14th Street–Union Square station

For other uses, see14th Street.

The14th Street–Union Square stationis aNew York City Subwaystationcomplex shared by theBMT Broadway Line,theBMT Canarsie Lineand theIRT Le xing ton Avenue Line.It is located at the intersection ofFourth Avenueand14th Street,underneathUnion Square ParkinManhattan.The complex is near the border of several neighborhoods, including theEast Villageto the southeast,Greenwich Villageto the south and southwest,Chelseato the northwest, and both theFlatiron DistrictandGramercy Parkto the north and northeast. The 14th Street–Union Square station is served by the4,6,L,N,andQtrains at all times; the5andRtrains at all times except late nights; theWtrain on weekdays; and<6>train weekdays in the peak direction.

14 Street–Union Square ​​​​​​​
New York City Subwaystation complex
Station entrance within Union Square Park
Station statistics
Address	East 14th Street, Park Avenue South & Broadway New York, New York
Borough	Manhattan
Locale	Union Square
Coordinates	40°44′05″N73°59′25″W
Division	A(IRT),B(BMT)
Line	BMT Broadway Line BMT Canarsie Line IRT Le xing ton Avenue Line
Services	4(all times) ​5(all times except late nights) ​6(all times)<6>(weekdays until 8:45 p.m., peak direction)​ L(all times)​ N(all times) ​Q(all times) ​R(all except late nights) ​W(weekdays only)
Transit	NYCT Bus:M1,M2,M3,M14A SBS,M14D SBS,SIM7,SIM33,X27,X28
Structure	Underground
Levels	3
Other information
Opened	July 1, 1948(1948-07-01)
Accessible	PartiallyADA-accessible(BMT Broadway Line&BMT Canarsie Lineplatforms only)
Traffic
2023	21,527,757 20.9%
Rank	4 out of 423
Location
Street map
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times except late nights Stops all times Stops weekdays during the day Stops rush hours in the peak direction only
14th Street–Union Square Subway Station (IRT; Dual System BMT)
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
MPS	New York City Subway System MPS
NRHP referenceNo.	05000671
Added to NRHP	July 6, 2005

The Le xing ton Avenue Line platforms were built for theInterborough Rapid Transit Company(IRT) as an express station on thecity's first subway line,which was approved in 1900. The station opened on October 27, 1904, as one of the original 28 stations of the New York City Subway. As part of theDual Contracts,the Broadway Line platforms opened in 1917 and the Canarsie Line platform opened in 1924. Several modifications have been made to the stations over the years, and they were combined on July 1, 1948. The complex was renovated in the 1990s and was placed on theNational Register of Historic Placesin 2005.

The Le xing ton Avenue Line station has two abandonedside platforms,twoisland platforms,and four tracks, while the parallel Broadway Line station has two island platforms and four tracks. The Canarsie Line station, crossing under both of the other stations, has one island platform and two tracks. Numerous elevators make most of the complex, except for the Le xing ton Avenue Line station, compliant with theAmericans with Disabilities Act of 1990(ADA). In 2019, over 32 million passengers entered this station, making it the fourth-busiest station in the system.

History

First subway

Views of the 14th Street IRT station in 1904

Under construction

Just prior to opening

Planning for asubwayline in New York City dates to 1864.However, development of what would become thecity's first subway linedid not start until 1894, when theNew York State Legislaturepassed the Rapid Transit Act.The subway plans were drawn up by a team of engineers led byWilliam Barclay Parsons,chief engineer of the Rapid Transit Commission. It called for a subway line fromNew York City Hallinlower Manhattanto theUpper West Side,where two branches would lead north intothe Bronx.A plan was formally adopted in 1897,and all legal conflicts concerning the route alignment were resolved near the end of 1899.The Rapid Transit Construction Company, organized byJohn B. McDonaldand funded byAugust Belmont Jr.,signed the initial Contract 1 with the Rapid Transit Commission in February 1900,in which it would construct the subway and maintain a 50-year operating lease from the opening of the line.In 1901, the firm ofHeins & LaFargewas hired to design the underground stations.Belmont incorporated theInterborough Rapid Transit Company(IRT) in April 1902 to operate the subway.

The 14th Street station was constructed as part of the route segment from Great Jones Street to 41st Street. Construction on this section of the line began on September 12, 1900. The section from Great Jones Street to a point 100 feet (30 m) north of 33rd Street was awarded to Holbrook, Cabot & Daly Contracting Company.Twostreetcartracks on Union Square East were temporarily relocated to one side of the street while contractors excavated through solid rock on the site.During the line's construction, the contractors installed a temporary compressed-air plant in Union Square, prompting a lawsuit from the operator of a nearby hotel.TheNew York Court of Appealsruled in 1902 that the contractors had to disassemble the compressed-air plant and to stop storing materials in Union Square Park.By late 1903, the subway was nearly complete, but theIRT Powerhouseand the system'selectrical substationswere still under construction, delaying the system's opening.The 14th Street station opened on October 27, 1904, as one of the original 28 stations of the New York City Subway fromCity Hallto145th Streeton theBroadway–Seventh Avenue Line.

