Inwood–207th Street station

For the station at West 207th Street & 10th Avenue, see 207th Street station. For the station at Doughty Boulevard in Nassau County, see Inwood station (LIRR).

The Inwood–207th Street station (formerly Washington Heights–207th Street) is the northern terminal station of the IND Eighth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 207th Street and Broadway in the Manhattan neighborhood of Inwood, near Inwood Hill Park, it is served by the A train at all times.

Inwood–207 Street
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Entrance
Station statistics
Address	West 207th Street & Broadway New York, NY 10034
Borough	Manhattan
Locale	Inwood
Coordinates	40°52′04″N 73°55′16″W / 40.867672°N 73.921165°W / 40.867672; -73.921165
Division	B (IND)^[1]
Line	IND Eighth Avenue Line
Services	A  (all times)
Transit	NYCT Bus: Bx7, Bx12, Bx12 SBS, Bx20 MTA Bus: BxM1
Structure	Underground
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	September 10, 1932; 91 years ago (1932-09-10)^[2]
Accessible	ADA-accessible
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Former/other names	Washington Heights–207th Street
Other entrances/ exits	Broadway and 207th Street, Broadway & 211th Street/Isham Street
Traffic
2019	3,150,731^[4]  12.7%
Rank	157 out of 424^[4]
Services Preceding station New York City Subway Following station Terminus Dyckman Street toward Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue or Ozone Park–Lefferts Boulevard
Location Show map of New York City Subway Show map of New York City Show map of New York
Track layout Legend to Dyckman Street
Street map
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times

History

New York City mayor John Francis Hylan's original plans for the Independent Subway System (IND), proposed in 1922, included building over 100 miles (160 km) of new lines and taking over nearly 100 miles (160 km) of existing lines. The lines were designed to compete with the existing underground, surface, and elevated lines operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and BMT.^[5][6] On December 9, 1924, the New York City Board of Transportation (BOT) gave preliminary approval for the construction of the IND Eighth Avenue Line.^[7] This line consisted of a corridor connecting Inwood, Manhattan, to Downtown Brooklyn, running largely under Eighth Avenue but also paralleling Greenwich Avenue and Sixth Avenue in Lower Manhattan.^[7][8] The BOT announced a list of stations on the new line in February 1928, with a station at 207th Street.^[9]

The finishes at the five stations between 175th and 207th Street were 18 percent completed by May 1930.^[10] By that August, the BOT reported that the Eighth Avenue Line was nearly completed and that the stations from 116th to 207th Street were 99.9 percent completed.^[11] The entire line was completed by September 1931, except for the installation of turnstiles.^[12] A preview event for the new subway was hosted on September 8, 1932, two days before the official opening.^[13][14] The 207th Street station opened on September 10, 1932, as part of the city-operated IND's initial segment, the Eighth Avenue Line between Chambers Street and 207th Street.^[15][16] It was originally known as Washington Heights–207th Street.

This station was renovated in the late 1990s, and the contract for the project's design was awarded in May 1994.^{[17]: C-28–C-30} Elevators were added to the station at some point, making it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Station layout

Ground	Street level	Exit/entrance
Mezzanine		Fare control, station agent, MetroCard machines   Elevator at southwest corner of Broadway and 207th Street
Platform level	Track 4	toward Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue, Ozone Park–Lefferts Boulevard or Rockaway Park–Beach 116th Street (Dyckman Street) →
	Island platform
	Track 3	toward Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue, Ozone Park–Lefferts Boulevard or Rockaway Park–Beach 116th Street (Dyckman Street) →

 

Platform view

This underground station has a single island platform between the two tracks, which end at bumper blocks just north of the platform. To the immediate south is an interlocking made up of a diamond crossover that allows trains to get to the correct track, and then proceed to share the right of way with the 207th Street Yard leads to Dyckman Street, which is the next station south.^[18][19] The mezzanine and street elevator shaft includes artwork titled At the Start...At Long Last by Sheila Levrant de Bretteville.^[19] The terminal is operated by a Dispatcher's Office at the south end, while the Interlocking Plant is controlled by the CTC located in the 207th Street Yard.^[19] The mezzanine connecting the north and south exits of the station is closed, and is used for employee facilities.^[20]

The station's tiles are colored maroon. This was part of a color-coded tile system used throughout the IND.^[21] The tile colors were designed to facilitate navigation for travelers going away from Lower Manhattan. As such, the maroon tiles used at the 207th Street station are also used at 168th Street, the first express station to the south, as well as at other stations on the Eighth Avenue Line north of 168th Street.^[22][23]

Exits

The main exit to the station consists of three street stairs and an elevator at Broadway and 207th Street. The elevator is at the northwest corner while one stair leads from the other three corners. The north exit to the station has two street stairs to either northern corner of Broadway, Isham Street, and 211th Street.^[24]

There is also a closed exit that led to the northwest corner of 207th Street and Broadway. This stair was located inside a building and had been closed after it was severely damaged after a fire. Several turns were required to access the staircase, creating poor sight-lines. In June 1994, the MTA Board approved a plan to permanently close the entrance, allowing the passageway to be sealed with brick-and-mortar at either end. At this point, the entrance had been closed for several years. It was estimated that the entrance would have been used by 400 daily passengers. A public meeting was held in May 1994, along with proposed station access changes at other stations.^[25] The elevator entrance is located near this old staircase.

