145th Street (IRT Lenox Avenue Line)

145th Street
New York City Subway rapid transit station
Station statistics
Address	West 145th Street & Malcolm X Boulevard New York, NY 10030
Borough	Manhattan
Locale	Harlem
Coordinates	40°49′12″N 73°56′10″W / 40.82°N 73.936°WCoordinates: 40°49′12″N 73°56′10″W / 40.82°N 73.936°W
Division	A (IRT)
Line	IRT Lenox Avenue Line
Services	3  (all times)
Transit connections	NYCT Bus: M1, M7, M102, Bx19 Short Line Bus: 208
Structure	Underground
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	November 23, 1904
Traffic
Passengers (2015)	1,137,484[1]  2%
Rank	350 out of 422
Station succession
Next north	Harlem – 148th Street: 3
Next south	135th Street: 3
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times
Location
145th Street Subway Station (IRT)
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
MPS	New York City Subway System MPS
NRHP Reference #	05000231[2]
Added to NRHP	March 30, 2005

145th Street is a landmarked station on the IRT Lenox Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 145th Street and Lenox Avenue in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, it is served by the 3 train at all times.

Station layout

G	Street Level	Exit/ Entrance
P Platform level	Side platform, doors will open on the right for the first five cars only
	Northbound	← toward Harlem – 148th Street (alighting passengers only) (Terminus)
	Southbound	→ toward New Lots Avenue (Times Square – 42nd Street late nights) (135th Street) →
	Side platform, doors will open on the right for the first five cars only

A 3 train speeds by the platforms of 145th Street station

There are two tracks with two short side platforms that accommodate about 6 cars (only the first 5 cars open, because all five cars of each R62 train used on the 3 service must have their doors open at the same time).^[3] Even then, only four cars opened up to serve passengers at this station until 2002, as each 3 train ran nine cars per train on the R62A cars. Street staircases from platform level go up to all four corners of 145th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard,^[4] however there is no entrance from the street to the northbound platform, as both eastern street staircases contain a high exit-only turnstile and emergency gate.

Like the other stations on the original IRT subway, it was initially built for trains shorter in length than the standard eight to ten cars used by the subway. Eventually, all of the other stations were either lengthened or closed, leaving 145th Street as the only original IRT station that still cannot accommodate ten-car trains. Directly north of the station is a diamond crossover for the approach to the northern terminal of the 3 train at Harlem – 148th Street. Directly south of the station is the 142nd Street Junction with the IRT White Plains Road Line. The proximity of the switches in either direction is the reason why the station was not lengthened, although it would be inexpensive to move the switch immediately to the north of the station.

This station also served as the northern terminal of the IRT Lenox Avenue Line until May 13, 1968, when the line was extended north through the pre-existing Lenox Yard.

This station was intended to be replaced by 148th Street – Lenox Terminal in the pre-existing Lenox Yard in 1968. However, plans to do this were shelved due to protests from the local community over the long walk (up to seven blocks) to either the new station or 135th Street one stop south, and due to possible congestion issues at 135th Street.^[3]

From 1995 to 2008, this station lacked full-time service, as 3 trains did not operate during late nights. Full-time service was restored on July 27, 2008.^[5]

The station has been on the National Register of Historic Places since March 30, 2005.^[6]

References

1. "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
2. "NPS Focus". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
3. Edwards, Dick (December 2, 1967). "145th-Lenox Subway Stop To Continue". New York Amsterdam News. Archived from the original on 2016-07-10. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
4. "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Harlem / Hamilton Heights" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transit Authority (New York). 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
5. "Service Enhancements on 3 Line" (Press release). MTA New York City Transit. 2008-07-24. Archived from the original on 2014-12-29. Retrieved 2014-12-23.
6. National Register of Historic Places

External links

• nycsubway.org—IRT White Plains Road Line: 145th Street
• Station Reporter — 3 Train
• The Subway Nut — 145th Street Pictures
• 145th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View