Contents

R (New York City Subway service)

New York City Subway service

Broadway Local
Northern end	71st Avenueor36th Street (late nights)
Southern end	Bay Ridge – 95th Street
Stations	45
Rolling stock	R160 (one a.m. trainset is used in both Q and R service, but is shown in the R assignment)[1][2] (Rolling stock assignments subject to change)

The R Broadway Local is a service of the New York City Subway. It is colored yellow on the route sign (either on the front and/or side - depending on equipment used) and on station signs and the NYC Subway map, as it represents a service provided on the BMT Broadway LineinManhattan.

The R service operates at all times. Normal service operates from 71st AvenueinForest Hills, Queens, to 95th StreetinBay Ridge, Brooklyn via the IND Queens Boulevard Line, BMT Broadway Line, and BMT Fourth Avenue Line, making all stops. During late nights, it operates as a shuttle within Brooklyn from 36th Street to 95th Street, with northbound trains bypassing 53rd and 45th Streets. During those times, the N and E replaces it in the rest of Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens.

The R is the longest New York City Subway service without an elevated section, although there is a small opening between 59th Street and Bay Ridge Avenue in Brooklyn when the Fourth Avenue line passes over a valley containing the LIRR Bay Ridge tracks. In addition, the R is one of only two services that goes through two East River tunnels (the other being the F). It travels through 60th Street Tunnel between Queens and Manhattan and Montague Street Tunnel between Manhattan and Brooklyn. The R is one of two lines that intersects with each other line (the other being the F).

History

The line that later became the R was the BMT 2. When it entered service on January 15, 1916, it ran between Chambers Street on the BMT Nassau Street Line and 86th Street, using the Manhattan Bridge to cross the East River. Service on the BMT Broadway Line (which was only between Whitehall Street and Times Square) began exactly two years later. The Montague Street Tunnel opened on October 1, 1920, and at that time it took its current shape, running local from Queensboro Plaza to 86th Street. Bay Ridge – 95th Street station opened on October 31, 1925. During this time, rush-hour specials to Chambers Street were added and later removed, only to be added again. At one time, including 1931, additional midday service operated local between 57th Street and Whitehall Street – South Ferry. The 2 also used the Nassau Street Loop during rush hours, entering Manhattan via the Manhattan Bridge or Montague Street Tunnel and leaving via the other.

On October 17, 1949, the platforms on the BMT Astoria Line had been shaved, and the BMT's Astoria Shuttle was replaced with through service from the Fourth Avenue Line. On January 1, 1961, the northern terminal was relocated to its current location at Forest Hills – 71st Avenue, via the BMT 60th Street Tunnel Connection. On June 29, 1950, special rush hour trains began running between 95th Street and Chambers Street via the south side of the Manhattan Bridge and/or the Montague Street Tunnel. This was discontinued two years later.

In winter 1960–61, letters started to appear on the RR, which was known as the "Fourth Avenue Local via Tunnel", from Forest Hills – 71st Avenue to Bay Ridge – 95th Street, like current R service. On November 27, 1967, the day after the IND Chrystie Street Connection opened, the RR was moved back to Astoria – Ditmars Boulevard on the BMT Astoria Line. (EE service began at Whitehall Street – South Ferry and used the former route to 71st Avenue). The Nassau Street specials were through-routed from 95th Street to 168th Street in JamaicaasRJ. Under the first color scheme, RR was colored green and RJ was red.

The RJ service only lasted a few months before it was cut back to Chambers Street and renamed as additional RR rush-hour peak-direction service. In May 1985, when double letters were eliminated, RR service became the R. R service was assigned the color yellow (because it used the BMT Broadway Line), and the special Chambers Street rush-hour R service was brown (using the Nassau Street Line).

Effective May 24, 1987, the north terminals of the N and R were swapped, taking the R along the IND Queens Boulevard LinetoForest Hills – 71st Avenue. The change was made to give the R direct access to the Jamaica Yard (where the train is now assigned to this day)'^[3][4] previously, R trains had to run light to/from the Coney Island Yard.

On November 23, 1987, the special Chambers Street rush-hour R service was eliminated.

When the IND Archer Avenue Line opened on December 11, 1988, E service was rerouted along to Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer, and the R was extended to replace the EtoJamaica – 179th Street. The extension to Jamaica was short-lived, and the R was cut back in October of 1992 to 71st–Continental Avenue in favor of an extension of the F, which runs express west of 71st Avenue.

On September 30, 1990, late-night R service became a shuttle between 36th Street and 95th Street in Brooklyn. In the late '90s, northbound late-night trains began skipping 53rd Street and 45th Street to avoid occupying the track that through N trains use.