The opening of the 14th Street station turned Union Square into a major transportation hub.With the northward relocation of the city's theater district, Union Square became a major wholesaling district with several loft buildings, as well as numerous office buildings.Initially, the IRT station was served by local and express trains along both the West Side (now the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line toVan Cortlandt Park–242nd Street) and East Side (now theLenox Avenue Line). West Side local trains had their southern terminus at City Hall during rush hours andSouth Ferryat other times, and had their northern terminus at 242nd Street. East Side local trains ran from City Hall toLenox Avenue (145th Street).Express trains had their southern terminus at South Ferry orAtlantic Avenueand had their northern terminus at 242nd Street, Lenox Avenue (145th Street), orWest Farms(180th Street).Express trains to 145th Street were later eliminated, and West Farms express trains and rush-hour Broadway express trains operated through to Brooklyn.As part of an experiment to improve the subway line's ventilation, the Rapid Transit Commission installed large fans at the 14th Street station in July 1905.

A view of the now-closed side platform at 14th Street in 1905

To address overcrowding, in 1909, theNew York Public Service Commissionproposed lengthening the platforms at stations along the original IRT subway.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 $49.1 million in 2023) spent on platform lengthening, $500,000 (equivalent to $16.4 million in 2023) was spent on building additional entrances and exits. It was anticipated that these improvements would increase capacity by 25 percent.At the 14th Street station, the northbound island platform was extended 55 feet (17 m) north and 100 feet (30 m) south, while the southbound island platform was extended 128 feet (39 m) north, necessitating the replacement of some structural steel north of the intersection of Fourth Avenue and 13th Street.Gap fillers were added to the southbound island platform at this time.Six-car local trains began operating in October 1910.On January 23, 1911, ten-car express trains began running on the Lenox Avenue Line, and the following day, ten-car express trains were inaugurated on the West Side Line. In 1918, the Le xing ton Avenue Line opened north ofGrand Central–42nd Street,and the original line was divided into an H-shaped system. All trains at the 14th Street–Union Square station were sent via the Le xing ton Avenue Line.

Dual Contracts

After the original IRT opened, the city began planning new lines. TheNew York Public Service Commissionadopted plans for what was known as the Broadway–Le xing ton Avenue route (later theBroadway Line) on December 31, 1907.A proposed Tri-borough system was adopted in early 1908, incorporating the Broadway Line. Operation of the line was assigned to theBrooklyn Rapid Transit Company(BRT; after 1923, theBrooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporationor BMT) in theDual Contracts,adopted on March 4, 1913. The Dual Contracts also entailed a subway route under 14th Street, to run toCanarsiein Brooklyn; this became the BMT'sCanarsie Line.

Broadway Line

In May 1913, the Public Service Commission began receiving bids for Section 4 of the Broadway Line, betweenHouston Streetand Union Square. This was the first construction contract to be placed for bidding after the Dual Contracts had been signed.The next month, the Dock Contractor Company submitted a low bid of $2.578 million.This section was to include a station at Union Square between 14th and 16th Streets.Local civic group Broadway Association and various property owners objected to the fact that Dock Contractor was to receive the contract, citing the firm's lack of experience.The Public Service Commission approved Dock Contractor's bid despite these objections,and the contract was awarded later that month.The section between 16th and 26th Streets was awarded to the E. E. Smith Construction Company in September 1913for $2.057 million (equivalent to $63.414 million in 2023).

From the outset, the 14th Street–Union Square station was intended as an express station on the Broadway Line.To save money, the station was built using anopen cutmethod. A 120-foot-wide (37 m) strip of land, running diagonally through Union Square Park, was closed and excavated.By late 1913, large portions of Union Square Park had been demolished for the construction of the Broadway Line's Union Square station.New York City's parks commissioner promised members of the public that the park would be remodeled after the station was finished.Because the Dual Contracts specified that the street surfaces needed to remain intact during the system's construction, a temporary web of timber supports was erected to support the streets overhead while the BMT platforms were being constructed.

The Broadway Line south of 14th Street was near completion by February 1916,and workers began restoring the section of Union Square Park above the 14th Street station.The same month, the Public Service Commission began accepting bids for the installation of finishes at seven stations on the Broadway Line fromRector Streetto 14th Street.D. C. Gerber submitted a $346,000 low bid for the finishes.The section of the line north of 14th Street, by contrast, was still incomplete.Although it was technically possible for the BRT to terminate trains at Union Square, the line would not be profitable until it was extended at least to34th Street.The Broadway Line's 14th Street–Union Square station opened on September 4, 1917, as the northern terminus of the first section of the line between 14th Street andCanal Street.Initially, it only served local trains.Within three months of the Broadway Line station's opening, the 14th Street–Union Square station recorded more daily passengers than either theGrand Central–42nd Street stationor theBrooklyn Bridge–Chambers Street station,leadingWomen's Wearto describe the Union Square complex as "probably the world's greatest underground traffic point".

On January 5, 1918, the Broadway Line was extended north toTimes Square–42nd Streetand south toRector Street,and express service started on the line.For about three weeks, a shuttle service ran between Union Square and Times Square. Local trains from Brooklyn began running through to Times Square on January 27.While local trains terminated at the Times Square station, express trains from Brooklyn continued to terminate at Union Square until a northward extension to57th Streetopened in July 1919, allowing express trains to operate to Times Square.To aid navigation, in 1920, the BRT installed illuminated signs on the southbound platforms of Union Square and two other Broadway Line stations.

