116th Street – Columbia University (IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line)

116th Street – Columbia University is a local station on the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line of the New York City Subway, served by the 1 train at all times. It is located at the intersection of Broadway and 116th Street, just outside of the west gate to the main campus of Columbia University and the southeast corner of the Barnard College campus. The express track that passes through the station is currently unused in revenue service.

History

Until the 1960s, the station was served by an entrance kiosk similar to the one still in use two miles south at 72nd Street. Today, the concourse is entirely underground, with stairways on either side of Broadway that serve both uptown and downtown trains. In 2004, the station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[3]

Design and layout

116th Street – Columbia University station is laid out in a typical local stop setup.^[4] There are two side platforms and three tracks, the center one being an unused express track.^[4] The southbound local track is technically known as BB1 while the northbound one is BB4; the BB designation is used for chaining purposes along the Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line from 96th Street to 242nd Street. Although it cannot be accessed at 116th Street – Columbia University, the center track is designated as M. It is important to note that these designations are rarely, if ever, used in ordinary conversation. Unlike most local stops, there is a crossover at the station.

Image gallery

References

Further reading

• Lee Stokey. Subway Ceramics : A History and Iconography. 1994. ISBN 978-0-9635486-1-0

External links

• nycsubway.org — IRT West Side Line: 116th Street
• Station Reporter — 1 Train
• Forgotten NY — Original 28 - NYC's First 28 Subway Stations
• MTA's Arts For Transit — 116th Street – Columbia University (IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line)
• 116th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View