Broad Street station (BMT Nassau Street Line) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Broad Street
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 New York City Subway station (rapid transit) |
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Southbound/terminating platform
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| Station statistics | |||||||||
| Address | Broad Street & Wall Street New York, NY 10005 |
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| Borough | Manhattan | ||||||||
| Locale | Financial District | ||||||||
| Coordinates | 40°42′25″N 74°00′39″W / 40.70694°N 74.01083°W | ||||||||
| Division | B (BMT) | ||||||||
| Line | BMT Nassau Street Line | ||||||||
| Services | J alltimes (all times) Z rushpeak (rush hours, peak direction) |
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| Transit connections |  New York City Transit: M15, M15 SBS, M55, SIM1, SIM1C, SIM2, SIM3C, SIM5, SIM15, SIM32, SIM33C, SIM34, SIM35, X27, X28MTA Bus: BM1, BM2, BM3, BM4, QM7, QM8, QM11, QM25  Staten Island Ferry at Whitehall Terminal |
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| Structure | Underground | ||||||||
| Platforms | 2 side platforms | ||||||||
| Tracks | 2 | ||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||
| Opened | May 29, 1931 | ||||||||
| Station code | 107 | ||||||||
| Accessible | not ADA-accessible; accessibility planned | ||||||||
| Opposite-direction transfer available | Yes | ||||||||
| Traffic | |||||||||
| Passengers (2019) | 2,172,223  10.4% |
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| Rank | 216 out of 425 | ||||||||
| Station succession | |||||||||
| Next north | Fulton Street: J alltimes Z rushpeak | ||||||||
| Next south | (Terminal): J alltimes Z rushpeak Court Street: no regular service |
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The Broad Street subway station is part of the New York City Subway system. It's located in the Financial District of Manhattan, right where Broad Street and Wall Street meet. This station is the last stop for the J train all the time. It's also the last stop for the Z train during busy morning and evening hours.
This station was built as part of a big project called the Dual Contracts in 1913. The company that built it was the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, later known as the BMT. The Nassau Street Line, where Broad Street station is, was one of the last parts of this project to be finished. Construction really picked up after James Walker became mayor in 1926. The station officially opened on May 29, 1931. Even though it's near Wall Street, it was named Broad Street to avoid confusion with other nearby stations. For many years, between 1990 and 2015, this station was only open on weekdays.
Contents
History of Broad Street Station
Building the Subway Line
In 1913, the city and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BMT) signed an agreement to build new subway lines. Most of these lines were finished by 1924, but the BMT Nassau Street Line was still incomplete. The BMT chairman really wanted the city to finish the line. However, Mayor John Hylan didn't do much about it.
When James Walker became mayor, the project finally moved forward. The part of the line south of Liberty Street was given to a company called Moranti and Raymond.
Construction Challenges
The work was expected to take about 39 months. By March 1929, over half of the work was done. Nassau Street is quite narrow, only about 34 feet (10 m) wide. The subway floor was also very close to the foundations of buildings, just 20 feet (6.1 m) below them. Because of this, 89 buildings had to be supported from underneath so they wouldn't sink.
Workers also had to build the subway 20 feet (6.1 m) below another active subway line, the IRT Lexington Avenue Line. They even found an area with quicksand and water, which used to be a spring, between John Street and Broad Street. To avoid disturbing people working in the Financial District, much of the construction was done at night. Building this 0.9 miles (1.4 km) extension was very expensive, costing about $10.072 million. This was three times the usual cost of building a subway line back then.
How the Station Started Working
The Broad Street station opened on May 29, 1931. Its opening completed the BMT Nassau Street Line, also known as the "Nassau Street Loop". This new section connected the line from its old end at Chambers Street to the Montague Street Tunnel. This tunnel allowed trains to travel all the way to Brooklyn.
The new line helped more subway trains run. It added about ten percent more capacity than the existing service. Trains from the Jamaica Line also started running to this station.
Why it's Called Broad Street
The station is located under Broad and Nassau Streets, with Wall Street as a cross-street. However, it was named after Broad Street. This was done to avoid confusion with two other nearby stations that also had "Wall Street" in their names.
For many years, from September 30, 1990, to June 14, 2015, the Broad Street and Fulton Street stations were closed on weekends. This meant they didn't have service all the time, unlike most New York City Subway stations.
