Construction and opening

The Dual Contracts, which were signed on March 19, 1913, were contracts for the construction and/or rehabilitation and operation of rapid transit lines in the City of New York. The contracts were "dual" in that they were signed between the City and two separate private companies (the Interborough Rapid Transit Company and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company), all working together to make the construction of the Dual Contracts possible. The Dual Contracts promised the construction of several lines in the Bronx. As part of Contract 3, the IRT agreed to build an elevated line along Jerome Avenue in the Bronx.^[4][5][6] In April 1915, the New York Public Service Commission voted to change the planned name of the station from 200th Street to Bedford Park Boulevard.^[7]

The first part of the line opened on June 2, 1917 as a shuttle service between Kingsbridge Road and 149th Street,^[8][9] in advance of through service to the IRT Lexington Avenue Line, which began on July 17, 1918.^[10] Bedford Park Boulevard–200th Street station opened on April 15, 1918 as part of the final extension of the IRT Jerome Avenue Line from Kingsbridge Road to Woodlawn.^[11] This section was initially served by shuttle service, with passengers transferring at 167th Street.^[12][13] The construction of the line encouraged development along Jerome Avenue, and led to the growth of the surrounding communities.^[8] The city government took over the IRT's operations on June 12, 1940.^[14][15]

Later years

This station was renovated in the Summer–Fall 2006. During this time, the street level mezzanine area and the platforms were renovated. The platforms had yellow tactile edge warning strips installed, and the IRT directional tablets inside fare control have been preserved. Until the 2006 renovation, the downtown platform had several old small 200 signs behind a chain-link fence toward the front of the platform; however, they were removed.^{[citation needed]}

Until renovations in 2006, it was the only station in the entire subway system and along the IRT Jerome Avenue Line to have a barbed wire fence on a platform–the Manhattan bound platform.^[16] This was added in an earlier renovation from the 1980s with the intent of preventing graffiti artists from tagging the 4 train. The barbed wire fence was completely removed from the Manhattan-bound platform during renovations.^[17]

From October 26, 2009 to December 11, 2009, a pilot program had five southbound 4 trains running express in the AM rush hour. Although Bedford Park Boulevard is not designed as an express station, the trains used a switch for the express track south of the station.^[18]

Exits

The station building is at street level with the tracks above the building due to the street layout. The station has a brick mezzanine and stairway walls with "BPB" and restroom mosaics in the station house. A storeroom is located on the landing of the stairs to the platforms. Walking to the east connects to the New York Botanical Garden and a Metro-North Railroad station of the same name, and walking to the west around the yard complex connects to Lehman College and the Bronx High School of Science.^[21]