28th Street station (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)

Construction and opening

Planning for a subway line in New York City dates to 1864.^[7]: 21 However, development of what would become the city's first subway line did not start until 1894, when the New York State Legislature authorized the Rapid Transit Act.^{[7]: 139–140} The subway plans were drawn up by a team of engineers led by William Barclay Parsons, chief engineer of the Rapid Transit Commission. It called for a subway line from New York City Hall in lower Manhattan to the Upper West Side, where two branches would lead north into the Bronx.^[8]: 3 A plan was formally adopted in 1897,^[7]: 148 and all legal conflicts concerning the route alignment were resolved near the end of 1899.^[7]: 161 The Rapid Transit Construction Company, organized by John B. McDonald and funded by August Belmont Jr., signed the initial Contract 1 with the Rapid Transit Commission in February 1900,^[9] in which it would construct the subway and maintain a 50-year operating lease from the opening of the line.^[7]: 165 In 1901, the firm of Heins & LaFarge was hired to design the underground stations.^[8]: 4 Belmont incorporated the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) in April 1902 to operate the subway.^[7]: 182

The 28th Street station was constructed as part of the route segment from Great Jones Street to 41st Street. Construction on this section of the line began on September 12, 1900. The section from Great Jones Street to a point 100 feet (30 m) north of 33rd Street was awarded to Holbrook, Cabot & Daly Contracting Company, while the remaining section to 41st Street was done by Ira A. Shaker.^[9] By late 1903, the subway was nearly complete, but the IRT Powerhouse and the system's electrical substations were still under construction, delaying the system's opening.^{[7]: 186 [10]} The 28th Street station opened on October 27, 1904, as one of the original 28 stations of the New York City Subway from City Hall to 145th Street on the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line.^{[4][7]: 186}

Service changes and station renovations

20th century

The 28th Street station in 1904

After the first subway line was completed in 1908,^[11] the station was served by local trains along both the West Side (now the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line to Van Cortlandt Park–242nd Street) and East Side (now the Lenox Avenue Line). West Side local trains had their southern terminus at City Hall during rush hours and South Ferry at other times, and had their northern terminus at 242nd Street. East Side local trains ran from City Hall to Lenox Avenue (145th Street).^[12]

To address overcrowding, in 1909, the New York Public Service Commission proposed lengthening platforms at stations along the original IRT subway.^[13]: 168 As part of a modification to the IRT's construction contracts, made on January 18, 1910, the company was to lengthen station platforms to accommodate ten-car express and six-car local trains. In addition to $1.5 million (equivalent to $43.6 million in 2021) spent on platform lengthening, $500,000 (equivalent to $14,541,000 in 2021) was spent on building additional entrances and exits. It was anticipated that these improvements would increase capacity by 25 percent.^[14]: 15 Platforms at local stations, such as the 28th Street station, were lengthened by between 20 to 30 feet (6.1 to 9.1 m). Both platforms were extended to the north and south.^[14]: 108 Six-car local trains began operating in October 1910.^[13]: 168 The Lexington Avenue Line opened north of Grand Central–42nd Street in 1918, thereby dividing the original line into an "H"-shaped system. All local trains were sent via the Lexington Avenue Line, running along the Pelham Line in the Bronx.^[15]

In December 1922, the Transit Commission approved a $3 million project to lengthen platforms at 14 local stations along the original IRT line, including 28th Street and seven other stations on the Lexington Avenue Line. Platform lengths at these stations would be increased from 225 to 436 feet (69 to 133 m).^[16][17] The commission postponed the platform-lengthening project in September 1923, at which point the cost had risen to $5.6 million.^[18][19]

On August 6, 1927, bombs exploded at the 28th Street station and at the 28th Street station on the Broadway Line. Numerous passengers were injured, but there were no casualties,^[20] although investigators initially believed one person may have been killed.^[21] The perpetrator of the bombings is unknown; they were initially blamed on Galleanists (as Sacco and Vanzetti had been denied appeal three days prior), though police later believed they were unrelated.^[22][23][24]

