168th Street (New York City Subway)

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168th Street
New York City Subway station

Station information
Services	1 (all times) A (all times) C (all except late nights)
Other
Borough	Manhattan
Accessible	(IND Eighth Avenue Line platforms only)

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.

1 IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line platforms
2 IND Eighth Avenue Line platforms
3 Bus connections
4 References
5 External links

[edit] IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line platforms


Station information
Line	IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line
Services	1 (all times)
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Other
Opened	March 16, 1906
Next north	181st Street: 1
Next south	157th Street: 1

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 crossover 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, 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.

[edit] IND Eighth Avenue Line platforms


Station information
Line	IND Eighth Avenue Line
Services	A (all times) C (all except late nights)
Platforms	2 island platforms
Tracks	4
Other
Opened	September 10, 1932^[1]
Accessible
Next north	175th Street: A
Next south	163rd Street-Amsterdam Avenue (local): A C 145th Street (express): A

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.

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 Saint Nicholas Ave 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/Saint 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.