Queens Boulevard station

Queens Boulevard was a local station on the demolished section of the BMT Jamaica Line in Queens, New York City. It had two tracks and two side platforms, with space for a third track in the center. This station was built as part of the Dual Contracts.[4] It opened on July 3, 1918,[2] and was closed in 1985 in anticipation of the Archer Avenue Subway, and due to political pressure in the area. The next stop to the north was Sutphin Boulevard, until it was closed in 1977 and Queens Boulevard became a terminal station.[5] The next stop to the south was Metropolitan Avenue.

 Queens Boulevard
 
Former New York City Subway station
Site, 20 years after demolition
Station statistics
AddressJamaica Avenue & Queens Boulevard
Queens, NY 11435
BoroughQueens
LocaleJamaica
Coordinates40°42′9″N 73°48′52.1″W
DivisionB (BMT)
LineBMT Jamaica Line
ServicesNone (demolished)
StructureElevated
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
Other information
OpenedJuly 3, 1918 (1918-07-03)[1][2]
ClosedApril 15, 1985 (1985-04-15)[3]
Station succession
Next northSutphin Boulevard (demolished)
Next southMetropolitan Avenue (demolished)

History

Queens Boulevard was built under the Dual Contracts as part of an extension of the Jamaica elevated past 111th Street to 168th Street, the second half of the line's extension along Jamaica Avenue east of Cypress Hills.[1][5] It opened on July 3, 1918,[2][6] The station served as a replacement for the Long Island Rail Road's Atlantic Avenue Rapid Transit line which ran along the LIRR Main Line.[1][7]

By the 1960s, the city planned to close significant portions of the line in Jamaica. This was part of Mayor John Lindsay's effort to demolish "obsolete elevated railway structures" in the city, and in preparation for the Archer Avenue Subway which would replace the eliminated portions of the line.[8][9] In 1977, the three stops east of Queens Boulevard station were closed, and it became temporary terminal for the Jamaica Avenue Line.[5] This was opposed by local residents due to the increased traffic it would bring.[10] While Queens Boulevard was the line's temporary terminal, a crossover switch was added west of the station,[10] and the tracks continued east of the station to Sutphin Boulevard as lay-up tracks. Queens Boulevard was closed on April 15, 1985, when the line was cut back to 121st Street, with the Q49 bus (created to replace the eastern section of the line) replacing it.[3][11] The Q49 bus was discontinued when the rest of the Jamaica Line was connected to the Archer Avenue Subway.

Current status

Both Metropolitan Avenue and Queens Boulevard stations were demolished in late 1990. On December 11, 1988, the MTA opened the nearby Jamaica – Van Wyck subway station on the Archer Avenue line two blocks west of Queens Boulevard, which served as their replacement station. That station, however, only serves trains from the IND Queens Boulevard Line; the closest stations for Jamaica Line service are 121st Street to the west and Sutphin Boulevard – JFK Airport to the east.[12][13][14]

References
  1. New York Times, New Subway Line: Affords a Five-Cent Fare Between Manhattan and Jamaica, L.I., July 7, 1918, page 30
  3. The New York Transit Authority in the 1980s, nycsubway.org
  4. Subway FAQ: A Brief History of the Subway
  5. Dembart, Lee (September 9, 1977). "A Sentimental Journey on the BMT..." (PDF). nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  6. "Open "L" Extension to Jamaica Today". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 2, 1918. Retrieved July 9, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Rapid Transit Extension: Frequent Trains and Low Fares All the Way to Rockaway Junction". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 24, 1890. p. 1. Retrieved September 26, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. Herman, Robin (July 4, 1979). "For Jamaica, Redevelopment Is a Promise Unfulfilled; Projects Are Thwarted". nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  9. Seigel, Max H. (July 18, 1972). "City Plans to Raze 3d Ave. El in Bornx" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  10. Fowler, Glenn (July 27, 1975). "Proposal to End Jamaica Ave. El at Queens Blvd. Is Opposed" (PDF). nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  11. Brooke, James (May 30, 1986). "SECTION OF SUBWAY LINE SHUT AFTER WATER BREAK". The New York Times. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  12. Johnson, Kirk (December 9, 1988). "Big Changes For Subways Are to Begin". nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  13. "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Jamaica" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  14. Burks, Edward C. (October 24, 1973). "Work Begun on Queens Subway Extension" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
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