Canarsie Line

Staircase connecting one of the Broadway Line platforms to the Canarsie Line platform

At Union Square, the BRT's Canarsie Line was to pass under both the Broadway and Le xing ton Avenue lines.Booth and Flinnwas awarded the first contract for the line, namely a tunnel under theEast River,in January 1916.At the time, the Public Service Commission was completing plans for the rest of the line;the commission began accepting bids for two parts of the line within Manhattan, sections 1 and 2. in April 1916.The next month, Booth and Flinn won the contract for section 1, which was to cost $2.528 million (equivalent to $70.784 million in 2023).By early 1919, the section of the line under 14th Street was about 20 percent completed.

In 1922, the Charles H. Brown & Son Corporation was contracted to build out the Canarsie Line's stations in Manhattan, including the Union Square station.Track-laying in the tunnels between Sixth andMontrose Avenuesstarted in the last week of October 1922.A passageway between the Broadway and Canarsie Line stations at Union Square was completed in late 1923.The Canarsie Line station at Union Square opened on June 30, 1924, as the second-westernmost stop on the 14th Street–Eastern Line, which ran fromSixth Avenueunder theEast Riverand throughWilliamsburgto Montrose and Bushwick Avenues.Service was extended east to Canarsie on July 14, 1928, stopping at Union Square.The extension of service to Canarsie and Sixth Avenue reduced overcrowding at theCanal Street stationin Lower Manhattan.

1920s and 1930s modifications

In 1922, the Rapid Transit Commission awarded a contract to the Wagner Engineering Company for the installation of navigational signs at the Union Square station and several other major subway stations. The IRT platforms received blue-and-white signs, while the BMT platforms received red-white-and-green navigational signs.The Broadway Line station's platforms originally could only fit six 67-foot-long (20 m) cars. In 1926, theNew York City Board of Transportation(BOT) received bids for the lengthening of platforms at nine stations on the Broadway Line, including the 14th Street station, to accommodate eight-car trains. Edwards & Flood submitted a low bid of $101,750 for the project.The platform-lengthening project was completed in 1927, bringing the length of the Broadway Line platforms to 535 feet (163 m).

In May 1928, theNew York City Board of Estimateawarded a $607,223 contract to improve transfers between the Canarsie and Broadway lines at Union Square,which was expected to help relieve crowding at Canal Street.The low bidder was the Hart & Early Co. Work on the transfer between the Broadway and Canarsie lines began that August.The project involved constructing a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m²) mezzanineand raising and re-landscaping the adjacent portion of Union Square Park to provide enough headroom.Existing statues in the park were relocated as part of improvements to the park.In addition, the contractor added twelve stairs from the mezzanine to the Broadway Line platforms and twelve stairs from the mezzanine to the Canarsie Line platform.The mezzanine and stairs were intended to accommodate 2,000 passengers per minute in either direction,and the rebuilt station would be capable of accommodating 50 million passengers per year.At the time, the Union Square station was one of the city's busiest, with 52 million annual passengers.The renovation was nearly completed by mid-1931.

Later years

1940s to 1970s

The city government took over the BMT's operations on June 1, 1940,and the IRT's operations on June 12.In September 1945, theNew York City Clubpresented a proposal for improving service on the IRT Le xing ton Avenue Line. The 14th Street–Union Square station on the IRT line would have been relocated about 500 feet (150 m) northward, requiring the closure of the 18th Street station. Since the plan entailed having local trains terminate at 14th Street instead of at City Hall, the local platforms would be rebuilt at a lower level, with a crossover next to the station. In addition, all local trains would be lengthened from six to ten cars. This plan was not implemented.The transfer between the IRT and BMT platforms was placed insidefare controlon July 1, 1948.As part of a pilot program, the BOT installed three-dimensional advertisements at the Union Square station in late 1948.The BOT studied the feasibility of building an underpass from the station to the eastern side of Union Square East at 15th Street in January 1949,andLoft Inc.opened a candy store in the BMT mezzanine that April.

During 1956, theCentral Savings BankandUnion Square Savings Bankboth opened branches on the Union Square station's mezzanine.TheNew York City Transit Authority(NYCTA) lengthened both of the Le xing ton Avenue Line platforms by 150 feet (46 m) as part of a $1.3 million project that was completed at the beginning of 1958. After the extensions were completed, the NYCTA began requiring that, during PM rush hours, alighting Le xing ton Avenue Line riders use only one of the staircases on the northbound platform to reduce congestion.In the 1960s, the NYCTA started a project to lengthen station platforms on the Broadway Line to 615 feet (187 m) to accommodate 10-car trains.As part of the project, the Broadway Line platforms at Union Square were extended 85 feet (26 m) to the north.Additionally, the NYCTA installed a closed-circuit television system on the Le xing ton Avenue Line platforms in 1965 as part of a pilot program to deter crime there.

Efforts were made to renovate the Union Square station during the late 1970s as part of an effort to redevelop the area around Union Square.During this time, $1.2 million was raised for a renovation of the Union Square station.This included $120,000 raised by the 14th Street–Union Square Area Project and theMetropolitan Transportation Authority(MTA), as well as $900,000 from the federal government.The renovation, which was limited to the complex's mezzanine level, coincided with the original IRT line's 75th anniversary.Local civic groups, the MTA, and theNew York City Transit Authoritybegan soliciting bids for the station's renovation in December 1978.The project included relocating turnstiles away from hallways, closing or straightening some passageways, removing most concession stands,and relocating a district headquarters for theNew York City Transit Policeto the station.The renovation, which had been completed by 1980,was one of the first such projects conducted through the MTA's Adopt-a-Station program.

