IND World's Fair Line
IND World's Fair Line | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The IND World's Fair Line, officially the World's Fair Railroad,
The line was planned beginning in 1936, and it was constructed in 1938. The line and station were only open in 1939 and 1940 during the Fair's operating season. Passengers had to pay a ten-cent fare to use this line, double the subway's standard five-cent fare. This was not the only line to serve the world's fair. The Interborough Rapid Transit and the Brooklyn Manhattan Transit operated service to the Fair via the World's Fair station of their joint-operated IRT Flushing Line. The World's Fair Railroad and station are the only IND line and station to have been closed and demolished.[1][3][4] Remnants of the line are still present in the Jamaica Yard.
History
In 1935,
The Board of Transportation awarded the contract for the IND World's Fair Line on October 26, 1937, to the P. T. Cox Contracting Company. The company had been the lowest bidder for the contract, having offered to construct the trestle for the World's Fair Line at a cost of $308,770.[12][13] The World's Fair extension was opposed by Parks Commissioner Moses, who believed the new subway spur would be "extravagant and wasteful".[14][15]
During the line's planning stages in 1937, the Board of Estimate considered making the line a permanent connection to Flushing Meadows Park following the end of the fair. They also looked at the possibility of intermediate stations along the line to serve the local areas, comprising what is now Kew Gardens Hills and Flushing. The upgrades to make the line permanent would have cost around $6 million. However, it was determined to be impractical due to the absence of permanent attractions in the park at the time;[16][17] these attractions, such as the Citi Field baseball park and the USTA National Tennis Center, were not added until later.[18]
In early 1938, construction on the IND World's Fair Line began.
Test trains on the IND World's Fair Line were run beginning on April 22, 1939, and the line opened on April 30, 1939.
The 1939 World's Fair had two seasons: one each in 1939 and 1940, which ended in the fall months of the year. Service for the first season ended on November 1, 1939, and during this season the line's ridership was 7,066,966.
Preparation for the 1964 World's Fair started in 1960. An extension of the IND Queens Boulevard Line to the fair grounds was considered. Robert Moses, who was going to take over as president of the World's Fair on May 15, 1960, rejected the proposal once he found out that the line would have cost $10 million.[29] In the end, improved Flushing Line service, and increased E, F, and GG service on the Queens Boulevard Line would provide improved transportation facilities for the fair.[22]: 83
Station
World's Fair | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Former New York City Subway station | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Station statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Borough | Queens | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | Flushing Meadows | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 40°44′34″N 73°50′16″W / 40.742753°N 73.837762°W | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Division | [30] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Line | IND Queens Boulevard/World's Fair Line | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Services | None (demolished) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Structure | At-grade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Platforms | 1 island platform 2 side platforms Spanish solution | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tracks | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | April 30, 1939[4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Closed | October 28, 1940[4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Former/other names | Horace Harding Boulevard[25] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Traffic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2023 | [31] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rank | out of 423 Forest Hills–71st Avenue | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The World's Fair station was the line's northern terminus[a] and its sole station, located in the Amusement Area of the World's Fair.[6][7][12][9] The station was a temporary[17][20] stub-end terminal with two tracks and three platforms, organized in a Spanish solution. A third siding was built south of the station.[3] The stop was alternately named the Horace Harding Boulevard station, after the avenue where it was located.[25] It was open for only nineteen months, from April 30, 1939, to October 28, 1940.[21]: 314, 409
To enter the station, an additional 5-cent fare was charged on top of the standard nickel fare. Eighteen special turnstiles were used at the World's Fair station that permitted traffic flow in both directions and accepted two different fares depending on the direction of travel. Fairgoers disembarking from trains paid a nickel as they exited through the turnstiles while passengers entering the station from the fairgrounds paid a ten-cent fare upon passing through the turnstiles.[1][10][11][24] The double-fare was instituted to avoid a financial deficit.[11] A double fare was later implemented on stations of the IND Rockaway Line, which opened in 1956 and used this fare system until 1975.[18][32][33]
Competing IRT and BMT service
The
Notes
- railroad directions, however, the trains would be traveling "railroad north" for the entire duration of their trip.
