181st Street station (IND Eighth Avenue Line)
Operation
### Operation

In December 1950, the [New York City Board of Transportation](/wiki/New_York_City_Board_of_Transportation "New York City Board of Transportation") issued a report concerning the construction of bomb shelters in the subway system in the midst of the [Cold War](/wiki/Cold_War "Cold War"). Five deep stations in Washington Heights, including the 181st Street station, were considered to be ideal for being used as bomb\-proof shelters. The program was expected to cost $104 million (). These shelters were expected to provide limited protection against conventional bombs, while providing protection against shock waves and air blast, as well as from the heat and radiation from an atomic bomb. To become suitable as shelters, the stations would require water\-supply facilities, first\-aid rooms, and additional bathrooms. However, the program, which required federal funding, was never completed.

The 181st Street station is mostly unchanged from its original design, although it has deteriorated over time, with some water damage. On March 30, 2005, the 181st Street station was listed on the [National Register of Historic Places](/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Places "National Register of Historic Places"). The station was considered historically and architecturally significant as an early IND station that retained many of its original features.

In May 2022, the three escalators leading to the 181st Street exit were all closed for repairs. As a result, riders had to either use the 184th Street exit or walk up nearly 90 steps. The escalators had suffered periodic outages over the years; they were all closed simultaneously because they were powered by the same motor. The replacement escalators opened in April 2023, two months behind schedule.


What is the significance of listing a subway station on the National Register of Historic Places?