1980s and early 1990s

The MTA evicted 25 businesses, who occupied a combined 8,000 square feet (740 m²), from the station's mezzanine in 1981 to free up space.That year, the MTA listed the Union Square station on the Le xing ton Avenue Line among the 69 most deteriorated stations in the subway system.The MTA provided funding for a further renovation of the Union Square station in its 1985–1989 capital plan.By 1982, the entrances in the southern portion of Union Square were to be renovated as part of a refurbishment of Union Square Park.The entrances had been renovated by 1985.The MTA also renovated 10,600 square feet (980 m²) of storefronts at the station in 1984.Seven storefronts received glass enclosures.

The subway entrance in the Zeckendorf Towers

During the mid-1980s, theNew York City Department of City Planningpreparedzoningguidelines for the Union Square area, which would allow a greater maximum floor area ratio in exchange for subway improvements.William Zeckendorf,who was developing the adjacentZeckendorf Towers,agreed in 1984 to build and maintain subway entrances within Zeckendorf Towers as "a public benefit", in exchange for being allowed to increase the towers' floor area by 20 percent.This was because ofzoningrules that required many developers inLower Manhattan,Midtown Manhattan,andDowntown Brooklynto relocate and maintain subway entrances that were formerly on the street.In exchange for adding and maintaining an entrance with escalators and elevators at the building's base, Zeckendorf was allowed to add 153,006 square feet (14,214.7 m²) to his building.The Zeckendorf plan received some opposition from members of the publicbut was approved by theNew York City Board of Estimatein early 1985.As part of the construction of Zeckendorf Towers the 14th Street–Union Square station was partially renovated in the late 1980s.The modifications included a modification of the mezzanine, a new station entrance with escalators under Zeckendorf Towers, and a new station entrance at 15th Street.In addition, to speed up passenger flow, dozens of platform conductors were assigned to direct crowds on the Le xing ton Avenue Line platforms during the late 1980s.

On August 28, 1991,an accident just north of the IRT stationkilled five passengers and injured 215 others in one of the deadliest incidents in New York City Subway history.The derailment occurred at the entry to a former pocket track on the Le xing ton Avenue Line station, which was removed after the accident.The operator of a southbound 4 train was supposed to switch to the local track because the express track was being repaired. The train was traveling 40 mph (64 km/h) in a 10 mph (16 km/h) zone, and the train derailed after the first car traveled through the switch. Five cars were damaged heavily, being scrapped on site, and the track infrastructure suffered heavy structural damage as a result.The entire infrastructure, including signals, switches, track, roadbed, cabling, and 23 support columns were replaced.

1990s renovation

An elevator from the mezzanine to the southbound Broadway Line platform, one of several installed in the station's renovation during the 1990s and 2000s

In April 1993, theNew York State Legislatureagreed to give the MTA $9.6 billion for capital improvements. Some of the funds would be used to renovate nearly one hundred New York City Subway stations,including all three stations at 14th Street–Union Square.On July 9, 1993, the contract for the project's design was awarded for $2.993 million. As part of the contract, the consultant investigated whether the MTA could reconfigure the IRT passageway, reframe the exit structure on the Le xing ton Avenue platforms to accommodate the relocation and widening of stairs, build a new fan room, remove stairs on the Broadway Line platforms, reframe the existing structure, and rebuild a new staircase between the intermediate and IRT mezzanines. After the consultant deemed that all of these modifications were feasible, in May 1994, the MTA and the consultant reached a supplemental agreement worth $984,998 to allow the consultant to prepare designs.Lee Harris Pomeroyprepared plans for the project, which was to cost $38.5 million and start in December 1994, with a new entrance pavilion and elevator on the southeast corner of Union Square Park.The same year, aNew York City Transit Policestation opened in the Broadway Line mezzanine.

A construction contract was ultimately signed in March 1995,and NAB Construction Corp. was hired to renovate the station.As part of the project, power infrastructure was upgraded to allow the construction ofMetroCardvending machine equipment.The station was also to receive color-coded signs (corresponding to thetrunk colorsof the services that stopped there), and six pieces of the station's original wall were to be displayed.TheUnion Square Greenmarket,directly above the station, was relocated during the renovation.By 1996, the renovation project was running behind schedule.The MTA had planned to install a forced-ventilation system in the station as part of a pilot program, but this was delayed. In addition, at least one staircase to the Canarsie Line platform was canceled, even though it would have relieved congestion.The MTA also canceled plans for a new subway entrance in Union Square Park because theNew York City Department of Parks and Recreation(NYC Parks) refused to remove trees to make way for the entrance. Pomeroy claimed that NYC Parks would have had to remove one tree, while NYC Parks commissionerHenry Sternsaid the entrance would be expensive, inconveniently located, and require the removal of three trees.

During the late 1990s, the MTA had received $1.6 million fromThe Related Companies,which had developed a building on the site of two subway entrances at Broadway and 14th Street. Local residents requested that the MTA spend the money to improve pedestrian access around Union Square.Subsequently, mayorRudy Giulianiannounced plans in early 1998 to spend $2.6 million on an expansion of the park; the MTA agreed to contribute $400,000 toward the project.The expansion consisted of apocket parkin a traffic island at the southeast corner of Union Square, which was completed in 2000.

