Ditmas Avenue (BMT Culver Line)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

New York City Subway station Ditmas Avenue
Station information
Line	BMT Culver Line
Services	F
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	3
Other
Borough	Brooklyn
Opened	July 16, 1919
Next north	Church Avenue F
Next south	18th Avenue F

Ditmas Avenue is a station on the BMT Culver Line of the New York City Subway. Located in Brooklyn at the intersection of Ditmas and McDonald Avenues, it is served by the F train at all times.

The station has three tracks and two side platforms, but the Coney Island bound platform used to be an island platform, and there was another track, used by the Culver Shuttle. The full time mezzanine is on the south side at Ditmas Avenue, while the north side near Cortelyou Road has a former booth and HEET access. There is an abandoned tower on the Manhattan-bound platform near the full time staircase.

This station used to be the first stop on the Culver Line. Before a 1954 realignment, the line ran along 37–38th Streets, and to the BMT West End Line at the lower level of the Ninth Avenue, where it would continue along the current route to the BMT Fourth Avenue Line. The Board of Transportation (the precursor to New York City Transit Authority) decided to build connections from BMT to IND lines in the early 1950s. On October 30, 1954, through service was instituted between Church Avenue and Ditmas Avenue. After this opening, the Culver line was reduced to a single-track shuttle. Walking along sidewalk level, along the west side of McDonald Avenue, the remains of the fourth track are visible behind the station wall, and more remains show the two-track turnoff just before entering Ditmas Avenue. South of this station, the girders supporting the fourth track merged with the southbound local track. The Culver shuttle was abandoned in May 1975 due to decreasing ridership.