Editing Grand Central Terminal (section)

=== Passageways and ramps ===
[[File:Graybar Passage.jpg|thumb|left|The Graybar Passage|alt=Wide interior corridor with a vaulted ceiling]]

In their design for the station's interior, Reed & Stem created a circulation system that allowed passengers alighting from trains to enter the Main Concourse, then leave through various passages that branch from it.<ref name="Langmead p. 175" /> Among these are the north–south 42nd Street Passage and Shuttle Passage, which run south to 42nd Street; and three east–west passageways—the Grand Central Market, the Graybar Passage, and the Lexington Passage—that run about {{Convert|240|feet|meters|abbr=}} east to Lexington Avenue by 43rd Street.<ref name="directory" /><ref name="nyt19980802" /> Several passages run north of the terminal, including the north–south 45th Street Passage, which leads to 45th Street and Madison Avenue,<ref>{{cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Betsy |url=https://www.timeout.com/new-york-kids/things-to-do/grand-central-terminal-tour |title=Grand Central Terminal tour |work=Time Out |date=January 14, 2010 |access-date=February 14, 2019 |archive-date=February 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207020009/https://www.timeout.com/new-york-kids/things-to-do/grand-central-terminal-tour |url-status=live }}</ref> and the network of tunnels in Grand Central North, which lead to exits at every street from 45th to 48th Street.<ref name="directory" />

Each of the east–west passageways runs through a different building. The northernmost is the Graybar Passage,<ref name="directory" /> built on the [[Storey#North American schemes|first floor]] of the [[Graybar Building]] in 1926.<ref>{{cite news |date=September 19, 1926 |title=New Passageway into Terminal is Part of Building |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/brooklyn-eagle-new-passageway-into-termi/161350150/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241222070301/https://www.newspapers.com/article/brooklyn-eagle-new-passageway-into-termi/161350150/ |archive-date=December 22, 2024 |access-date=December 22, 2024 |work=Brooklyn Daily Eagle |page=8B |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Its walls and seven large [[transverse arch]]es are made of coursed ashlar [[travertine]], and the floor is [[terrazzo]]. [[Main Concourse#Ceiling|The ceiling]] is composed of seven [[groin vault]]s, each of which has an ornamental bronze chandelier. The first two vaults, as viewed from leaving Grand Central, are painted with [[cumulus cloud]]s, while the third contains a [[Grand Central Terminal art#Graybar Passage mural|1927 mural]] by Edward Trumbull depicting American transportation.<ref name="Restore" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://bookwormhistory.com/2017/04/23/the-story-of-grand-centrals-other-ceiling-mural/|title=The Story of Grand Central's Other Ceiling Mural|last=Thurber|first=Dan|date=April 23, 2017|publisher=Bookworm History|access-date=December 15, 2018|archive-date=December 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215222402/https://bookwormhistory.com/2017/04/23/the-story-of-grand-centrals-other-ceiling-mural/|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{multiple image|footer=Grand Central Market's interior and its Lexington Avenue facade between the [[Grand Hyatt New York]] and [[Graybar Building]]|total_width=400
|image1=GCM 2019.jpg|alt1=A long hall with food vendors on either side
|image2=GCT Market 3.jpg|alt2=Exterior of the market building from the street
}}

The middle passageway houses Grand Central Market, a cluster of food shops.<ref name="directory" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.grandcentralterminal.com/grand-central-market/|title=Grand Central Market|website=Grand Central Terminal|access-date=December 11, 2018|archive-date=December 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215070039/https://www.grandcentralterminal.com/grand-central-market/|url-status=live}}</ref> The site was originally a segment of 43rd Street which became the terminal's first service dock in 1913.<ref name="BL p. 155">{{harvnb|ps=.|Belle|Leighton|2000|p=155}}</ref> In 1975, a [[Greenwich Savings Bank]] branch was built in the space,<ref>{{cite web|title=152 A.D.2d 216 – Greenwich Assocs. v. MTA., Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, First Department.|url=https://www.leagle.com/decision/1989368152ad2d2161332|access-date=February 1, 2019|archive-date=February 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202042120/https://www.leagle.com/decision/1989368152ad2d2161332|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Changes Among Operating Banks and Branches|publisher=Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9JullTrIbFYC&pg=RA2-PA189|date=1973|access-date=December 12, 2020|archive-date=January 24, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240124054807/https://books.google.com/books?id=9JullTrIbFYC&pg=RA2-PA189#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> which was converted into the marketplace in 1998, and involved installing a new limestone façade on the building.<ref name="nyt19950129" /> The building's second story, whose balcony overlooks the market and 43rd Street, was to house a restaurant, but is instead used for storage.<ref name="nyt19980802" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20120520/REAL_ESTATE/305209981/the-dish-on-grand-central|title=The dish on Grand Central|date=May 20, 2012|work=Crain's New York Business|access-date=December 24, 2018|archive-date=December 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225030848/https://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20120520/REAL_ESTATE/305209981/the-dish-on-grand-central|url-status=live}}</ref>

