My 'Unofficial' Guide to NYC Subway stations with no free crossovers

[MikeGerald]

From another message: "Many crossunders that are not part of fare control were closed because they were useless and unsafe. Due to lack of cameras, it was so easy to get away with crime and honestly, no one needs to use them except for tourists who are too stupid to know the difference between uptown and downtown."

 

Is it really necessary to call tourists and riders "stupid" for wanting to change the direction of travel at a station, and finding out that there is no cross-over pathway for the other direction?

 

Many of the built features of the subway system over time were closed, converted to other uses either for other uses, crime, percieved crime, or maintenance reasons. Many of the downtown original IRT local stations, many IND stations, several of the major transfer stations had cross-under pathways, pathways to useful exits, interesting pathways that connected riders to the other lines, and station mezzanines that were treated in this manner.

 

For example at the Atlantic Avenue station on the #2, #3, #4 and #5 lines at the north end of the station there used to be a passageway that connected all of those platforms to the BMT Atlantic Avenue station that now serves the B and Q trains. When the station complex was renovated the currently passageways were enlarged - leaving that passageway as the ONLY method to transfer among the various lines.

 

In building the IND system - the planners included station long mezzanines and passageways and numerous exits. Over time many of those features were closed, converted to other uses - office space for example, etc. For example at the Nostrand Avenue, an express station on the A and C lines - used to have a cross-over between the Manhattan and Brooklyn bound tracks, as well as an exit on Bedford Avenue - this feature was closed about 20 years ago in a cost cutting move. The lack of this feature requires riders to ride several stops in either direction to reverse direction, and requires longer walks to/from the station for some transit riders. There are several other examples that I could use, but I hope my point was made.

 

I'm really not sure that I'd call some of those features - USELESS.

Just my thoughts.

Mike

[R42 M Train]

@FlushingExpress yeah I know that but if you walk into the station, there are two sets of turnstiles opposite from each other. The sign above one set says "To Astoria only" and the other says "To Manhattan only" You can't get off an Astoria bound train and cross to a Manhattan bound train for free at Broadway.