The 4,5,6 at Union Square has two island platforms for the four-track line along with closed and tiled off former exit side platforms along the local tracks. The remains of the decorative terra-cotta wall tiles now reappear in the mezzanine as part of the Arts For Transit Installation. The two directions of the station are offset from each other with the downtown platform farther north than the uptown one. The station is also located on a bit of a curve, severe enough that the northern half of the downtown platform employs gap fillers to make them more manageable. These fillers close after a train has arrived in the station (there is a short but noticeable delay in the doors being open when entering) but leaving trains start moving with the gap fillers still deployed and this movement causes the gap fillers to close with trains looking like their pushing the gap fillers away.
The mezzanine level above the platform is not just one passageway but a series of three above the platforms and another to the west of them providing unique views above the tracks and platforms. Numerous staircases connect the platforms to these corridors above but no elevators even though the street elevator for the N,Q,R,L is in this portion of the station. The connection to the L train (two staircases via an intermediate mezzanine) and its platform elevator is along the southern side of the mezzanine with the mezzanine passageways basically free-flowing into the N,Q,R,Ls at its NW corner.
For exists starting at the SW corner of the mezzanine high turnstiles lead out to two street stairs to the SW corner of 14 Street and 4 Avenue. The main fare control area with a full time token booth and wide bank of turnstiles is across form here it leads to two standard streetstairs at the SE corner of 14 Street and 4 Avenue. To the NE corner things are a bit more complicated with first the elevator and then two escalators and a wide staircase arrive at 14 Street beyond the corner of the intersection with what becomes known as Union Square East, these are right next to the entrance to a Food Emporium owned by Zeckendorf Towers, a high rise housing development. The final entrance is from the NE corner of the mezzanine and has high turnstiles that lead to a single MVM and an entrance right at the SE corner of 15 Street and Union Square inside an existing building.
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Arts For Transit at Union Square Union Square Project, 2000 Glass, Enameled Steel, and aluminum By Mary Miss |
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| (union_sqn41) Looking across the top of a R142 express train from one of the mezzanine passageways stopped 14 St-Union Square 6 June, 2004 (union_sqn42) A 4 or 5 trains enter gap fillers retracted | 21 April, 2007 (union_sqn43) Passengers waiting for downtown trains | 21 April, 2007 (union_sqn44) Looking down one of the mezzanine bridges | 21 April, 2007 |
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| (union_sqn45) Looking down to one of the platforms as passengers pour onto an arriving train 21 April, 2007 (union_sqn46) A downtown 5 train enters Union Square, notice the gap fillers | 31 December, 2009 (union_sqn47) A 6 local train has just stopped the moving platforms not extended | 31 December, 2009 (union_sqn48) The moving platforms have been extended the doors can now open | 31 December, 2009 |
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| (union_sqn49) The end of one of the mezzanine bridges to the downtown platform 31 December, 2009 (union_sqn410) Looking down one of the bridges that connects to the downtown platform | 31 December, 2009 (union_sqn411) The cross passageway at the northern 15 Street end of the station | 31 December, 2009 (union_sqn412) The bank of turnstiles (formerly part time to 15 Street & Union Square East) | 31 December, 2009 |
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| (union_sqn413) A 5 train stopped at Union Square 31 December, 2009 (union_sqn414) The main passageway to one side of the platforms is important for transfers | 31 December, 2009 (union_sqn415) Transferring passengers walk by the historic terra-cotta reliefs | 31 December, 2009 (union_sqn416) The curve of the downtown platform at Union Square after the uptown platform has ended | 12 August, 2011 |
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| (union_sqn417) The blur of an entering downtown train at Union Square 12 August, 2011 (union_sqn418) High Turnstiles out to 14 St & 4 Av | 16 September, 2011 (union_sqn419) The station entrance at the SE corner of 15 Street and Union Square East | 16 September, 2011 (union_sqn420) Entering the station from 15 Street | 16 September, 2011 |
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