161st Street–Yankee Stadium station

161st Street–Yankee Stadium is a New York City Subway station complex shared by the elevated IRT Jerome Avenue Line and the underground IND Concourse Line. It is located at the intersection of 161st Street and River Avenue in the Highbridge and Concourse neighborhoods of the Bronx. It is served by the 4 train at all times, the D train at all times except rush hours in the peak direction, and by the B train during rush hours.

161 Street–Yankee Stadium  ​​
New York City Subway station complex
Elevator to station
Station statistics
Address	East 161st Street & River Avenue Bronx, NY 10451[1]
Borough	The Bronx
Locale	Highbridge, Concourse
Coordinates	40.827937°N 73.925886°W
Division	A (IRT), B (IND)
Line	IRT Jerome Avenue Line IND Concourse Line
Services	4  (all times)​    B  (rush hours until 7:00 p.m.) ​   D  (all except rush hours, peak direction)
Transit	NYCT Bus: Bx6, Bx6 SBS, Bx13[2] Metro-North: Hudson Line (at Yankees–East 153rd Street)
Levels	2
Other information
Station code	604[3]
Accessible	ADA-accessible
Traffic
2019	8,254,928[4]  1.6%
Rank	40 out of 424[4]
Location
Street map
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction Stops all times Stops rush hours only

The combined passenger count for 161st Street–Yankee Stadium station in 2019 was 8,254,928, making it the busiest station in the Bronx and 49th busiest overall.[4] This station is one of only two station complexes in the Bronx (the other being 149th Street–Grand Concourse).

History

IRT Jerome Avenue Line

The Dual Contracts, which were signed on March 19, 1913, were contracts for the construction and/or rehabilitation and operation of rapid transit lines in the City of New York. The contracts were "dual" in that they were signed between the City and two separate private companies (the Interborough Rapid Transit Company and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company), all working together to make the construction of the Dual Contracts possible. The Dual Contracts promised the construction of several lines in the Bronx. As part of Contract 3, the IRT agreed to build an elevated line along Jerome Avenue in the Bronx.[5][6][7]

161st Street station opened as part of the initial section of the line to Kingsbridge Road on June 2, 1917. Service was initially operated as a shuttle between Kingsbridge Road and 149th Street.[8][9]

On July 1, 1918, trains on the Ninth Avenue El began stopping here, as they were extended from 155th Street, entering the Bronx via the Putnam Bridge, a now-demolished swing bridge immediately north of the Macombs Dam Bridge, to connect with the Jerome Avenue line between 161st Street and 167th Street.[10][11][12]

Through service to the IRT Lexington Avenue Line began on July 17, 1918.[10] The line was completed with a final extension to Woodlawn on April 15, 1918.[13] This section was initially served by shuttle service, with passengers transferring at this station.[14][15] The construction of the line encouraged development along Jerome Avenue, and led to the growth of the surrounding communities.[8]

IND Concourse Line

The IND Concourse Line, also referred to as the Bronx−Concourse Line, was one of the original lines of the city-owned Independent Subway System (IND).[16][17] The line running from Bedford Park Boulevard to the IND Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan was approved by the New York City Board of Transportation on March 10, 1925, with the connection between the two lines approved on March 24, 1927.[18] The line was originally intended to be four tracks, rather than three tracks, to Bedford Park Boulevard.[17][18]

Construction of the line began in July 1928.[18] The building of the line and proposed extensions to central and eastern Bronx (see below) led to real estate booms in the area.[18] The entire Concourse Line, including 161st Street—River Avenue station, opened on July 1, 1933,[19][20] less than ten months after the IND's first line, the IND Eighth Avenue Line, opened for service. Initial service was provided by the C train, at that time an express train, between 205th Street, then via the Eighth Avenue Line, Cranberry Street Tunnel and the IND South Brooklyn Line (now Culver Line) to Bergen Street.[20] The CC provided local service between Bedford Park Boulevard and Hudson Terminal (now World Trade Center).[20]

On December 15, 1940, with the opening of the IND Sixth Avenue Line, the D train began serving the IND Concourse Line along with the C and CC. It made express stops in peak during rush hours and Saturdays and local stops at all other times.[21] C express service was discontinued in 1949-51, but the C designation was reinstated in 1985 when double letters used to indicate local service was discontinued. During this time, the D made local stops along the Concourse Line at all times except rush hours, when the C ran local to Bedford Park Boulevard. On March 1, 1998, the B train replaced the C as the rush-hour local on the Concourse Line, with the C moving to the Washington Heights portion of the Eighth Avenue Line.[22]

When the IND portion was built in 1933, paper tickets were used to transfer between the two lines; this method was used until the 1950s, when the indoor escalators were built.

