Electric Railway Journal · Vol. 48, No. 19 · November 4, 1916 · p. 1034.

Important Rapid Transit Link Opened.

The Public Service Commission for the First District of New York directed the Interborough Rapid Transit Company to begin service on the Ely Avenue extension of the Queensboro Subway from Hunter's Point Avenue station in Queens north to the new Queensboro Bridge Plaza station on Nov. 5 at noon. This provides the first through rapid transit link between the new $500,000 station on the Queensboro Bridge Plaza and Park Avenue and Forty-second Street, Manhattan. The order to begin service was made following an inspection of the new line by Commissioner Henry W. Hodge, engineer of the commission and representatives of the Interborough Company. The Queensboro subway is one of the most important links in the new dual system of rapid transit. Ultimately it will be extended west from Park Avenue, Manhattan, its present western terminus, to Times Square. At the Bridge Plaza station in Queens it connects with the important Astoria and Corona elevated extensions, which are being pushed to completion and which should be in operation within the next few months. When these lines are completed it will be possible for a passenger from any point on them to travel to the furthest limits of the Interborough lines in the Bronx, Manhattan or Brooklyn for a 5-cent fare. The Queensboro subway was begun several years ago and was earlier known as the Steinway tunnel. It was turned over to the city as a part of the pool of the lines under the dual subway arrangement, and now forms a part of the city's subway system operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company. The Bridge Plaza station in Queens has been described as probably the largest elevated station in the world. It is 480 ft. long, 90 ft. wide, and above the street level has a mezzanine and two levels of tracks. Four express tracks and four local tracks will pass through the station, providing accommodation at one time for four ten-car trains of the present 52-ft. Interborough cars, and four eight-car trains of the new 67-ft. cars purchased for the new operation under the dual system by the New York Municipal Railway Corporation.

Interborough Rapid Transit Company, New York, N. Y. Operation was begun by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company on the Ely Avenue extension of the Queensboro Subway from Hunter's Point Avenue station in Queens north to the new Queensboro Bridge Plaza station on Nov. 5. The extension will ultimately continue west from Park Avenue to Times Square. At the Bridge Plaza station in Queens it connects with the Astoria and Corona elevated extensions which are being pushed to completion and which should be in operation within the next few months. The Public Service Commission for the First District has approved two agreements providing for the completion of the connection between the West Farms branch of the First Subway and the Jerome Avenue extension of the Lexington Avenue subway at 149th Street and Mott Avenue, and for the lengthening of the platforms of the Mott Avenue station of the First Subway about 280 ft. to the east. The two agreements have been submitted to the Board of Estimate for approval and for the appropriation of the necessary funds. The work of completing the physical connection between the First Subway and the Jerome Avenue line will be done by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company and paid for at an estimated cost of about $110,000. The station platform lengthening will be paid for by the city at an estimated cost of about $350,000.

Sources

Electric Railway Journal, McGraw Hill Company, Digitized by Microsoft, Americana Collection, archive.org.