Future Elevators
There are plans for a new tall building at 45 Broad Street. This building might include a new entrance to the Broad Street station with elevators. If built, these elevators would make the station easier for people with disabilities to use, following the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
The plans suggest two elevators, one for each platform. They would be located at the corners of Broad Street and Exchange Place. In July 2018, the New York City Council approved building these elevators. The developers were given extra building rights in exchange for adding the elevators.
Some people living and working nearby were concerned about the glass and metal elevators. They worried about security. However, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) checked and found that the elevators would not make the area less safe. Many regular subway riders also supported the elevators. They pointed out that only a few of the stations on the J and Z lines were accessible for wheelchairs.
Station Layout
| G | Street Level | Entrance/exit |
| M | Mezzanine | Fare control, station agent, out-of-system passageway to Wall Street |
| P Platform level |
Side platform | |
| Northbound | ← toward Jamaica Center (Fulton Street) ← PM rush toward Jamaica Center (Fulton Street) |
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| Southbound | termination track → (No service: Court Street) |
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| Side platform | ||
This station has two tracks and two side platforms. South of the station, there are two extra tracks. These tracks are used to store trains or turn them around. Further south, the two tracks of the BMT Nassau Street Line connect with the BMT Broadway Line. This connection leads into the Montague Street Tunnel, which goes to Downtown Brooklyn. Regular trains haven't used this connection since the M train changed its route in June 2010.
Trains arriving at Broad Street usually stop on the southbound track. Then, they move to one of the extra tracks before returning to the northbound track. From there, they start their journey north towards Brooklyn and Queens.
The station was updated in the late 1990s. New mosaic designs were added to the platform walls. There's a small green and gold line, and below it, a larger gold line with a maroon border. You can also see white "B" and "BROAD ST" signs on a blue-green background.
Station Exits
The Broad Street station has three main ways to enter and exit. The main entrance, which is open all the time, is at the north end of the station. From each platform, two staircases lead up to a mezzanine level. Here, you'll find the turnstiles and the station agent's booth. Outside the turnstiles, two sets of stairs go up to the street. One set leads to the corner of Wall and Broad Streets, near 23 Wall Street. The other set goes to the opposite corner, outside the New York Stock Exchange Building (NYSE).
After the events of September 11, 2001, the stairs facing away from Wall Street were closed by the police for security. In 2012, the stairs facing Wall Street were also closed when the security area was changed. There were talks in 2017 and 2019 about permanently closing these stairs to allow the NYSE to improve the street area.
The other two entrances are not staffed and are at platform level. The northbound platform has turnstiles and three street stairs. One goes to the corner of Exchange Place and Broad Street, near the Broad Exchange Building. Two others are along Broad Street between Exchange Place and Beaver Street. The southbound platform also has turnstiles. These were originally for entering and exiting, but now they are only for exiting. Two staircases lead to Broad Street between Exchange Place and Beaver Street. A third staircase at the corner of Exchange Place and Broad Street is closed. There is also another exit-only staircase at the station that leads to the corner of Broad Street and Exchange Place. This one was also closed by the police but later reopened.
Underground Passageways
Outside the main turnstiles, there's a long underground passage. It's open only on weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. This passage goes north for three blocks to the basement of 28 Liberty Street. From there, you can find an unmarked exit on the east side of Nassau Street at Cedar Street. This passage also connects to the Wall Street/William Street station (2 and 3 train) and the Wall Street/Broadway station (4 and 5 train).
The passage used to have two other exits that are now closed. One led to Wall Street and Nassau Street and closed by 1992. Another led to Cedar Street and Nassau Street, near 140 Broadway, and closed by 1999. It's now used as an emergency exit. Halfway through the passage, a short staircase leads to another narrow passage. This one goes through the basement of the Equitable Building. It has special turnstiles that let you enter the Wall Street/Broadway station. Inside the fare control area, this passage splits, leading to both platforms of the Wall Street station. You can also transfer for free between the BMT Nassau Street Line and the IRT Lexington Avenue Line at the next three stations north: Fulton Street, Chambers Street, and Canal Street.
- nycsubway.org – BMT Nassau St./Jamaica Line: Broad Street
- Station Reporter — J Train
See also
In Spanish: Calle Broad (línea de la Calle Nassau) para niños
