Bay 50th Street station

For the subway station at 50th Street in central Brooklyn, see 50th Street (BMT West End Line). For other uses, see 50th Street (disambiguation).
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The **Bay 50th Street station** is a local station on the BMT West End Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of Bay 50th Street and Stillwell Avenue in the Gravesend neighborhood of Brooklyn. It is served by the D train at all times. It is in front of the campus of John Dewey High School and has been adopted by its students as part of the New York City Transit Authority's Adopt-a-Station Program.

## History

### Early history

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Bay 50th Street opened on July 21, 1917 as part of the final extension of the BMT West End Line from 25th Avenue to Coney Island.

The line was originally a surface excursion railway to Coney Island, called the Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Railroad, which was established in 1862, but did not reach Coney Island until 1864. Under the Dual Contracts of 1913, an elevated line was built over New Utrecht Avenue, 86th Street and Stillwell Avenue, replacing the surface railway.

### Later years

The platforms were extended in the 1950s to accommodate the current standard B Division train length of Template:Convert.

As part of an 18-month capital budget that took effect on January 1, 1963, the wooden platforms at the stations on the West End Line were replaced with concrete platforms.

In the 1980s, this station was adopted by students of Lafayette High School as part of New York City Transit's "Adopt a Station" program.

In 2012, the station was rehabilitated with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Four laminated glass windscreens by artist Amy Cheng, commissioned by the MTA Arts for Transit Program, were installed in July 2012 as part of the renovation.

## Station layout

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This station has three tracks and two side platforms. The center express track is not normally used. Platform extensions are visible to the north on the northbound platform and to the south on the southbound platform, providing views of the Coney Island Complex.

The station is situated in the middle of a wye, with track leads from the West End Line to the Coney Island Complex merging with the northbound track immediately north and south of the platforms. An abandoned railroad tower is located above the center of the northbound platform; it has been replaced by a modern tower, about Template:Convert to the south. South of this station, the center track merges with the other two tracks. The line also lowers to run at-grade adjacent to the Coney Island Yard.

### Exits

There are two exit points, each with one stairway to each side of Stillwell Avenue: one at both northern corners of Harway Avenue at the station's extreme south end, and the other at both southern corners of Bay 50th Street in the middle.

## In popular culture

Bay 50th Street was the starting point of the classic chase sequence in the 1971 movie *The French Connection*.

## External links

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* Template:NYCS ref
* Station Reporter — D Train
* Bay 50th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
* Platforms from Google Maps Street View

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1. ↑ Template:Cite book
2. ↑ Opening of the Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Railroad, *The New York Times* June 9, 1864 page 2
3. ↑ Template:Cite book
4. ↑ For Release Sunday, July 12, 1964. New York City Office of the Mayor (July 12, 1964).
5. ↑ Template:Cite news
6. ↑ MTA Neighborhood Maps: Coney Island. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (2015).