Intervale Avenue (IRT White Plains Road Line)
Intervale Avenue (formerly Intervale Avenue – 163rd Street) is a local station on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Intervale and Westchester Avenues in Longwood, Bronx, it is served by the 2 train at all times, and the 5 train at all other times except during late nights and rush hours in the peak direction.
This elevated station, opened on November 26, 1904, has three tracks and two side platforms. The center express track is used by the 5 train during rush hours in the peak direction. Both platforms have beige windscreens that run along the entire length and brown canopies with green frames and support columns in the center.
The station's only entrance is an elevated station house beneath the tracks. Inside fare control, it has two staircases to the center of each platform and a waiting area that allows a free transfer between directions. Outside fare control, there is a turnstile bank, token booth, one staircase going down to the southeast corner of Intervale and Westchester Avenues, and one staircase and one enclosed escalator (both perpendicular from each other) going down to the northeast corner.
On March 15, 1989, three men set the wooden station house on fire after a failed attempt to rob the token booth. The clerk suffered only minor injuries while the suspects fled and were never identified.
After the incident, New York City Transit considered closing this station permanently due to its close proximity to Prospect Avenue and Simpson Street. However, a community uproar led to the scrapping of the plans. The station was rebuilt with steel canopies and windscreens and a concrete station house with glass block windows and embossed leather-looking walls. Artwork called El 2/El 5 by Michael Kelly Williams was installed in the mezzanine and features two mosaic murals depicting underground and elevated tracks. The renovated station reopened on April 21, 1992.
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