With the completion of the New York Life Building between 26th and 27th Streets in 1928,^[25] a new entrance opened from the building's basement to the southbound platform.^[26][27][28] The city government took over the IRT's operations on June 12, 1940.^[29][30] By 1947, the platforms at the 28th Street station were being lengthened. The preexisting passageway to the New York Life Building was converted to an extension of the southbound platform. The New York Life Company and the city shared the cost of converting the passageway into a platform.^[31] On April 13, 1948, the platform extensions to accommodate ten-car trains at this station, along with those at 23rd Street and 33rd Street, were opened for use.^[32]

In 1987, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) allocated $31 million to renovate 44 stations across the subway system, including the 28th Street station.^[33] The station's original tiles, which were peeling off, were entirely replaced.^[34] At the fare control area, glass block walls were installed above the turnstiles.^[34][35] New tiles were also installed on the floors and walls of the fare control areas.^{[2]: 8 [33]} To deter fare evaders from sneaking through the emergency exit "slam gates" at each fare-control area, electronically activated gates were installed beside the existing turnstiles.^[34] The staircases to street level were rebuilt as well.^[2]: 8 The work was completed by early 1989,^[33] having been delayed by nine months because of setbacks in the delivery of new light fixtures.^[35]

21st century

The 28th Street station has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2005.^[2] During the mid-2010s, a staircase and elevator from street level to the southbound platform was added with the construction of 400 Park Avenue South, a residential tower at the southwestern corner of Park Avenue South and 28th Street.^[36] The tower was completed in 2015.^[37]

Under the 2015–2019 MTA Capital Plan, the station underwent a complete overhaul as part of the Enhanced Station Initiative, and was entirely closed for several months. Updates included cellular service, Wi-Fi, USB charging stations, interactive service advisories and maps.^[38][39] In January 2018, the NYCT and Bus Committee recommended that Judlau Contracting should receive the $125 million contract for the renovations of 57th and 23rd Streets on the IND Sixth Avenue Line, 28th Street on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line, and 34th Street–Penn Station on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line and IND Eighth Avenue Line.^[40] However, the MTA Board temporarily deferred the vote for these packages after city representatives refused to vote to award the contracts.^[41][42] The contract was put back for a vote in February, where it was ultimately approved.^[43] The station was closed for renovations on July 16, 2018, and reopened to the public January 14, 2019,^[44] delayed from December 2018.^[45]

Discover more about History related topics

Early history of the IRT subway

Early history of the IRT subway

The first regularly operated subway in New York City was opened on October 27, 1904, and was operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT). The early IRT system consisted of a single trunk line below 96th Street in Manhattan, running under Broadway, 42nd Street, Park Avenue, and Lafayette Street. The line had three northern branches in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx, and a southern branch to Brooklyn. The system had four tracks between Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall and 96th Street, allowing for local and express service. The original line and early extensions consisted of:The IRT Eastern Parkway Line from Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center to Borough Hall The IRT Lexington Avenue Line from Borough Hall to Grand Central–42nd Street The IRT 42nd Street Shuttle from Grand Central–42nd Street to Times Square The IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line from Times Square to Van Cortlandt Park–242nd Street The IRT Lenox Avenue Line from 96th Street to 145th Street The IRT White Plains Road Line from 142nd Street Junction to 180th Street–Bronx Park

New York State Legislature

New York State Legislature

The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York: The New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The Constitution of New York does not designate an official term for the two houses together; it says only that the state's legislative power "shall be vested in the senate and assembly". Session laws passed by the Legislature are published in the official Laws of New York. Permanent New York laws of a general nature are codified in the Consolidated Laws of New York. As of January 2021, the Democratic Party holds supermajorities in both houses of the New York State Legislature, which is the highest paid state legislature in the country.

New York City Hall

New York City Hall

New York City Hall is the seat of New York City government, located at the center of City Hall Park in the Civic Center area of Lower Manhattan, between Broadway, Park Row, and Chambers Street. Constructed from 1803 to 1812, the building is the oldest city hall in the United States that still houses its original governmental functions, such as the office of the Mayor of New York City and the chambers of the New York City Council. While the Mayor's Office is in the building, the staff of thirteen municipal agencies under mayoral control are located in the nearby Manhattan Municipal Building, one of the largest government buildings in the world, with many others housed in various buildings in the immediate vicinity.