The southernmost of the three, the Lexington Passage, was originally known as the Commodore Passage after the [[Grand Hyatt New York#Commodore Hotel|Commodore Hotel]], which it ran through.<ref name="nyt19980802" /> When the hotel was renamed the Grand Hyatt, the passage was likewise renamed. The passage acquired its current name during the terminal's renovation in the 1990s.<ref name="nyt19950129" />

The Shuttle Passage, on the west side of the terminal, connects the Main Concourse to Grand Central's subway station. The terminal was originally configured with two parallel passages, later simplified into one wide passageway.<ref name="BL p. 155" />

[[File:Incline from subway to suburban concourse, Grand Central Terminal.jpg|thumb|alt=Wide ramps in the terminal, seen empty c. 1913|The Oyster Bar ramps shown {{circa|1913}}. They were completely restored in 1998 with one change {{ndash}} lower walls on the pedestrian overpass.]]
Ramps include the Vanderbilt Avenue ramp and the Oyster Bar ramps. The Vanderbilt Avenue or Kitty Kelly ramp leads from the corner of Vanderbilt Avenue and 42nd Street down into the Shuttle Passage. Most of the space above the ramp was built upon in the 20th century, becoming the Kitty Kelly women's shoe store, and later operating as Federal Express. The ramp was returned to its original two-story volume during the terminal's 1998 restoration.<ref name="BL p. 150-154">{{harvnb|ps=.|Belle|Leighton|2000|pp=150–154}}</ref>

The Oyster Bar ramps lead down from the Main Concourse to the [[Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant|Oyster Bar]] and Dining Concourse.<ref name="directory" /> They span a total of {{cvt|302|ft|m}} from east to west under an {{cvt|84|ft|m||adj=mid}} ceiling.<ref name="nyt20150716" /> A pedestrian bridge passes over the ramps, connecting Vanderbilt Hall and the Main Concourse. In 1927, the ramps were partially covered over by expanded main-floor ticket offices; these were removed in the 1998 renovation, which restored the ramps' original appearance with one minor change: the bridge now has a low balustrade, replacing an eight-foot-high solid wall that blocked views between the two levels.<ref name="BL p. 150-154" /> The underside of the bridge is covered with [[Guastavino tile|Guastavino tiling]].<ref name="RN p. 89" /> The bridge's arches create a [[whispering gallery]] in the landing beneath it: a person standing in one corner can hear another speaking softly in the diagonally opposite corner.<ref name="Roberts2013" /><ref name="CBS New York 2013" />

==== Grand Central North ====
{{mapframe
|text=Interactive map: Grand Central North tunnels and entrances<br /><div align="left" style="font-size:88%;">{{colorbull|#f00}} Northwest Passage<br />{{colorbull|#ffb732}} Northeast Passage<br />{{colorbull|#0c0}} 45th Street Cross-Passage<br />{{colorbull|#00c}} 47th Street Cross-Passage<br />{{colorbull|#454545}} Headhouse and train shed</div>
|type=line|frame=y|zoom=15
|frame-align=right
|frame-width=230|frame-height=230|frame-lat=40.7552|frame-long=-73.9754
|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Grand Central Terminal}}
}}
Grand Central North is a network of four tunnels that allow people to walk between the station building (which sits between 42nd and 44th Street) and exits at 45th, 46th, 47th, and 48th Street.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/19/nyregion/passageway-easing-exit-is-opened-at-terminal.html|title=Passageway Easing Exit Is Opened At Terminal|last=Finkelstein|first=Katherine E.|date=August 19, 1999|newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331|access-date=July 2, 2011|archive-date=May 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501033206/http://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/19/nyregion/passageway-easing-exit-is-opened-at-terminal.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The {{convert|1000|ft|adj=on}} Northwest Passage and {{convert|1200|ft|adj=on}} Northeast Passage run parallel to the tracks on the upper level, while two shorter cross-passages run perpendicular to the tracks.<ref name="Shorter"/><ref name="Ames 1999" /> The 47th Street cross-passage runs between the upper and lower tracks, {{convert|30|ft|m}} below street level; it provides access to upper-level tracks. The 45th Street cross-passage runs under the lower tracks, {{convert|50|ft|m}} below street level. Converted from a corridor built to transport luggage and mail,<ref name="Ames 1999" /> it provides access to lower-level tracks. The cross-passages are connected to the platforms via 37 stairs, six elevators, and five escalators.<ref name=n80839684/>

