77th Street

The 77th Street station (also known as 77th Street–Lenox Hill Hospital) is a local station on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of Lexington Avenue and 77th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It is served by the 6 train at all times, the <6> train during weekdays in the peak direction, and the 4 train during late nights. This station was constructed as part of the Dual Contracts by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company and opened in 1918. The station was renovated in the 1950s, and from 2002 to 2004.

Following the completion of the original subway, there were plans to construct a line along Manhattan's east side north of 42nd Street. The original plan for what became the extension north of 42nd Street was to continue it south through Irving Place and into what is now the BMT Broadway Line at Ninth Street and Broadway. In July 1911, the IRT had withdrawn from the talks, and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) was to operate on Lexington Avenue. The IRT submitted an offer for what became its portion of the Dual Contracts on February 27, 1912. In 1913, as part of the Dual Contracts, which were signed on March 19, 1913, the Public Service Commission planned to split the original Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) system from looking like a "Z" system (as seen on a map) to an H-shaped system. The original system would be split into three segments: two north–south lines, carrying through trains over the Lexington Avenue and Broadway–Seventh Avenue Lines, and a west–east shuttle under 42nd Street. This would form a roughly H-shaped system. It was predicted that the subway extension would lead to the growth of the Upper East Side and the Bronx. On September 19, 1917, the New York State Public Service Commission denied a request to change the planned name of the station to "77th Street—St. Ann's Academy". The 77th Street station opened on July 17, 1918, with service initially running between Grand Central–42nd Street and 167th Street via the line's local tracks. On August 1, the "H system" was put into place, with through service beginning on the new east and west side trunk lines, and the institution of the 42nd Street Shuttle along the old connection between the sides. The cost of the extension from Grand Central was $58 million. In July 1924, the IRT installed a change-making machine in the station. Along with turnstiles that accepted nickels, which were installed the previous year, this was expect to eliminate the need to have money changers in station booths. In 1932, the New York State Transit Commission approved an application from Lenox Hill Hospital to install signs reading "Lenox Hill Hospital" on the walls of the station, on the condition that the hospital would pay for the cost of the sign installation.

The city government took over the IRT's operations on June 12, 1940. The station was renovated in the 1950s to extend the station platforms to accommodate ten-car trains. The NYCTA issued an invitation for bids on a project to construct additional entrances at the station on April 26, 1968. As part of the project, second staircases were added to each corner of 77th Street and Lexington Avenue. The contract was awarded to J. W. Jenkins, Incorporated for $409,726. This station was renovated in 2003, along with the 86th Street and 116th Street stations on the Lexington Avenue Line. As part of the project, structural deficiencies were repaired, signage and lighting were enhanced, electrical service was upgraded, station facilities were rehabilitated, new fare arrays and a new token booth were installed, and portions of the station were upgraded to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. In addition, visual clutter was eliminated, and a

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