Astoria Boulevard (BMT Astoria Line)

Astoria Boulevard
New York City Subway rapid transit station
Station statistics
Address Astoria Boulevard & 31st Street
Queens, NY 11102
Borough Queens
Locale Astoria
Coordinates 40°46′12″N 73°55′05″W / 40.769979°N 73.918161°W / 40.769979; -73.918161Coordinates: 40°46′12″N 73°55′05″W / 40.769979°N 73.918161°W / 40.769979; -73.918161
Division B (BMT)
Line BMT Astoria Line
Services       N  (all times)
      W  (weekdays only)
Transit connections New York City Bus: Airport transportation M60 SBS to LaGuardia Airport
MTA Bus: Q19
Structure Elevated
Platforms 2 island platforms
cross-platform interchange
Tracks 3 (2 in regular service)
Other information
Opened February 1, 1917 (1917-02-01)[1]
Former/other names Astoria Boulevard – Hoyt Avenue
Traffic
Passengers (2015) 3,926,062[2]Increase 0.3%
Rank 128 out of 422
Station succession
Next north Astoria – Ditmars Boulevard: N  W 
Next south 30th Avenue (local): N  W 
Queensboro Plaza (express): no regular service

Astoria Boulevard (also known as Astoria Boulevard – Hoyt Avenue) is an express station on the BMT Astoria Line. Located above 31st Street at Astoria Boulevard and the Grand Central Parkway in Astoria, Queens, the station is served by the N train at all times, as well as by the W train on weekdays.

History

Staircase shelter on southbound platform

This elevated station opened on February 1, 1917,[1] along with the opening of the rest of the Astoria Line, as an IRT line station, and the BRT (later BMT) also provided joint service.

On the morning of May 1, 1998, a backhoe working underneath the station (not performing New York City Transit-related work) struck the mezzanine, ripping out three support beams while damaging four more and creating a huge hole in the floor. There were no injuries, but trains bypassed the station at restricted speed.[3] Cleanup work began immediately and by noon, the slow speed restriction was removed. By 3:00 p.m., a temporary wooden floor was installed. Less than eight hours from the time of the first response, the station was back in full service. Permanent repairs were made overnight.

Today, several tourists visit the upper level for a view of the Hell Gate Bridge and Triborough Bridge

Station layout

Track layout
Legend
to Ditmars Blvd
to Ditmars Blvd
to 30 Av
to Queensboro Plz
P
Platforms
Southbound local toward Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue (30th Avenue)
toward Whitehall Street–South Ferry (weekdays) (30th Avenue)
Island platform, doors will open on the left
Peak-direction express No regular service
(No service: Queensboro Plaza southbound or Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard northbound)
Island platform, doors will open on the left
Northbound local ( weekdays) toward Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard (Terminus)
M Mezzanine two entrances/exits, station agent, MetroCard vending machines
G Street Level Entrances/Exits
View of station from RFK Bridge

The station has three tracks and two island platforms. The center track is not used in revenue service, but it had been used regularly as recently as 2002.

The station has wooden canopies with transite and wooden mezzanines. The northbound platform’s benches are surrounded by low windscreen on three sides. The southbound platform bears the tertiary name of Columbus Square, for a small park containing a statue of Columbus by Angelo Racioppi immediately east of the southeastern stair of the station. It also has an enclosed waiting area.

W Train arriving

This station affords a view of the Hell Gate Bridge and viaduct to the north, Triborough Bridge to the west, and the Grand Central Parkway (Interstate 278) and Astoria Boulevard underneath. These three structures forced a change in the station. The overpass to the far north exit was an addition because of the Triborough Bridge’s construction in 1936. The parkway forced relocation of the north exit stairways since the parkway was too wide for the original stairways. The southern stairways are original. The mezzanine has separate turnstile banks from each side with crossunders from the platform stairs.

References

  1. 1 2 "First Train Runs On Elevated Line to Astoria Section". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 1, 1917. Retrieved 29 June 2015 via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  3. Mbugua, Martin; Rutenberg, James (1998-05-02). "Backhoe Cripples El". Daily News. Retrieved 2010-04-11.

External links

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