59th Street – Columbus Circle

59th Street – Columbus Circle New York City Subway rapid transit station complex
Station entrance north of Columbus Circle
Station statistics
Address	intersection of West 59th Street, 8th Avenue & Broadway New York, NY 10023
Borough	Manhattan
Locale	Columbus Circle, Midtown Manhattan
Coordinates	40°46′05″N 73°58′55″W / 40.767997°N 73.981934°W / 40.767997; -73.981934Coordinates: 40°46′05″N 73°58′55″W / 40.767997°N 73.981934°W / 40.767997; -73.981934
Division	A (IRT), B (IND)
Line	IND Eighth Avenue Line IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line
Services	1  (all times)      2  (late nights)      A  (all times)      B  (weekdays until 11:00 p.m.)      C  (all except late nights)      D  (all times)
Connection	New York City Bus: M5, M7, M10, M20, M30, M104
Levels	2
Other information
Traffic
Passengers (2008)	20.858 million[1][2] ▲ 2.73%
Rank	7 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)

59th Street – Columbus Circle 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 Columbus Circle in Midtown Manhattan where 59th Street, Broadway and 8th Avenue intersect, and is served by:

• 1, A and D trains at all times
• C train at all times except late nights
• B train weekdays
• 2 train late nights

There are exits and entrances from West 57th Street to West 61st Street, with the exit at West 60th Street leading to the Trump International Hotel and Tower. Another exit in the Circle itself, at West 59th Street, leads to the Time Warner Center. The exit at the station's extreme southwest, leads into the Hearst Tower.

As of 2008, the 59th Street – Columbus Circle station is the seventh-busiest in the system, with 20,858,197 annual riders.^[1]

IND Eighth Avenue Line platforms

59th Street – Columbus Circle New York City Subway rapid transit station
Station statistics
Division	B (IND)
Line	IND Eighth Avenue Line
Services	A  (all times)      B  (weekdays until 11:00 p.m.)      C  (all except late nights)      D  (all times)
Structure	Underground
Platforms	3 island platforms (2 in revenue service)
Tracks	4
Other information
Opened	September 10, 1932[3]
Accessible
Station succession
Next north	72nd Street (local): A  B  C  125th Street (express): A  D
Next south	50th Street (8th local): A  C  42nd Street – Port Authority Bus Terminal (8th express): A  Seventh Avenue (6th): B  D
Next north	125th Street: A  B  C  D
Next south	50th Street (via 8th local): A  C  (in southbound direction only) 42nd Street – Port Authority Bus Terminal (via 8th): A  C  47th–50th Streets – Rockefeller Center (via 6th): B  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)

The unused center platform, currently undergoing renovation

59th Street – Columbus Circle on the IND Eighth Avenue Line is a somewhat large express station. There are three island platforms; the outer two are in revenue service. At one time, the inner platform served the purpose of a Spanish solution, allowing passengers to exit both sides of subway cars. Due to the design of newer subway cars, this solution is now impractical, and the inner platform has been largely disused since 1981 except for occasional fan trips. There are also closed stairwells at the extreme south end of the station, recently cordoned off to curb crowding in that area. At the middle of the platform, there are stairs that connect with the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line. Elevators are currently being installed at the station. South of the station, there are switches to allow trains to diverge to the IND Sixth Avenue Line or continue south on Eighth Avenue. There is a newsstand at the center of the southbound platform.

While there used to be some "1992 artwork here called Hello Columbus, made by various New York City artists and public school students" it has recently been torn down. Sol LeWitt created tile work on the stairway from the platforms to the Uptown 1 train entitled "Whirls and Twirls".

Currently, the tilework on these platforms is being renovated, and large white "59"s to be placed over the blue stripes - similar to the "42"s at 42nd Street – Port Authority.

IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line platforms

59th Street – Columbus Circle New York City Subway rapid transit station
Station statistics
Division	A (IRT)
Line	IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line
Services	1  (all times)      2  (late nights)
Structure	Underground
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	4
Other information
Opened	October 27, 1904[4]
Accessible
Station succession
Next north	66th Street – Lincoln Center: 1  2
Next south	50th Street: 1  2
Next north	66th Street – Lincoln Center: 1  2
Next south	Times Square – 42nd Street: 1  2  3
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)

59th Street – Columbus Circle on the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line has four tracks and two side platforms. The station is an important transfer point between the Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line and the IND Eighth Avenue Line. However, as the Eighth Avenue Line did not exist when the station was built, the station was constructed as a local stop. At one point, the New York City Transit Authority considered converting the station to an express stop by swapping the outer tracks with the outer platforms. This would have coincided with 72nd Street becoming a local stop through a similar construction method.

When the station opened there was an underpass between the downtown and uptown platforms. In the 1970s the underpass was closed and the staircase entrances covered over. Today, passengers must use the IND mezzanine to transfer between directions.

References

External links

• nycsubway.org — IRT West Side Line: 59th Street/Columbus Circle
• nycsubway.org — IND 8th Avenue: 59th Street/Columbus Circle
• Station Reporter — Columbus Circle/59th Street Complex
• MTA's Arts For Transit — 59th Street – Columbus Circle

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