Bowling Green (IRT Lexington Avenue Line station)

Bowling Green is the southernmost Manhattan station on the Lexington Avenue services, located at Broadway and Battery Place (at the Bowling Green). It is also the south terminal for the 5 at all times other than late nights; the 5 turns around at the South Ferry inner loop. The station has two tracks, with center and east side platforms, as well as an abandoned west side platform, with a stub track to the west. The original configuration has only the island platform, which served the main line to Brooklyn in both directions, as well as trains heading to a loop at South Ferry (which was built as part of this line — the original Brooklyn IRT extension — and not for the Broadway-Seventh Avenue Line of which it is now primarily a part). In 1909, after only four years of operation, it was determined that passenger loads to Brooklyn were too high, so the South Ferry loop service was truncated during rush hours to the Bowling Green-South Ferry Shuttle using a new western side platform (which is only about four cars long). The shuttle operation was discontinued in 1977 due to budget cuts, yet the platform and wall were renovated regardless in 1978. The 1978 renovation covered over original Heins & LaFarge mosaic "tapestries" that were along the side walls.

The 1970s renovation also led to the construction of the eastern side platform, again due to high passenger volume on the island platform. Additional exits were requested and the side platform allowed for an underpass to be built, funneling some of the traffic away from the headhouse exit at the south end. This led to the station's current configuration, with uptown trains loading from the east side platform, and downtown trains using the island platform. A fence along the eastern edge of the island platform converted the island platform into what is essentially now a side platform. The fare control now consists of the restored headhouse entrance at the south end, which serves only the island platform, and various outher entrances that lead to the eastern side platform and down to a large fare control gate area in the underpass.

External links

• NYCsubway.org – IRT East Side: Bowling Green (text used with permission)
• Abandoned Stations – Bowling Green & South Ferry platforms