[[File:Grand Central 45th St.jpg|thumb|45th Street cross-passage]]
The tunnels' street-level entrances, each enclosed by a freestanding glass structure,<ref name="Ames 1999" /> sit at the northeast corner of East 47th Street and [[Madison Avenue]] (Northwest Passage), the northeast corner of East 48th Street and [[Park Avenue]] (Northeast Passage), in the two pedestrian walkways underneath the [[Helmsley Building]] between 45th and 46th streets, and (since 2012) on the south side of 47th Street between Park and Lexington avenues.<ref>{{cite press release|title=New Entrance to the Grand Central North Being Built On 47th Street Between Park and Lexington Avenues|date=January 11, 2010|publisher=Metro-North Railroad|url=http://www.mta.info/press-release/metro-north/new-entrance-grand-central-north-being-built-47th-street-between-park-and|access-date=June 29, 2010|archive-date=October 20, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020202938/http://www.mta.info/press-release/metro-north/new-entrance-grand-central-north-being-built-47th-street-between-park-and|url-status=live}}</ref> Pedestrians can also take an elevator to the 47th Street passage from the north side of East 47th Street, between Madison and Vanderbilt avenues; this entrance adjoined the former [[270 Park Avenue (1960–2021)|270 Park Avenue]].<ref>{{cite sign|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/brianweinberg/8902049267/|title=Map of Grand Central North|date=December 6, 2018|publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority|access-date=December 6, 2018|medium=brochure (scan)|via=Brian Weinberg, from Flickr|archive-date=August 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802090902/https://www.flickr.com/photos/brianweinberg/8902049267/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Proposals for these tunnels had been discussed since at least the 1970s. The MTA approved preliminary plans in 1983,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/30/nyregion/more-exits-at-grand-central-planned-to-ease-bottleneck.html|title=More Exits at Grand Central Planned to Ease Bottleneck|last=Joyce|first=Fay S.|date=April 30, 1983|website=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331|access-date=December 24, 2018|archive-date=December 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225125953/https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/30/nyregion/more-exits-at-grand-central-planned-to-ease-bottleneck.html|url-status=live}}</ref> gave final approval in 1991,<ref name="WPJournalNews-NoLight-1999" /> and began construction in 1994.<ref name="Shorter"/> Dubbed the North End Access Project, the work was to be completed in 1997 at a cost of $64.5 million,<ref name="WPJournalNews-NoLight-1999" /> but it was slowed by the incomplete nature of the building's original blueprints and by previously undiscovered groundwater beneath East 45th Street.<ref name="Shorter"/> During construction, [[MTA Arts & Design]] mosaics were installed; each work was part of ''[[Grand Central Terminal art#As Above, So Below|As Above, So Below]]'', by Brooklyn artist [[Ellen Driscoll]].<ref name="Shorter"/> The passageways opened on August 18, 1999, at a final cost of $75 million.<ref name="Shorter"/>

In spring 2000, construction began on a project to enclose the Northeast and Northwest passages with ceilings and walls. Work on each passage was expected to take 7.5 months, with the entire project wrapping up by summer 2001. As part of the project, the walls of the passages were covered with glazed [[terrazzo]]; the Northeast Passage's walls have blue-green accents while the Northwest Passage's walls have red ones. The ceilings are {{convert|8|to|10|ft}} high; the cross-passages' ceilings are blue-green, the same color as the Main Concourse, and have recessed lights arranged to resemble the Main Concourse's constellations. The passages were to be heated in winter and ventilated.<ref>{{cite web | title=MTA Metro-North Railroad Service Updates | publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority | url=http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us:80/mnr/html/serviceupdates.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000510224520/http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/mnr/html/serviceupdates.htm | archive-date=May 10, 2000 | url-status=dead | access-date=July 5, 2021 }}</ref> Originally, Grand Central North had no restrooms or air-conditioning.<ref name=n80839684/>

