User:DReifGalaxyM31/Broadway – Lafayette Street / Bleecker Street (New York City Subway)

Broadway – Lafayette Street / Bleecker Street is a station complex on the IND Sixth Avenue and IRT Lexington Avenue Lines of the New York City Subway. The IRT platforms, known as Bleecker Street, are located at the intersection of Lafayette and Bleecker Streets in the NoHo neighborhood, while the IND platforms, known as Broadway – Lafayette Street, are on East Houston Street between Broadway and Lafayette Street.

The station is serviced by:
 * 6, D, and F trains at all times
 * B and M trains on weekdays
 * &lt;6&gt; trains during rush hours in the peak direction
 * 4 trains during late nights

The two stations are interconnected by a passageway from the southbound platform at the IRT station to the fare control area of the IND mezzanine. Currently, the transfer is only possible from the southbound IRT platform.

There is no free transfer from northbound trains at the IRT platform; connection from the northbound platform to the IND station entails a one-block walk at street level outside of fare control and thus requires the payment of an additional fare (except for unlimited-ride MetroCard holders). As part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's 2005–2009 capital program, about $50 million has been allocated towards making the station ADA-compliant, creating a free transfer to the IND station from the northbound IRT platform, and rehabilitating the entire station.

IND Sixth Avenue Line platforms
Broadway – Lafayette Street on the IND Sixth Avenue Line is the southernmost express station on the route. It is located on East Houston Street between Broadway and Lafayette Street in Manhattan.

Layout
This underground station, opened on January 1, 1936, is configured as a standard express station, with four tracks and two island platforms. B and D trains stop at the inner express tracks while F and M trains stop at the outer local tracks. Both outer track walls have a blue trim line on a black border and small "BROADWAY" signs beneath in white lettering on a black border. Large blue columns run along either side of both platforms at regular intervals with alternating ones having the standard black station name plate and white lettering.

Three staircases at the center of each platform go up to a mezzanine/crossover, where wide staircases on either side go up to the station's three fare control areas. The full-time side is at the west (railroad north). It has a turnstile bank, token booth, and two staircases going up to either eastern corners of Broadway and East Houston Street. The southeastern one is built inside an alcove of an Adidas Sport Performance Center.

The station's other fare control areas are unstaffed. One set of full height turnstiles lead to two staircases going up to the south side of East Houston Street between Lafayette and Crosby Streets while another set leads to a staircase that goes up to the north side. Here, a free transfer is available to the southbound platform of IRT station at the extreme south end. Due to the large offset of that station's platforms, a free transfer is not available to the northbound platform and access to it requires a one-block walk north to Bleecker Street and payment of an additional fare except to Unlimited-Ride MetroCard holders. This "one-way" transfer is the only one of its kind in the entire system.

A passageway connects the two fare control areas without going through the lower level mezzanine. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's 2005–2009 capital program allocated $50 million to renovate this station, which includes installation of ADA-compliant elevators and a free transfer to the northbound platform of Bleecker Street. As of December 2010, construction is underway on this renovation.

The 1998 artwork here is called Signal by Mel Chin. It features stainless steel and glass sculptures with lights on the mezzanine walls and ceramic tiles on the platform walls.

North of this station, there are crossovers between the two northbound tracks and a single one between the express tracks. The line turns north along Sixth Avenue and goes through a complex set of switches and crossovers with the IND Eighth Avenue Line before stopping at West Fourth Street – Washington Square.

South of this station, the express tracks turn south down Chrystie Street, joining the Chrystie Street Connection. B and D trains take the connection, and stop at Grand Street before crossing the Manhattan Bridge into Brooklyn.

The local tracks continue east, and split shortly after the express tracks do. F trains stop at Second Avenue. M trains join the other branch of the Chrystie Street Connection, which takes those trains from Broadway – Lafayette Street to Essex Street on the BMT Nassau Street Line, where they stop before crossing the Williamsburg Bridge.

IRT Lexington Avenue Line platforms
Bleecker Street is a local station on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line located at the intersection of Lafayette and Bleecker Streets in the NoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. It is served by the 6 train at all times, the &lt;6&gt; during weekdays in peak direction, and the 4 during late night hours.

Layout
The platforms are offset by about three-fourths of their lengths. Fare control is at platform level, with no crossover or crossunder. The station features typical IRT mosaics with two styles of small "Bleecker Street" mosaics made by the Grueby Faience Company in 1904. There is a closed exit gate on the southbound side across from the northbound fare control. A free transfer to the Broadway – Lafayette Street station on the IND Sixth Avenue Line is available at the south end of the southbound platform. There is no free transfer from northbound trains; connection from the northbound trains entails a one-block walk at street level outside of fare control and thus requires the payment of an additional fare (except for unlimited-ride MetroCard holders). As part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's 2005–2009 capital program, about US$50 million has been allocated towards making the station ADA-compliant, creating a free transfer to Broadway – Lafayette Street from the northbound platform, and rehabilitating the entire station.

The station has blue Grueby faience station name plaques which date back to the origins in 1905. Each plaque was assembled from 27 pieces of faience ceramic. They depict poppies. The smaller blue cartouches show tulips, probably a reminder of the Dutch origins of the city. Later Vickers station tablets complete the station, five different colours were used for the mosaics.