Broad Channel station

Coordinates: 40°36′32″N 73°48′58″W / 40.609°N 73.816°W / 40.609; -73.816
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 Broad Channel
 
QM17
StructureAt-grade
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
Other information
Opened1880 (LIRR station)[2]
Closed1950 (LIRR station)
RebuiltJune 28, 1956; 67 years ago (1956-06-28) (as a Subway station)
AccessibilitySame-platform wheelchair transfer available
Opposite-
direction
transfer
Yes
Traffic
202249,631[3]Increase 24.1%
Rank423 out of 423[3]
Services
Preceding station New York City Subway New York City Subway Following station
Howard Beach–JFK Airport
A all times
Beach 67th Street
A all times
Beach 90th Street
A rush hours, peak directionS all times
Rockaway Park through to Inwood–207th Street via A all times AM rush
Location
Broad Channel station is located in New York City Subway
Broad Channel station
Broad Channel station is located in New York City
Broad Channel station
Broad Channel station is located in New York
Broad Channel station
Track layout

Jamaica Bay Trestle
Long track section
~2 miles (3.2 km)
Test track
Shuttle relay track
Jamaica Bay
Long track section
~1,000 feet (300 m)
Jamaica Bay
Hammels Wye
Street map

Map

Station service legend
Symbol Description
Stops all times Stops all times
Stops rush hours in the peak direction only Stops rush hours in the peak direction only

The Broad Channel station is a

Long Island Railroad station. The LIRR discontinued service in 1950 after a fire on the trestle across Jamaica Bay
, to the station's north. The station reopened June 28, 1956, as a subway station.

Broad Channel is the only subway station serving the island of Broad Channel, which is located in Jamaica Bay and only has about 3,000 residents. Thus it is the least-used in the subway as of 2023. However, this station is the only transfer point for riders traveling between Brooklyn and Manhattan (which the A train travels to) and the four other stations served by the Rockaway Park Shuttle. North of this station, there are two additional tracks within the right-of-way: a short track that allows Rockaway Park Shuttle trains to reverse direction and return to the Rockaways, and a longer track that is used to test new subway cars.

History

The station originally opened in 1880 as a

New York, Woodhaven and Rockaway Railroad station (although some sources claim it opened in June 1881) and was acquired by the Long Island Rail Road, to become a station on the Rockaway Beach Branch.[4]

As a Long Island Rail Road station it served as one of two junctions between the

The Raunt, located to the north, forced the closure of both stations on May 23, 1950, as well as the entire Jamaica Bay trestle which stretches from Howard Beach to Hammels Wye.[5][6][7]

By October 3, 1955, the Rockaway Beach Branch south of

Far Rockaway stations) with new concrete platforms, and a new station house. The contract for the new station was approved in December 1954.[8][9][10][11] The station opened to subway service on June 28, 1956.[7]

The station and the adjacent segment of the Rockaway Line suffered serious damage during

R1 subway car formed the first train.[14] In 2018, a two-phase program of flood mitigation work along the Hammels Wye required further service disruptions. The first phase, from April 9 to May 18, suspended rush-hour A trips to Rockaway Park. The second phase, which began on July 1, rerouted all Far Rockaway A service to Rockaway Park until September 3. In both phases, the shuttle ran from Rockaway Park to Far Rockaway, skipping Broad Channel.[15]

Station layout

Mezzanine Mezzanine Crossover between platforms
Platform level Side platform
Northbound "A" train toward Inwood–207th Street (Howard Beach–JFK Airport)
Rockaway Park Shuttle termination track
Southbound "A" train toward Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue (Beach 67th Street)
Rockaway Park Shuttle toward Rockaway Park–Beach 116th Street (Beach 90th Street)
"A" train toward Rockaway Park–Beach 116th Street PM rush (Beach 90th Street)
Side platform
Ground Street level Exit/Entrance, station house and agent, fare control, MetroCard machines
Noel Road entrance

This station has two tracks and two

Beach 90th Street for the Rockaway Park Shuttle and limited rush-hour A trains.[18] The station is one of two New York City Subway stations located on its own island, the other being the Roosevelt Island station in Manhattan, serving the F train.[18]

Exit

A station house is located above both platforms, containing a crossover, waiting area and

fare control.[8][19] The single street staircase outside of fare control goes down to West Road by the intersection of Noel Road next to the Rockaway-bound platform.[8][20][21]: 9 [note 1] This platform also has a set of exit-only turnstiles leading directly to this staircase so riders exiting the station on this side do not have to go through the station house. The station house is heated, while the platforms feature passenger-activated heaters;[23]: 35  these heaters, and the doors separating the station house and staircases, were not originally part of the station.[24][25] The station house used to have 1950s-era signage at its front entrance reading "SUBWAY", but now only has modern MTA entrance signs.[21]

At the north end of the station is a power substation, located at West Road and East 6th Road adjacent to the Rockaway-bound platform.[8][19][21] A second exit-only staircase is located here, but is closed.[19][26]

Track layout

The crossovers that lead to the tail track on the right and to the track used to test new trains on the left

Just to the north, the Rockaway Line gains two extra

bumper block.[27] The test track was installed in 2001 by New York City Transit's Maintenance of Way Department to ensure that new cars have undergone necessary acceleration and braking tests before being put into revenue service. This was because NYCT needed to recover a greater amount of braking energy and reduce power demand peaks with the introduction of AC-motored cars with the capability for regenerative braking. A kinetic energy storage system with KESS technology was installed, and as a result, the voltage regulation of the track improved. The system provides voltage support to the revenue tracks as well as reinforcing the voltage of the test track during the testing of new trains.[29]