The MTA announced in 1999 that it would begin installing a forced-ventilation system above the IRT platforms at Union Square.The forced-ventilation system, consisting of 32 ceiling fans, was completed by July 2000 at a cost of $1 million.In addition, as part of a program to increaseaccessibility in the New York City Subway,the MTA had planned to install elevators to the Broadway Line and Canarsie Line platforms by 1998.These elevators were not completed until 2000. Furthermore, elevators to the Le xing ton Avenue Line platforms could not be installed because the portions of the platforms under the mezzanine were too narrow.The project, which was finished in 2001, cost $40 million and increased the station's public space by 30 percent.

21st century

Escalator from the Canarsie Line platform to the IRT

The station's token booths were shuttered in May 2005, after fare tokens were replaced withMetroCards;station agents were deployed elsewhere in the station to answer passengers' queries. This was part of a pilot program that was tested at seven other stations.

As part of the 2015–2019 MTA Capital Program and theL Project,several modifications were implemented on the platform to improve circulation and to reduce crowding. The stairs from the Broadway Line platforms were rebuilt in March 2019; the stair from the downtown Broadway Line platform was reconfigured entirely.Additionally, a new escalator was installed from the east mezzanine to the platform;it cost around $15 million and opened on September 10, 2020.The Union Square Partnership proposed a $100 million overhaul of Union Square in 2021; the plans included a new subway entrance with escalator and elevator access.

Station layout

Ground	Street level	Exit/entrance
Basement 1	Mezzanine	Fare control, station agent Elevator at northeast corner of 14th Street and Union Square East
Basement 2 Le xing ton Avenue Line platforms	Side platform,not in service
	Northbound local	←towardPelham Bay ParkorParkchester(23rd Street) ←towardWoodlawnlate nights(23rd Street) →(No service:18th Street)
	Island platform
	Northbound express	←toward Woodlawn(Grand Central–42nd Street) ←towardEastchester–Dyre AvenueorNereid Avenue(Grand Central–42nd Street)
	Southbound express	→towardCrown Heights–Utica Avenue(Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall)→ →towardFlatbush Avenue–Brooklyn Collegeweekdays,Bowling Greenevenings/weekends(Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall)→
	Island platform
	Southbound local	→toward Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall(Astor Place)→ →towardNew Lots Avenuelate nights(Astor Place)→
	Side platform,not in service
Basement 2 Broadway Line platforms	Northbound local	←towardForest Hills–71st Avenue(23rd Street) ←towardAstoria–Ditmars Boulevardweekdays(23rd Street) ←toward Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard late nights/weekends(23rd Street) ←toward96th Streetlate nights(23rd Street)
	Island platform
	Northbound express	←toward Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard weekdays(34th Street–Herald Square) ←toward 96th Street(34th Street–Herald Square)
	Southbound express	←towardConey Island–Stillwell AvenueviaSea Beachweekdays(Canal Street)→ ←toward Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue viaBrighton(Canal Street)→
	Island platform
	Southbound local	→towardBay Ridge–95th Street(Eighth Street–New York University)→ →towardWhitehall Street–South Ferryweekdays(Eighth Street–New York University)→ →toward Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue viaSea Beachlate nights/weekends(Eighth Street–New York University)→ →toward Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue viaBrightonlate nights(Eighth Street–New York University)
Basement 3	Westbound	←towardEighth Avenue(Sixth Avenue)
	Island platform
	Eastbound	→towardCanarsie–Rockaway Parkway(Third Avenue)→

Map of the 14th Street–Union Square station

The IRT Le xing ton Avenue Line and BMT Broadway Line stations both run in a north–south direction and are both two levels below ground. The Le xing ton Avenue Line platforms are to the east, running under Fourth Avenue and Union Square East, while the Broadway Line platforms are to the west, running under Broadway and cutting directly under Union Square Park. The BMT Canarsie Line station runs west–east under both of the other stations, along 14th Street.

A 480-foot-long (150 m) mezzanine stretches above the BMT Broadway Line platforms, ramping down to a control area at its south end, where there are stairs down to the Broadway Line platforms and transfers to the other platforms. The tops of the mezzanine and passageway walls are decorated with friezes made of raised geometric patterns on rectangular tiles. White-on-green tiles with the number "14" are placed at the tops of the walls at regular intervals, while white-on-green "Union Square" tablets are installed below the friezes. Rectangular red metal frames also surround sections of the original wall. The mezzanine is relatively shallow, and because it was built with insufficient clearance, Union Square Park was raised by 4 feet (1.2 m) to accommodate the station.The precinct house ofNew York City Police Department(NYPD)'s Transit District 4 is located on the mezzanine.

Directly east of the control area at the south end of the BMT Broadway Line mezzanine, a 20-foot-wide (6 m) corridor slopes down to the IRT mezzanine. There are two overpasses above the IRT platforms, connecting the station complex with exits on the east side of both Fourth Avenue and Union Square East.Galleriesextend from the overpasses above the platforms, with stairs leading downward from the galleries to each island platform.Original faience plaques with the number "14" are in the southern end of the IRT mezzanine, near one of the entrances. Other decorations, such as a pale blue frieze, date from later renovations. Storefronts, as well as steel and glass enclosures, are located near the Zeckendorf Towers.

