Bowery station

Construction contracts for the Nassau Street main line in Manhattan were awarded in early 1907, despite no determination of the operator once completed. The line was assigned to a proposed Tri-borough system in early 1908 and to the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) in the Dual Contracts, adopted on March 4, 1913.James Blaine Walker, [https://archive.org/details/fiftyyearsrapid00walkgoog Fifty Years of Rapid Transit, 1864–1917], published 1918, pp. 203–239Engineering News, [http://www.nycsubway.org/articles/triboro.html A New Subway Line for New York City] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120705042944/http://www.nycsubway.org/articles/triboro.html |date=2012-07-05 }}, Volume 63, No. 10, March 10, 1910 Construction of this underground station began in August 1907 and was almost completed by the end of 1910. However, the BMT Nassau Street Line to the south did not open until August 4, 1913, when Chambers Street was ready for service, and the Centre Street Loop was opened.

The station's platforms originally could only fit six {{convert|67|ft|m|-long|adj=mid}} cars. In April 1926, the New York City Board of Transportation (BOT) received bids for the lengthening of platforms at three stations on the Centre Street Loop, including the Bowery station, to accommodate eight-car trains.{{Cite news|date=1926-04-11|title=To Lengthen Subway Stations.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1926/04/11/archives/to-lengthen-subway-stations.html|access-date=2023-05-12|issn=0362-4331}} The New York City Board of Estimate approved funds for the project in July 1926,{{Cite news |title=Broadway Merchants Get Transit Report |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-standard-union-broadway-merchants-ge/124512944/ |access-date=2023-05-12 |work=The Standard Union |date=Jul 22, 1926 |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com}} and the extensions were completed in 1927, bringing the length of the platforms to {{Convert|535|feet|meters|abbr=}}.{{Cite news |date=1927-08-02 |title=B.M.T. to Operate Eight-car Trains; Platforms in Forty Stations Are Lengthened, Increasing Capacity 33 1-3%. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1927/08/02/archives/bmt-to-operate-eightcar-trains-platforms-in-forty-stations-are.html |access-date=2023-05-12 |issn=0362-4331}}{{cite news |date=2 Aug 1927 |title=B. M, T. Station Lengthening Is Nearly Finished: 76 Platforms Are Extended 3,186 Feet to Make Room for 126.000 Additional Passengers in Rush Hours City Carried Out Work I.R.T. Changes Planned, but That Company Refuses to Pay Its Share of Costs |page=32 |work=New-York Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1113704092}}}}

This station was originally configured like a typical express station with two island platforms and four tracks; express service ran on the inner tracks and local service on the outer tracks. When it was built, the station was an important connection point for elevated and streetcar lines. With those lines long gone, a four-track station was no longer considered necessary.

As part of its 2000-2004 Capital Program, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority reconfigured the Nassau Street Line between Canal Street and Essex Street. Northbound trains were rerouted via the second track from the west, and the former northbound platforms at Canal Street and Bowery were closed. The second track from the east was removed. Work on the project started in 2001. This change took effect on September 20, 2004. The reconfiguration provided additional operational flexibility by adding a third through track (previously, the two center tracks stub-ended at Canal Street), which was equipped with reverse signaling. The consolidation of the Bowery and Canal Street stations was intended to enhance customer security while consolidating passengers onto what used to be the southbound platforms.Joseph Brennan, [http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/abandoned/canal.html Abandoned Stations: Canal St platform] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210234928/http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/abandoned/canal.html |date=2021-02-10 }}, accessed April 18, 2007Peter Dougherty, Tracks of the New York City Subway, Centennial Commemorative Edition 3.7a, 2004, page 65{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UAPH6R2tYpAC&q=%22nassau+Street+line+reconfiguration%22|title=Update, the MTA Plan for 2000–2004: Strategic Business Plan, Agency 2001 Operating Budgets, Financial Plan|date=2000|publisher=The Authority|language=en|access-date=2019-01-05|archive-date=2022-05-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506015152/https://books.google.com/books?id=UAPH6R2tYpAC&q=%22nassau+Street+line+reconfiguration%22|url-status=live}}{{Rp|29}} The project was completed in May 2005, seven months behind its scheduled completion.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=faSblvwgQywC&q=%22nassau+Street+line+reconfiguration%22|title=Transit Committee Meeting|last=Committee|first=New York City Transit Authority Transit|date=2006|publisher=MTA New York City Transit Committee|pages=95, 96|language=en|access-date=2019-01-05|archive-date=2022-05-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506015153/https://books.google.com/books?id=faSblvwgQywC&q=%22nassau+Street+line+reconfiguration%22|url-status=live}} The project cost $36 million.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mta.info:80/mta/capital/cap-nyct.htm|title=Capital Program 2000–2004 MTA New York City Transit|website=mta.info|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050209084941/http://www.mta.info/mta/capital/cap-nyct.htm|archive-date=February 9, 2005|url-status=dead|access-date=November 12, 2017|df=mdy-all}}

