Second Avenue (IND Sixth Avenue Line)

Second Avenue
New York City Subway rapid transit station
Station platform
Station statistics
Address	East Houston Street & Second Avenue New York, NY 10002
Borough	Manhattan
Locale	East Village
Coordinates
Division	B (IND)
Line	IND Sixth Avenue Line
Services	F  (all times)
Transit connections	NYCT Bus: M15, M15 SBS, M21
Structure	Underground
Platforms	2 island platforms cross-platform interchange
Tracks	4 (2 in regular service)
Other information
Opened	January 1, 1936 (January 1, 1936)
Former/other names	Lower East Side – Second Avenue
Traffic
Passengers (2014)	5,772,265  3.8%
Rank	74 out of 421
Station succession
Next north	Broadway – Lafayette Street: F
Next south	Delancey Street: F
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times

Second Avenue is a station on the IND Sixth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of Second Avenue and Houston Street on the border between the East Village and the Lower East Side, in Manhattan. It is served by the F train at all times.

History

The station opened on January 1, 1936, as part of the portion of the Sixth Avenue Line between West Fourth Street – Washington Square and East Broadway.

From December 2001 to June 2010, this station was known on transit maps and announced on digital announcements as Lower East Side – Second Avenue, when it served as the southern terminal for the V train.

Station layout

G	Street Level	Exit/ Entrance
M	Mezzanine	Fare control, station agent
P Platforms	Northbound local	← toward Jamaica – 179th Street (Broadway – Lafayette Street)
	Island platform, doors will open on the left
	Termination track	← No regular service
	Termination track	→ No regular service
	Island platform, doors will open on the left
	Southbound local	→ toward Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue (Delancey Street) →

Riders crowd the platform following the last trip of 2012's nostalgia special.

Second Avenue has two island platforms and four tracks. All trains run on the outer tracks, while the inner tracks are currently unused. When the station opened, all four Sixth Avenue tracks ran continuously from West Fourth Street through Second Avenue. During the construction of the Chrystie Street Connection in the 1950s and 1960s, the center express tracks at Broadway – Lafayette Street were severed from the tracks at Second Avenue and rerouted to the Chrystie Street subway, running through Grand Street station to the north side of the Manhattan Bridge.

West (railroad north) of the station, the inner tracks are connected by a diamond crossover before merging with the outer local tracks; this allows the station to be used as a terminal for southbound trains. East (railroad south) of the station, the local tracks continue along Houston Street before curving south into Essex Street and continuing through Delancey Street station.

The wall tiling is purple with dark purple border and lacks name tablets; the columns are concrete, and there are especially large columns with built-in benches at the centers of the platforms. Despite the station's name, the exit and mezzanine at Second Avenue is only open part-time. The full-time booth is located at the First Avenue mezzanine.

Entrances and exits

Exit location	Exit type	Number of exits	Platform served
NW corner of Houston Street and Second Avenue	Staircase	1	Both
SW corner of Houston Street and Chrystie Street	Staircase	1	Both
NW corner of Houston Street and First Avenue	Staircase	1	Both
SW corner of Houston Street and Allen Street	Staircase	1	Both

Provisions for other lines

View across the platforms at Second Avenue

IND Second System

East of the station, the center tracks also continue disused along Houston, but rise to an upper level and stub-end near Avenue A at bumper blocks. Near the end, these tail tracks begin to separate to create a provision for a center track which only extends about 10 or 15 feet and stops at the bulkhead at the end of the tunnel. It was planned that these tracks would continue under the East River to the South Fourth Street Line, part of a never-built system expansion. These tracks east of the station were previously used for train storage but became an oft-frequented spot for the homeless due to its location near local missions and soup kitchens. The area was cleared out in 1990, and corrugated metal walls with bumper blocks were installed just past the east end of the platforms to seal the tunnels.

Second Avenue Subway service

As part of the 1929 plans for the Second Avenue Subway—which would have run directly above the existing Second Avenue station—room was left for the anticipated right-of-way above the Sixth Avenue trackways and between the two mezzanines. A large, open space is still visible over the tracks and platforms.

The current plans for the Second Avenue Subway, made in the 2000s, will not use this space; the new Houston Street station will instead be built below the existing one, with a free transfer between them. The decision to use a deeper alignment under Chrystie Street was made to simplify construction and lessen impact to the community; see Grand Street for more information. Second Avenue service will be tentatively provided by the T train once Phase 3 of construction is complete. When this happens, the station will become a terminal station for southbound service. However, Phase 4 of construction will extend the line south, below Houston Street, in the direction of Hanover Square.

In addition to the current entrances, the Second Avenue Subway station will utilize a new entrance to be constructed at Second Avenue and Third Street. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Second Avenue Subway platform will be wheelchair-accessible; however, it is unknown if the Sixth Avenue Line platforms will also become accessible.

External links

• nycsubway.org—IND 6th Avenue: 2nd Avenue
• Station Reporter — F Train
• Abandoned Stations — IND Second System unfinished stations
• Second Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View
• First Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Mezzanine from Google Maps Street View
• Platforms from Google Maps Street View