167th Street station (IRT Jerome Avenue Line)

167th Street is a local station on the IRT Jerome Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 167th Street and River Avenue in the Bronx, it is served by the 4 train at all times. This station was constructed by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company as part of the Dual Contracts and opened in 1917.

167 Street
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Two 4 trains just south of the station
Station statistics
Address	East 167th Street & River Avenue Bronx, NY 10452[1]
Borough	The Bronx
Locale	Highbridge, Concourse
Coordinates	40.835665°N 73.921337°W
Division	A (IRT)
Line	IRT Jerome Avenue Line IRT Ninth Avenue Line (formerly)
Services	4  (all times)
Transit	NYCT Bus: Bx35[2]
Structure	Elevated
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	3 (2 in regular service)
Other information
Opened	June 2, 1917
Station code	388[3]
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Traffic
2019	2,653,237[4]  9.5%
Rank	182 out of 424[4]
Station succession
Next north	Burnside Avenue (some rush-hour trains): 4  170th Street: 4
Next south	Anderson–Jerome Avenues (Ninth Ave elevated; demolished) 161st Street–Yankee Stadium: 4
Location
Track layout to 170 St to 161 St
Street map
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times

History

Eastern stairs

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]

167th 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]

A new high exit turnstile entrance from the southern end of the northbound platform opened on October 6, 1931.[16]

In 1940, the New York City Board of Transportation proposed that the IRT Ninth Avenue Line should be connected to the IRT Lenox Avenue Line near the current Harlem–148th Street station.[17] However, the tunnel from Sedgwick Avenue to Anderson–Jerome Avenues was built to elevated-railway standards, whose "open" third rails were shorter than the subway's "covered" third rails, as the "open" rails did not have any protective covers on top. This incompatibility prevented the connection from being built.[18] Another issue was that the Ninth Avenue Line could not carry subway cars, it was only strong enough to carry the lighter elevated cars.[19]^:244

From 1940 to 1958, 167th Street served as a terminal for the last remnant of the Ninth Avenue Elevated operating from 155th Street (Polo Grounds) to 167th Street. On reaching 167th Street, trains would switch to the center track, change direction, and return to 155th Street on the downtown track. Service was eventually reduced to a single two-car train operating in both directions on the uptown track.[20] In 1958, service was discontinued after the New York Giants left for San Francisco. From the southern end of the station, the ramps leading to the Ninth Avenue line structure can still be seen. These ramps end south of the southwest corner of River Avenue and 164th Street, between Gate 8 and the 164th Street parking garage at Yankee Stadium.

This station was rehabilitated in 2004.

Station layout

P Platform level	Side platform
	Northbound local	← toward Woodlawn (170th Street) ← toward Burnside Avenue (select rush hour trips) (Terminus)
	Peak-direction express	→ No regular service
	Southbound local	→ toward Utica Avenue (New Lots Avenue late nights) (161st Street–Yankee Stadium) →
	Side platform
M	Mezzanine	Fare control, station agent, MetroCard machines
G	Street level	Entrances/exits

This elevated station has three tracks with two side platforms.[21] The 4 stops here at all times.[22]

This station has old-style signs that have been painted over and covered up with new-style signs. It also features new fare control railings as a crossunder.

Exits

Fare control is situated in the mezzanine under the tracks. Outside of the fare control area, exit stairs go to all corners of River Avenue and 167th Street.[23]

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. Eleventh Annual Report For The Calendar Year 1931. New York State Transit Commission. p. 80.
17. New York Board of Transportation; Spinrad, Isidor (1945). Report, Including Analysis of Operations of the New York City Transit System: For Five Years Ended June 30, 1945. New York. p. 123.
18. "History of the Independent Subway". nycsubway.org. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
19. Raskin, Joseph B. (2013). The Routes Not Taken: A Trip Through New York City's Unbuilt Subway System. New York, New York: Fordham University Press. doi:10.5422/fordham/9780823253692.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-82325-369-2.
20. "Polo Grounds Shuttle". Charlie's 9th Ave El. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
21. Dougherty, Peter (2020). Tracks of the New York City Subway 2020 (16th ed.). Dougherty. OCLC 1056711733.
22. "4 Subway Timetable, Effective September 13, 2020". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
23. "167th Street Neighborhood Map" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. April 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2019.

External links

• nycsubway.org – IRT Woodlawn Line: 167th Street
• nycsubway.org – 9th Avenue El:
• nycsubway.org — A Bronx Reflection Artwork by Carol Sun (2006)
• Station Reporter — 4 Train
• Forgotten NY: Subways and Trains — 9th Avenue Line
• "Ninth Avenue Express". Station Reporter. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved 2009-01-25.
• The Subway Nut — 167th Street Pictures Archived 2017-06-15 at the Wayback Machine
• MTA's Arts For Transit — 167th Street (IRT Jerome Avenue Line)
• 167th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Platforms from Google Maps Street View