Prospect Avenue station (IRT White Plains Road Line)


Prospect Avenue is a local station on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Prospect and Westchester Avenues in the Bronx, it is served by the train at all times, and the train at all times except late nights and rush hours in the peak direction.

History

The initial segment of the IRT White Plains Road Line opened on November 26, 1904 between 180th Street–Bronx Park and Jackson Avenue. Initially, trains on the line were served by elevated trains from the IRT Second Avenue Line and the IRT Third Avenue Line. Once the connection to the IRT Lenox Avenue Line opened on July 10, 1905, trains from the newly opened IRT subway ran via the line.
The Bergen Avenue cutoff, which allowed Third Avenue trains to access the White Plains Road Line, was abandoned on November 5, 1946, as part of the gradual curtailment of elevated service on the IRT Third Avenue Line. On June 13, 1949, the platform extensions at this station, as well as those on White Plains Road Line stations between Jackson Avenue and 177th Street, opened. The platforms were lengthened to to allow full ten-car express trains to open their doors. Previously the stations could only accommodate six-car local trains.
This station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 17, 2004. It was renovated in 2006.

Station layout

The station has three tracks and two side platforms. The center express track is used by the 5 train during rush hours in the peak direction.
The center of both platforms have beige windscreens with green frames, red canopies, and green support columns. The ends have waist high, green steel fences with lampposts at regular intervals. The station signs are in the standard black station name plate with white lettering.
As with other original IRT elevated viaducts, the elevated structure at Prospect Avenue is carried on two column bents, one on each side of the road, at places where the tracks are no more than above the ground level. There is zigzag lateral bracing at intervals of every four panels.
The 2006 artwork here is called Bronx, Four Seasons by Ukrainian artist Marina Tsersarskaya. It consists of stained glass panels on the platform windscreens and station houses depicting images related the four seasons of meteorology.

Exits

This station is very close to street level. As a result, the stations houses are adjacent to their respective platforms and there are no crossovers or crossunders.
On the Manhattan-bound side, one staircase from the northwest corner of Westchester Avenue and 160th Street goes up to the north side of the station house. Another from the northern intersection of Prospect Avenue and 160th Street goes up to the south side. Inside the station house, there is a token booth, turnstile bank, waiting area, and doors leading to the platform. The platform has two exit-only turnstiles, each of which leads to one of the street stairs.
On the northbound side, two staircases from the northeast corner of Longwood and Westchester Avenues go up to the north side of the station house, which has a now closed customer assistance booth, turnstile bank, waiting area, and doors leading directly to the platform. A high exit-only turnstile from the platform leads directly to the staircases. Towards the south end of the platform, another exit-only turnstile leads to a double-flight staircase going down to the northeast corner of Prospect and Westchester Avenue. Both station houses have heaters.