View source for 231st Street station

{{Short description|New York City Subway station in the Bronx}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox NYCS
| name = 231 Street
| image = R62A 1 Train @ 231st Street.jpg
| image_caption = [[South Ferry station (IRT Broadway-Seventh Avenue Line)|South Ferry]] bound {{NYCS|1}} train arriving
| address = West 231st Street & Broadway<br>Bronx, New York
| borough = [[The Bronx]]
| locale = [[Kingsbridge, Bronx|Kingsbridge]]
| coordinates = {{coord|40.879|N|73.905|W|display=inline,title}}
| structure = Elevated
| accessible = yes
| division = IRT
| line = [[IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line]]
| service = Broadway-Seventh north local
| connection = {{Unbulleted list
   | {{bus icon}} [[NYCT Bus]]: {{NYC bus link|Bx1|Bx2|Bx7|Bx9|Bx10|Bx20}}
   | {{bus icon}} [[MTA Bus]]: {{NYC bus link|BxM1|BxM2|BxM18}}
   }}
| platforms = 2 [[side platform]]s
| tracks = 3 (2 in regular service)
| open_date = {{start date and age|1907|01|27|p=y}}
| adjacent_stations = {{Adjacent stations|system=New York City Subway
|line=Broadway-Seventh local|left=238th Street|right=Marble Hill–225th Street}}
| legend = {{NYCS infobox legend|alltimes}}
| layout = {{NYCS 3-tracked local station|inline=y
|1=238th Street
|2=Marble Hill–225th Street
|unused=yes
|deg=330
}}
}}
The '''231st Street station''' is a local [[metro station|station]] on the [[IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line]] of the [[New York City Subway]]. Located at the intersection of West 231st Street and [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]] in the [[Kingsbridge, Bronx|Kingsbridge]] neighborhood of [[the Bronx]], it is served by the [[1 (New York City Subway service)|1]] train at all times.

==History==
{{Stack|float=right|
[[File:231st street station signage.jpg|thumb|right|Signage at 231st Street station]]
}}
This station opened on January 27, 1907, as 230th Street station. It was built near the site of the originally proposed northern terminus of the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line at Bailey Avenue and 230th Street, a block southeast of the current station. It was also located near two former Kingsbridge railroad stations owned by two separate railways inherited by the [[New York Central Railroad]]; one was along a former segment of the [[Spuyten Duyvil and Port Morris Railroad]] (now the [[Hudson Line (Metro-North)|Hudson Line]]), and the other was for the [[New York and Putnam Railroad]] (now abandoned).

To address overcrowding, in 1909, the [[New York Public Service Commission]] proposed lengthening the platforms at stations along the original IRT subway.<ref name="HAER Impact">{{cite web|last=Hood|first=Clifton|date=1978|title=The Impact of the IRT in New York City|url=https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/master/pnp/habshaer/ny/ny0300/ny0387/data/ny0387data.pdf|access-date=December 20, 2020|publisher=Historic American Engineering Record|pages=146–207 (PDF pp. 147–208)}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>{{Rp|168}} As part of a modification to the IRT's construction contracts made on January 18, 1910, the company was to lengthen station platforms to accommodate ten-car express and six-car local trains. In addition to $1.5 million (equivalent to ${{inflation|fmt=c|index=US|value=1.5|start_year=1910|r=1}} million in {{inflation/year|index=US}}) spent on platform lengthening, $500,000 (equivalent to ${{inflation|fmt=c|index=US|value=0.5|start_year=1910|r=1}} million in {{inflation/year|index=US}}) was spent on building additional entrances and exits. It was anticipated that these improvements would increase capacity by 25 percent.<ref name="Report 1911">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0fBLAQAAMAAJ&q=+zoological+station&pg=PA596|title=Report of the Public Service Commission for the First District of the State of New York For The Year Ending December 31, 1910|date=1911|publisher=Public Service Commission|language=en}}</ref>{{Rp|15}} The northbound platform at the 231st Street station was extended {{convert|50|ft}} at both its north and south ends,<ref name="Report 1911"/>{{rp|114}} while the southbound platform was not lengthened.<ref name="Report 1911"/>{{rp|106}} Six-car local trains began operating in October 1910,<ref name="HAER Impact" />{{Rp|168}} and ten-car express trains began running on the West Side Line on January 24, 1911.<ref name="HAER Impact" />{{Rp|168}}<ref>{{Cite news|url-access=limited|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1911/01/23/archives/tencar-trains-in-subway-today-new-service-begins-on-lenox-av-line.html|title=Ten-car Trains in Subway to-day; New Service Begins on Lenox Av. Line and Will Be Extended to Broadway To-morrow.|date=January 23, 1911|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 5, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Subsequently, the station could accommodate six-car local trains, but ten-car trains could not open some of their doors.<ref name="BOT-1949"/>

