Delancey Street/Essex Street  ​​​
New York City Subwaystation complex
Stair at southeast corner of Essex and Delancey
Station statistics
Address	Delancey Street and Essex Street New York, New York
Borough	Manhattan
Locale	Lower East Side
Coordinates	40°43′07″N73°59′18″W / 40.71851°N 73.988199°W /40.71851; -73.988199
Division	B (BMT/IND)[1]
Line	IND Sixth Avenue Line BMT Nassau Street Line
Services	F  (all times) <F>  (two rush hour trains, peak direction)​​   J  (all times)   M  (all times except late nights)   Z  (rush hours, peak direction)​
Transit	NYCT Bus:M9,M14A SBS (announced as M14 SBS on trains),B39
Structure	Underground
Levels	2
Other information
Opened	July 1, 1948; 77 years ago (1948-07-01)
Accessible	notADA-accessible; accessibility planned
Traffic
2024	7,079,160[2]  0.1%
Rank	27 out of 423[2]
Location Show map of New York City Subway Show map of New York City Show map of New York
Street map
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times Stops all times except late nights Stops rush hours in the peak direction only

TheDelancey Street/Essex Street station is astation complex shared by theBMT Nassau Street Line and theIND Sixth Avenue Lines of theNew York City Subway, located at the intersection ofEssex andDelancey Streets on theLower East Side ofManhattan, just west of theWilliamsburg Bridge. It is served by theF andJ trains at all times, theM train at all times except late nights, and theZskip-stop and<F> trains during rush hours in the peak direction. It is the western terminus for weekend M trains.

In addition to the two track levels—theBMT platforms are on the upper level, and theIND platforms are on the lower—an intermediatemezzanine built for the IND platforms provides the passenger connection between the two lines. As the BMT and the IND were originally separate systems, the transfer passageway was not withinfare control until July 1, 1948.^{[citation needed]} The full-time entrance is on the north side of Delancey Street, on either side of Essex Street.

Ground	Street level	Exit and entrance
Basement 1	North mezzanine	Fare control
	Side platform
	Westbound[note 1]	← towardBroad Street(Bowery) ← weekdays towardForest Hills–71st Avenue(Broadway–Lafayette Street) ← AM rush toward Broad Street(Bowery)
	Center track[note 1]	← weekdays/late nights towardJamaica Center–Parsons/Archer(Marcy Avenue) → ← PM rush toward Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer(Marcy Avenue) → → weekends towardMiddle Village–Metropolitan Avenue(Marcy Avenue) →
	Island platform
	Eastbound[note 1]	→ weekends toward Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer(Marcy Avenue) → → weekdays toward Middle Village–Metropolitan Avenue(Marcy Avenue) →
	Trolley trackways	Emergency exit, former trackbed, proposedLowline
Basement 2	South mezzanine	Fare control, exits/entrances
Basement 3	Side platform
	Northbound	← towardJamaica–179th Street(Second Avenue)
	Southbound	→ towardConey Island–Stillwell Avenue(East Broadway) →
	Side platform

Since June 2010, both the F and the M operate local along theSixth Avenue Line north of the Delancey Street/Essex Street station. This resulted in many riders waiting in the stairwells connecting the Sixth Avenue Line's lower-level northbound platform, where the F stops, and the Nassau Street Line's upper-level southbound platform, where the M stops before merging onto the Sixth Avenue Line northbound. This phenomenon did not occur in other stations where two services have separate platforms before merging into the same direction, such as50th Street–Eighth Avenue.^[3] In 2017, the MTA installedtrain-arrival "countdown clocks" across the New York City Subway system, which show how much time will elapse until the next train arrives on each respective platform.^[4]

The MTA announced in 2019 that the Delancey Street/Essex Street station would become ADA-accessible as part of the agency's 2020–2024 Capital Program.^[5] The accessibility project was to be funded bycongestion pricing in New York City, but it was postponed in June 2024 after the implementation of congestion pricing was delayed.^[6][7] In April 2025, the state government announced that, as part of the construction of a housing development on the site of the formerEssex Street Market, elevators would be installed at the station.^[8][9] These will include an elevator entrance from the northeast corner of Essex and Delancey Streets, as well as three elevators within fare control.^[9] Also in April 2025, the MTA announced plans to install taller fare gates with glass panels at 20 stations, including the Delancey Street/Essex Street station. The fare gates would be manufactured byCubic Transportation Systems,Conduent,Scheidt & Bachmann, and STraffic as part of a pilot program to reduce fare evasion.^[10][11]

Both the IND and the BMT stations have additional closed exits. The IND station had four additional exits; two were at both the north end of the station atRivington Street and the other two were at the south end at Broome Street. Two of the staircases were sealed on street level, but metal trapdoors block the other two. A former exit to the southeastern corner of Rivington Street and Essex Street, adjacent to the rear of theEssex Street Market building, remains as a northern emergency exit, and a former exit to the southeastern corner of Broome Street and Essex Street similarly remains as a southern emergency exit.