The entrances to Grand Central North were originally open from 6:30&nbsp;a.m. to 9:30&nbsp;p.m. Monday through Friday. During weekends and holidays, the 47th and 48th Street entrances were open from 9:00&nbsp;a.m. to 9:30&nbsp;p.m., while the two entrances to the Helmsley Building were closed.<ref name=n80839684>{{Cite news|date=August 19, 1999|title=Grand Central tunnels ease commuting|pages=4A|work=Poughkeepsie Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80839684/grand-central-tunnels-ease-commuting/|access-date=July 5, 2021|archive-date=July 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709182942/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80839684/grand-central-tunnels-ease-commuting/|url-status=live}}</ref> Five years after they opened, the passageways were used by about 30,000 people on a typical weekday.<ref name="mta-budget-2005" /> But they served only about 6,000 people on a typical weekend, so the MTA proposed to close them on weekends to save money as part of the 2005–2008 Financial Plan<!-- starting in January 2005-->.<ref name=mta-budget-2005>{{cite web|url=http://web.mta.info/mta/budget/pdf/2-mnr.pdf|title=MTA 2005 Preliminary Budget (7–29–04) – Volume 2 – MNR|publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority|access-date=February 3, 2014|page=43|archive-date=September 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140926003905/http://web.mta.info/mta/budget/pdf/2-mnr.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=December 17, 2004|title=Drivers, riders to pay more in '05|pages=1A, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80840163/railroad-fares/ 2A]|work=The Journal News|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80840047/drivers-riders-to-pay-more-in-05/|access-date=July 5, 2021|archive-date=July 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709183702/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80840047/drivers-riders-to-pay-more-in-05/|url-status=live}}</ref> Since summer 2006, Grand Central North has been closed on weekends.<ref name="AutoVN-40">{{cite web|url=http://web.mta.info/mnr/html/serviceupdates.htm#322|title=MTA Metro-North Railroad|publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority|access-date=February 3, 2014|archive-date=February 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140212210257/http://web.mta.info/mnr/html/serviceupdates.htm?#322|url-status=live}}</ref>

As a precaution during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Grand Central North closed on March 26, 2020.<ref>{{cite web | last=Shay | first=Jim | title=Metro-North announces details of reduced service | website=Connecticut Post | date=March 26, 2020 | url=https://www.ctpost.com/news/coronavirus/article/Metro-North-announces-details-of-reduced-service-15158070.php | access-date=December 22, 2024}}</ref> It reopened in September of that year with hours from 6:30 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2020 |title=Grand Central Terminal North End Access: Adjusted Hours, Effective Monday, Sept. 28 |url=http://web.mta.info/mnr/html/GCT_NorthEndAccess.htm |access-date=January 24, 2022 |website=mta.info |publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority |archive-date=January 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220130033009/http://web.mta.info/mnr/html/GCT_NorthEndAccess.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2021, its original hours were restored.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 2021 |title=Mileposts |url=https://new.mta.info/document/55311 |access-date=January 24, 2022 |website=mta.info |publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority |archive-date=October 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211014125706/https://new.mta.info/document/55311 |url-status=live }}</ref> On November 1, 2021, the entrance to the northeastern corner of Madison Avenue and 47th Street was "closed long-term to accommodate the construction of [[270 Park Avenue (2021–present)|270 Park Avenue]]".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-28 |title=Grand Central Terminal Entrance Closing Nov. 1 |url=https://new2stg.mta.info/article/grand-central-terminal-entrance-closed-47th-st-madison-ave |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=mta.info |publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority |language=en |archive-date=January 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124204107/https://new2stg.mta.info/article/grand-central-terminal-entrance-closed-47th-st-madison-ave |url-status=live }}</ref> After Grand Central Madison begins full service, Grand Central North will be open from 5:30&nbsp;a.m. until 2 a.m., seven days a week.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 24, 2023 |title=Everything you need to know about Grand Central Madison |url=https://new.mta.info/agency/long-island-rail-road/grand-central-madison-guide |access-date=January 24, 2023 |website=mta.info |publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority |language=en |archive-date=January 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230126202112/https://new.mta.info/agency/long-island-rail-road/grand-central-madison-guide |url-status=live }}</ref>