The city government took over the IRT's operations on June 12, 1940.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1940-06-13 |title=City Transit Unity Is Now a Reality; Title to I.R.T. Lines Passes to Municipality, Ending 19-Year Campaign |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url-access=subscription|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1940/06/13/archives/city-transit-unity-is-now-a-reality-title-to-irt-lines-passes-to.html |access-date=2022-05-14 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=January 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107193115/https://www.nytimes.com/1940/06/13/archives/city-transit-unity-is-now-a-reality-title-to-irt-lines-passes-to.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="p1248134780">{{cite news |date=June 13, 1940 |title=Transit Unification Completed As City Takes Over I. R. T. Lines: Systems Come Under Single Control After Efforts Begun in 1921; Mayor Is Jubilant at City Hall Ceremony Recalling 1904 Celebration |page=25 |work=New York Herald Tribune |id={{ProQuest|1248134780}}}}</ref> Platforms at IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line stations between {{stn|103rd Street||IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line}} and {{stn|238th Street||IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line}}, including those at 231st Street, were lengthened to {{convert|514|ft}} between 1946 and 1948, allowing full ten-car express trains to stop at these stations.<ref name="BOT-1949" /> A contract for the platform extensions at 231st Street and five other stations on the line was awarded to the Rao Electrical Equipment Company and the Kaplan Electric Company in June 1946.<ref>{{Cite news|date=June 14, 1946|title=Platform Awards Made; Two Concerns to Enlarge Six Subway Stations of IRT|url-access=subscription|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1946/06/14/107134836.pdf|access-date=January 27, 2021|work=The New York Times|language=en|issn=0362-4331|page=23}}</ref> The platform extensions at these stations were opened in stages. On July 9, 1948, the platform extensions at stations between [[207th Street (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)|207th Street]] and 238th Street, including the 231st Street station, were opened for use at the cost of $423,000.<ref name="BOT-1949">{{Cite book|title=Report for the three and one-half years ending June 30, 1949.|date=1949|publisher=New York City Board of Transportation|hdl = 2027/mdp.39015023094926}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=July 10, 1948|title=More Long Platforms – Five Subway Stations on IRT to Accommodate 10-Car Trains|page=8|newspaper=The New York Times|url-access=subscription|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1948/07/10/86748393.pdf|access-date=March 27, 2016|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> At the same time, the IRT routes were given numbered designations with the introduction of [[List of New York City Subway R-type contracts|"R-type" rolling stock]], which contained [[rollsign]]s with numbered designations for each service.<ref>{{cite web | last=Brown | first=Nicole | title=How did the MTA subway lines get their letter or number? NYCurious | website=amNewYork | date=May 17, 2019 | url=https://www.amny.com/transit/nyc-subway-name-1-31116195/ | access-date=January 27, 2021}}</ref> The route to 242nd Street became known as the [[1 (New York City Subway service)|1]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Friedlander|first=Alex|last2=Lonto|first2=Arthur|last3=Raudenbush|first3=Henry|date=April 1960|title=A Summary of Services on the IRT Division, NYCTA|url=https://erausa.org/pdf/bulletin/1960/1960-01-bulletin.pdf|journal=New York Division Bulletin|publisher=Electric Railroaders' Association|volume=3|issue=1|page=2|access-date=2021-01-27|archive-date=2020-09-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200914232631/https://erausa.org/pdf/bulletin/1960/1960-01-bulletin.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2002, it was announced that 231st Street would be one of ten subway stations citywide, as well as one of five on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line, to receive renovations.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/boroughs/renovation-set-10-subway-stations-article-1.485558|title=Renovation Is Set For 10 Subway Stations|date=June 11, 2002|work=New York Daily News|access-date=January 8, 2018|language=en}}</ref>  The station was extensively renovated in 2003–2004, which included installation of elevators for both platforms to make it fully [[Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990|ADA-accessible]] and replacing the exit-only turnstiles on the 242nd Street-bound platform with both [[HEET turnstile|High Entry/Exit and Exit-only turnstiles]], allowing both access and exit from that side.{{Citation needed|date=February 2019}}

==Station layout==
[[File:W231 St IRT elevator jeh.jpg|thumb|175px|Station elevator]]
{{NYCS Platform Layout IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line/local/3 tracks/elevated}}

This elevated station has two [[side platform]]s and three tracks. The center track that bypasses this station is not used in revenue service.<ref name="tracks">{{NYCS const|trackref|trackbook3}}</ref> The station is served by the [[1 (New York City Subway service)|1]] at all times<ref>{{NYCS const|timetable|1}}</ref> and is between [[238th Street (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)|238th Street]] to the north and [[Marble Hill–225th Street (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)|Marble Hill–225th Street]] to the south.<ref name="submap">{{NYCS const|map}}</ref> This is the IRT Broadway-Seventh Avenue Line's southernmost station in the Bronx, as the Marble Hill–225th Street station is physically on the mainland of New York State, but legally part of Manhattan.<ref name="submap"/>

Both platforms have beige windscreens and red canopies with green frames and outlines in the center and green waist-high, steel fences at either ends with lampposts at regular intervals. The platforms are offset with the Manhattan-bound platform to the south of the 242nd Street-bound one. The station signs are in the standard black name plates in white lettering.