References
- ^ a b c Marzlock, Ron (October 25, 2007). "IND Subway Line To 1939 World's Fair". qchron.com. Queens Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 27, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ a b "WORLD'S FAIR SPUR MAY CHARGE DIME; Independent Subway Link to Have Turnstiles With 2-Way Coin Mechanism PAY TO GET OUT REQUIRED City Authorization Lacking for Plan, Devised to Avoid Deficit in Operation Spur Held Separate Line Road to Cost $2,000,000" (PDF). The New York Times. August 27, 1938. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ^ a b c Rosenthal, David. "IND 1939 Worlds Fair Line". www.nycsubway.org. Archived from the original on December 16, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
- ^ a b c Feinman, Mark (2000). "History of the Independent Subway". www.nycsubway.org. Archived from the original on December 25, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
- ^ "Great World Fair for City in 1939 on Site In Queens;...City to Lend New Park" (PDF). The New York Times. September 23, 1935. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
- ^ a b c "EXPANDED TRANSIT FOR FAIR IS ASKED; State and City Boards Join in Plea for Appropriation of $1,850,000" (PDF). The New York Times. December 24, 1936. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ a b c "TEST TRAINS RUNNING IN QUEENS SUBWAY: Switch and Signal Equipment of New Independent Line Is Being Checked" (PDF). The New York Times. December 20, 1936. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ "Plans to be Drawn for 6th Av. Subway" (PDF). The New York Times. April 1, 1935. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ^ a b c "CITY LINE TO FAIR CARRIED 7,066,948; 2-Mile Spur Had Only 54% of Passengers Expected From Attendance Estimates" (PDF). The New York Times. November 3, 1939. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ^ The New York Sun. Fultonhistory.com. February 18, 1939. p. 21. Archivedfrom the original on October 13, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "TO BUILD FAIR SUBWAY P. T. Cox Co. Wins Award for Extending Independent System" (PDF). The New York Times. October 27, 1937. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Fultonhistory.com. October 27, 1937. p. 4. Archivedfrom the original on October 13, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
- ^ "MAYOR ASKS DATA ON SUBWAY TO FAIR: Calls Hearing on Proposal for Independent Line Spur in Spite of Moses's Criticism" (PDF). The New York Times. February 6, 1937. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Fair Subway Cost Set at $1,700,000" (PDF). The New York Times. July 22, 1937. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
- ^ a b c "BOARD GETS REPORT ON FAIR SUBWAY SPUR; Estimated Cost Is $1,742,000 for Construction, Operation and Removal in 1940" (PDF). The New York Times. July 3, 1937. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-82325-369-2.
- ^ "Transit Facilities to the Fair Are Tested" (PDF). The New York Times. May 1, 1938. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
- ^ a b "CITY SUBWAY SPUR TO THE FAIR URGED: Delaney and Fullen Jointly Propose Extension From Queens Boulevard. COST PUT AT $1,200,000 Enlargement of Willets Point 1. R. T.-B. M. T. Station Also Is Recommended. Expenses Are Estimated Two Tracks Are Provided" (PDF). The New York Times. January 15, 1937. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ a b c Proceedings. New York City Board of Transportation. April 24, 1939. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ a b c Cunningham, Joseph; DeHart, Leonard O. (1993). A History of the New York City Subway System. J. Schmidt, R. Giglio, and K. Lang. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ "Subway Service To Start Fair Service April 30". New York Daily News. April 16, 1939. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^ a b "CITY SUBWAY RIDE TO FAIR TO COST 10C Board Holds Dime Charge Is Necessary to Pay for Branch Line to the Grounds" (PDF). The New York Times. February 18, 1939. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ a b c "HOW TO GET TO THE FAIR GROUNDS; BY SUBWAY" (PDF). The New York Times. April 30, 1939. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ^ "NEW SUBWAY SPUR IS READY TO OPEN: First Train to Start Four Minutes Before the Fair Officially Begins" (PDF). The New York Times. April 17, 1939. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ^ North, Simon Newton Dexter; Wickware, Francis Graham; Hart, Albert Bushnell (1940). The American Year Book. Thomas Nelson & Sons. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ "END OF SUBWAY SPUR TO FAIR NOW URGED: Transportation Board Asks the Right to Demolish It" (PDF). The New York Times. November 26, 1940. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ^ "64 FAIR PLANS SET BY TRANSIT BOARD; Authority Seeks 10 Million for 80 More Cars -- Will Improve IRT Station IND EXTENSION VETOED Moses Against Expense of Building New Spur -- Some '39 Structures Remain" (PDF). New York Times. April 27, 1960. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- ^ "Glossary". Second Avenue Subway Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) (PDF). Vol. 1. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. March 4, 2003. pp. 1–2. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ a b "Annual Subway Ridership (2018–2023)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
- ^ Freeman, Ira Henry (June 28, 1956). "Rockaway Trains to Operate Today" (PDF). The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
- Wave of Long Island. Fultonhistory.com. March 23, 1977. p. 11. Archivedfrom the original on October 13, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2016.