Nearby points of interest

• Inwood Hill Park^[24]
• Isham Park^[24]

References

1. "Glossary". (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. "List of the 28 Stations on the New 8th Av. Line". The New York Times. September 10, 1932. p. 6. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
3. "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership 2014–2019". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
4. "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership 2014–2019". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
5. "Two Subway Routes Adopted by City". The New York Times. August 4, 1923. p. 9. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
6. "Plans Now Ready to Start Subways". The New York Times. March 12, 1924. p. 1. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
7. "Hylan Subway Plan Links Four Boroughs at $450,000,000 Cost". The New York Times. December 10, 1924. p. 1. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
8. Raskin, Joseph B. (2013). The Routes Not Taken: A Trip Through New York City's Unbuilt Subway System. New York, New York: Fordham University Press. doi:10.5422/fordham/9780823253692.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-82325-369-2.
9. "Express and Local Stations For New Eighth Avenue Line". New York Herald Tribune. February 5, 1928. p. B1. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1113431477.
10. "Progress is Rapid on 8th Av. Subway; Board's Engineers Report Spurt in Building Is Likely to Open the Line in July, 1930". The New York Times. May 26, 1930. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
11. "Eighth Av. Subway Nearly Completed; Basic Construction Work From Chambers to 207th St. Done Except on Few Short Stretches". The New York Times. August 24, 1930. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
12. O'Brien, John C. (September 9, 1931). "8th Ave. Line Being Rushed For Use Jan. 1: Turnstile Installation on Subway Begins Monday; Other Equipment Ready for Start of Train Service City Has Yet to Find Operating Company Transit Official on Trip, 207th to Canal Street, Inspects Finished Tube". New York Herald Tribune. p. 1. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1331181357.
13. "Sightseers Invade New Subway When Barricade Is lifted". The New York Times. September 9, 1932. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
14. "8th Av. Subway Gets First 5c. by Woman's Error: She Peers Into a Station, Hears Train, Pays for Ride, but Is Day Too Early Preparing for Tomorrow's Rush on 8th Ave. Subway". New York Herald Tribune. September 9, 1932. p. 1. ProQuest 1125436641.
15. Crowell, Paul (September 10, 1932). "Gay Midnight Crowd Rides First Trains In The New Subway: Throngs at Station an Hour Before Time, Rush Turnstiles When Chains are Dropped" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
16. Sebring, Lewis B. (September 10, 1932). "Midnight Jam Opens City's New Subway: Turnstiles Click Into Action at 12:01 A. M. as Throngs Battle for Places in 'First' Trains Boy, 7, Leads Rush At 42d St. Station City at Last Hails 8th Ave. Line After 7-Year Wait; Cars Bigger, Clean Transit Commissioner Officially Opening New Subway at Midnight". New York Herald Tribune. p. 1. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1114839882.
17. NYC Transit Committee Agenda May 1994. New York City Transit. May 16, 1994.
18. Dougherty, Peter (2006) [2002]. Tracks of the New York City Subway 2006 (3rd ed.). Dougherty. OCLC 49777633 – via Google Books.
19. (PDF) (Report). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. December 11, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 3, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
20. "207 Street (A)". www.subwaynut.com. from the original on April 29, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
21. "Tile Colors a Guide in the New Subway; Decoration Scheme Changes at Each Express Stop to Tell Riders Where They Are". The New York Times. August 22, 1932. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
22. Carlson, Jen (February 18, 2016). "Map: These Color Tiles In The Subway System Used To Mean Something". Gothamist. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
23. Gleason, Will (February 18, 2016). "The hidden meaning behind the New York subway's colored tiles". Time Out New York. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
24. "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Inwood" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
25. * NYC Transit Committee Agenda June 1994. New York City Transit. June 10, 1994. pp. D.101.
    • NYC Transit Committee Agenda June 1994. New York City Transit. June 10, 1994. pp. D.103.
    • NYC Transit Committee Agenda June 1994. New York City Transit. June 10, 1994. pp. D.105.
    • NYC Transit Committee Agenda June 1994. New York City Transit. June 10, 1994. pp. D.127.
    • NYC Transit Committee Agenda June 1994. New York City Transit. June 10, 1994. pp. D.128.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Inwood – 207th Street (IND Eighth Avenue Line).

• nycsubway.org – IND 8th Avenue: 207th Street
• nycsubway.org – At the Start... At Long Last Artwork by Sheila Levrant de Bretteville (1999)
• Station Reporter –
• Station Reporter –
• MTA's Arts For Transit –
• The Subway Nut — Inwood–207th Street Pictures^{[permanent dead link]}
• 207th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Isham Street/211th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Platform from Google Maps Street View