Atlantic Pacific Complex

Atlantic Avenue/ Pacific Street Complex

Atlantic Avenue – Pacific Street (BMT 4^th Avenue) Atlantic Ave-Pacific Street: This complex serves the IRT 2/3/4/5 lines with the BMT Brighton B/Q lines as well as the BMT 4th Ave D/N/R and rush hour M lines. If offers easy connections to the MTA Long Island Railroad at Flatbush Ave terminal (soon to be renamed Atlantic Ave terminal, upon completion of the renovation work and expansion there.), as well as one of the borough's busiest traffic intersections and two interconnecting shopping malls. Despite all of the stations components being built during the Dual Contracts era, with passageways connecting to each other, no free transfer between areas ever existed until 1967. Customers wanting to transfer from the BMT to IRT lines had to pay another fare, a senseless 2 fares are needed if you wanted to walk from the Brighton platform to the 4th Ave line platform. (But you can avoid this hassle by going to DeKalb Ave first.) The free transfer from the Brighton line platform to the IRT was introduced in 1967, while the turnstiles to the BMT Pacific St station on the 4th Ave line, were removed in the late 1970's and the passageway is now barrier free.

Most of the station was renovated in 2004 by Schiavone Construction, with the exception of the platforms at Pacific Street which were done by an earlier contract. Although the complex is supposed to be ADA accessible, it is not recommended to utilize the 4/5 middle platform at Atlantic Ave. You can use the 2/3 line platforms and change at Nevins Street or Franklin Ave for same direction travel only. Persons who are visually impaired should use Borough Hall station for the 4/5 transfer to Manhattan.

BMT Brighton Line (Atlantic Avenue) Opened 3/11/1920: 2 tracks on 1 island platform, current station has 3 staircases to the passageway and 2 staircases to the Hanson Place side at the north end. This side has an escalator that leads to a separate mezzanine with no transfers to other lines. It has a ghost booth, removed by sneaky NYCT during renovations without a public hearing. There is 1 street stair that also leads to the Williamsburg Savings Bank and clock tower, the tallest building in Brooklyn. Another 2 street staircases are sealed temporarily until work is complete on the new Atlantic Terminal Mall and Office complex. The lower level at Hanson Place side had a passageway, that is now sealed, that ran above the platform from Hanson Place, signs "To Hanson Place" and other signs are covered up. This are is now space used by RTO and Subdivision C employees, with the entrance at the other side. The mezzanine also has an out of system passageway to the LIRR terminal and to the F/T fare control at the IRT side. There is a removed staircase in between the 2 Hanson Pl and 3 main staircases. The northernmost staircase was added during renovation while the other 2 staircases were narrowed in order to comply with ADA guidelines regarding minimum 36" width clearances anywhere. The platform extension is clearly show to the south end, while the name tablets and "A" are authentic replicas on the N/B platform wall, while the S/B wall was tiled around them. The area on the S/B wall where the platform extends out is replicas as well, since there were no mosaics built, only a green wall prior to the renovation, which indicates where the platform was extended in the 19069s to fit 10 car trains.

Going upstairs along the main passageway area, we see HEETs on 2 different locations. There are 2 ghost booths from the Brighton line area to the IRT area, along with the following staircases: 2 HEET access points to LIRR tracks #1 and 2. One staircase with fare control turnstiles at the platform level of the LIRR. Track #3 and 4 to your left (the staircase to your right also went to the LIRR level, and is sealed during renovation. One more staircase from platform level to the LIRR track #5 level (again the staircase to your right is sealed). Now we enter the IRT area.

IRT Platforms (Atlantic Ave): opened 5/1/1908 One of the few stations in the entire NYCT system to have 3 active platforms on one level. There are 4 tracks on 2 side platforms and 1 island platform. The 2/3 trains use the side local platforms, while the 4/5 express trains use the island platform in the middle. This area is served by a F/T booth by the LIRR terminal on the Manhattan-bound 2/3 platform. To the north of the booth are abandoned trackways from the LIRR terminal to the IRT tracks along with platform extensions. Joe Brennan notes that the Dual Contracts called for a proposal to have a 2 track connection from north of the IRT station, to the 4th Ave BMT line, some traces of the walls are visible on the S/B side. The restoration artists made great detail in reproducing the Atlantic Ave station tablets on both sides while restoring the 1908 "A" mosaic leaf to its original appearance. The original 1908 Times Plaza stationhouse which served as one of the original fare control areas at the triangular intersection of Atlantic/Flatbush and 4th Avenues, is restored and reborn as a permanent art display, with flood lights and glass that allow natural sunlight to beam down to platform level. (It was going to be demolished, until community leaders and area politicians argued successfully on the importance of preserving this now-landmarked stationhouse. At the south end are sealed exits to the south side of Atlantic Ave, along with at least 1 ghost booth, the staircases and exits are left intact, but are now used for storage. A proposed indoor sports arena that will be the new home for the NBA Nets basketball team, it is located on the same side on Atlantic Ave as the sealed exits and no other access is possible without crossing Atlantic Ave first. I am hoping that when we are sure that the new sports area is under construction, NYCT will do the right thing and initiate a separate contract to reopen this area, although don't hold your breath for a S/A booth to pop up here. The local platforms have 2 staircases to the lower mezzanine level, while the express platform has 3 staircases. All of the platforms have elevators, while the S/B platform now has a direct ramp to the Pacific Street end that runs underneath the skylight and the 1908 Times Plaza stationhouse. There are 2 up staircases to the stationhouse that were removed during renovation.

BMT 4th Ave line (Atlantic Ave-Pacific Street) opened 9/13/1915: This area is served by the D/N/R and rush hour M trains. Express stop, with 4 tracks and 2 island platforms, the area was renovated in the early 1990's with the BRT Pacific Street tablets preserved throughout. Platform extensions are to the south, while there are 3 staircases and 1 elevator from each platform to mezzanine level. There are 2 street stairs, and one elevator, the stair on the W/S of 4th Ave behind the P.C. Richard electronics store) has a replica shell of the original Dual Contracts entrances along the IRT and BMT lines, the attention to detail to the shell and points that NCT has proven on how much better it is to at least replicate something from many decades ago, as opposed to the modern look and destroying any traces of the original station design. Inside the passageway are 2 closed street stairs that give clear evidence that this area was outside fare control, until a 1978 reconfiguration to a free transfer, made these staircases exit only. These areas are now used as storage space, and the passageway was widened to twice it's original width. The original station name was Pacific Street, it was renamed Atlantic Ave-Pacific Street in order to avoid confusion with the rest of the complex.

For the walking tour, start at the Pacific Street end, and go downstairs to look at the 4th Ave line platforms, go back upstairs and walk through the passageway. Stay to the right and use the ramp to the SB IRT platform, make a right first. Look at the IRT mosaics and it's beauty, then go back to the ramp, walk back to the wide staircase and look up, you will see the light and stationhouse interior. (Don't stand in the middle of the staircase; you will risk injury to other customers. Go downstairs and look at the vast open space along the IRT area, with many signs. Look at the giant sized photographs by Ellen Jaffe, and is titled "Cityscape". Continue down to the Brighton side and make a left, you will see the sealed passageway that is now the MOW offices. Go downstairs to the other side and come back up to Hanson Place.