116 Street  ​
Platform with train visible on the left
Station statistics
Address	East 116th Street & Lexington Avenue New York, New York
Borough	Manhattan
Locale	East Harlem
Coordinates	40°47′55″N73°56′31″W / 40.798607°N 73.942022°W /40.798607; -73.942022
Division	A (IRT)[1]
Line	IRT Lexington Avenue Line
Services	4  (late nights) ​  6  (all times) <6>  (weekdays until 8:45 p.m., peak direction)
Transit	NYCT Bus:M98,M101,M102,M103,M116[2]
Structure	Underground
Platforms	2side platforms
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	July 17, 1918 (107 years ago) (1918-07-17)[3]
Traffic
2024	2,733,594[4]  1.2%
Rank	129 out of 423[4]
Services Preceding station New York City Subway Following station 125th Street 4  ​6  <6> towardPelham Bay Park Local 110th Street 4  ​6  <6> towardBrooklyn Bridge–City Hall does not stop here
Location Show map of New York City Subway Show map of New York City Show map of New York
Track layout Legend to125th Street express tracks to125th Street to110th Street Upper level Lower level
Street map
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times Stops late nights only Stops rush hours in the peak direction only

The116th Street station is a localstation on theIRT Lexington Avenue Line of theNew York City Subway. Located at the intersection ofLexington Avenue and 116th Street inEast Harlem, it is served by the6 train at all times, the<6> train during weekdays in the peak direction, and the4 train during late nights.

This station was constructed as part of theDual Contracts by theInterborough Rapid Transit Company and opened in 1918. It was renovated in 2003.

Following the completion of theoriginal subway, there were plans to construct a line along Manhattan's east side north of 42nd Street. The original plan for what became the extension north of 42nd Street was to continue it south throughIrving Place and into what is now theBMT Broadway Line atNinth Street andBroadway. In July 1911, the IRT had withdrawn from the talks, and theBrooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) was to operate on Lexington Avenue. The IRT submitted an offer for what became its portion of theDual Contracts on February 27, 1912.^[5][6]

In 1913, as part of theDual Contracts, which were signed on March 19, 1913,^[7] the Public Service Commission planned to split the originalInterborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) system from looking like a "Z" system (as seen on a map) to an H-shaped system. The original system would be split into three segments: two north–south lines, carrying through trains over the Lexington Avenue andBroadway–Seventh Avenue Lines, and a west–east shuttle under 42nd Street. This would form a roughly H-shaped system.^[8][9] It was predicted that the subway extension would lead to the growth of theUpper East Side andthe Bronx.^[10][11]

The 116th Street station opened on July 17, 1918, with service initially running betweenGrand Central–42nd Street and167th Street via the line's local tracks.^[3][12] On August 1, the "H system" was put into place, with through service beginning on the new east and west side trunk lines, and the institution of the42nd Street Shuttle along the old connection between the sides.^[13][14] The cost of the extension from Grand Central was $58 million.^[15]

The city government took over the IRT's operations on June 12, 1940.^[16][17]

This station was renovated in 2003, along with the 77th Street and 86th Street stations on the Lexington Avenue Line. As part of the project, structural deficiencies were repaired, signage and lighting were enhanced, electrical service was upgraded, station facilities were rehabilitated, new fare arrays and a new token booth were installed, and portions of the station were upgraded to be compliant with theAmericans with Disabilities Act of 1990. In addition, visual clutter was eliminated, and artwork was installed. The contract for the station renovation project, which was expected to take two years, was expected to be advertised in October 2000.^[18] The contract for these three stations was awarded in October 2001, and the projects were done in-house. The cost of the work at 116th Street station was $15.5 million, of which $12.3 million came from the Federal government.^[19]

Ground	Street level	Exit/entrance
Platform level	Side platform
	Northbound local	← towardPelham Bay Park orParkchester(125th Street) ← towardWoodlawn late nights(125th Street)
	Southbound local	→ towardBrooklyn Bridge–City Hall(110th Street) → → towardNew Lots Avenue late nights(110th Street) →
	Side platform
Express tracks[20]	Northbound express	← do not stop here
	Southbound express	→ do not stop here →

This underground station has two tracks and twoside platforms, and serves local trains only. The two express tracks pass underneath on a lower level and are not visible from the platforms.^[21] The 6 stops here at all times, and the 4 stops here during late nights.^[22][23] The station is between125th Street to the north and110th Street to the south.^[24]

Fare control is at platform level, and no crossover or crossunder is provided.^[25][26] The station has standardIRT number and station name tiles. Both platforms have emergency exits from the lower level express tracks.

This station has staircases that lead out to the four corners of the intersection of 116th Street and Lexington Avenue. Staircases on the western corners serve the southbound platform, while those on the eastern corners serve the northbound platform.^[27]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to116th Street (IRT Lexington Avenue Line).

• nycsubway.org –IRT East Side Line: 116th Street
• nycsubway.org —In Everything There is a Season Artwork by Robert Blackburn (2005)
• Station Reporter —4 Train
• Station Reporter —6 Train
• MTA's Arts For Transit —116th Street (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)
• 116th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Platforms from Google Maps Street View

• IRT Lexington Avenue Line stations
• New York City Subway stations in Manhattan
• Railway stations in the United States opened in 1918
• 1918 establishments in New York City
• East Harlem

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