The closed platform has been used for fashion shows, a police terrorism drill, and for dozens of movie and television shoots yearly.{{Cite web|last=Fleming|first=Kirsten|date=2021-04-06|title=This abandoned subway station is Hollywood's best-kept secret film set|url=https://nypost.com/2021/04/06/abandoned-subway-station-is-hollywoods-go-to-film-location/|access-date=2021-04-21|website=New York Post|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-04-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421191658/https://nypost.com/2021/04/06/abandoned-subway-station-is-hollywoods-go-to-film-location/|url-status=live}}

File:Bowery Entrance.JPG

The station has three tracks and two island platforms, but only the northern island platform is accessible to passengers. The fourth track, the former northbound express on the abandoned side, was removed in the 2004 renovations.

The J and Z trains serve the Bowery station; the former operates all times, and the latter operates during rush hours in the peak direction.{{NYCS const|timetable|j}} The next stop to the west is Canal Street, while the next stop to the east is Essex Street.{{NYCS const|map}}

Mosaics include the name tablet, "B," "newsstand," "Women," and "Men" in raised letters. A unique feature of the station is the arched wall niches at the north end, rather than the standard rectangular niches. The station featured a news-stand and restrooms, all of which have long been closed.

File:Bowery Token booth 0143.jpg

The station has two mezzanine areas on each side of Bowery. Only the eastern mezzanine is open today; the western mezzanine has long been closed, and stairways to it are blocked. The eastern mezzanine is reached via three flights of stairs or a single escalator from the open platform.

The east end of the station has a high ceiling; this was to allow for a proposed subway line to pass through it. This section had an opening in the wall separating both platforms to bracket the new line, but has been covered with plywood. At the curve between Bowery and Canal Street, there is a small provision for a line into Spring Street, for which no definite plan was ever provided. Due to the depth, there were escalators that were provided in the original construction, one on each platform running to the east mezzanine. The escalator on the south platform was either not installed or removed long ago.

Two exits go from the east mezzanine to either eastern corner of Delancey Street and Bowery. These are the only open entrances to the station.{{cite web|title=MTA Neighborhood Maps: Lower East Side|url=http://web.mta.info/maps/neighborhoods/mn/M03_LowerEastSide_2015.pdf|publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority|access-date=August 6, 2015|date=2015|archive-date=July 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150724175200/http://web.mta.info/maps/neighborhoods/mn/M03_LowerEastSide_2015.pdf|url-status=live}} The original exit from the east mezzanine led to the median of Delancey Street just east of Bowery; it has since been demolished and sealed.

In addition to the open exits, there are two exits from the closed west mezzanine that go to either western corner of Kenmare Street and Bowery from inside buildings. The exit to the northwestern corner was completely destroyed, while the exit to the southwestern corner was partly repurposed; part of the southwestern exit remains under MTA property as an emergency exit.{{Cite web|url=http://indsecondsystem.weebly.com/bowery.html|title=Bowery|access-date=2018-11-24|archive-date=2018-11-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125030747/http://indsecondsystem.weebly.com/bowery.html|url-status=live}} It is located immediately to the east of the 10 Kenmare Street storefront, behind a red door.

{{reflist}}

• {{commons category-inline}}
• {{NYCS ref|http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/stations?192:713|BMT Nassau Street Line|Bowery}}
• Station Reporter — [https://web.archive.org/web/20121108033658/http://www.stationreporter.net/jtrain.htm J Train]
• [https://maps.google.com/?ll=40.720242,-73.99351&spn=0.005245,0.009645&layer=c&cbll=40.72021,-73.993397&panoid=heQHxVD4xj4pI7Ye7wAKSQ&cbp=12,23.4,,0,9.54&t=m&z=17 Bowery entrance from Google Maps Street View]
• [https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7199928,-73.9927128,3a,75y,58.07h,89.45t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s-XJ6_pMU--Uk%2FVh8zyC7KnAI%2FAAAAAAAAIe0%2FkEfDRxSnFy4Vt_mC8uZ8TJ18RBUb5Uq8ACJkC!2e4!3e11!6s%2F%2Flh6.googleusercontent.com%2F-XJ6_pMU--Uk%2FVh8zyC7KnAI%2FAAAAAAAAIe0%2FkEfDRxSnFy4Vt_mC8uZ8TJ18RBUb5Uq8ACJkC%2Fw203-h100-k-no-pi-2.9999962-ya40.49999-ro-0-fo100%2F!7i7168!8i3584!4m5!3m4!1s0x89c259863aeb3257:0x92e63cd0b3fafa01!8m2!3d40.7203027!4d-73.9934228!6m1!1e1 Platform from Google Maps Street View]
• Abandoned Stations - [http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/abandoned/bowery.html Bowery]

{{Lower East Side, Manhattan}}

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Category:BMT Nassau Street Line stations

Category:New York City Subway stations in Manhattan

Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1913

Category:Bowery

Category:Lower East Side

Category:1913 establishments in New York City