Junction Boulevard station explained

Junction Blvd
Address:Junction Boulevard & Roosevelt Avenue
Queens, NY
Borough:Queens
Locale:Corona
Coordinates:40.7492°N -73.8691°W
Division:IRT
Line:IRT Flushing Line
Service:Flushing
Connection: MTA Bus:
Platforms:2 island platforms
cross-platform interchange
Tracks:3
Structure:Elevated
Former:Junction Avenue (1917-1940)
Accessible:yes

The Junction Boulevard station (originally Junction Avenue station)[1] is an express station on the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of Junction Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue in Corona, Queens.[2] It is served by the 7 train at all times and by rush hour peak-direction <7> express service.

History

Early history

The 1913 Dual Contracts called for the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT; later Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation, or BMT) to build new lines in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. Queens did not receive many new IRT and BRT lines compared to Brooklyn and the Bronx, since the city's Public Service Commission (PSC) wanted to alleviate subway crowding in the other two boroughs first before building in Queens, which was relatively undeveloped. The IRT Flushing Line was to be one of two Dual Contracts lines in the borough, along with the Astoria Line; it would connect Flushing and Long Island City, two of Queens' oldest settlements, to Manhattan via the Steinway Tunnel. When the majority of the line was built in the early 1910s, most of the route went through undeveloped land, and Roosevelt Avenue had not been constructed. Community leaders advocated for more Dual Contracts lines to be built in Queens to allow development there.[3]

This elevated station opened on April 21, 1917, as Junction Avenue, as part of a large extension of the Flushing Line from its previous eastern terminus at Queensboro Plaza to Alburtis Avenue (now 103rd Street–Corona Plaza). It was part of the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation, albeit served by shuttles of IRT dimensions, and the two companies jointly operated the Flushing and Astoria Lines due to the provisions of the Dual Contracts. The station was renamed Junction Boulevard in 1940.[4]

Later years

The city government took over the IRT's operations on June 12, 1940.[5] [6] The IRT routes were given numbered designations in 1948 with the introduction of "R-type" rolling stock, which contained rollsigns with numbered designations for each service.[7] The route from Times Square to Flushing became known as the 7.[8] On October 17, 1949, the joint BMT/IRT operation of the Flushing Line ended, and the line became the responsibility of the IRT.[9] After the end of BMT/IRT dual service, the New York City Board of Transportation announced that the Flushing Line platforms would be lengthened to 11 IRT car lengths; the platforms were only able to fit nine 51-foot-long IRT cars beforehand.[10] [11] The platforms at the station were extended in 1955–1956 to accommodate 11-car trains.[12] However, nine-car trains continued to run on the 7 route until 1962, when they were extended to ten cars.[13] With the opening of the 1964 New York World's Fair, trains were lengthened to eleven cars.[14] [15]

In 1981, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority listed the station among the 69 most deteriorated stations in the subway system.[16] A renovation of the Junction Boulevard station was funded as part of the MTA's 1980–1984 capital plan.[17] The MTA received a $106 million grant from the Urban Mass Transit Administration in October 1983; most of the grant would fund the renovation of eleven stations,[18] [19] including Junction Boulevard.

Station layout

CrossoverTransfer between platforms
Platform levelSouthbound local← toward
Island platform
Peak-direction express← AM rush toward
PM rush/evenings toward
Island platform
Northbound local toward
MezzanineFare control, station agent, MetroCard and OMNY machines
GroundStreet levelEntrances/exits

This station has two island platforms and three tracks. The two outer local tracks are used by the full-time 7 local service while the middle express track is used by the rush-hour peak direction <7> express service. Both platforms have red canopies with green frames and support columns in the center and are narrower at either ends.

Exits

This station has one elevated station house beneath the platforms tracks. Four staircases from each corner of Junction Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue go up to a mezzanine that has a token booth in the center and a turnstile bank on the east and west sides.[20] These turnstile banks lead to a crossunder and has a single staircase going up to each platform towards the west (railroad south) end.

