Freeman Street station

Freeman Street is a local station on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Freeman Street and Southern Boulevard in the Bronx, it is served by the 2 train at all times, and the 5 train at all times except late nights and rush hours in the peak direction.

Freeman Street  ​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Platform level
Station statistics
Address	Freeman Street & Southern Boulevard Bronx, NY 10459
Borough	The Bronx
Locale	Crotona Park East, East Morrisania
Coordinates	40.83°N 73.892°W
Division	A (IRT)
Line	IRT White Plains Road Line
Services	2  (all times) ​   5  (all times except rush hours in the peak direction and late nights)
Transit	NYCT Bus: Bx19
Structure	Elevated
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	3
Other information
Opened	November 26, 1904 (3rd Ave. Line; Bergen Avenue By-pass) July 10, 1905 (White Plains Rd. Line)
Station code	429[1]
Opposite- direction transfer	No
Traffic
2019	1,358,821[2]  0.3%
Rank	316 out of 424[2]
Station succession
Next north	174th Street: 2  ​5
Next south	Simpson Street: 2  ​5
Location
Track layout to 174th St to Simpson St
Street map
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction

History

Early 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.[3][4][5]

In 1909, to address overcrowding, the New York Public Service Commission proposed lengthening platforms at stations along the original IRT subway.[6]^:168 On January 18, 1910, a modification was made to Contracts 1 and 2 to lengthen station platforms to accommodate ten-car express and six-car local trains. In addition to $1.5 million (equivalent to $41.2 million in 2019) spent on platform lengthening, $500,000 (equivalent to $13,719,643 in 2019) was spent on building additional entrances and exits. It was anticipated that these improvements would increase capacity by 25 percent.[7]^:15 The northbound platform at the Freeman Street station was extended 50 feet (15 m) to the front and 40 feet (12 m) to the rear,[7]^:114 while the southbound platform was not lengthened.[7]^:106 On January 23, 1911, ten-car express trains began running on the White Plains Road Line.[6]^:168[8]

Station renovations

In Fiscal Year 1915, an additional stairway was being added to the station.[9]

The New York State Transit Commission announced plans to extend the southbound platforms at seven stations on the line from Jackson Avenue to 177th Street to accommodate ten-car trains for $81,900 on August 8, 1934. The platform at Freeman Street would be lengthened from 350 feet (110 m) to 505 feet (154 m).[10]

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.[4] 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 514 feet (157 m) to allow full ten-car express trains to open their doors. Previously, the stations could only platform six-car local trains.[11]

The station was renovated in 2004.

Station layout

P Platform level	Side platform
	Northbound local	← toward 241st Street (174th Street) ← toward Dyre Avenue (174th Street)
	Peak-direction express	← PM rush does not stop here → ← AM rush does not stop here →
	Southbound local	← toward Flatbush Avenue via Seventh (Simpson Street) → ← toward Flatbush Avenue via Lexington weekdays, Bowling Green evenings/weekends (Simpson Street) →
	Side platform
G	Street level	Exit/entrance

Northern street stair

This elevated station, which resembles the Prospect Avenue station, has three tracks and two curved side platforms.

As with other original IRT elevated viaducts, the elevated structure at Freeman Street is carried on two column bents, one on each side of the road, at places where the tracks are no more than 29 feet (8.8 m) above the ground level. There is zigzag lateral bracing at intervals of every four panels.[12]

The MTA Arts & Design artwork at this station consists of 4 faceted-glass windbreaks and 2 niche windows designed by the artist Daniel Hauben. The windbreaks were fabricated by Gordon Stained Glass Studios.

Exits

The station has heaters, as well as a wooden mezzanine, floor, and open old booth similar to the one at Simpson Street. Exits lead to all corners of Freeman Street and Southern Boulevard.[13]

References

1. "Station Developers' Information". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
2. "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership 2014–2019". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
3. "Discuss Subway Signs in 18th St. Station" (PDF). The New York Times. November 27, 1904. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 24, 2020.
4. Kahn, Alan Paul (January 1, 1973). Tracks of New York /. New York : Electric Railroaders' Association.
5. "Subway Trains Running From Bronx to Battery" (PDF). The New York Times. July 10, 1905. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 24, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
6. Hood, Clifton (1978). "The Impact of the IRT in New York City" (PDF). Historic American Engineering Record. pp. 146–207 (PDF pp. 147–208). Retrieved December 20, 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
7. Report of the Public Service Commission for the First District of the State of New York For The Year Ending December 31, 1910. Public Service Commission. 1911.
8. "Ten-car Trains in Subway to-day; New Service Begins on Lenox Av. Line and Will Be Extended to Broadway To-morrow". The New York Times. January 23, 1911. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
9. 1914-1915 Annual Report of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company for the Year Ended June 30, 1915. Interborough Rapid Transit Company. 1915. p. 14.
10. "I.R.T. To Extend Stations. Platform Changes to Be Made on White Plains Line". The New York Times. August 9, 1934. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
11. Report for the three and one-half years ending June 30, 1949. New York City Board of Transportation. 1949. hdl:2027/mdp.39015023094926.
12. Transit Journal. 1904. p. 470. Retrieved 2020-04-16. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain..
13. "Freeman Street Neighborhood Map" (PDF). new.mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. April 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2019.

External links

• nycsubway.org – IRT White Plains Road Line: Freeman Street
• nycsubway.org — The El Artwork by Daniel Hauben (2005)
• Station Reporter — 2 Train
• Station Reporter — 5 Train
• The Subway Nut — Freeman Street Pictures
• MTA's Arts For Transit — Freeman Street (IRT White Plains Road Line)
• Freeman Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Platforms from Google Maps Street View (at Night)
• Platforms from Google Maps Street View (Daytime)