Crown Heights–Utica Avenue (IRT Eastern Parkway Line)

Infobox NYCS
name = Crown Heights–Utica Avenue
accessible = yes
bg_color = #E20F00
bg_color_2 = #007527
line = IRT Eastern Parkway Line
service = Eastern center
platforms = 2 island platforms (1 on each of 2 levels)
tracks = 4 (2 on each of 2 levels)
borough = Brooklyn
open_date = August 23, 1920
north_line = IRT Eastern Parkway Line
north_local_station = Kingston Avenue
north_local_service = Eastern center
north_express_station = Franklin Avenue
north_express_service = Eastern center
south_station = Sutter Avenue–Rutland Road
south_line = IRT New Lots Line
south_service = Eastern east

Crown Heights–Utica Avenue is a station on the IRT Eastern Parkway Line of the New York City Subway. Located under Eastern Parkway near Utica Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, it is served by the NYCS|4 train at all times and the NYCS|3 train at all times except late nights. There is also sporadic NYCS|2 and NYCS|5 service during rush hours.

Despite its name, this station is actually located between Schenectady and Utica Avenues. There is no exit at the corner of Utica Avenue and Eastern Parkway itself. Exits signed as Utica Avenue, or Schenectady Avenue lead to mid block exits, some number of feet from the actual cross street.

This is the easternmost underground and four-track subway station on the Eastern Parkway Line; to the east, the line rises and becomes the IRT New Lots Line. It is the southern terminal of the NYCS|4 train at all times except late nights, when it is extended to New Lots Avenue due to lack of NYCS|3 service. The station serves local and express trains in a two-level layout with two island platforms. The upper platform serves southbound trains, with local tracks to the west and express tracks to the east, and the lower platform serves northbound trains with a similar configuration.

Double crossover tracks exist north of the station for northbound trains and south for southbound trains between the local and express tracks. South of the station, a track comes from a connection with both lower level tracks and rises between the upper level tracks, with double crossovers between the it and both upper tracks before ending between the local tracks after curving south with them. This track may have been intended for a bidirectional express track on the rest of the line. In addition, the express (east) tracks extend compass east under Pitkin Avenue; this was part of an abandoned plan to extend them further into eastern Brooklyn underneath that street. Today, they are used as layup tracks.

There is an active tower at the south end of the platform. Extensions of the subway have been proposed as part of the New York City Transit Authority's 1970s expansion proposals as well as in older pre-unification plans. In the station there are ornate doors in the tile walls which serve as vent chambers for the station. The station has recently been renovated and is wheelchair accessible via the Eastern Parkway and Utica Avenue main exits. On the lower level there is a closed tower on the east end.

Bus connections

*B14
*B17
*B46

External links

*NYCS ref|http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/stations?215:3119|Brooklyn IRT|Utica Avenue
*Station Reporter — [http://www.stationreporter.net/3train.htm 3 Train]
*Station Reporter — [http://www.stationreporter.net/4train.htm 4 Train]