168th Street

168th Street New York City Subway rapid transit station complex
Station statistics
Address	West 168th Street & Broadway/St. Nicholas Avenue New York, NY 10032
Borough	Manhattan
Locale	Washington Heights
Coordinates	40°50′28″N 73°56′23″W / 40.841022°N 73.939791°W / 40.841022; -73.939791Coordinates: 40°50′28″N 73°56′23″W / 40.841022°N 73.939791°W / 40.841022; -73.939791
Division	A (IRT), B (IND)
Line	IND Eighth Avenue Line IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line
Services	1  (all times)      A  (all times)      C  (all except late nights)
Connection	New York City Bus: Bx7, M2, M3, M5, M18, M100 Short Line Bus: 208
Levels	2
Other information
Accessible	(IND Eighth Avenue Line platforms only)
Traffic
Passengers (2008)	7.703 million[1][2] ▲ 8.98%
Rank	44 out of 422
Station 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 Stops rush hours only Stops rush hours in the peak direction only Station is closed (Details about time periods)

168th Street (formerly Washington Heights – 168th Street), is a New York City Subway station complex shared by the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line and the IND Eighth Avenue Line. It is located at the intersection of 168th Street and Broadway in the Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights.

Nearby points of interest include the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, the Hudson River waterfront parks, and remnants of the Audubon Ballroom. Access to the station is available via staffed elevator, although the complex is not handicapped-accessible. In 2005 the station was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line platforms

168th Street New York City Subway rapid transit station
Station statistics
Division	A (IRT)
Line	IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line
Services	1  (all times)
Structure	Underground
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	March 16, 1906
Station succession
Next north	181st Street: 1
Next south	157th Street: 1
Station 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 Stops rush hours only Stops rush hours in the peak direction only Station is closed (Details about time periods)

168th Street on the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line has two tracks and two side platforms. This deep station features four elevators and two bridges that cross over the tracks, connecting the platforms. There is a high arched tiled ceiling and incandescent lamps that are no longer in use. The elevator buttons show that the station is served by the 1, 9, A, and B trains. The 9 was the skip-stop variant of the 1 until May 2005. The B terminated at this station weekdays until March 1998, when it switched northern terminals with the C. These elevators are on the west side of the station and are used to access the fare control and the mezzanine for the IND platform. There is a closed stairway leading up from the extreme north end of the northbound platform leading to an unknown location. The original elevator shafts are still visible, there is a window looking into the shaftway. At the rear of the shaftway is a closed-off passage leading to the theory that the original elevators had separate front and rear exits for arriving and departing passengers. The original elevators were double-deckers, near the northern of the two crossover bridges. They were destroyed in the building of the IND and the space is now a vent chamber. The north overpass extends into the wall. By looking on top of the wall behind the overpass, one can see a gate leading to the elevators.

IND Eighth Avenue Line platforms

168th Street New York City Subway rapid transit station
Station statistics
Division	B (IND)
Line	IND Eighth Avenue Line
Services	A  (all times)      C  (all except late nights)
Structure	Underground
Platforms	2 island platforms
Tracks	4
Other information
Opened	September 10, 1932[3]
Accessible	(Passageway to IRT Broadway – 7th Avenue Line platforms is not accessible)
Station succession
Next north	175th Street: A
Next south	163rd Street – Amsterdam Avenue (local): A  C  145th Street (express): A
Next north	175th Street: A
Next south	125th Street: A  B  C  D
Station 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 Stops rush hours only Stops rush hours in the peak direction only Station is closed (Details about time periods)

168th Street on the IND Eighth Avenue Line has four tracks and two island platforms. Contrary to usual express station layout, the inner tracks serve the C local trains while the outer tracks serve the A express trains. This is to make it easier for C trains, which terminate here, to turn around and make the southbound trip. South of this station, the tracks cross over one another to form the regular local-outer/express-inner configuration. The inner tracks continue north under Broadway to 174th Street Yard. It was planned that the tracks at the 174th Street Yard would continue on to New Jersey via the lower level of the George Washington Bridge, but it was never built.

The platform-level tile band is a reddish purple with black border, and there are no name tablets.

There are several fare control areas. The full-time entrance is at the east side of 168th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue with one street stair descending to the IND area. It points towards the start of the passageway that leads to the IRT elevators and newsstand. The part time side is at the at north end of 169th Street and Broadway/St. Nicholas Avenue. It contains a former booth, around-the-clock HEET access, and three street stairs. Currently, there is a full length mezzanine inside fare control, but evidence suggests there was another a full length passageway outside fare control. This passageway extended from the current 169th Street exit all the way down to the closed area at 167th Street at the south end of this station. The exits there, including two stairs to the platforms, were closed in the 1980s for safety reasons. This area is now used for New York City Transit employees only.

References

External links

• nycsubway.org — IRT West Side Line: 168th Street
• nycsubway.org — IND 8th Avenue: 168th Street
• Station Reporter — 168 Street/Broadway Complex
• The Subway Nut — Washington Heights – 168th Street Pictures