Station renovations

Elevators at the station were installed in the early 2000s as part of a three-year renovation of the station complex and opened in late 2002, making the station only the fourth in the Bronx to be fully ADA-compliant.

Station layout

2F	Side platform
	Northbound local	← toward Woodlawn (167th Street)
	Peak-direction express	→ No regular service
	Southbound local	→ toward Utica Avenue (New Lots Avenue late nights) (149th Street–Grand Concourse) →
	Side platform
1F	IRT mezzanine	Station agent, MetroCard vending machines
G	Street level	Entrance/exit Elevator at northeast corner of 161st Street and River Avenue
B1	IND mezzanine	Station agent, MetroCard vending machines
B2	Side platform
	Northbound local	← toward Bedford Park Boulevard rush hours (167th Street) ← toward 205th Street (167th Street)
	Peak-direction express	← PM rush does not stop here ← AM rush does not stop here →
	Southbound local	→ toward Brighton Beach rush hours (155th Street) → → toward Coney Island (155th Street) →
	Side platform

The station complex is ADA-accessible, with elevators available to all platforms.[23]

This station is located adjacent to Yankee Stadium, and also provides service to many Bronx County courts, government facilities, and shopping districts in Concourse Village, which are a short walk to the east. The station is three blocks away from the Yankees–East 153rd Street station, a Metro-North Railroad stop on the Hudson Line, which provides service to Yankee Stadium from Manhattan and the Lower Hudson Valley up to Poughkeepsie.[24] Additional service is provided to this station in the form of shuttles from Grand Central, as well as select trains on the Harlem and New Haven lines on game days.

The 2002 artwork here is called Wall-Slide by Vito Acconci, which consists of sections of the station walls "sliding" out of place, sometimes out of the station. Wall-Slide forms seating on the IND platforms, and also reveals a mosaic work, Room of Tranquility by Helene Brandt, on the IRT mezzanine.[25]

IRT Jerome Avenue Line platforms

161 Street–Yankee Stadium
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
View of southbound platform and current Yankee Stadium
Station statistics
Division	A (IRT)
Line	IRT Jerome Avenue Line
Services	4  (all times)
Structure	Elevated
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	3 (2 in regular service)
Other information
Opened	June 2, 1917
Station code	389[3]
Accessible	ADA-accessible
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Station succession
Next north	167th Street: 4
Next south	149th Street–Grand Concourse: 4
Track layout to 167 St to 149 St
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times

161st Street–Yankee Stadium is a local station on the IRT Jerome Avenue Line that has three tracks and two side platforms.[26] The 4 stops here at all times.[27]

The station has extra exit stairs to handle stadium crowds at the southern end of each platform, which make the platforms at this station much longer than traditional IRT platforms. These stairs lead to a separate mezzanine and fare control that were built to serve the old Yankee Stadium located across 161st Street; they continue to serve the new Yankee Stadium during events.

The former IRT Ninth Avenue Line connected with the IRT Jerome Avenue Line just north of this station, near 162nd Street.[28] A stub of the Ninth Avenue Line connecting trackway still exists and is visible today.[29][30]

Exits

On each side of River Avenue, there is one street stair to each of 161st Street's two medians. There are also two stairs to the southwest corner and one to the southeast corner. The northeast corner has an ADA-accessible elevator and transfer passageway.[24]

• 
  The view of the old Yankee Stadium from the IRT Jerome Line platform
• 
  The IRT Jerome Line station as seen from the street
• 
  Wall-Slide and Room of Tranquility on the mezzanine
• 
  Wall-Slide detail beneath the mezzanine, over street level

IND Concourse Line platforms

161 Street–Yankee Stadium  ​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Northbound platform with Wall-Slide seating
Station statistics
Division	B (IND)
Line	IND Concourse Line
Services	B  (rush hours until 7:00 p.m.) ​   D  (all except rush hours, peak direction)
Structure	Underground
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	3
Other information
Opened	July 1, 1933
Station code	219[3]
Accessible	ADA-accessible
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Former/other names	161st Street–River Avenue
Station succession
Next east	167th Street: B  ​D
Next west	155th Street: B  ​D
Track layout to 167 St to 155 St
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction Stops rush hours only

161st Street–Yankee Stadium (161st Street–River Avenue on some signage) is a local station on the IND Concourse Line that has three tracks and two side platforms.[26] It is the southernmost station on the IND Concourse Line within the Bronx.[31]

Exits

The full-time mezzanine to the west is at 161st Street and River Avenue with four street staircases. The part-time entrance to the east is at Walton Avenue and has two street staircases and a passageway to 161st Street.[24] Before the renovation, there was a full length mezzanine, with Transit Bureau Offices located to one side. After the renovation, the NYPD area was expanded, and public areas inside fare control were sealed, thus dividing the mezzanine into two separate areas. A few staircases to the platforms were also sealed and removed.

