A lesser known NYC Subway dream line is the Utica Avenue Subway. As long ago as 1920, when the Dual Contracts were being built, the IRT 7th Ave line at Utica Ave has a turnout provision to Utica Ave. However this page is devoted to the IND Utica Ave line that was larger in scope and at least 80 feet of it has been built.
As part of the Phase II IND subway a six track line was proposed for the South 4th Street Line. A four track line from Manhattan to Avenue U via Stuyvesant Place and Utica Ave was to connect to it. At the intersection of Fulton Street a major transfer point was proposed.
While planning the Fulton St line, provision was made for the Phase II construction, at Utica Ave. To do this, the Fulton St line was brought three levels below Fulton St. Trackways and platforms were built into the ceiling of the Fulton St station and two levels of mezzanine were built.
I was able to explore this station and the accompanying diagrams are the results. Do NOT visit the restricted areas with out a person familiar with the closed sections. I was accompanied by a TA Structure Foreman who was supervising the renovations in the public areas.
A door at the middle mezzanine leads to a corridor that goes behind the walled off area at the bottom of the ramp between the fare collection area and the stairs to the A and C platforms. Here is a stairway up to back up to the upper mezzanine. I did not go up this stairway, but I was told that it leads to a similar stairway at the other end of the station. I also assume that there would have been stairs from that upper mezzanine to the Utica Ave line platforms.
We walked behind the stairway to another door that opened onto the South 4th St bound trackway! Obviously if the Utica Ave line ever opened, this door would be sealed off. Inside, beyond the trackway were two platforms and three other trackways. The whole place was lighted by standard IND issue incandescent bulbs. I could just imagine seeing trains entering and leaving with passengers transferring between the A, C, X, & Y trains! The entire station was a little longer than the Fulton Street line is wide. It was about 100 feet long this was due to the skewed intersection of the two lines.
The four unused stairways between the A and C platforms were removed as part of the station rehabilitation that started in 1996 and 1997. The underside of the trackways and paltforms are clearly visible from the A and C platforms. As an aside, the newly renovated station is a work of art by TA standards.
Upper
Mezzanine
Utica Ave Line
Fulton St Line
- The JoeKorNer