86th Street station (BMT Sea Beach Line)

The 86th Street station (also known as Gravesend–86th Street station) is a local station on the BMT Sea Beach Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of 86th Street and West Seventh Street in Gravesend, Brooklyn.^[4] It is served by the N train at all times. During rush hours, several W trains also serve the station, which serves as the southern terminus for W trips to Brooklyn.^[5]

86 Street
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
North end of the station
Station statistics
Address	86th Street & West Seventh Street Brooklyn, New York
Borough	Brooklyn
Locale	Gravesend
Coordinates	40°35′33.56″N 73°58′41.74″W
Division	B (BMT)[1]
Line	BMT Sea Beach Line
Services	N  (all times) ​   W  (selected rush-hour trips)
Transit	NYCT Bus: B1, B4
Structure	Open-cut
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	4 (2 in regular service)
Other information
Opened	June 22, 1915 (109 years ago) (1915-06-22)[2]
Closed	January 18, 2016; 8 years ago (2016-01-18) (northbound reconstruction) July 31, 2017; 7 years ago (2017-07-31) (southbound reconstruction)
Rebuilt	May 22, 2017; 7 years ago (2017-05-22) (northbound reopening) October 29, 2018; 5 years ago (2018-10-29) (southbound reopening)
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Former/other names	Gravesend–86th Street
Traffic
2023	557,808[3]  5%
Rank	372 out of 423[3]
Services Preceding station New York City Subway Following station Avenue U N  ​W  toward Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard Local Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue N  Terminus
Location Show map of New York City Subway Show map of New York City Show map of New York
Track layout Legend to Avenue U to Coney Island Complex to Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue
Street map
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times Stops rush hours only Stops rush hours in the peak direction only

History

The station opened on June 22, 1915, as part of an expanded Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company operation to Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue.^[2][6] Between 2001 and 2005, the station was known as Gravesend–86th Street when N trains originated/terminated here while the Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue terminal was reconstructed.^[7] Some destination signage continues to use this name.^[8]

From January 18, 2016 to May 22, 2017, the Manhattan-bound platform at this station was closed for renovations.^[9][10] The Coney Island-bound platform was closed from July 31, 2017^[11][12] to October 29, 2018.^[13]

Between October 21, 2019 and Spring 2020, N trains terminated here so work could be completed to protect Coney Island Yard from flooding. An out-of-system transfer was available between the N at 86th Street and the F at Avenue X station.^[14]

Station layout

G	Street level	Station house, entrances/exits, station agent, MetroCard machines
P Platform level	Side platform
	Northbound local	← toward Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard (Avenue U) ← toward 96th Street (select weekday trips) (Avenue U) ← toward Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard (select weekday trips) (Avenue U)
	Northbound express	← No regular service
	Southbound express	← No regular service
	Southbound local	→ toward Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue (Terminus) → → termination track (select weekday trips) →
	Side platform

Southbound platform pre-renovation

The station has four tracks and two side platforms. The two center express tracks are not normally used, but both are available for rerouted trains. To the south of the station, the four tracks merge into two tracks and there is a connection to the Coney Island Complex.^[15] As of 2013^[update], the Manhattan and Coney Island express tracks have been replaced with new track beds and new third rail protection boards.^{[citation needed]}

There is a building on the Coney Island-bound platform for non-public uses. Like many other stations on the Sea Beach Line, the platforms are dilapidated and have paint-chipped columns. At the southern end of the station there is a pedestrian bridge for employees only that provides access to Coney Island Yard. South of the station the line exits the open cut and runs at-grade. Portions of the platform are located beneath 86th Street.^[16]

The 2018 artwork at this station is "Celebration", a glass mosaic made by Karen Margolis. The artwork highlights the connection between the neighborhood and commuters.^[17]

Exits

The only entrance to the station is through a station house at 86th Street between West 8th and West 7th Streets, and it has a crossover between platforms.^[4] There is an employee-only crossover between the platforms on the south end of the station; it is unknown if this crossover was part of a former second entrance, as the bridge also leads to a path to the nearby Coney Island Yard.^[18]

Notes

References

1. "Glossary". Second Avenue Subway Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) (PDF). Vol. 1. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. March 4, 2003. pp. 1–2. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
2. "Through Tube to Coney, 48 Minutes: First Train on Fourth Avenue Route Beats West End Line Eleven Minutes". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 22, 1915. Retrieved June 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Annual Subway Ridership (2018–2023)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
4. "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Coney Island" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
5. "N Subway Timetable, Effective December 17, 2023". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
6. "NEW SUBWAY OPENS; MAYOR NOT PRESENT; Refuses to Attend 4th Av. Line Ceremony Because He Feels He Was Slighted. BAY RIDGE CELEBRATES 10,000 School Children Give Pageant In Honor of the Event -- Traffic Starts Tuesday". The New York Times. June 20, 1915. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
7. "New York City Subway Map" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. February 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2004. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
8. Caitsith810 (November 8, 2016), MTA New York City Subway : Gravesend-86th Street Bound R160A-2 W Train @ City Hall, archived from the original on December 14, 2021, retrieved November 27, 2016{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
9. Romano, Denise (October 4, 2013). "Two elevators coming to the N line during massive rehabilitation". The Brooklyn Reporter. Archived from the original on January 10, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
10. • Harshbarger, Rebecca (January 14, 2016). "9 Brooklyn N train stations to shut down for 14 months". am New York. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
    • Katinas, Paula (December 18, 2014). "Commuter headache: MTA to renovate N train stations". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
11. DeJesus, Jaime (May 17, 2017). "Manhattan-bound service to return to N stations on Sea Beach Line". The Brooklyn Reporter. Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
12. "Manhattan-Bound Service Returns to N Stations on Sea Beach Line". www.mta.info (Press release). New York City, NY: Metropolitan Transportation Authority. May 17, 2017. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
13. "Transit & Bus Committee Meeting - November 2018" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. November 13, 2018. p. 164. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
14. "Preparing for Climate Change: Protecting the Coney Island Yard". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 16, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
15. Dougherty, Peter (2006) [2002]. Tracks of the New York City Subway 2006 (3rd ed.). Dougherty. OCLC 49777633 – via Google Books.
16. Cox, Jeremiah. "86 Street (N) - The SubwayNut". subwaynut.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
17. "86 St Karen Margolis Cerebration, 2018". web.mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
18. "www.nycsubway.org: BMT Sea Beach Line". www.nycsubway.org. Retrieved November 27, 2016.

External links

• nycsubway.org – BMT Sea Beach Line: 86th Street
• Station Reporter — N Train
• The Subway Nut — 86th Street Pictures Archived January 5, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
• 86th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Platforms from Google Maps Street View (During 2016-2018 Rebuild)
• Southern end of the platforms from Google Maps Street View