Astoria Boulevard station

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 Astoria Boulevard
 "N" train"W" train
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Station statistics
AddressAstoria Boulevard & 31st Street
Queens, NY 11102
BoroughQueens
LocaleAstoria
DivisionB (BMT)[1]
LineBMT Astoria Line
Services   N all times (all times)
   W weekdays (weekdays)
TransitBus transport New York City Bus: Airport transportation M60 SBS to LaGuardia Airport
Bus transport MTA Bus: Q19
StructureElevated
Platforms2 island platforms
cross-platform interchange
Tracks3 (2 in regular service)
Other information
OpenedFebruary 1, 1917; 107 years ago (1917-02-01)[2]
Opposite-
direction
transfer
Yes
Former/other namesAstoria Boulevard – Hoyt Avenue
Traffic
20232,350,512[3]Increase 7.7%
Rank142 out of 423[3]
Station succession
Next northTemplate:NYCS next
Next southTemplate:NYCS next
Template:NYCS next
Station service legend
Symbol Description
Stops all times Stops all times
Stops weekdays during the day Stops weekdays during the day

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,[2] 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.[5] 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
P
Platforms
Southbound local "N" train toward Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue (30th Avenue)
"W" train 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 "N" train ("W" train 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. ^ "Glossary". Second Avenue Subway Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) (PDF). Vol. 1. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. March 4, 2003. pp. 1–2. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "First Train Runs On Elevated Line to Astoria Section". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 1, 1917. Retrieved 29 June 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b "Annual Subway Ridership (2018–2023)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  4. ^ "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  5. ^ Mbugua, Martin; Rutenberg, James (1998-05-02). "Backhoe Cripples El". Daily News. Retrieved 2010-04-11.[permanent dead link]

External links