Bay Ridge-95 Street (R) - The SubwayNut

Bay Ridge-95 Street is the southern terminus of the R train and 4th Avenue Subway and opened as a one-track extension on October 31, 1925. The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge towers off in the distance from the subway station. The station has the standard two tracks with a single island platform layout. The next train to leave signs are simply an arrow that lights up on an old-fashioned looking sign that doesn't actually say what it's indicated. The station and tracks situated on the west side of 4 Avenue in order to leave room underneath 4th Avenue to build to express tracks if they were ever desired. These tracks probably would lead to a proposed but never materialized subway tunnel beneath the narrows to Staten Island. The station is also the only local stop on 4th Avenue that has its original platform tiling on the track walls. This consists of a rather wide mosaic trim line with 95th Street spelled out in it almost looking like a name tablet. There is a small section of the platform (probably the portion of the platform that was added when it was extended) that is simply a bare black wall without tiling. The numerous columns along the platform and mezzanines are yellow.

The station has what is an extremely rare full length mezzanine for a BMT station but the MTA has turned most of the mezzanine into employee spaces for the station and single departments but evidence, in the terms of the doors at either end of these and restored mosaics along each mezzanine that have arrows pointing towards both 95th St and 93rd St, clearly indicate that this mezzanine was once fully open to the public station has two open exits. The one at the northern end of the platform with a single staircase up to a decently sized mezzanine leading to streetstairs at the SW 93 Street and 4 Avenue, and a passageway to a streetstair on the east side of 4 Avenue, across from this one since 93 Street ends at a T-intersection. This exit is now fully unstaffed with just High Entrance/Exit and Exit Turnstiles.

The full time exit towards the southern end of the station has a bit of a larger mezzanine, with two staircases down to the platform. There are public restrooms (open 5am to midnight) before the bank of turnstiles and token booth is reached. Streetstairs immediately lead out to the NW and SW corners of 95 Street and 4th Avneue. A long passageway leads beneath 4th Avenue and the start of 5th Avenue (that splits off of 4 Avenue at an angle) and leads to a newsstand at the lower level before a staircase inside a 3 story tenement next to a car service leads up to the eastern sidewalk of the very start of 5th Avenue after it splits off of 4 Avenue.
Photos 1-23: June 9, 2009; 24: February 28, 2004

Page 2

A single illuminated arrow tells passengers which track the next train to Manhattan & Queens will leave from at 95 Street-Bay Ridge.

Looking down the single, narrow island platform at 95 Street-Bay Ridge.

A line of the decorative grey trim along one of the platform walls at 95 Street-Bay Ridge.

A close-up of 95 Street written in mosaic into the mosaic trim

Approaching the single staircase right at the most northern of the platform at 95 Street to the unstaffed exit to 93 Streets.

A High Entrance/Exit and a High Exit Turnstile lead out to the exit to 93 Streets.

Mosaic signs along the platform walls at 95 Street Bay ridge outside of fare control on the 93 Street exit's mezzanine have text and arrows for both exits to both 95 St and 93 St.

The decently sized mezzanine outside of fare control for the exit to 93 Street, the doors in view lead to crew quarters.

Looking down the passageway of a decent length to the East side of 93 Street and 4 Avenue.

Looking across 4 Avenue to a 95 Street subway entrance with the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge towering above.

An unusual subway entrance to 95 Street with an old mosaic sign leading to a now closed shoes repaired while you wait.

Looking down the unusual staircase down to the subway along the shopping strip at 95 Street.

One of the passageways to the fare control area from the 95 Street and East side 4 Avenue entrance.

Looking down the decently wide passageway to the fare control area from the East side of 4 Avenue entrance to 95 Streets.

The turnstiles and decently sized mezzanine from the 95 Street entrance.

Looking down the decently sized mezzanine from the 95 Street entrance.

The mosaic Men sign and open men's room on the mezzanine level at 95 Street.

The Women's room on the mezzanine level at 95 Street, whose sign says it should be open is locked tight.

Looking back towards fare control down the mezzanine of decent legth at 95 Street.

Looking from the top of one of the staircases down to the platform at 95 Street, with the sign pointing towards track 1 or 2 visible.

Page 2