86th Street station (Second Avenue Subway)

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The 86th Street station is on the IND Second Avenue Line in Manhattan, at Second Avenue and 86th Street in the Yorkville/Upper East Side area. It opened on January 1, 2017. The station sits about 93 feet underground and has two tracks with one island platform. It is accessible to passengers with disabilities and includes elevators.

Trains and service
- Q train: runs at all times.
- N train: provides limited rush-hour service.
- R train: one northbound AM rush-hour trip.

The station lies between 96th Street (north) and 72nd Street (south). It was built as part of Phase I of the Second Avenue Subway, a project long planned since the 1910s and 1960s, but delayed for decades before finally opening.

What’s notable
- Design: The platform is unusually wide and open compared to many other underground stations, with air-cooling systems and waterproofing to improve comfort.
- Depth and layout: The station is about 93 feet below ground and uses an island platform with two tracks.
- Artwork: The walls feature Subway Portraits by Chuck Close, a set of twelve large tile portraits drawing on New York’s cultural figures.

History in brief
Plans for a Second Avenue Subway date back to 1919, with the large Program for Action in 1968 proposing many new stations. Construction began in the 1970s but stalled due to funding problems. In 2007, work resumed on Phase I, which included three stations at 72nd, 86th, and 96th Streets. The 86th Street station opened in 2017 as part of this phase, helping boost the surrounding neighborhood’s real estate and activity.

Entrances and access
There are three street-level entrances with about 10 escalators and one elevator. Entrance 2 near the Yorkshire Towers faced legal challenges during planning, but the final layout uses two sidewalk entrances in front of the building to serve passengers without major structural work to nearby properties.

Passenger and nearby transit
Since opening, the station has supported increased activity along Second Avenue, contributing to higher property values and more local business. In 2019, the station reported around 8.4 million riders for that year. Nearby transit connections include bus routes and, in the area, a NYC Ferry stop at East 90th Street, providing additional ways to reach the East River neighborhoods.