Passageway 191st Street (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)

the 900-foot-long (270 m) passageway between station s broadway entrance , station not maintained mta, despite being marked subway entrance. property of new york city department of parks , recreation , officially called tunnel street. tunnel used connector between western , eastern washington heights; passengers using other entrance, @ 191st street , st. nicholas avenue, need take elevator access station due intersection s height, , elevators @ entrance considered convenient way traverse neighborhood without walking hill.

in 1990s, city s crime rates reached all-time high, station considered dangerous, 11 crimes having taken place there in year 1990, many of suspected happen in tunnel. tunnel dimly lit, covered graffiti, , strewn garbage @ time. in september 2014, improvements started on tunnel, area residents had complained about. tunnel, had graffiti , frequented cyclists riding bikes illegally, slated several murals , new led lighting.

the passageway has been painted murals since late 2000s, in effort beautify tunnel. in 2008, mural painted on passageway leading broadway station, part of groundswell community mural project. mural called new york rollercoaster . later vandalized, , in may 2015, painted over. since then, passageway s artwork has consisted of 5 murals. part of tunnel beautification program, new york city department of transportation chose 4 artists , 1 team of artists, out of applicant pool of 150. each chosen paint 200 feet (61 m) section of tunnel. broadway entrance station fare control, artworks queen andrea s prismatic power phrases ; jessie unterhalter , katey truhn s caterpillar time travel ; cekis s s jungle/aveces es como una jungle ; nick kuszy s warp zone ; , cope2 s art life . $15,000 each, artists worked on week on art.