As part of the construction of the nearbyEssex Crossing development, Site 9, which is located at 120 Essex Street (between Rivington and Delancey Streets), there is an easement for a future elevator entrance.^[13]

Essex Street  ​
Westbound platform
Station statistics
Division	B (BMT)[1]
Line	BMT Nassau Street Line
Services	J  (all times)   M  (all times except late nights)   Z  (rush hours, peak direction)​
Platforms	1island platform cross-platform interchange (eastbound only) 1side platform
Tracks	3
Other information
Opened	September 16, 1908; 117 years ago (1908-09-16)[14]
Accessible	notADA-accessible; accessibility planned
Former/other names	Delancey Street
Services Preceding station New York City Subway Following station Bowery J  ​Z  towardBroad Street Marcy Avenue J  M  Z ​ eastbound Broadway–Lafayette Street M  towardForest Hills–71st Avenue Local
Track layout Legend toMarcy Avenue toWilliamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal Essex Street toBroadway–Lafayette Street toBowery
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times Stops all times except late nights Stops weekends during the day Stops weekdays during the day Stops rush hours in the peak direction only

TheEssex Street station (announced asDelancey Street–Essex Street) is an interchange station on the BMT Nassau Street Line, and has three tracks, oneside platform, and oneisland platform. The island platform, which consists of two tracks and allows forcross-platform interchange, is used by trains headingeast toward theWilliamsburg Bridge. The side platform, which consists of one track, is used by trains headingwest from the bridge. The station is served by theJ at all times, theM except at night and theZ only during rush hours in the peak direction. The next stop to the east (heading towardsBrooklyn andQueens) isMarcy Avenue for all service. The next stop to the west isBowery for J and Z trains heading downtown andBroadway–Lafayette Street for M trains heading uptown.

The middle track was formerly the peak-direction express track. Currently, it is used by outbound J and Z trains heading east towards the Williamsburg Bridge except on weekdays during the late evening and on weekends during the day, when itshort turns M trains fromMetropolitan Avenue.

After a 2004 reconfiguration, the former northbound local track south of this station was taken out of regular service. It was only used for occasional reroutes fromChambers Street until 2010. TheChrystie Street Connection betweenBroadway–Lafayette Street and Essex Street was not used for regular revenue service from 1976 to 2010. On June 28, 2010, with the re-routing of M trains to theIND Sixth Avenue Line andIND Queens Boulevard Line, the connection again saw regular use for those aforementioned trains only.

This station is abottleneck for eastbound trains, which can be delayed momentarily at this station because the island platform’s two eastbound tracks merge into one upon leaving the station and before crossing the Williamsburg Bridge.

Next to theBrooklyn-bound local track is the closedWilliamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal, which was built along with the subway station and opened several months earlier. The terminal consisted of eight turning loops with low-level platforms which were used for trolley service from 1908 to 1948 that traveled over the Williamsburg Bridge to different parts of Brooklyn.^[15][16][17]

The underground terminal for the subway adjacent to the trolley terminal opened on September 16, 1908. The station initially contained only two tracks which ended at the west end of the station. It also had an additional southern side platform adjacent to the trolley terminal, with the station organized in aSpanish solution.^[15] The station was rebuilt for through service from 1911 to 1913 for theCentre Street Subway to extend to Chambers Street. The station's platforms originally could only fit six 67-foot-long (20 m) cars. In April 1926, theNew York City Board of Transportation (BOT) received bids for the lengthening of platforms at three stations on the Centre Street Loop, including the Essex Street station, to accommodate eight-car trains.^[18] TheNew York City Board of Estimate approved funds for the project in July 1926,^[19] and the extensions were completed in 1927, bringing the length of the platforms to 535 feet (163 m).^[20][21]

The remaining portion of the subway line is configured with four tracks; however, the Essex Street station accommodates only three tracks and two platforms. There exists a provision for an additional fourth track to traverse through the trolley terminal area and integrate with the subway infrastructure west of the trolley terminal, contingent upon the future requirement for a four-track subway station. Historically, the elevated train service has been remarkably intensive, paralleled by high patronage of the trolley service, thereby precluding any proposals for expansion. A potential expansion would have entailed the addition of a second side platform to the south of the southernmost track, abutting the trolley terminal. This expansion would necessitate the demolition of the existing island platform to facilitate the construction of the fourth track; alternatively, the fourth track could be constructed adjacent to the southernmost track, resulting in a station layout featuring two side platforms and one island platform, analogous to the IRT platforms atAtlantic Avenue-Barclays Center.

