Church Avenue (IND Culver Line)

Church Avenue New York City Subway rapid transit station
Station statistics
Address	Church Avenue & McDonald Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11218
Borough	Brooklyn
Locale	Kensington
Coordinates	40°38′34.05″N 73°58′45.95″W / 40.6427917°N 73.9794306°W / 40.6427917; -73.9794306Coordinates: 40°38′34.05″N 73°58′45.95″W / 40.6427917°N 73.9794306°W / 40.6427917; -73.9794306
Division	B (IND)
Line	IND Culver Line
Services	F  (all times)       G  (all times)
Connection	New York City Bus: B35 B35LTD, B67, B69
Structure	Underground
Platforms	2 island platforms cross-platform interchange
Tracks	4 (2 in regular service)
Other information
Opened	October 7, 1933
Accessible
Traffic
Passengers (2010)	2,968,137[1]  2.1%
Rank	157 out of 422
Station succession
Next north	Fort Hamilton Parkway (local): F  G  Seventh Avenue (express): no regular service
Next south	Ditmas Avenue (local): F  18th Avenue (express): no regular service (Terminal): G
Next north	Jay Street – MetroTech (via Culver): F  Court Square (via Crosstown): G
Next south	Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue: F
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops in station at all times Stops all times except late nights Stops late nights only Stops late nights and weekends only Stops weekdays only Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction Stops all times except weekdays Stops rush hours only Stops rush hours in the peak direction only Station is closed (Details about time periods)

Church Avenue is an express station on the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway. Located at Church and McDonald Avenues in Kensington, Brooklyn, it is served by the F and G trains at all times, the latter of which terminates here.

Description

This underground station, opened on October 7, 1933, has four tracks and two island platforms. The two center express tracks are not normally used in revenue service.

Both outer track walls have a maroon trim line with a purple border and small signs below them reading "CHURCH" in white lettering on a black border. All i-beam columns in the station are colored green. The station signs are in the standard black name plates with white lettering.

This station has a full length mezzanine above the platforms and tracks with two fare control areas. The full-time one is at the extreme south end. Two staircases and one elevator from each platform go up to the mezzanine, where public restrooms at the center are available and a turnstile bank provides entrance/exit to/from the station. Outside fare control, there is a token booth and two staircases going up to either northern corners of Church and McDonald Avenues. There is also a ramp leading to an elevator that goes up to the west side of Church Avenue. The three elevators, installed during a 2008 renovation, make the station ADA accessible.^[2]

The station's other fare control area at the north end is un-staffed. Three staircases from each platform go up to a mezzanine, where exit-only and High Entry/Exit Turnstiles provide entrance/exit to/from the station. Outside fare control, there are two staircases facing in different directions that go up to either southern corners of Albemarle Road and McDonald Avenues. Crew facilities at the center of the mezzanine separate the two fare control areas.

This station is often used for shooting subway scenes for television shows and movies as the long mezzanine can be used for setting up production and the express tracks can be used for staging subway cars without interfering with normal service.

There is a four track yard south of the station beneath the revenue tracks, which is used for storing and turning G trains.^[3] South of the connection to the yard, the line ramps up to become a three track elevated line (with the southbound local track merging into the express track) before entering Ditmas Avenue station.

On December 28, 1949, New Zealand athlete Jack Lovelock fell onto the tracks at this station after complaining about dizziness to his wife. He was then killed by an oncoming train.

This station as well as Fort Hamilton Parkway were the last underground stations to have fluorescent lighting installed on the platforms, which replaced incandescent lighting in 1987.

Gallery

• 

  Renovation work in progress

• 

  Toilets on the southern mezzanine

Notes

1. ^ "Facts and Figures: 2010 Annual Subway Ridership". New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority. http://mta.info/nyct/facts/ridership/ridership_sub_annual.htm. Retrieved 2011-05-18. 
2. ^ "MTA NYC Transit Opens ADA Elevators at Church Avenue F Station in Brooklyn" (Press release). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. July 7, 2008. http://www.mta.info/mta/news/releases/?en=080707-NYCT94. Retrieved 2008-07-09. 
3. ^ http://ltvsquad.com/Locations/urbanexploration.php?ID=147

References

• Joseph Brennan, "Abandoned Stations", [1]
• Metropolitan Transportation Authority, "Hollywood Underground: The Art of Making Movies in the New York City Subway" [2]

External links

• nycsubway.org — IND Crosstown: Church Avenue
• Station Reporter — F Train
• The Subway Nut — Church Avenue – Kensington Pictures
• Church Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Albemarle Road entrance from Google Maps Street View