Following the completion of the original 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 through Irving Place and into what is now the BMT Broadway Line at Ninth Street and Broadway. In July 1911, the IRT had withdrawn from the talks, and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) was to operate on Lexington Avenue. The IRT submitted an offer for what became its portion of the Dual Contracts on February 27, 1912.[6][7]
In 1913, as part of the Dual Contracts, which were signed on March 19, 1913,[8] the Public Service Commission planned to split the original Interborough 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 and Broadway–Seventh Avenue Lines, and a west–east shuttle under 42nd Street. This would form a roughly H-shaped system.[9][10] It was predicted that the subway extension would lead to the growth of the Upper East Side and the Bronx.[11][12]
The 77th Street station opened on July 17, 1918, with service initially running between Grand Central–42nd Street and 167th Street via the line's local tracks.[4][14] 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 the 42nd Street Shuttle along the old connection between the sides.[15][16] The cost of the extension from Grand Central was $58 million.[17]
In July 1924, the IRT installed a change-making machine in the station. Along with turnstiles that accepted nickels, which were installed the previous year, this was expect to eliminate the need to have money changers in station booths.[18]
In 1932, the New York State Transit Commission approved an application from Lenox Hill Hospital to install signs reading "Lenox Hill Hospital" on the walls of the station, on the condition that the hospital would pay for the cost of the sign installation.[19]
Station renovations
The city government took over the IRT's operations on June 12, 1940.[20][21]
The station was renovated in the 1950s to extend the station platforms to accommodate ten-car trains.
The NYCTA issued an invitation for bids on a project to construct additional entrances at the station on April 26, 1968.[22] As part of the project, second staircases were added to each corner of 77th Street and Lexington Avenue.[citation needed] The contract was awarded to J. W. Jenkins, Incorporated for $409,726.[23]
This station was renovated in 2003, along with the 86th Street and 116th 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 the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. In addition, visual clutter was eliminated, and artwork was installed.[24] The contract for the station renovation project, which was expected to take two year, was expected to be advertised in October 2000.[25] The contract for these three stations was awarded in October 2001, and the projects were done in-house. The cost of the work at 77th Street station was $16.3 million, of which $12.3 million came from the Federal government.[26]
Proposed accessibility improvements
In January 2023, Northwell Health, as part of its plan to expand Lenox Hill Hospital, submitted an application for a transit improvement density bonus.[27] The agency proposed to make the downtown side of the station fully ADA-accessible by replacing two street stairs with one 15-foot (3 m) wide stair, enlarging public sidewalk space, improving station security and lighting systems, and installing two elevators: one from the street to the mezzanine, and another from the mezzanine to the platform. These improvements would allow the medical development to obtain a floor area ratio (FAR) bonus of 0.5;[28] however, they still require Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) review before being approved.[29]
This station has two local tracks and two side platforms. The express tracks of the Lexington Avenue Line, used by the 4 and 5 trains during daytime hours, pass beneath the station and are not visible from the platforms.[31] The 6 stops here at all times, and the 4 stops here during late nights.[32][33] The station is between 86th Street to the north and 68th Street–Hunter College to the south.[34]
There are round columns painted green along the length of both platforms.[35] There are mosaic trim lines, and mosaic displaying the name of the station on the original sections of the station platforms.[36][37] The remainders of both platforms have cream-colored tiles and a salmon trim line with "77TH ST" written on it in black Sans Serif font at regular intervals.[38] These tiles were installed during the late 1950s renovation.
Some old wall lights exist after the station's renovation in 2003, but most are gone or falling off the walls. Both platforms have emergency exits from the lower level express tracks.
The 2004 artwork here is called 4 Seasons Seasoned by Robert Kushner. It is installed on the ceiling above the fare control staircases and features mosaics related to the four seasons of the year.
Exits
Both platforms has a fare control, and both areas have a turnstile bank, and four staircases to the street. The northbound side has a pair of staircases to both eastern corners of Lexington Avenue and 77th Street, while the southbound side has a pair of staircases to both western corners of Lexington Avenue and 77th Street. There are no crossovers or crossunders to allow free transfers between directions.[39]
The downtown platform is the only platform in the station to house a token booth. The uptown platform token booth was closed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority after making a series of layoffs and has been removed.
^"Petition for Subway in Lexington Ave". The New York Times. May 22, 1912. ISSN0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2009. A petition is being circulated among the residents and property owners of the section just south of the Grand Central Station, in Park and Lexington Avenues, protesting against the proposed abandonment of the construction of the Subway in Lexington Avenue, between Forty-third and Thirty-second Streets.
^"Transit Unification Completed As City Takes Over I. R. T. Lines: Systems Come Under Single Control After Efforts Begun in 1921; Mayor Is Jubilant at City Hall Ceremony Recalling 1904 Celebration". New York Herald Tribune. June 13, 1940. p. 25. ProQuest1248134780.
^ ab"77th Street Neighborhood Map". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. April 2018. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
Note: Service variations, station closures, and reroutes are not reflected here. Stations with asterisks have no regular peak, reverse peak, or midday service on that route. See linked articles for more information.
Stations of the New York City Subway, by line (physical trackage)
Stations and line segments in italics are closed, demolished, or planned (temporary closures are marked with asterisks). Track connections to other lines' terminals are displayed in brackets. Struck through passenger track connections are closed or unused in regular service.
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
(late nights)
(all times) <6> 
(weekdays until 8:45 p.m., peak direction)
NYCT Bus: M101, M102, M103
30.2%
