New York City mayor John Francis Hylan's original plans for the Independent Subway System (IND), proposed in 1922, included building over 100 miles (160 km) of new lines and taking over nearly 100 miles (160 km) of existing lines.

[4][5] On December 9, 1924, the New York City Board of Transportation (BOT) gave preliminary approval to the construction of a subway line along Eighth Avenue, running from 207th Street.

[19] The E began using the local tracks on August 19, 1933, when the IND Queens Boulevard Line opened.

[21] As part of a pilot program, the New York City Board of Transportation (BOT) installed three-dimensional advertisements at the Canal Street station in late 1948.

[22][23] The BOT announced plans in November 1949 to spend $325,000 extending platforms at several IND stations, including Canal Street, to accommodate 11-car, 660-foot (200 m) trains.

[26]: 37–38  The project cost $400,000 and increased the total carrying capacity of rush-hour trains by 4,000 passengers.

The warning lights were placed atop eight-feet tall metal poles located at subway entrances.

[31] These were intended to allow for the construction of a future junction with a proposed line under Worth Street as part of the IND Second System.

The bellmouths for this proposed route are visible from the E train headed towards and coming from the World Trade Center station.

At the center of the station, there are exits to the northwest and northeast corners of Sixth Avenue and West Broadway at Lispenard Street.

One exit, located at the southern end of the station, led to the southeast corner of Walker Street and West Broadway.

The station sits one block west from the entrance to the Holland Tunnel outside of the Tribeca North Historic District.

[43] St. John's Park formerly existed two blocks west of the station; the site is now occupied by Holland Tunnel exit ramps.