Atlantic Avenue station (BMT Canarsie Line)

For other uses, see Atlantic Avenue (disambiguation).

The Atlantic Avenue station is a rapid transit station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Atlantic and Snediker Avenues at East New York, Brooklyn, it is served by the L train at all times.

Atlantic Avenue
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Canarsie-bound L train at the station in 2017
Station statistics
Address	Atlantic Avenue & Snediker Avenue Brooklyn, New York
Borough	Brooklyn
Locale	East New York
Coordinates	40.675724°N 73.902969°W / 40.675724; -73.902969
Division	B (BMT)[1]
Line	BMT Canarsie Line BMT Fulton Street Line (formerly)
Services	L  (all times)
Transit	NYCT Bus: B12 LIRR East New York station
Structure	Elevated
Platforms	1 island platform (in service), 1 island platform (abandoned)
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	July 4, 1889; 135 years ago (1889-07-04)[2] (Fulton Street Line) July 28, 1906; 118 years ago (1906-07-28)[3] (Canarsie Line)
Rebuilt	1916; 108 years ago (1916) (Dual Contracts) 2004; 20 years ago (2004) (CBTC)
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Former/other names	Atlantic Avenue – East New York Avenue[4]
Traffic
2023	351,212[5]  5.6%
Rank	408 out of 423[5]
Services Preceding station New York City Subway Following station Broadway Junction toward Eighth Avenue Sutter Avenue toward Canarsie–Rockaway Parkway
Non-revenue services and lines Preceding station New York City Subway Following station Broadway Junction Jamaica no service Eastern Parkway Fulton St; demolished; original Manhattan Junction Fulton St; demolished Hinsdale Street Fulton St; demolished; replacement
Location Show map of New York City Subway Show map of New York City Show map of New York
Track layout Legend to Bushwick Ave Broadway Junction to Jamaica Line from Jamaica Line to East New York Yard former Fulton Street Elevated tracks Atlantic Avenue to Sutter Avenue Tracks Trackways
Street map
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times

History

Atlantic Avenue opened July 4, 1889, for the BMT Fulton Street Line portion and on July 28, 1906, for the BMT Canarsie Line portion. The Fulton Street Line platforms closed April 26, 1956.^[6] It was rebuilt in 1916, and was also reconfigured in 2002–2004. This station is one of the most well-preserved examples of the Dual Contracts architecture, as much of the period woodwork and ironwork is intact. The fare control area was modernized with new lighting and high, rounded windows. The stop lies directly above the Long Island Rail Road's East New York station, which is located in the median of Atlantic Avenue.

Dual Contracts rebuild

Unused Dual Contracts-era eastern platforms

4 Platform level	Northbound	← Fulton Street Line (through service to Jamaica Line)
	Island platform
	Northbound	← Canarsie Line
	Northbound	← Fulton Street Line
	Island platform
	Bidirectional	← Fulton Street Line (peak direction) →
	Southbound	→ Fulton Street Line → → Canarsie and Fulton Street Lines (through service from Jamaica Line) →
	Island platform
	Southbound	→ Canarsie Line →
3	Mezzanine
2		Atlantic Avenue roadway
G	Street level	Exit/entrance
B1		East New York LIRR

Rebuilt and reconfigured under the Dual Contracts in 1916, this station had three island platforms, with six tracks. The two western island platforms resembled a typical four track express station and the other island platform was a block to the east over Snediker Avenue. The tracks and platforms were as follows west to east, southbound Canarsie line track, island platform, southbound Fulton Street el track, bi-directional Fulton Street express el track, island platform, northbound Fulton Street el track; northbound Canarsie line track, island platform, northbound Fulton Street el to Jamaica line track. The southbound Fulton Street el track could also be used by trains from the Jamaica line bound for the Canarsie line. During the station's service to both the Fulton Street el and Canarsie line, it was in this configuration. The next stop to the west on the Fulton Street Elevated was Manhattan Junction. The next stop to the east was Eastern Parkway, and later Hinsdale Street.

Current layout

P Platform level	Trackbed	No service
	Island platform, not in service
	Trackbed	No service
	Westbound	← toward Eighth Avenue (Broadway Junction/Canarsie) (No service: Broadway Junction/Jamaica)
	Island platform
	Eastbound	→ toward Canarsie–Rockaway Parkway (Sutter Avenue) →
M	Mezzanine	Fare control, station agent
G	Street level	Exit/entrance, stairs to East New York LIRR station

After the remaining portion of the Fulton Street el was removed in 1956, the Canarsie line continued to use the westernmost track and platform southbound, and the second track from the east and platform (over Snediker Avenue) northbound. The easternmost track was removed, leaving five in place.^[7]

The westernmost platform is now the only one in service with both tracks in use. The former southbound Fulton el track is now the northbound track, and was connected to the existing Canarsie Line north of Sutter Avenue station in 2003.^[7] Connecting the northbound Canarsie line to this track eliminated the sharp curve onto the structure over Snediker Avenue. The center of the three platforms is still there, but is retained only as a storage area. The easternmost platform was closed to train service in September 2003 and has been demolished except for a small portion that remained intact.^[8] The other structures relating to that platform, including the last remnants of the Fulton el, as well as the portion of the el over Snediker Avenue were demolished between September 2003 and February 2004.

North of the station, a single track diverges northeast to East New York Yard, two tracks proceed to Broadway Junction, and two others connect to the Jamaica Line. These last two are not used for regular revenue service, and have not been used thus since 1968.

The station was renovated in 2015–2016.

Exits

The station's only exit point is through the mezzanine. Two conjoined stairways lead from opposite ends of the north portion of the mezzanine, meeting in a combined landing before splitting off into two small stairs to the southeast corner of Atlantic Avenue and East New York Avenue.^[9] Another stair, leading from the portion of the mezzanine that is underneath the easternmost platform, leads down to the southwest corner of Atlantic and Snediker Avenues.^[9]

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. "The Fulton Street Elevated". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 28, 1889. p. 6. Retrieved December 17, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
3. Atlantic Avenue; BMT Canarsie Line (NYCSubway.org)
4. "Subway Car Catches Fire" (PDF). The New York Times. July 30, 1946. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
5. "Annual Subway Ridership (2018–2023)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
6. "First Leg of Rockaways Transit Opened at Cost of $10,154,702" (PDF). The New York Times. April 30, 1956. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
7. "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 (PDF) from the original on June 6, 2010. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
8. "Abandoned BMT Fulton Street Line Platforms (The Subway Nut)". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2011.
9. "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Ocean Hill" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015.

External links

• nycsubway.org – BMT Canarsie Line: Atlantic Avenue
• Station Reporter — L Train
• The Subway Nut — Atlantic Avenue Pictures
• Atlantic Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Williams Place and Atlantic Avenue exit only stairs from Google Maps Street View
• Platforms from Google Maps Street View