Avenue M (Q) - The SubwayNut

The Avenue M Station has two quite narrow side platforms for a four-tracked Brighton Line express station. These both have standard cream-painted windscreens along their entire lengths. There is a canopy only towards the center of the station's platforms. The station's single exit is beneath the tracks at street level between the platforms, two staircases lead down from each platform to a small underpass area. From the Coney Island-bound platform a High Exit Turnstile allows passengers to exit directly and not enter the station house. This along with the doors out from the small station house built directly underneath the embankment lead out to the southern sidewalk of the shopping street that is Avenue M and crosses beneath the subway line. The station house has the station's small bank of turnstiles and token booth.

The station was renovated from 2009 through 2011, with first Coney Island-bound trains skipping the station at all times running via the express track, followed by Manhattan-bound trains. Express service on the Brighton Line was discontinued so B trains were temporarily also stopping at the station in the non-skipped direction).

The renovations replaced the cream colored windscreens with modern Green and cream colored ones, portions of the platforms that look out to Avenue M have mesh instead of the windscreen in places allowing more natural light onto the platforms.

The station house was completely renovated with new white tiles in the same style of Avenue J, a new exit was built from the northern sidewalk of Avenue M with a staircase leading up from the darkness underneath the railroad bridge above to a switchback before arriving on the Manhattan-bound platform only at a bank of on platform turnstiles. There was space to build a similar new entrance to the Coney Island-bound platform between the station and an ajacent building (it would be similar to the new entrance at Avenue J), but at Avenue M this staircase exists but only as an emergency exit visible from the street behind fencing with locked gates on the street and on the platform.
Photos 1-12: December 9, 2005; 13-28: June 29, 2009; 29-39: January 10, 2012; 40: January 20, 2012

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Looking down the Avenue M Station, some snow remains on the ROW, passengers wait for a Manhattan-bound train to take them out of the cold.

R40-Slant #4253 leads a Brighton-bound B Express train as it approaches Avenue M.

R40-Slant #4253 leads a Brighton-bound B Express train as it bypasses Avenue M.

R40-Slant #4383 and a Brighton-bound B Express train begin to leave the station area at Avenue M after bypassing it.

R40-Slant #4383 continues south of Avenue M.

Another view across to the Manhattan-bound platform at Avenue M.

A waiting passenger talks on his cell phone as a Manhattan-bound R40-Slant B train approaches Avenue M to bypass it.

R40-Slant #4447 approaches Avenue M.

R40-Slant #4447 and a Manhattan-bound B express train scream their way through Avenue M.

A R40-Slant B train makes its way through Avenue M on the express track.

R68A #5180 and a Manhattan-bound Q train approach the Avenue M Station on a winter day.

R68A #5180 is about to platform at Avenue M.

An Avenue M platform sign on the side of a platform windscreen, the narrowness of the station platform is also easy to see in this photo.

Approaching one of two staircases down to the narrow exit area at Avenue M.

Looking across to one of two staircases down from the Manhattan-bound platform at Avenue M.

Looking down a relatively dark and narrow staircase to fare control at Avenue M.

Approaching the doors into the small station house area at Avenue M.

The six doors into the Avenue M station beneath the Brighton Line's bridge over Avenue M.

The streetside of the High Exit Turnstile that provides an exit directly from the Brighton-bound platform, allowing passengers not to go by the fare control area.

Looking beneath the bridge above the entrances to the Avenue M Station, two subway station green globes are attached to the bottom of the elevated structure.

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