OnSeptember 11, 2001, after the attack on the World Trade Center, the BMT Broadway Line was damaged, and the R service was cut back to run only south of Court Street. On September 17, R service was totally suspended, replaced with J service in Brooklyn and Q service in Manhattan and Queens ^[5] All three lines returned to normal service by October 28. ^[6]

On September 8, 2002, Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue was closed for reconstruction. Late night R service was extended to Pacific Street, running express between that station and 36th Street. Service was cut back to 36th Street when the north side of the Manhattan Bridge reopened on February 22, 2004.

Route

Service pattern

The following table shows the lines used by the R service, with shaded boxes indicating the route at the specified times:

Note: Late-night northbound trains skip 53rd and 45th Streets on the BMT Fourth Avenue Line.

Stations

For a more detailed station listing, see the articles on the lines listed above.

Station service legend
	Stops all times
	Stops all times except late nights
	Stops late nights only
	Stops weekdays during the day
	Stops rush hours in the peak direction only
Time period details
	Station is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act
↑	Station is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act in the indicated direction only
↓
	Elevator access to mezzanine only

	Stations		Subway transfers	Connections and notes
Queens
	Forest Hills – 71st Avenue		E  ​F  <F> ​M  ​	LIRR Main LineatForest Hills
	67th Avenue		M
	63rd Drive – Rego Park		M	(Transfer to Q72 bus to LaGuardia Airport Main Terminal)
	Woodhaven Boulevard		M
	Grand Avenue – Newtown		M
	Elmhurst Avenue		M
	Jackson Heights – Roosevelt Avenue		E  ​F  <F> ​M  ​ 7  (IRT Flushing Line)	Q33 bus to LaGuardia Airport Q47 bus to LaGuardia Marine Air Terminal
	65th Street		M
	Northern Boulevard		M
	46th Street		M
	Steinway Street		M
	36th Street		M
	Queens Plaza		E  ​M  ​
Manhattan
	Lexington Avenue / 59th Street		N  ​​W  4  ​5  ​6  <6> (IRT Lexington Avenue Line F  <F> (IND 63rd Street Line atLexington Avenue – 63rd Street; MetroCard-only transfer)	Roosevelt Island Tramway
	Fifth Avenue / 59th Street		N  ​​W
	57th Street – Seventh Avenue		N  ​Q  ​​W
	49th Street		N  ​Q  ​​W	Station is accessible in the northbound direction only
	Times Square – 42nd Street		N  ​Q  ​​W  1  ​2  ​3  (IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line) 7  <7> ​ (IRT Flushing Line) A  ​C  ​E  (IND Eighth Avenue Lineat42nd Street – Port Authority Bus Terminal)	Port Authority Bus Terminal
	34th Street – Herald Square		N  ​Q  ​​W  B  ​D  ​F  <F> ​M  (IND Sixth Avenue Line)	PATHat33rd Street
	28th Street		N  ​Q  ​​W
	23rd Street		N  ​Q  ​​W
	14th Street – Union Square		N  ​Q  ​​W  L  (BMT Canarsie Line) 4  ​5  ​6  <6> (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)
	Eighth Street – New York University		N  ​Q  ​​W
	Prince Street		N  ​Q  ​​W
	Canal Street		N  ​Q  ​​W  6  <6> ​ (IRT Lexington Avenue Line) J  ​Z  (BMT Nassau Street Line)
	City Hall
	Cortlandt Street	*		PATHatWorld Trade Center *Station is accessible in the southbound direction only; southbound platform is bypassed due to ongoing construction
	Rector Street
	Whitehall Street – South Ferry		1  (IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line)	Staten Island FerryatSouth Ferry M15 Select Bus Service
Brooklyn
	Court Street		2  ​3  (IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line) 4  ​5  (IRT Eastern Parkway Line)
	Jay Street – MetroTech		A  ​C  (IND Fulton Street Line) F  <F> ​ (IND Culver Line)
	DeKalb Avenue		B  ​N  ​Q  ​​W
	Atlantic Avenue – Pacific Street		D  N  ​W  B  ​Q  (BMT Brighton Line) 2  ​3  ​4  ​5  (IRT Eastern Parkway Line)	LIRR Atlantic BranchatFlatbush Avenue
	Union Street		N  ​​W
	Ninth Street		F  ​G  (IND Culver LineatFourth Avenue)
	Prospect Avenue		N  ​​W
	25th Street		N  ​​W
	36th Street		D  N  ​W
	45th Street		N  ​​W	Stops late nights in the southbound direction only
	53rd Street		N  ​​W	Stops late nights in the southbound direction only
	59th Street		N  ​​W
	Bay Ridge Avenue
	77th Street
	86th Street
	Bay Ridge – 95th Street

References

External links

• MTA New York City Transit - R Broadway Local
• Template:PDFlink