Utica Avenue (3,4) - The SubwayNut

Utica Avenue is the terminus of the Express Tracks on the IRT Eastern Parkway Subway. The station has two island platforms that are stacked on-top of one another with the New Lots Avenue-bound trains, as well as terminating 4 trains discharging there passengers on the upper level, and all Manhattan-bound trains on the lower level. The 3's local track is on the south side of the platforms, the 4's express track on the north side of the platforms.

Due to terminal constraints at Flatbush Avenue, and for access to the only IRT train yard in Brooklyn at the Livonia Yard the station is also serviced by multiple 2 and 5 trains during rush hours. As of the February 2023 schedule for terminating 5 trains this includes 4 AM rush hour trains, 7 terminating PM Rush Hour trains and the 3 last 5 trains to run to Brooklyn in the evening arriving between 8:31 and 8:53. Originating trains in the AM rush hour include 2 trains that start at New Lots Avenue (including the first 5 train of the day), 2 AM trains that start at Utica Avenue, and 8 PM rush hour trains that originate at Utica Avenue.

All the 2 trains that stop at Utica Avenue, stop as an intermediate stop, running in service to and from New Lots Avenue, making local stops. In the AM rush hour this include one train that originates at New Lots Avenue at 7:23, at the tail end of the AM rush hour five trains stop at the station on their way to terminate at New Lots Avenue between 8:52am and 10:48am, these same five trains originate at New Lots Avenue at the start of the PM rush hour between 3:42pm and 5:09pm.

Just beyond (west, railroad south) the station the 4 train has a ribbon of tail tracks that are used to reverse it, and the 3 train continues in revenue service, leaving tunnels beyond and onto the Livonia Avenue Elevated to continue through Brownsville and East New York to reach New Lots Avenue. The stations two platforms have staircases between them at regular intervals and all Manhattan-bound passengers must walk down the New Lots-bound platform at least a bit to reach a staircase down to their lower-level platform.

The station has two exits, one at either end of the station. The one at the western end is staffed part time only and is reached by a wide staircase that replaces the western wall of the New Lots-bound platform. This staircase leads up to a small mezzanine area where there before 2012 there was a Customer Service Assistant staffing the token booth and turnstiles during weekday mornings (5:55am-1pm) and three High Entrance/Exit Turnstiles, and a High Exit Only Turnstile provided the only access at other times. Today the regular turnstiles are left unstaffed and open 24/7.From hear single staircases lead out to the two malls on eitherside of the main road of Eastern Parkway, on the west side of Schenectady Avenue.

The station's full time exit is at the other end of the platforms, two narrow staircases and an elevator at the extreme end of the platforms, connect both platforms (at two different landings) to a small upper mezzanine level that leads to a bank of turnstiles, and up to street stairs on either mall of Eastern Parkway, just West of Utica Avenue. Each mall of Eastern Parkway has two sets of street stairs. There is also a mezzanine elevator that leads down from the South Mall, right near the street stairs. Just beyond the fare control (within the paid area) area women's as well as men's restrooms (Open the standard 5am to Midnight).

Decoratively, the Utica Avenue Station was recently renovated and each track wall features a quite hard to see dual-contracts era golden yellow trimline with Us in it at various intervals. The track walls aren't strictly white beneath it; they differ depending upon the platform level. On the New Lots-bound level there is a section of yellow-orange tiles just beneath the trimline and another decorative line of yellow tiles on the bottom of the tiled portions of the platform walls. This platform has its I-beams (each platform has two sets, one along each track) and the other metalwork along the track walls are park blue. The Manhattan-bound platform is the reverse, the metalwork is painted a golden yellow and the tiles beneath the trim line are a dark blue.
Photos 1: January 24, 2004; 2-22: July 22, 2009; 23: February 1, 2013; 24-26: September 26, 2023; 27-33: November 27, 2023

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The platform wall with its yellow metalwork, and blue background tiling, a Manhattan-bound track at Utica Avenue.

A close-up of a U and the rest of the trimline. This was taken on the New Lots-bound platform because the tiles beneath it are a golden yellow and the metalwork is painted blue.

Looking down the upper level New Lots-bound platform at Utica Avenue.

The sign on the local New Lots-bound track at Utica Avenue, it says its for the 3 To New Lots Av, and Late Nights 4 Stops here.

Looking down the New Lots-bound platform at Utica Avenue towards the only staircase at the extreme western (northern) end for the exit to Schenectady Avenue.

One of the passageways out to the exit on the SW corner (really to the Southern Mall) of Eastern Parkway & Schenectady Avenue.

Looking back towards the fare control equipment for the Schenectady Avenue exit at Utica Avenue, there three High Entrance Turnstiles, a High Exit Turnstile and a bank of regular turnstiles that are only open during the rush hour periods.

The top of one of the entrance staircase to Utica Avenue at Schenectady Avenue.

Another view of an entrance staircase to Utica Avenue, in one of the pedestrian malls of Eastern Parkway that are between the main road and the service roads.

Looking across to two street stairs on the North Mall of Eastern Parkway at Utica Avenue.

The two staircases from the south mall and the elevator down to Utica Avenue.

Another view of the elevator down to the mezzanine level at Utica Avenue.

Approaching the main bank of turnstiles in the narrow mezzanine area that lead into the subway system at Utica Avenue.

A public women's room on the mezzanine at Utica Avenue.

The small upper mezzanine area that leads from the turnstiles to a pair of staircases down to the New Lots-bound platform (and additional staircases down to the Manhattan-bound one) as well as the elevator that has lower landings at both platforms.

On the New Lots-bound platform at the bottom of one of the staircases from the Utica Avenue mezzanine, a staircase down to the Manhattan-bound platform is straight ahead.

Looking down the lower level Manhattan-bound platform, down the local track at Utica Avenue.

Looking down the lower level Manhattan-bound platform at Utica Avenue with its golden painted I-beam columns, a staircase up to the upper level platform is visible.

A train to Woodlown boards its first passengers on the Manhattan-bound express track at Utica Avenue.

A view by a map panel on the Manhattan-bound platform at Utica Avenue.

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