A corridor runs above the western side of the IRT station, connecting the two overpasses.Prior to the 1990s renovation, this corridor had been used as storage space.Another staircase extends from the IRT mezzanine to a small mezzanine above the Canarsie Line platform. Another mezzanine on the western side of the station serves the Canarsie Line platform directly. There were several connecting passageways between the western Canarsie Line mezzanine and the larger concourse area above the Broadway Line. However, these passageways have been sealed off. The passageways to the Canarsie Line platform is decorated with cruciform borders similar to those in the other passageways.

Artwork

Tile name tablets on the mezzanine with names of 9/11 victims

Corridor sloping up from the IRT to BMT mezzanines

Framing Union Square,byMary Miss,is a station-wide art installation commissioned as part of theMTA Arts & Designprogram.It consists of six wall segments on the corridor above the western side of the IRT station, which were originally part of a double-height wall adjacent to the IRT station's southbound local platform.The wall segments have faience cornices, mosaic tile borders, and plaques of eagles.Bright red frames surround objects such as mosaics, cables, and bolts. According to Miss, the artwork was intended to invite "the public to look below the surface, to see a 'slice' of the station, its structure, its history".In 2005, an artwork calledCity GlowbyChiho Aoshimawas installed within an advertising space at the station.

Imprinted on the walls of the BMT mezzanine are over 3,000 stickers with the names of victims of theSeptember 11 attacks,which were put up by artist John Lin and sixteen friends on September 10, 2002.The stickers were not sanctioned by the MTA and have deteriorated since they were placed.Another work of street art, a temporary wall of Post-it notes known as "Subway Therapy", appeared on the station's walls afterDonald Trumpwaselected as U.S. president in 2016but was removed after one month."Subway Therapy" re-appeared at the station following Trump's2024 reelection.

Exits

Station entrance sign

There are numerous entrances and exits to the station. An entrance with one stair, escalator bank, and elevator in the Zeckendorf Towers, at the northeast corner of 4th Avenue and 14th Street, connects with the southeast end of the station. This entrance provides people that comply with theAmericans with Disabilities Act of 1990(ADA) access to the station.The Zeckendorf Towers entrance is privately maintained; as of 2023,the escalators there had been among the least reliable in the New York City Subway system for several years.There are two stairs to each of the southwest and southeast corners of the same intersection. All of these lead directly to the Le xing ton Avenue Line mezzanine. One block to the west, two staircases on the south side of 14th Street between Broadway and University Place lead to the western Canarsie Line mezzanine.A closed exit extended to the west side of Broadway between 13th and 14th Streets.

The central portion of the station contains another exit from the Le xing ton Avenue Line mezzanine to the Zeckendorf Towers, which leads to the southeast corner of Union Square East and 15th Street. There are also two stairs inside Union Square Park between 14th and 15th Streets. One is closer to Union Square West between these two streets, opposite theequestrian statue of George Washington,while the other is closer to Union Square East and 15th Street. These entrances are closest to the Broadway Line station.The Union Square Park entrances contain large polygonal metal-and-glass canopies, which date from a 1985 renovation of the park.

At the northern end of the station, two stairs rise to Union Square Park on the east side of Union Square West at 16th Street. These lead directly to the Broadway Line mezzanine.

IRT Le xing ton Avenue Line platforms

14 Street–Union Square ​​
New York City Subwaystation (rapid transit)
Downtown platform for the local services (left) and express services (right), showing the curvature of the station and the gap fillers
Station statistics
Division	A(IRT)
Line	IRT Le xing ton Avenue Line
Services	4(all times) ​5(all times except late nights) ​6(all times)<6>(weekdays until 8:45 p.m., peak direction)
Platforms	2island platforms(in service) cross-platform interchange 2side platforms(abandoned)
Tracks	4
Other information
Opened	October 27, 1904(1904-10-27)
Accessible	ADA-accessibleto mezzanine only; platforms are not ADA-accessible
Accessibility	Cross-platform wheelchair transfer available
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Services Preceding station New York City Subway Following station Grand Central–42nd Street 4​5 via138th Street–Grand Concourse Express Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall 4​5 viaFranklin Avenue–Medgar Evers College 23rd Street 4​6<6> towardPelham Bay Park Local Astor Place 4​6<6> towardBrooklyn Bridge–City Hall
Non-revenue services and lines Preceding station New York City Subway Following station 18th Street local; closed no service
Track layout toGrand Central–42nd Street to23rd Street toAstor Place toBrooklyn Bridge–City Hall
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times except late nights Stops all times Stops late nights only Stops rush hours in the peak direction only

The14th Street–Union Square stationis an express station on theIRT Le xing ton Avenue Line.The4and6trains stop here at all times;the5train stops here at all times except late nights;and the<6>train stops here during weekdays in the peak direction.The 5 train always makes express stops,and the 6 and <6> trains always make local stops;the 4 train makes express stops during the day and local stops at night.The next station northbound is23rd Streetfor local trains andGrand Central–42nd Streetfor express trains, while the next station southbound isAstor Placefor local trains andBrooklyn Bridge–City Hallfor express trains.When the subway opened, the next local stop to the north was18th Street;that station closed in 1948.

