Smith–Ninth Streets (IND Culver Line)

Smith–Ninth Streets
New York City Subway rapid transit station
Station statistics
Address	Smith Street & Ninth Street Brooklyn, NY 11231
Borough	Brooklyn
Locale	Gowanus
Coordinates	40°40′27.3″N 73°59′48.63″W / 40.674250°N 73.9968417°WCoordinates: 40°40′27.3″N 73°59′48.63″W / 40.674250°N 73.9968417°W
Division	B (IND)
Line	IND Culver Line
Services	F  (all times)       G  (all times)
Transit connections	NYCT Bus: B57, B61
Structure	Elevated
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	4 (2 in regular service)
Other information
Opened	October 7, 1933
Traffic
Passengers (2015)	1,636,221[1]  6.3%
Rank	292 out of 422
Station succession
Next north	Carroll Street: F  G
Next south	Fourth Avenue: F  G
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times
Location

Smith–Ninth Streets is a local station on the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway. It is located over the Gowanus Canal between Smith and Ninth Streets in Gowanus, Brooklyn and is served by the F and G trains at all times.

This elevated station, opened on October 7, 1933, has four tracks and two side platforms. In 2009, the station underwent reconstruction, while the G was rerouted via the local tracks, disabling the middle tracks.

Description and history

In 2005, before renovation

In 2012, during renovation

With an elevation of 87.5 feet (26.7 m), this station is the highest subway station above ground level in the world.^[2][3] It is not, however, the highest subway station above sea level. This elevation was required by now-defunct navigation regulations for tall-mast shipping on the Gowanus Canal. The bridge rises straight up on four towers by cables. West (railroad north) of this station, the IND Culver Line curves north and enters a tunnel into Carroll Street station. This station and the next station south, Fourth Avenue, were the only original elevated stations built by the IND. All other IND stations were either built underground or taken over from their original owners.^[4]

This station and elevated structure are made entirely of concrete. There were green mosaics along the concrete platform walls reading “Smith–9th St” in white sans-serif lettering, which were replaced with laminated replicas during renovations.^[5] A close examination of the canopied area suggests windows existed in the past. These were covered for many years and are now open air with safety grates. The station house is on ground level on the north side of 9th Street between Smith Street and the Gowanus canal. Inside, there is a turnstile bank, token booth, and three long escalators and one staircase going up to a landing, where three more long escalators and one staircase perpendicular for the first set go up to a crossunder. A single staircase then goes up to the western end of either platform.

In 2007, the MTA announced a three-year renovation project of the elevated Culver Viaduct and for twenty-seven months, this station would be fully or partially closed.^[6][7] On January 18, 2011, the second phase of the Culver Viaduct rehabilitation project began, resulting in the closure of the Manhattan-bound platform. This required northbound trains to use the express track and stop at a temporary platform placed over the local track. This shorter platform could only accommodate G trains; F trains bypassed this station on the same track. On June 20, 2011, the station was closed entirely for further renovations. It reopened April 26, 2013.^[8][9] Additional work was performed after the station reopened but it will not affect service. Residents lobbied for an elevator in the station during the renovation, but installation of an elevator was too costly and prohibitive, according to the MTA.^[10]

The station was the southern terminus of G until July 5, 2009, when the G was extended south at all times to Church Avenue, to allow for overhaul of the Culver Viaduct. On July 19, 2012, the MTA announced that this extension would be permanent.^[11]

Station layout

4F	Side platform, doors will open on the right
	Northbound local	← toward Jamaica – 179th Street (Carroll Street) ← toward Court Square (Carroll Street)
	Northbound express	← No regular service
	Southbound express	→ No regular service
	Southbound local	→ toward Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue (Fourth Avenue) → → toward Church Avenue (Fourth Avenue) →
	Side platform, doors will open on the right
3F	-	Crossunder between platforms
2F	-	Escalator mezzanine
1F	Mezzanine	Fare control, station agent
G	Street Level	Exit/Entrance

Entrances and exits

The station has a single exit on Ninth Street east of Smith Street.^[12]

Gallery

• 

  Lower Manhattan skyline from the station prior to the September 11 attacks

• 

  R46 F train to Coney Island enters Smith-Ninth Streets before renovation

• 

  R68 G train to Church Avenue enters Smith–Ninth Streets after renovation

• 

  Old entrance

• 

  New entrance

• 

  Renovation in progress

• 

  Northbound platform at the renovation's completion

• 

  At night

• 

  Station logo tilework before renovation

• 

  Seen from Gowanus

Station seen from Red Hook

References

1. "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
2. Rebuilding the Culver Viaduct
3. BROOKLYN!!, Summer 2013 issue, p.7, caption on photo from station reopening celebration, www.brooklyn-usa.org
4. Crazy Train: NYC's Weirdest Subway Stations
5. SMITH-9th STREET STATION – RED HOOK Part 1
6. Maldonado, Charles (November 16, 2007). "MTA Gives Brooklyn Board Bad News About Smith–9th St. Closure, F-Train Express". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
7. McLaughlin, Mike (November 24, 2007). "Fix for Fourth Avenue station looks F’ing great". The Brooklyn Paper. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
8. Smith-9th Sts F/G Station Returns to Service
9. Newman, Andy (2013-04-26). "City's Highest Subway Station Reopens". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-10-29. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
10. Photos: Smith-9th Street Station Finally Reopens But Isn't Handicap Accessible
11. O'Neill, Natalie (July 19, 2012). "G wiz! MTA plans to save the G train extension!". The Brooklyn Paper. Retrieved 2012-07-21.
12. "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Red Hook" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transit Authority (New York). 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.

External links

• nycsubway.org—IND Crosstown: Smith/9th Street
• Station Reporter — F Train
• Station Reporter — G Train
• The Subway Nut — Smith–9th Streets Pictures
• Ninth Street entrance after renovation from Google Maps Street View