This station was made ADA accessible in 2007, at the cost of $6 million. From the northeast corner of the intersection this station is located at, a single elevator goes up to an enclosed overpass above the platforms with an intermediate stop at the mezzanine.[21] The overpass has two HEET turnstiles and a gate that is automatically opened when a MetroCard is swiped at either turnstile. Inside, two elevators go down to the platforms, one for each. Previously, an "AutoGate" Reduced-fare MetroCard was required to open the gate.[22] [23] An emergency staircase goes down to the Manhattan-bound platform and an employee-facility is on the Flushing-bound end of the overpass.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: STATION SITES FOR NEW SUBWAYS; Pamphlet Issued by Utilities Board Contains List of Stops on Dual System.. The New York Times. September 24, 2015. July 6, 1913.
  2. Web site: MTA Neighborhood Maps: Corona. 2015. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 20, 2015.
  3. News: December 2, 1909 . Move for Rapid Transit . 1 . Newtown Register . September 30, 2017 . Fultonhistory.com.
  4. Web site: 1940 BMT system map . NYCSubway . June 12, 2011 .
  5. News: 1940-06-13 . City Transit Unity Is Now a Reality; Title to I.R.T. Lines Passes to Municipality, Ending 19-Year Campaign . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-05-14 . 0362-4331 . January 7, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220107193115/https://www.nytimes.com/1940/06/13/archives/city-transit-unity-is-now-a-reality-title-to-irt-lines-passes-to.html . live .
  6. News: June 13, 1940 . Transit Unification Completed As City Takes Over I. R. T. Lines: Systems Come Under Single Control After Efforts Begun in 1921; Mayor Is Jubilant at City Hall Ceremony Recalling 1904 Celebration . 25 . New York Herald Tribune . .
  7. Web site: Brown . Nicole . May 17, 2019 . How did the MTA subway lines get their letter or number? NYCurious . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210302020704/https://www.amny.com/transit/nyc-subway-name-1-31116195/ . March 2, 2021 . January 27, 2021 . amNewYork.
  8. Friedlander . Alex . Lonto . Arthur . Raudenbush . Henry . April 1960 . A Summary of Services on the IRT Division, NYCTA . live . New York Division Bulletin . Electric Railroaders' Association . 3 . 1 . 2–3 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200914232631/https://erausa.org/pdf/bulletin/1960/1960-01-bulletin.pdf . September 14, 2020 . January 27, 2021.
  9. News: October 15, 1949 . Direct Subway Runs To Flushing, Astoria . en-US . The New York Times . October 7, 2017 . 0362-4331.
  10. News: Bennett . Charles G. . November 20, 1949 . Transit Platforms On Lines In Queens To Be Lengthened; $3,850,000 Program Outlined for Next Year to Care for Borough's Rapid Growth New Links Are To Be Built 400 More Buses to Roll Also — Bulk of Work to Be on Corona-Flushing Route Transit Program In Queens Outlined . en-US . The New York Times . April 29, 2018 . 0362-4331.
  11. News: November 20, 1949 . 37 Platforms On Subways To Be Lengthened: All Stations of B. M. T. and I.R.T.in Queens Included in $5,000,000 Program . 32 . New York Herald Tribune . 1941-0646 . .
  12. Book: Minutes and Proceedings of the New York City Transit Authority . 1955 . New York City Transit Authority . en . August 31, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200913172339/https://books.google.com/books?id=MrAjAQAAMAAJ&dq=dyre+avenue+line&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=%22111th%22 . September 13, 2020 . live.
  13. December 1962 . R17s to the Flushing Line . New York Division Bulletin . Electric Railroaders' Association . 5 . 6 . M-8 . Issu.
  14. News: August 31, 1963 . TA to Show Fair Train . Long Island Star – Journal . August 30, 2016 . Fulton History.
  15. June 1, 1964 . A First-class Rapid Ride . 156 . 21 . 22 . . Railway Age.
  16. News: Gargan. Edward A.. Agency Lists Its 69 Most Deteriorated Subway Stations . August 13, 2016. The New York Times. June 11, 1981.
  17. News: Goldman . Ari L. . April 28, 1983 . M.T.A. Making Major Addition to Capital Plan . en-US . The New York Times . live . May 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220425151916/https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/28/world/mta-making-major-addition-to-capital-plan.html . April 25, 2022 . 0362-4331.
  18. News: Moses . Charles T. . October 3, 1983 . TA Gets Funds to Fix Subways . 3 . Newsday . May 5, 2023 . 2574-5298.
  19. News: Gargan . Edward A. . October 3, 1983 . City Speeding Its Subway Repairs . en-US . The New York Times . live . May 5, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220428025331/https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/03/nyregion/city-speeding-its-subway-repairs.html . April 28, 2022 . 0362-4331.
  20. Web site: MTA Neighborhood Maps: Corona. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 20, 2015. 2015.
  21. Web site: Junction Blvd Station - Projects Mega Contracting Group, LLC. s.r.o.. Minion Interactive. www.megagroup.nyc. October 6, 2016.
  22. Web site: NYC Official Accessibility Guide. nyc.gov. City of New York. September 20, 2015. 2008. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150807065656/http://www.nyc.gov/html/mopd/downloads/pdf/accessibility_guide.pdf. August 7, 2015.
  23. Web site: Zimmer. Amy. Stuck in the System: Disabled rider questions subway access. disablednyc.com. Metro New York. September 20, 2015. City Hall. June 13, 2002.