The station has four tracks and twoisland platforms.The uptown and downtown platforms are offset from each other, having been extended at their rear ends, and are curved.The island platforms allow forcross-platform interchangesbetween local and express trains heading in the same direction. Local trains use the outer tracks while express trains use the inner tracks.The island platforms were originally 350 feet (110 m) long, like the other express stations on the original IRT,but later were extended to 525 feet (160 m). The platforms are 30 feet (9.1 m) wide at their widest point.Platform gap fillerson the downtown side use proximity sensors to detect when trains arrive, automatically extending when a train has stopped in the station.Unlike the rest of the complex, no elevators lead down to the Le xing ton Avenue Line platforms.This is because the portions of the platforms under the mezzanine are too narrow for elevators.A 2020 study byStantecfound that, unless the downtown platform were rebuilt, it could never become fully accessible because of its "extreme curvature".According to a separate report by engineering firmSTV,it would be prohibitively expensive to relocate the southbound platform northward to eliminate the gap fillers.

The station has two abandoned localside platforms;the northbound platform is visible through windows, bordered with wide, bright red frames.A combination of island and side platforms was also used atBrooklyn Bridge–City Hallon the IRT Le xing ton Avenue Line and96th Streeton theIRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line.

Design

The platforms are offset, with the original platforms having been extended at their rears

Abandoned side platform behind the wall and the black bars on the right, whose edge is still visible

Old IRT "14" eagle cartouche

As with other stations built as part of the original IRT, the station was constructed using acut-and-covermethod.The tunnel is covered by a U-shaped trough that contains utility pipes and wires. The bottom of this trough has afoundationofconcreteno less than 4 inches (100 mm) thick.Each platform consists of 3-inch-thick (7.6 cm) concrete slabs, beneath which are drainage basins. The platforms haveI-beamcolumns spaced every 15 feet (4.6 m). Additional columns between the tracks, spaced every 5 feet (1.5 m), support thejack-archedconcrete station roofs.There is a 1-inch (25 mm) gap between the trough wall and the platform walls, which are made of 4-inch (100 mm)-thick brick covered over by a tiled finish.

The walls near the tracks do not have any identifying motifs with the station's name, as all station identification signs are on the platforms. The trackside walls are clad with vertical white glass tiles.The original decorative scheme for the side platforms consisted of blue tile station-name tablets, blue and buff tile bands, a yellow faience cornice, and blue faience plaques.The mosaic tiles at all original IRT stations were manufactured by the American Encaustic Tile Company, which subcontracted the installations at each station.The decorative work was performed by faience contractorGrueby Faience Company.Above the IRT platforms are 32 ceiling fans, which were installed in 2000.

Track layout

Similar to at72nd Streeton theIRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line,there were originally additional tracks at the approach to either platform between each pair of local and express tracks. These tracks were approximately 300 feet (91 m) long and were used as "stacking" tracks, where trains could be held momentarily until the platform was clear and the train could enter the station. The tracks here and at 72nd Street were rendered useless when train lengths grew beyond these tracks' capacity.The track between the southbound tracks, north of the southbound platform, was removed as a result of the 1991 derailment.A similar track still exists between the northbound tracks south of the northbound platform.

BMT Broadway Line platforms

14 Street–Union Square ​​​
New York City Subwaystation (rapid transit)
R46Q train arriving on the southbound express track
Station statistics
Division	B(BMT)
Line	BMT Broadway Line
Services	N(all times) ​Q(all times) ​R(all except late nights) ​W(weekdays only)
Platforms	2island platforms cross-platform interchange
Tracks	4
Other information
Opened	September 4, 1917(1917-09-04)
Accessible	ADA-accessible(Transfer toIRT Le xing ton Avenue Line platformsnot accessible)
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Services Preceding station New York City Subway Following station 34th Street–Herald Square N​Q viaTimes Square–42nd Street Express Canal Street N​Q services split 23rd Street N​Q​R​W viaLe xing ton Avenue–59th Street Local Eighth Street–New York University N​Q​R​W viaWhitehall Street–South Ferry
Track layout to34th St–Herald Square to23rd Street toEighth St–NYU toCanal Street
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times except late nights Stops all times Stops late nights only Stops late nights and weekends Stops weekdays during the day

The14th Street–Union Square stationis an express station on theBMT Broadway Linethat has four tracks and twoisland platforms.TheNandQstop here at all times.TheRstops here except at night,while theWstops here only on weekdays during the day.The R and W always run on the local tracks. The N runs on the express tracks only on weekdays during the day and on the local tracks other times. The Q runs on the express tracks during the day and on the local tracks during the night. The next station northbound is23rd Streetfor local trains and34th Street–Herald Squarefor express trains, while the next station southbound isEighth Street–New York Universityfor local trains andCanal Streetfor express trains.The island platforms were originally 530 feet (160 m) long but were extended to 615 feet (187 m) in the early 1970s.Both platforms are 18 feet 8 inches (5.69 m) wide.The platforms are 30 feet (9.1 m) below the street. At the southern end of each platform, three stairs and an elevator lead to the mezzanine, and one stair leads to the Canarsie Line platforms. At the northern end of each platform, two stairs lead to the mezzanine.

The tunnel is covered by a U-shaped trough that contains utility pipes and wires. The bottom of this trough has a concrete foundation no less than 4 inches (100 mm) thick. Each platform consists of 3-inch-thick (7.6 cm) concrete slabs, beneath which are drainage basins. The platforms have I-beam columns spaced every 15 feet (4.6 m);these columns are placed 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) from the platform edge.Additional columns between the tracks, spaced every 5 feet (1.5 m), support the jack-arched concrete station roofs. The trackside walls also contain exposed I-beam columns, dividing the trackside walls into 5-foot-wide panels.

