145th Street

The 145th Street station is a bi-level express station on the IND Eighth Avenue and Concourse lines of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of 145th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue in Harlem and Hamilton Heights, Manhattan. It is served by the A and D trains at all times, the C train at all times except late nights, and the B train on weekdays only (the latter of which terminates here during select midday trips and all evening trips). There is a New York City Police Department (NYPD) transit precinct at the station.

On August 3, 1923, the New York City Board of Estimate approved the Washington Heights Line, an extension of the Broadway Line to Washington Heights. The line was to have four tracks from Central Park West at 64th Street under Central Park West, Eighth Avenue, Saint Nicholas Avenue, and private property to 173rd Street, and two tracks under Fort Washington Avenue to 193rd Street. South of 64th Street, one two-track line would connect to the Broadway Line stubs at 57th Street, and another would continue under Eighth Avenue to 30th Street at Penn Station, with provisions to continue downtown. Mayor John Hylan instead wanted to build an independent subway system, operated by the city. The New York City Board of Transportation (NYCBOT) gave preliminary approval to several lines in Manhattan, including one on Eighth Avenue, on December 9, 1924. The main portion of the already-approved Washington Heights Line—the mostly-four track line north of 64th Street—was included, but was to continue north from 193rd Street to 207th Street. South of 64th Street, the plan called for four tracks in Eighth Avenue, Greenwich Avenue, the planned extension of Sixth Avenue, and Church Street. Two tracks would turn east under Fulton Street or Wall Street and under the East River to Downtown Brooklyn. A groundbreaking ceremony was held at St. Nicholas Avenue and 123rd Street on March 14, 1925. Most of the Eighth Avenue Line was dug using a cheap cut-and-cover method, where the street above was excavated. Still, the construction of the line was difficult, as it had to go under or over several subway lines. The station opened on September 10, 1932, as part of the city-operated Independent Subway System (IND)'s initial segment, the Eighth Avenue Line between Chambers Street and 207th Street. At this time, only the upper level of the station opened, as the IND Concourse Line was still under construction. When the IND Concourse Line opened for service on July 1, 1933, the lower level was opened.

The station has been undergoing renovations since 2017 as part of the 2010–2014 MTA Capital Program. This is because of an MTA study conducted in 2015, which found that 45 percent of components were out of date. In January 2024, accessibility at the station was proposed as part of the 2020-2024 Capital Program. In May 2024, the Federal Transit Administration awarded the MTA $157 million for accessibility renovations at five stations, including 145th Street. The funds would be used to add elevators, signs, and public-announcement systems, as well as repair platforms and stairs, at each station. The accessibility project was to be funded by congestion pricing in New York City, but it was postponed in June 2024 after the implementation of congestion pricing was delayed. However, after congestion pricing was approved, the MTA announced that the elevator installations would proceed.

Data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).