Times Square Shuttle Station, Reconfiguration and ADA Accessibility, Manhattan NYCT Contracts # A- 35302 & A-37116

Public Notification of the resolution of adverse effects upon historic property from the reconfiguration of the Times Sq. Shuttle Station impact determination, in accordance with 36 C.F.R. § 800.6 governing Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as implemented by the regulations of the Federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, “Protection of Historic and Cultural Properties.” The Times Sq. Shuttle Station portion of the Times Sq-42 St Station complex is listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NR04001016).

Description of Times Square Shuttle Station in Manhattan

Built and opened in 1904, the Times Sq. Shuttle Station area, within the Times Sq-42 St Station complex, is a New York City Transit (NYCT) Subway Station at the terminus of the IRT 42nd Street Shuttle line. The Shuttle line services the ‘S’ train, also referred to as the Times Sq. Shuttle, that runs along 42nd Street between the Times Sq-42 St and Grand Central-42 St Stations from Broadway and Park Avenue through Manhattan, New York.

NYCT plans to implement the reconfiguration and ADA accessibility of the platforms at Times Sq. Shuttle Station that was originally constructed as part of New York’s first subway line in 1904 according to the designs of Heins and LaFarge (architects of the original subway stations), and later reconfigured as a shuttle stop after the completion of the 7th Avenue-Broadway Line Times Square Station in 1917. The Times Sq. Shuttle will remain in operation during construction for public use except for a planned two-week closure to complete the work. The reconfiguration project includes the alleviation of deficiencies, such as lack of egress and circulation, and the lack of accessibility for disabled riders. This affects overall operations, station circulation and customer safety. This will be achieved by eliminating a portion of the curved track and platform and providing additional egress through the installation of a new station entrance and a second entrance at mid-block on 42nd Street. The Times Sq. Shuttle Station will be made compliant with ADA requirements by bringing components (such as lighting, communications, security, platform finishes, etc.) up to current standards and rehabilitating finishes – including repairing and restoring existing historic finishes.

Impact of Project to a Section 106 Historic Property

The Times Sq. Shuttle Station reconfiguration work will necessitate the removal of Track #3, the extension and widening of the platform, and the removal of several steel columns in phases of construction, while maintaining public access to the ‘S’ train Shuttle service. It has been determined that this NYCT project’s reconfiguration work will cumulatively have an adverse effect upon the historic Times Sq. Shuttle Station.

Independent of the NYCT project is a proposed private developer project that may require use and occupancy of a portion of the Times Sq. Shuttle Station in order to install elevators and an escalator to the cellar of its building to access the observation platform at One Times Square building. In conjunction with the construction of the observation platform, the private developer would install an ADA-compliant elevator from One Times Sq. Plaza to the Times Sq. Shuttle Station for use by NYCT passengers. If this independent project is undertaken by the private developer, it has been determined that the northern termination of the original 1904 west platform wall cannot remain in-situ and be incorporated into the proposed design at its present location in a portion of the historic Times Sq. Shuttle Station.

Resolution of adverse effects upon Section 106 Historic Resource pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 800.6

As the Times Sq. Shuttle Station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, NYCT has executed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) in accordance with 36 C.F.R. § 800.6(c)(1), with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and New York’s State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), to ensure compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and this MOA shall govern the NYCT project undertaking and all of its parts.

These parties have developed an MOA that outlines the agreed-upon mitigation required by the determination by SHPO that this project will cause an adverse effect on the cultural resources. The MOA implements mitigation measures including, but not limited to, the following: repair and restoration of the original southwest platform wall finishes and southwest control area wall finishes; repair and restoration of original cast iron columns, ceiling plaster ornamentation, cast iron guard rails, etc.; continued protection of the east platform walls that are located within Transit back-of-house space not accessible to the public; and replication of the damaged Knickerbocker marble lintel located at the west platform control area in the historic Times Sq. Shuttle Station.

If the independent project is undertaken, a private developer may construct its elevators and escalator at the One Time Square Building. For this purpose, an Amendment to the MOA is to stipulate that the private developer is responsible for the documentation, careful cleaning and removal of the northern termination of the original 1904 west platform wall in sections with the least amount of harm to the historic finishes. Documentation, with architectural drawings and professional photographs of the 1904 west platform wall, will be furnished to the New York Historical Society and the New York Transit Museum. The private developer is then to protect, package and deliver the removed historic wall sections to the New York Transit Museum.

This information is being provided for public notification, comments and review as the opportunity for members of the public to express their views concerning historic preservation issues and the nature of their effects upon historic properties by this undertaking.

Please send us your comments

Based on the aforementioned information, which involves the resolution of adverse effects upon historic Times Square Shuttle Station for reconfiguration and ADA accessibility, NYCT invites you to submit comments. Comments will be accepted until May 06, 2018 - 10 days after the posting of this message here.

Please send all comments to:

Catherine Contino

MTA New York City Transit

Government and Community Relations

2 Broadway, 17th fl, Rm. D17.121

New York, NY 10004

Catherine.Contino@nyct.com