There are two sets of artwork at this station. One of them was made in 1991 and is called ''Elevated Nature I-IV'' by [[Wopo Holup]]. It consists of gray marble tiles with a green border on the platform walls of the station house. It is also located at four other stations on this line. The other artwork was made in 2007 by Felipe Galindo and is called ''Magic Realism in Kingsbridge''. It consists of stained glass panels on the platform windscreens depicting images of the surrounding area.<ref>{{Cite web|title=231st Street - Felipe Galindo - Magic Realism in Kingsbridge, 2008|url=http://web.mta.info/mta/aft/permanentart/permart.html?agency=nyct&line=1&station=1|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819111230/http://web.mta.info/mta/aft/permanentart/permart.html?agency=nyct&line=1&station=1|archive-date=August 19, 2020|access-date=August 19, 2020|website=web.mta.info|publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority}}</ref>

Each platform has an adjacent same-level station house in the center. However, only the station house of the Manhattan-bound platform is open to the public. A set of doors from the platform leads to a small waiting area and a bank of [[turnstile]]s. On the 242nd Street-bound platform, a set of [[HEET turnstile|High Entry/Exit and Exit-Only turnstiles]] lead to a passageway around the station house separated from the platform by a metal fence.

===Exits===
Outside the [[fare control]] area on the Manhattan-bound platform, there is a token booth, two staircases going down to either western corner of 231st Street and Broadway, and one elevator going down to the southwest corner. Two emergency gates on the platform lead directly to each of the staircases. Outside the fare control area on the 242nd Street-bound platform, there are two staircases going down to either eastern corner of 231st Street and Broadway and one elevator going down to the southeast corner.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://new.mta.info/sites/default/files/2018-04/231%20St%20%281%29%20web.pdf|title=231st Street Neighborhood Map|date=April 2018|website=new.mta.info|publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority|access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{NYCS ref|http://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/IRT_West_Side_Line#231st_Street|IRT West Side Line|231st Street}}
* nycsubway.org — [https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/artwork_show?231 Magic Realism in Kingsbridge Artwork by Felipe Galindo (2007)]
* nycsubway.org — [https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/artwork_show?134 Elevated Nature I-IV Artwork by Wopo Holup (1991)] along with 207th, 215th, and 225th Street stations
* Station Reporter — [https://web.archive.org/web/20060924173239/http://www.stationreporter.net/1train.htm 1 Train]
* The Subway Nut — [http://www.subwaynut.com/irt/231n1/index.html 231st Street Pictures] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706135710/http://www.subwaynut.com/irt/231n1/index.html |date=2020-07-06 }}
* MTA's Arts For Transit — [https://web.archive.org/web/20101106173003/http://www.mta.info/mta/aft/permanentart/permart.html?agency=nyct&line=1&station=1 231st Street (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)]
* [https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.879206,-73.904534&spn=0.001,0.002406&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=40.879206,-73.904534&panoid=y8qaDFszLPxcxtK4q26OVQ&cbp=12,250.74,,0,4.11 231st Street entrance from Google Maps Street View]
* [http://www.google.com/maps/@40.8789525,-73.9050236,3a,75y,6.2h,85.48t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s-Ul0hDdspb5o%2FV5l7tlT7HxI%2FAAAAAAAANE8%2FpmGZKm56AE0AzZEBKuo2sVJSUElMNVbdgCLIB!2e4!3e11!6s%2F%2Flh3.googleusercontent.com%2F-Ul0hDdspb5o%2FV5l7tlT7HxI%2FAAAAAAAANE8%2FpmGZKm56AE0AzZEBKuo2sVJSUElMNVbdgCLIB%2Fw203-h100-p-k-no%2F!7i9728!8i4864!4m3!8m2!3m1!1e1!6m1!1e1 Platforms from Google Maps Street View]

{{NYCS stations navbox by service|l1=y}}
{{NYCS stations navbox by line|7ave=yes}}
{{Broadway (Manhattan)|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:231st Street (Irt Broadway - Seventh Avenue Line)}}
[[Category:IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line stations]]
[[Category:Broadway (Manhattan)]]
[[Category:U.S. Route 9]]
[[Category:New York City Subway stations in the Bronx]]
[[Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1907]]
[[Category:Riverdale, Bronx]]
[[Category:1907 establishments in New York City]]
[[Category:Kingsbridge, Bronx]]