Lower Manhattan

Lower Manhattan

Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York City, is the southernmost part of Manhattan, the central borough for business, culture, and government in New York City, which is the most populated city in the United States with over 8.8 million residents as of the 2020 census.

John B. McDonald

John B. McDonald

John B. McDonald was an Irish-born contractor who is best known for overseeing construction of the first New York City Subway line from 1900 to 1904.

August Belmont Jr.

August Belmont Jr.

August Belmont Jr. was an American financier. He financed the construction of the original New York City subway (1900–1904) and for many years headed the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, which ran the transit system. He also financed and led the construction of the Cape Cod Canal in Massachusetts, which opened in 1914. Belmont bought the land for and built New York's Belmont Park racetrack—named for his father—and was a major owner/breeder of thoroughbred racehorses. He served as chairman of the board of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. He also served as a director of the Southern Pacific Co., parent of the railroad, and National Park Bank.

Heins & LaFarge

Heins & LaFarge

Heins & LaFarge was a New York-based architectural firm composed of the Philadelphia-born architect George Lewis Heins (1860–1907) and Christopher Grant LaFarge (1862–1938), the eldest son of the artist John La Farge. They were responsible for the original Romanesque-Byzantine east end and crossing of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, and for the original Astor Court buildings of the Bronx Zoo, which formed a complete ensemble reflecting the aesthetic of the City Beautiful movement. Heins & LaFarge provided the architecture and details for the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, the first precursor to the New York City Subway.

Interborough Rapid Transit Company

Interborough Rapid Transit Company

The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) was the private operator of New York City's original underground subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT was purchased by the city in June 1940, along with the younger BMT and IND systems, to form the modern New York City Subway. The former IRT lines are now the A Division or IRT Division of the Subway.

IRT Powerhouse

IRT Powerhouse

The IRT Powerhouse, also known as the Interborough Rapid Transit Company Powerhouse, is a former power station of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT), which operated the New York City Subway's first line. The building fills a block bounded by 58th Street, 59th Street, Eleventh Avenue, and Twelfth Avenue in the Hell's Kitchen and Riverside South neighborhoods of Manhattan.

Electrical substation

Electrical substation

A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions. Between the generating station and consumer, electric power may flow through several substations at different voltage levels. A substation may include transformers to change voltage levels between high transmission voltages and lower distribution voltages, or at the interconnection of two different transmission voltages. They are a common component of the infrastructure, for instance there are 55,000 substations in the United States.

IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line

IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line

The IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line is a New York City Subway line. It is one of several lines that serves the A Division, stretching from South Ferry in Lower Manhattan north to Van Cortlandt Park–242nd Street in Riverdale, Bronx. The Brooklyn Branch, known as the Wall and William Streets Branch during construction, from the main line at Chambers Street southeast through the Clark Street Tunnel to Borough Hall in Downtown Brooklyn, is also part of the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line. The IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line is the only line to have elevated stations in Manhattan, with two short stretches of elevated track at 125th Street and between Dyckman and 225th Streets.

IRT Lenox Avenue Line

IRT Lenox Avenue Line

The Lenox Avenue Line is a line of the New York City Subway, part of the A Division, mostly built as part of the first subway line. Located in Manhattan, New York City, it consists of six stations between Central Park North–110th Street and Harlem–148th Street, all of which are situated within the neighborhood of Harlem in Upper Manhattan.

G	Street level	Entrances/exits Elevator at southwest corner of 28th Street and Park Avenue South for southbound trains only
P Platform level	Side platform
	Northbound local	← toward Pelham Bay Park or Parkchester (33rd Street) ← toward Woodlawn late nights (33rd Street)
	Northbound express	← do not stop here
	Southbound express	→ do not stop here →
	Southbound local	→ toward Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall (23rd Street) → → toward New Lots Avenue late nights (23rd Street) →
	Side platform

Like other local stations, 28th Street has four tracks and two side platforms. The 6 stops here at all times,^[46] rush-hour and midday trains stop here in the peak direction,^[46] and the 4 stops here during late nights.^[47] The two express tracks are used by the 4 and 5 trains during daytime hours.^[48] The platforms were originally 200 feet (61 m) long, as at other local stations on the original IRT,^{[8]: 4 [2]: 3} but were later extended to 520 feet (160 m).^[32] The platform extensions are at both ends of the original platforms.^[49]: 35 The 28th Street station is partially wheelchair-accessible, with one elevator connecting the street and the southbound platform only.^[50]

