Bowery (BMT Nassau Street Line)

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New York City Subway station Bowery
Station information
Line	BMT Nassau Street Line
Services	J M⁽¹²⁾ Z^(1a)
Platforms	2 island platforms (1 in revenue service)
Tracks	4 (2 in revenue service)
Other
Borough	Manhattan
Opened	August 4, 1913^{[citation needed]}
Next north	Essex Street J M⁽¹²⁾ Z^(1a)
Next south	Canal Street J M⁽¹²⁾ Z^(1a)

Bowery is a station on the BMT Nassau Street Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of the Bowery and Delancey Street in Manhattan, it is served by the J train (all times), by the M train (weekdays), and by the Z train (rush hours in the peak direction).

The station has a high ceiling at the north and south end. Mosaics include the name tablet, "B," "newsstand," "Women," and "Men" in raised letters. The newsstand, restrooms, and a mezzanine (and its stairways) at the south end have long been closed. The north mezzanine is reached via three flights of stairs or an escalator from the downtown platform. A unique feature of the station is the arched wall niches at the north end, rather than the standard rectangular niches. A route selector board offers choices for J, M, D, and cancel (the "D" was for the short-lived service via Essex Street while the Manhattan Bridge was under reconstruction in the early 1980s).

This station has two island platforms. It was originally configured like a typical express station, with express service 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. A renovation of the Nassau Street Line, completed in October 2004, resulted in the former Essex Street-bound platform being sealed off, with service in both directions now provided on the former Chambers Street-bound platform. On the abandoned side, only one track remains, which is available for construction re-routes.

Bowery is one of the least-used stations in Manhattan, although it has become busier in recent years. In 1995, 308 people used the station on an average day; in 2006, the number had grown to 1,771.[1]