West Eighth Street – New York Aquarium (New York City Subway)

West Eighth Street – New York Aquarium
New York City Subway rapid transit station
Station statistics
Address	West 8th Street near Surf Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11224
Borough	Brooklyn
Locale	Coney Island
Coordinates	40°34′34.24″N 73°58′32.88″W / 40.5761778°N 73.9758000°WCoordinates: 40°34′34.24″N 73°58′32.88″W / 40.5761778°N 73.9758000°W
Division	B (BMT/IND)
Line	BMT Brighton Line IND Culver Line
Services	F  (all times)       Q  (all times)
Transit connections	NYCT Bus: B36
Structure	Elevated
Levels	2
Platforms	4 side platforms (2 on each level)
Tracks	4 (2 on each level)
Other information
Opened	May 19, 1919
Former/other names	Coney Island – West Eighth Street
Traffic
Passengers (2015)	789,416[1]  6.5%
Rank	388 out of 422
Station succession
Next north	Ocean Parkway (Brighton): Q  Neptune Avenue (Culver): F
Next south	Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue: F  Q
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times
Location

West Eighth Street – New York Aquarium is a station on the BMT Brighton Line and the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway. The station is located over the private right-of-way of the defunct New York and Coney Island Railroad, north of Surf Avenue and running easterly from West 8th Street on the Coney Island peninsula in Brooklyn. It is served by the F and Q trains at all times.

History

Culver Line platforms on the lower level.

The station, originally identified as Coney Island – West Eighth Street, replaced the Culver Depot, the surface terminus of the Brighton Beach and Culver Lines. The new station consisted of a two-level elevated line, with two tracks and two side platforms on each level. Brighton service began serving the station on June 13, 1919,^[2] with Brighton Local trains using the lower level and Brighton Express trains (when operated) using the upper level. On May 1, 1920, Culver trains began sharing the lower level with the Brighton Line.

The usage of both levels varied over the years, with different Brighton services using the lower level at different times. Brighton Locals used the lower level of West 8th Street until 1954,^[3] when the track connection between the Brighton Line at Ocean Parkway and the lower level of West 8th Street station was severed. Since then Brighton and Culver trains have had exclusive use of their respective levels since. The structure for the connector tracks still exists.

Station layout

3F	Side platform, doors will open on the right
	Southbound	← toward Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue (Terminus)
	Northbound	→ toward Astoria – Ditmars Boulevard weekdays, 57th Street – Seventh Avenue weekends (Ocean Parkway) →
	Side platform, doors will open on the right
2F	Side platform, doors will open on the right
	Southbound	← toward Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue (Terminus)
	Northbound	→ toward Jamaica – 179th Street (Neptune Avenue) →
	Side platform, doors will open on the right
G	Street Level	Exit/Entrance, fare control

The current station continues to have two tracks and two side platforms on each level; the BMT Brighton Line currently occupies the upper level and the IND Culver Line occupies the lower level.

The 2005 artwork here is called Wavewall by Vito Acconci.

The station is two blocks east of the neighboring Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue station, which is the southern terminus of both the Brighton and Culver Lines and of the F and Q services.

Exits

Street stair and pedestrian overpass to Aquarium, demolished in August 2013

• Main Exit: West 8th Street (south end), with full-time station agent booth
• Secondary Exit: West 6th Street (MetroCard entry only)

This station contains three entrances. The first one contains three High Entry-Exit turnstiles and leads directly to the Manhattan-bound platform of the lower level. The main entrance is directly underneath and leads to West Fifth Street on one side and Surf Avenue on the other. There was a pedestrian bridge that spanned Surf Avenue and connected the two aforementioned entrances; the walkway was torn down on 8 August 2013, due to safety issues. A crosswalk and widened sidewalks replaced the bridge, which was built when the New York Aquarium was first opened at that location.^[4] The third entrance leads to West Sixth Street, which at this point, is a dirt road only for pedestrians that runs directly underneath the Culver Line. This entrance contains HEET and exit-only turnstiles and an escalator that leads directly to the Manhattan-bound platform of the upper level.

Gallery

• 

  Abandoned trackways from lower level of station to the BMT Brighton Line

• 

  Entrance from West 5th Street

• 

  Zoom on the staircase by Vito Acconci

• 

  Manhattan-bound F train arriving, as seen from the street

• 

  The Brighton Line platforms on the upper level

See also

• Transportation to Coney Island

References

1. "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership". New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
4. Coney leaders applaud, boo loss of path from train to Boardwalk

External links

• nycsubway.org—Station: West 8th Street (Brighton/Culver Line)
• The Subway Nut - West Eighth Street Pictures
• MTA's Arts For Transit — West 8th Street – New York Aquarium
• West Eighth Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Surf Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Upper level from Google Maps Street View