The express tracks stay level, while the local tracks slowly incline into the station to allow for the easier deceleration of local trains. As such, the express tracks are at a slightly lower elevation than the local tracks.^[2]: 6

Design

Design details

Faience plaque

Faience name tablet

Mosaic name tablet

A southbound 6 train arriving prior to the station's 2019 renovation

As with other stations built as part of the original IRT, the station was constructed using a cut-and-cover method.^[51]: 237 The tunnel is covered by a "U"-shaped trough that contains utility pipes and wires. The bottom of this trough contains a foundation of concrete no less than 4 inches (100 mm) thick.^{[2]: 5–6 [49]: 9} Each platform consists of 3-inch-thick (7.6 cm) concrete slabs, beneath which are drainage basins. The original platforms contain I-beam columns spaced every 15 feet (4.6 m), while the platform extensions contain columns with white glazed tiles. Additional columns between the tracks, spaced every 5 feet (1.5 m), support the jack-arched concrete station roofs.^{[2]: 5–6 [8]: 4 [49]: 9} There is a 1-inch (25 mm) gap between the trough wall and the platform walls, which are made of 4-inch (100 mm)-thick brick covered over by a tiled finish.^{[2]: 5–6 [49]: 9}

The fare control is at platform level and there are no open crossunders or crossovers. There is a closed crossunder about halfway between each platform, which was constructed during the 1940s and is sealed.^[2]: 6 The walls along the platforms near the fare control areas consist of a brick wainscoting on the lowest part of the wall, with bronze air vents along the wainscoting, and white glass tiles above. The platform walls are divided at 15-foot (4.6 m) intervals by buff mosaic tile pilasters, or vertical bands. Atop the pilasters are pairs of cruciform faience plaques with the words 28 twenty-eighth street, surrounded by foliate designs and rosettes. The plaque pairings are set within a frame that contains a ventilation opening between each plaque of the pair. A cornice with blue egg-and-dart patterns runs atop these walls.^[2]: 6–7 The platform extensions are decorated with blue and buff tile bands, and contain blue mosaic tile plaques with the number "28" atop the pilasters. The far southern end of the southbound platform has square ceramic tiles topped by marble belt courses.^[2]: 7 The mosaic tiles at all original IRT stations were manufactured by the American Encaustic Tile Company, which subcontracted the installations at each station.^[49]: 31 The decorative work was performed by faience contractor Grueby Faience Company.^[49]: 35 The ceilings of the fare control areas once contained plaster molding,^[49]: 10 although this has been removed.^[2]: 6 The fare control areas at 28th Street contain various maintenance rooms and were retiled with large rectangular ceramic blocks in 1989.^[2]: 8 As of the 2019 renovation, the fare control areas have modern black finishes.^[52]

Two works of art have been installed in this station. The first was a glass block wall artwork at the main fare control by Gerald Marks, entitled Seven Waves 4 Twenty-Eight. It was installed during station renovations in 1996.^[2]: 7 Seven Waves 4 Twenty-Eight was replaced by Roaming Underfoot, a glass mosaic mural on the platform walls by Nancy Blum.^[53] Roaming Underfoot showcases flora in the Madison Square Park Conservancy's Perennial Collection and was installed during the 2018 renovation.^[54]

Exits

Exits from the 28th Street station

Northbound street stair

Downtown entrance within the New York Life Building

"Interborough Subway" sign outside the New York Life Building

Each platform has exits to 28th Street; the northbound platform's exits are on the eastern side of Park Avenue South while the southbound platform's exits are on the western side. The only control area for the northbound platform is at the northern end of the station, at 28th Street and Park Avenue South, where four stairs lead to street level, two each to the northeastern and southeastern corners.^{[2]: 6 [55]} These stairs contain simple, modern steel railings like those seen at most New York City Subway stations.^[2]: 6 These stairs also contain next-train countdown clocks and neighborhood wayfinding maps at the exterior of each entrance, which were installed in the 2019 renovation.^[56]