• 
  Modern sign next to an original-style mosaic
• 
  An inverted color scheme on the stairway walls
• 
  Wall-Slide detail at street level

References

1. "Borough of The Bronx, New York City". Government of New York City. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
2. "Bronx Bus Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. October 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
3. "Station Developers' Information". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
4. "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership 2014–2019". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
5. New Subways For New York: The Dual System of Rapid Transit Chapter 5: Terms and Conditions of Dual System Contracts. New York Public Service Commission. 1913. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
6. The Dual System of Rapid Transit (1912). New York State Public Service Commission. 1912.
7. "Most Recent Map of the Dual Subway System Which Shows How Brooklyn Borough Is Favored In New Transit Lines". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 9, 1917. Retrieved August 23, 2016 – via newspapers.com.
8. "Service Begun on the Jerome Avenue Line". Public Service Record. 4 (6). June 1917.
9. Annual report of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company For The Year Ended June 30, 1917. HathiTrust. Interborough Rapid Transit Company. 1917. hdl:2027/mdp.39015016416920.
10. Brooklyn Daily Eagle Almanac. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 1922. p. 372.
11. "Along the Line". Time Traveling on the NYC Ninth Ave El. February 18, 1903. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
12. "Open New Subway To Regular Traffic — First Train On Seventh Avenue Line Carries Mayor And Other Officials — To Serve Lower West Side — Whitney Predicts An Awakening Of The District — New Extensions Of Elevated Railroad Service". The New York Times. July 2, 1918. p. 11. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
13. "Jerome Av. Line Ordered Opened". The New York Times. April 13, 1918. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
14. Brooklyn Daily Eagle Almanac. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 1916. p. 100.
15. Cunningham, Joseph; DeHart, Leonard O. (1993). A History of the New York City Subway System. J. Schmidt, R. Giglio, and K. Lang. p. 48.
16. Duffus, R.L. (September 22, 1929). "Our Great Subway Network Spreads Wider – New Plans of Board of Transportation Involve the Building of More Than One Hundred Miles of Additional Rapid Transit Routes for New York". The New York Times. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
17. "New Subway Routes in Hylan Program to Cost $186,046,000". The New York Times. March 21, 1925. p. 1. ISSN 0362-4331.
18. Joseph B. Raskin (November 1, 2013). The Routes Not Taken: A Trip Through New York City's Unbuilt Subway System. Fordham University Press. ISBN 978-0-8232-5369-2. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
19. "Bronx-Concourse New Subway Link Opened at 12:57 A.M.: Adds 21 1/2 Miles to City's System−Connects With Manhattan Line at 145th". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 1, 1933. p. 20. Retrieved October 26, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
20. "New Bronx Subway Starts Operation". The New York Times. July 1, 1933. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 13, 2010.
21. "The New Subway Routes". The New York Times. December 15, 1940. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
22. "Broadway Junction Transportation Study: NYC Department of City Planning Final Report-November 2008" (PDF). nyc.gov. New York City Department of City Planning. November 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 6, 2010. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
23. "MTA Accessible Stations". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
24. "161st Street–Yankee Stadium Neighborhood Map" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. April 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
25. "161st Street-Yankee Stadium - Vito Acconci (Acconci Studio) - Wall-Slide, 2002". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on September 1, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
26. Dougherty, Peter (2020). Tracks of the New York City Subway 2020 (16th ed.). Dougherty. OCLC 1056711733.
27. "4 Subway Timetable, Effective September 13, 2020". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
28. nycsubway.org – IRT Woodlawn Line: The 9th Avenue Elevated-Polo Grounds Shuttle
29. nycsubway.org – IRT Woodlawn Line: 161st Street/River Avenue (Yankee Stadium)
30. nycsubway.org – IRT Woodlawn Line: Image 100342
31. "IRT Woodlawn Line". nycsubway.org. Retrieved May 22, 2020.

External links

Google Maps Street View
161st Street & River Avenue — southwest corner entrance
161st Street & River Avenue entrance to Jerome Avenue Line
161st Street & River Avenue — northeast corner entrance to Concourse Line
Walton Avenue entrances
IRT platforms (360° View)
IND platforms (360° View)

• nycsubway.org – IRT Woodlawn Line: 161st Street-Yankee Stadium
• nycsubway.org – IND Concourse Line: 161st Street-Yankee Stadium
• nycsubway.org — Wall-Slide/Room of Tranquility Artwork by Acconci and Brandt (2002)
• Station Reporter — Yankee Stadium Complex
• The Subway Nut — 161st Street–Yankee Stadium Pictures Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
• MTA's Arts For Transit — 161st Street–Yankee Stadium