Freeman Street station

Template:Use mdy dates
Template:Short description
Template:Infobox NYCS

The **Freeman Street station** is a local station on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Freeman Street and Southern Boulevard in the Bronx, it is served by the Template:NYCS train at all times, and the Template:NYCS train at all times except late nights and rush hours in the peak direction.

## History

### Early history

The initial segment of the IRT White Plains Road Line opened on November 26, 1904 between 180th Street–Bronx Park and Jackson Avenue. Initially, trains on the line were served by elevated trains from the IRT Second Avenue Line and the IRT Third Avenue Line. Once the connection to the IRT Lenox Avenue Line opened on July 10, 1905, trains from the newly opened IRT subway ran via the line.

To address overcrowding, in 1909, the New York Public Service Commission proposed lengthening platforms at stations along the original IRT subway.Template:Rp 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 $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation/year) spent on platform lengthening, $500,000 (Template:Inflation) was spent on building additional entrances and exits. It was anticipated that these improvements would increase capacity by 25 percent.Template:Rp The northbound platform at the Freeman Street station was extended Template:Convert to the front and Template:Convert to the rear,Template:Rp while the southbound platform was not lengthened.Template:Rp On January 23, 1911, ten-car express trains began running on the White Plains Road Line.Template:Rp

### Station renovations

In Fiscal Year 1915, an additional stairway was being added to the station.

The New York State Transit Commission announced plans to extend the southbound platforms at seven stations on the line from Jackson Avenue to 177th Street to accommodate ten-car trains for $81,900 on August 8, 1934. The platform at Freeman Street would be lengthened from Template:Convert to Template:Convert.

The Bergen Avenue cutoff, which allowed Third Avenue trains to access the White Plains Road Line, was abandoned on November 5, 1946, as part of the gradual curtailment of elevated service on the IRT Third Avenue Line. On June 13, 1949, the platform extensions at this station, as well as those on White Plains Road Line stations between Jackson Avenue and 177th Street, opened. The platforms were lengthened to Template:Convert to allow full ten-car express trains to open their doors. Previously, the stations could only platform six-car local trains.

The station was renovated in 2004.Template:Citation needed

## Station layout

Template:NYCS Platform Layout IRT White Plains Road Line/Southern Boulevard stations

 File:Freeman IRT sta jeh.JPG
This elevated station has three tracks and two side platforms. The center express track is used by the 5 train during rush hours in the peak direction.

As with other original IRT elevated viaducts, the elevated structure at Freeman Street is carried on two column bents, one on each side of the road, at places where the tracks are no more than Template:Convert above the ground level. There is zigzag lateral bracing at intervals of every four panels.

The 2007 artwork at this station, *The El*, was designed by the artist Daniel Hauben and commissioned through the MTA Arts & Design program. It consists of four faceted-glass windbreaks and two niche windows, depicting the roadway and the elevated tracks above, which recede in the background. According to the artist, the artwork is designed to convey a "feeling of both great depth and the sprawling vastness of the city".

### Exits

The station has heaters, as well as a wooden mezzanine, floor, and open old booth similar to the one at Simpson Street. Exits lead to all corners of Freeman Street and Southern Boulevard.

## External links

Template:Commons category

* Template:NYCS ref

Template:NYCS stations navbox by service
Template:NYCS stations navbox by line

1. ↑ Template:Cite news
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Template:Cite book
3. ↑ Template:Cite news
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Hood, Clifton (1978). The Impact of the IRT in New York City 146–207 (PDF pp. 147–208). Historic American Engineering Record.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Template:Cite book
6. ↑ Template:Cite news
7. ↑ Template:Cite book
8. ↑ Template:Cite news
9. ↑ Template:Cite book
10. ↑ Template:NYCS const
11. ↑ Template:NYCS const
12. ↑ Template:Cite book
13. ↑ Freeman Street and Southern Boulevard; Daniel Hauben.
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Freeman Street - Daniel Hauben - The El, 2007. Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
15. ↑ Freeman Street Neighborhood Map. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (April 2018).