The main fare control area for the southbound platform is also at the northern end of the station. A stair leads up to 45 East 28th Street on the north side of that street, and a stair and elevator lead up to 50 East 28th Street directly across to the south.^[55] The latter entrance replaced two staircases right outside the building, at the southwestern corner of 28th Street and Park Avenue South.^[2]: 6

A second fare control area at the southern end of the southbound platform leads to a privately operated passageway in the basement of the New York Life Building, between 26th and 27th Streets.^[26] It is only open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays.^[57] The New York Life Building entrance has an Art Deco inspired interborough subway sign hanging from the facade of that building.^{[2]: 8 [57][58]}

Discover more about Station layout related topics

Accessibility

Accessibility

Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" and "indirect access" meaning compatibility with a person's assistive technology.

Side platform

Side platform

A side platform is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platforms, one for each direction of travel, is the basic design used for double-track railway lines. Side platforms may result in a wider overall footprint for the station compared with an island platform where a single width of platform can be shared by riders using either track.

6 (New York City Subway service)

6 (New York City Subway service)

The 6 Lexington Avenue Local and <6> Pelham Bay Park Express are two rapid transit services in the A Division of the New York City Subway. Their route emblems, or "bullets", are colored forest green since they use the IRT Lexington Avenue Line in Manhattan. Local service is denoted by a (6) in a circular bullet, and express service is denoted by a <6> in a diamond-shaped bullet.

Pelham Bay Park station

Pelham Bay Park station

The Pelham Bay Park station is the northern terminal station of the IRT Pelham Line of the New York City Subway. Located across from Pelham Bay Park, at the intersection of the Bruckner Expressway and Westchester Avenue in the Pelham Bay neighborhood of the Bronx, it is served by the 6 train at all times, except weekdays in the peak direction, when the <6> serves it.

Parkchester station

Parkchester station

The Parkchester station is an express station on the IRT Pelham Line of the New York City Subway. It is located above Hugh J. Grant Circle in the Parkchester neighborhood of the Bronx, where East 177th Street, Metropolitan Avenue, and Westchester Avenue intersect. The station is served by the 6 train at all times and the <6> train during weekdays in the peak direction.

33rd Street station (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)

33rd Street station (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)

The 33rd Street station is a local station on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Park Avenue and 33rd Street in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan, it is served by 6 trains at all times, <6> trains during weekdays in the peak direction, and 4 trains during late night hours.

4 (New York City Subway service)

4 (New York City Subway service)

The 4 Lexington Avenue Express is a rapid transit service in the A Division of the New York City Subway. Its route emblem, or "bullet", is colored forest green since it uses the IRT Lexington Avenue Line in Manhattan.

Woodlawn station (IRT Jerome Avenue Line)

Woodlawn station (IRT Jerome Avenue Line)

The Woodlawn station is the northern terminal of the New York City Subway's IRT Jerome Avenue Line. The station is located at the intersection of Bainbridge and Jerome Avenues, outside Woodlawn Cemetery. Despite the station name, this intersection is in the Norwood section of the Bronx, and not in Woodlawn. It is served by the 4 train at all times. This station was constructed by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company as part of the Dual Contracts and opened in 1918.

5 (New York City Subway service)

5 (New York City Subway service)

The 5 Lexington Avenue Express is a rapid transit service in the A Division of the New York City Subway. Its route emblem, or "bullet", is colored forest green since it uses the IRT Lexington Avenue Line in Manhattan.

23rd Street station (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)

23rd Street station (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)

The 23rd Street station is a local station on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Park Avenue South and 23rd Street in Gramercy Park and Flatiron District, Manhattan, it is served by 6 trains at all times, <6> trains during weekdays in the peak direction, and 4 trains during late night hours.

New Lots Avenue station (IRT New Lots Line)

New Lots Avenue station (IRT New Lots Line)

The New Lots Avenue station is the eastern terminal of the IRT New Lots Line of the New York City Subway. It is the terminal for the 3 train at all times except late nights, when the 4 train takes over service. During rush hours, occasional 2, 4, and 5 trains also stop here.