Fordham Road (IND Concourse Line)

Fordham Road
New York City Subway rapid transit station
Western stair
Station statistics
Address	East Fordham Road & Grand Concourse Bronx, NY 10468
Borough	The Bronx
Locale	Fordham
Coordinates	40°51′45″N 73°53′50″W / 40.862414°N 73.897133°WCoordinates: 40°51′45″N 73°53′50″W / 40.862414°N 73.897133°W
Division	B (IND)
Line	IND Concourse Line
Services	B  (rush hours until 7:00 p.m.)       D  (all times)
Transit connections	NYCT Bus: Bx1, Bx2, Bx12, Bx12 SBS, Bx22, Bx34 MTA Bus: BxM4 Bee-Line Bus: 62
Structure	Underground
Platforms	2 island platforms cross-platform interchange
Tracks	3
Other information
Opened	July 1, 1933
Traffic
Passengers (2015)	3,905,346[1]  3%
Rank	129 out of 422
Station succession
Next north	Kingsbridge Road: B  D
Next south	182nd–183rd Streets (local): B  D  Tremont Avenue (express): D
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction Stops all times Stops rush hours only
Location

Fordham Road is an express station on the IND Concourse Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Fordham Road and Grand Concourse in one of the largest shopping districts in New York City, it is served by the D train at all times and the B train during rush hours only.

Station layout

G	Street Level	Exit/Entrance
M	Mezzanine	Fare control, station agent
P Platform level	Northbound local	← toward Bedford Park Boulevard rush hour (Kingsbridge Road) ← toward Norwood – 205th Street off-peak hours (Kingsbridge Road)
	Island platform, doors will open on the left, right
	Peak direction express	← toward Norwood – 205th Street PM rush (Kingsbridge Road) → toward Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue AM rush (Tremont Avenue) →
	Island platform, doors will open on the right
	Wall at north end
	Island platform, doors will open on the left
	Southbound local	→ toward Brighton Beach rush hours (182nd–183rd Streets) → toward Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue off-peak hours (182nd–183rd Streets) →

A mosaic on the Manhattan-express portion of the southbound platform.

Fordham Road is the largest station on the Concourse Line in terms of space, as it contains numerous closed stairs and passageways. The southbound island platform widens at the north end of the station to facilitate a wall that splits it half, creating two "side" platforms. The northbound island platform is like others found throughout the system. During construction of the station, the main road of Grand Concourse was diverted into an underpass below Fordham Road, while the subway tracks were placed underneath either service road; the space in between the split southbound platform is likely where the underpass dips below grade-level.^[2]

The split portion of the southbound platform once had a passageway from the northernmost staircase at the Fordham Road side from the middle track to the local one; it is cordoned off permanently by a wall and employee-only door. The main fare control area, with the station's full-time token booth, is located at the middle of the station at East 188th Street. It has four street stairs, one for each corner of the intersection with Grand Concourse.^[3][4] Unusually, the two western staircases go down several steps to a short landing area, before rising to street level. The smaller fare control at Fordham Road has only HEET turnstiles, and Emergency Exit gates which have had their alarms deactivated due to frequent use by exiting passengers. It has two street stairs, both at the east side of Fordham and Concourse; a long ramping passageway leads to the northernmost of theses two staircases.^[3][4] This was formerly a part-time entrance.^[4] The token booth at this location was closed in August 2003^[5][6] and is no longer present. Between the two fare control areas is a small passageway on the eastern (nothbound) side of the station, half of which is outside the paid area and fenced off. The Fordham Road entrance is not accessible from the "local" side of the southbound platform; during off-peak hours, passengers must walk to the center of the platform for all downtown service.

There were two additional street stairs and passageway at the west side of Fordham and Grand Concourse. They were nearest to the former location of Alexander's and Caldor. One exit led directly to the stores. Today, the building houses a mix of smaller stores. There is a Rapid Transit Operations Field Office at the south end of the full-time mezzanine, a result of the shortening of the mezzanine and elimination of two platform stairs for each side. Both platforms have six stairs to mezzanine level. The northbound one also has two closed stairs while the southbound has four, two on both the local and express sides.

The tile band is Concord Grape with Black Grape borders. On the walls of the southbound platform are mosaics reading "FORDHAM RD". The tablets show a different shade of purple in the center.^[7] A closed tower sits on the south end at the southbound platform.

Location

The station lies within the Fordham Road Business Improvement District, the third largest shopping district in the city stretching from Third and Webster Avenues west to Jerome Avenue.^{[8][9][10][11][12]} The northwest corner of Fordham Road and Grand Concourse was the location of a large Alexander's department store (2 Fordham Square) from 1933 to 1992, and is currently anchored by P. C. Richard & Son and Marshalls.^[13][14] This is the closest station to Fordham Plaza (the eastern end of the shopping district), and the Rose Hill campus of Fordham University.^[3]

References

1. "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
2. "PLANS ARE CHANGED FOR QUEENS SUBWAY: Traffic Crossings at Nassau and Woodhaven Boulevards Altered to Avoid Congestion. VIADUCT PROJECT DROPPED Main Driveway to Be Depressed, Side Routes to Be at Grade-- New Bids Due Soon. How Plans Were Changed. Elimination Plans Received.". The New York Times. June 22, 1930. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
3. "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Van Cortlandt Park / NY Botanical Garden" (PDF). Metropolitan Transit Authority (New York). 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
4. "SUBWAY-SIDEWALK INTERFACE PROJECT TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM IV ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES" (PDF). transalt.org. New York City Department of City Planning,. November 2000. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
5. Donohue, Pete (January 14, 2003). "TOKEN BOOTH CLOSING TIME Machines to replace the clerks at 177 sites". Daily News (New York). Retrieved 6 December 2015.
6. "Four BX subway token booths are now closed". News 12 Bronx. August 17, 2003. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
7. Dave Frattini (27 May 2014). The Underground Guide to New York City Subways. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-1-4668-7249-3.
8. Goodstein, Steven (February 9, 2014). "Fordham Sears to close". Bronx Times-Reporter. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
9. "EXPERIENCE Fordham Road" (PDF). Fordham Road Business Improvement District. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
10. Rocchio, Patrick (August 14, 2014). "The Fordham Road Business Improvement district will expand to include One Fordham Plaza". Bronx Times-Reporter. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
11. The RBA Group (June 30, 2008). "Fordham Road Streetscale Master Plan" (PDF). Bronx, New York: Fordham Road Business Improvement District. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
12. Asaba, Jeni (June 25, 2008). "Fordham Rd. BID to boost local Bronx image". Bronx Times-Reporter. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
13. McDowell, Edwin (July 31, 2002). "REGIONAL MARKET: The Bronx; Fordham Revival Where Alexander's Once Ruled". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
14. Strom, Stephanie (May 16, 1992). "ALEXANDER'S SHUTS ALL ITS 11 STORES; PLANS LIQUIDATION". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 December 2015.

External links

• nycsubway.org—IND Concourse: Fordham Road
• Station Reporter — B Train
• Station Reporter — D Train
• The Subway Nut — Fordham Road Pictures
• Fordham Road entrance from Google Maps Street View
• 188th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View