Mosaic depicting the junction of Broadway and Bowery Road in 1828

The panels on the trackside walls consist of white square ceramic tiles. A frieze with multicolored geometric patterns runs atop the trackside walls, with a square mosaic tile placed inside the frieze at intervals of three panels. A band of narrow green tiles runs along the left and right edges of each white-tiled panel, as well as below the frieze and mosaic tiles.The mosaic tiles, by Jay Van Everen, are part of a work entitledThe junction of Broadway and Bowery Road, 1828,a reference to the two streets that intersect at Union Square.

BMT Canarsie Line platform

Union Square
New York City Subwaystation (rapid transit)
Platform view
Station statistics
Division	B(BMT)
Line	BMT Canarsie Line
Services	L(all times)
Platforms	1island platform
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	June 30, 1924(1924-06-30)
Accessible	ADA-accessible(transfer toIRT Le xing ton Avenue Line platformsnot accessible)
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Former/other names	14 Street–Union Square
Services Preceding station New York City Subway Following station Sixth Avenue towardEighth Avenue Third Avenue towardCanarsie–Rockaway Parkway
Track layout toSixth Avenue toThird Avenue
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times

TheUnion Square station(announced as14th Street–Union Squareon rolling stock) on theBMT Canarsie Linehas two tracks and oneisland platform.TheLtrain stops here at all times.The station is betweenSixth Avenueto the west andThird Avenueto the east.Various stairs and an elevator go up from the platform to the mezzanine. A stair also leads directly to either of the Broadway Line platforms.An escalator leads directly from the Canarsie Line platform to the IRT mezzanine.

The tunnel is covered by a U-shaped trough that contains utility pipes and wires. The bottom of this trough has a concrete foundation no less than 4 inches (100 mm) thick. The platform consists of 3-inch-thick (7.6 cm) concrete slabs, beneath which are drainage basins. The platform contains I-beam columns spaced every 15 feet (4.6 m);these columns are placed between 28 and 42 inches (710 and 1,070 mm) from the platform edge.The trackside walls also contain exposed I-beam columns, dividing the trackside walls into 5-foot-wide panels.

The panels on the trackside walls consist of white square ceramic tiles. A band of narrow green tiles runs along the left, right, and top edges of each white-tiled panel. A frieze with multicolored geometric patterns runs atop the trackside walls, with a hexagonal mosaic tile with the letter "U" placed inside the frieze at intervals of three panels.

Ridership

The 14th Street–Union Square station has historically ranked among the New York City Subway's busiest stations.Although the station had only 14 million passengers in 1913,this had increased to 40 million passengers per year in 1925 shortly after the opening of the Canarsie Line platform.By the early 1930s, the complex recorded 52 million annual passengers.The number of passengers entering the 14th Street–Union Square station annually declined over the years, from 22.702 million in 1963 to 17.168 million in 1973.

By 2011, the Union Square station was the fourth-busiest in the system, behind the Times Square, Grand Central, and Herald Square stations;at the time, an average of 107,352 riders entered the station every weekday.In 2019, the station had 32,385,260 boardings, making it the fourth-most-used station in the 423-station system. This amounted to an average of 101,832 passengers per weekday.Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in New York City,ridership dropped drastically in 2020, with only 10,830,712 passengers entering the station that year. However, it remained the system's fourth most-used station.

Further reading

• Stookey, Lee (1994).Subway ceramics: a history and iconography of mosaic and bas relief signs and plaques in the New York City subway system.Brattleboro, Vt: L. Stookey.ISBN978-0-9635486-1-0.OCLC31901471.

External links

• Media related to14th Street – Union Square (New York City Subway)at Wikimedia Commons

nycsubway.org:

• nycsubway.org –IRT East Side Line: 14th Street/Union Square
• nycsubway.org –BMT Broadway Subway: 14th Street/Union Square
• nycsubway.org –BMT Canarsie Line: Union Square
• nycsubway.org –Framing Union Square Artwork by Mary Miss (1998)ArchivedMay 20, 2012, at theWayback Machine
• nycsubway.org –Paradise Artwork by Chiho Aoshima (2005)ArchivedMay 20, 2012, at theWayback Machine
• nycsubway.org –City Glow Artwork by Chiho Aoshima (2005)ArchivedMay 20, 2012, at theWayback Machine

Google Maps Street View:

• 14th Street and Broadway entrance to Canarsie Line
• 14th Street and Fourth Avenue entranceArchivedNovember 12, 2012, at theWayback Machine
• Entrance by Union Square EastArchivedNovember 12, 2012, at theWayback Machine
• Union Square East and 15th Street entranceArchivedNovember 12, 2012, at theWayback Machine
• Entrance in Union Square ParkArchivedNovember 12, 2012, at theWayback Machine
• Union Square West and 16th Street entrance
• Broadway Line platformsArchivedNovember 27, 2020, at theWayback Machine
• Canarsie Line platformArchivedNovember 28, 2020, at theWayback Machine
• IRT uptown platformArchivedNovember 27, 2020, at theWayback Machine
• MezzanineArchivedNovember 27, 2020, at theWayback Machine

Other websites:

• Station Reporter –14th Street–Union Square Complex
• Forgotten NY –Original 28 – NYC's First 28 Subway StationsArchivedJanuary 10, 2019, at theWayback Machine
• Abandoned Stations –Abandoned Stations – 14th Street side platformsArchivedJanuary 23, 2019, at theWayback Machine