage to the Southern roots of former New York Times newspaper head Adolph S. Ochs

• 

  1998-recreated tiles, also to be removed

• 

  Times Square Mural by Roy Lichtenstein

• 

  The Return of Spring/The Onset of Winter by Jack Beal

• 

  The Revelers by Jane Dickson

• 

  New York in Transit by Jacob Lawrence

• 

  Times Square Times by Toby Buonagurio

• 

  The Commuter's Lament by Norman B. Colp

Modern artwork installed in the complex includes the following:

• The Commuter's Lament or A Close Shave by Norman B. Colp, 1991
• New York in Transit by Jacob Lawrence, 2001
• The Return of Spring/The Onset of Winter by Jack Beal, 2001/2005
• Times Square Mural by Roy Lichtenstein, 2002 (collage 1990, fabricated 1994)
• Times Square Times: 35 Times by Toby Buonagurio, 2005
• The Revelers by Jane Dickson, 2008

New York in Transit was Lawrence's last public work before his 2000 death.^[101] Lichtenstein died in 1997 before the mural could be installed; he had completed Times Square Mural in 1994, but installation was delayed until after the station complex's renovation.^[102]

The Commuter's Lament is a series of signs attached to the roof of the lower passageway, inspired by classic Burma-Shave ads. In order, the signs read Overslept/So tired/If late/Get fired/Why bother?/Why the pain?/Just go home/Do it again.; The last panel is a picture of a bed. The panels were part of an art project that was supposed to last only one year, but were never removed.^[103]

References[]

Notes[]

Further reading[]

• Stookey, Lee (1994). Subway ceramics : a history and iconography of mosaic and bas relief signs and plaques in the New York City subway system. Brattleboro, Vt: L. Stookey. ISBN 978-0-9635486-1-0. OCLC 31901471.

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Times Square – 42nd Street / Port Authority Bus Terminal (New York City Subway).

• nycsubway.org – IRT Grand Central/Times Square Shuttle: Times Square
• nycsubway.org – IRT Flushing Line: Times Square
• nycsubway.org – IRT West Side Line: Times Square/42nd Street (text used with permission)
• nycsubway.org – BMT Broadway Subway: Times Square/42nd Street
• nycsubway.org – IND Eighth Avenue Line: 42nd Street/Port Authority Bus Terminal
• MTA's Arts For Transit – 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal (IND Eighth Avenue Line)