Afterstreetcar service ended in 1948, the former track area on the south side of the bridge was rebuilt into auto lanes with a new ramp from street level closing off the former downhill ramp to the trolley terminal.^[22][23] The trolley terminal itself, however, was left vacant, and small portions were converted to storerooms and an emergency exit to the southern corners of Norfolk Street and Delancey Street.^[24] The vacant space was the proposed location of theLowLine, a planned underground park, but after fundraising proved unsuccessful, the project was indefinitely postponed in February 2020.^[25] Prior to 1913, the BMT station was also known asDelancey Street.

• 
  The island platform
• 
  Name mosaic
• 
  Letter mosaic
• 
  The abandoned trolley terminal viewed from the island platform
• 
  The abandoned trolley terminal

Delancey Street  ​
View of northbound platform
Station statistics
Division	B (IND)[1]
Line	IND Sixth Avenue Line
Services	F  (all times) <F>  (two rush hour trains, peak direction)​
Platforms	2side platforms
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	January 1, 1936; 89 years ago (1936-01-01)
Accessible	notADA-accessible; accessibility planned
Services Preceding station New York City Subway Following station Second Avenue F  <F> ​ towardJamaica–179th Street Local East Broadway F  <F> ​ towardConey Island–Stillwell Avenue
Track layout Legend toSecond Avenue toEast Broadway
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times Stops rush hours in the peak direction only (limited service)

TheDelancey Street station (also announced asDelancey Street–Essex Street) is a local station on theIND Sixth Avenue Line, and has two tracks and twoside platforms. The station is served by theF at all times and the<F> during rush hours in the peak direction, and is betweenSecond Avenue to thenorth andEast Broadway to thesouth.

The station has a part-time booth on the south side of Delancey Street and has two street staircases. Crossovers connect both platforms to the BMT platforms, which are above and perpendicular to the IND platforms. Both platforms have a renovated medium Parma violet trim line with a black border, as well as renovated tile captions in a different font, spaced farther apart, and far lower on the wall than the originals. Only the original mosaic name tablets remain, which read "DELANCEY ST." in whitesans-serif lettering on a dark Parma violet background and medium Parma violet border. The southbound platform is lined with indigo I-beam columns, while the northbound platform has tiled columns, both having the standard black station name plate with white lettering every other columns. In a departure from the norm of recent restorations, northbound platform columns that don't have the station name plate feature a large "D" composed of four tiles.

The station formerly had two mezzanine areas, split by the BMT station. Twelve staircases, six on each platform, led to the mezzanine. Most were removed; only the stairs at the extreme north end and the extreme south end of both platforms remain as stairways to emergency exits and storage space.

There are two large wall-sized pieces of artwork, one on each wall where the staircase exits and transfers are located. The artist for both glass mosaics isMing Fay (2004). The artwork on the downtown side is titledShad Crossing and details two giantshad fish swimming, along with another wall mosaic of blue waters. In the late 19th century, shad were found along theHudson River when new immigrants came to New York, many of whom settled on the Lower East Side. The new staircase to the relocated full-time booth also has another painting of a shad wrapped around the bottom of the stairs.

The uptown platform is titledDelancey Orchard and has a cherry orchard tree mosaic, which symbolized the tree owned by the Delancey family in the 18th century. Miniature versions appear along all staircases leading from the Delancey Street platforms to either fare control.

• 
  Original mosaic name tablet under renovated trim line
• 
  "D" tiles on alternating northbound platform columns
• 
  Delancey Orchard mosaic on the northbound platform
• 
  Shad Crossing mosaic on the southbound platform

Wikimedia Commons has media related toDelancey Street – Essex Street (New York City Subway).

External videos
Essex St Trolley Terminal, Metropolitan Transportation Authority; November 23, 2011; 4:15 YouTube video clip

Subway station:

• nycsubway.org –BMT Nassau Street Line: Essex Street
• nycsubway.org –IND 6th Avenue: Delancey Street
• Station Reporter –Delancey Street/Essex Street Complex
• MTA's Arts For Transit –Delancey Street–Essex Street
• Delancey Street and Essex Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Delancey Street and Norfolk Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• IND platforms from Google Maps Street View
• Westbound BMT Platform from Google Maps Street View
• Eastbound BMT Platform from Google Maps Street View

Trolley terminal:

• Abandoned Stations –"Williamsburg Bridge Railway terminal". Joseph Brennan, Columbia University, 2001.

• Future accessible New York City Subway stations
• Delancey Street–Essex Street (New York City Subway)
• IND Sixth Avenue Line stations
• New York City Subway transfer stations
• New York City Subway stations in Manhattan
• Lower East Side
• BMT Nassau Street Line stations
• Railway stations in the United States opened in 1948
• 1948 establishments in New York City

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