Continuing north, the Rockaway Line crosses

Punch boxes are located at the ends of both platforms, to allow train operators to select the correct route. The switches are then accordingly switched by the local tower operator.[27]: xix [34]

Ridership

The seawall protecting the station, installed after Hurricane Sandy

Broad Channel is a small island with fewer than 3,000 residents,[35] and as a result, it has historically been one of the least-used stations in the system. In 1985, the station had only 224 paying daily riders on a typical weekday, making it one of the least used stations in the system.[36] The station had the second lowest ridership in the subway system as of 2019, with 49,631 annual riders.[3] By 2021, it was the system's least-used station overall, with 39,981 annual riders.[37] However, it is the only transfer point between the A train and the Rockaway Park Shuttle, and some 2,700 daily riders use it in this capacity.[23][24] As a result, the platforms are sometimes packed.[38]

Nearby points of interest include a visitor center and trails for the Gateway National Recreation Area's Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.[20][21] The Refuge is one of the most significant bird sanctuaries in the Northeastern United States, and it is home to more than 330 bird species, making it one of the most ideal places in New York City to observe migrating birds. The visitor center is the start of many guided tours of the refuge and it is home to exhibits that discuss the history of Jamaica Bay, the wide array of wildlife that can be found there, and the impact of human activity.[39]

Gallery

  • A view of the northbound platform at Broad Channel facing to the south, prior to renovations
    A view of the northbound platform at Broad Channel facing to the south, prior to renovations
  • A view of the southern end of the station during the renovation of the line
    A view of the southern end of the station during the renovation of the line
  • A view of the southbound platform facing to the north, the renovation almost complete
    A view of the southbound platform facing to the north, the renovation almost complete
  • A vintage R1 subway car leading the first trip onto the Rockaway Line on May 30, 2013, after having been closed due to damage from Hurricane Sandy
    A vintage R1 subway car leading the first trip onto the Rockaway Line on May 30, 2013, after having been closed due to damage from Hurricane Sandy

Notes

  1. ^ The document states that the station was located at 194th Avenue. Today, this street is known as Noel Road.[22]

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. ^ "Long Island Rail Road History Website — The NY, Woodhaven and Rockaway RR". Archived from the original on May 12, 2006. Retrieved June 7, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ a b "Annual Subway Ridership (2017–2022)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Long Island Station History". www.trainsarefun.com. Archived from the original on May 26, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  5. Newspapers.com
    .
  6. ^ Bresiger, Gregory (July 18, 2012). "The Trains Stopped Running Here 50 Years Ago". qgazette.com. Queens Gazette. Archived from the original on July 4, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  7. ^ a b Freeman, Ira Henry (June 28, 1956). "Rockaway Trains to Operate Today" (PDF). The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  8. ^
    Wave of Long Island. Fultonhistory.com. December 23, 1954. p. 1. Archived
    from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  9. Wave of Long Island. Fultonhistory.com. December 23, 1954. p. 7. Archived
    (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  10. ^ "New Station Set At Howard Beach" (PDF). The New York Times. November 11, 1954. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  11. Wave of Long Island. Fultonhistory.com. December 2, 1954. p. 1. Archived
    from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  12. ^ "Rebuilding the Rockaways After Hurricane Sandy". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on November 29, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  13. New York Observer. Archived
    from the original on July 29, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  14. ^ "A Train Service Restored to Rockaways". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. May 30, 2013. Archived from the original on May 9, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  15. ^ "Train Change: A/ Shuttle Service to be Impacted Starting in April". THE ROCKAWAY TIMES - First and Free. March 8, 2018. Archived from the original on April 29, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  16. ^ "A Subway Timetable, Effective June 26, 2022". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  17. ^ "S Subway Timetable, Rockaway Park Shuttle, Effective June 26, 2022". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  18. ^ a b "Subway Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  19. ^ a b c New York City Transit Authority (November 1, 1954). "Architectural Drawing of Broad Channel Station: IND Rockaway Line". New York Transit Museum. Archived from the original on August 28, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  20. ^ a b "MTA Neighborhood Maps: The Rockaways" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 7, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  21. ^ a b c d "Broad Channel: a future land use proposal". New York City Department of City Planning. August 1962. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  22. ^ "Shell Greater New York City (Eastern Section). To and Through Manhattan". Shell Oil Company. 1956. Archived from the original on March 19, 2018. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  23. ^ a b c d Review of the A and C Lines (PDF) (Report). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. December 11, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 3, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  24. ^
    Wave of Long Island. Fultonhistory.com. January 11, 1968. p. 1. Archived
    from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  25. (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  26. ^ Cox, Jeremiah (September 13, 2013). "Outside the substation and former exit only staircase". subwaynut.com. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  27. ^ .
  28. ^ a b c "Rebuilding the Rockaways After Hurricane Sandy: The Recovery". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. May 16, 2013. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  29. ^ a b Tarrant, Colin (April 1, 2004). "Kinetic energy storage wins acceptance". Railway Gazette International. Archived from the original on May 13, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  30. ^ "EPRI-DOE Handbook of Energy Storage for Transmission & Distribution Applications: Final Report, December 2003" (PDF). Electric Power Research Institute, United States Department of Energy. December 2003. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  31. Kawasaki Heavy Industries Rolling Stock Company, Kawasaki Heavy Industries. October 2010. Archived
    (PDF) from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  32. ^ "Handbook of Energy Storage for Transmission or Distribution Applications: Technical Update, December 2002" (PDF). Electric Power Research Institute. December 2002. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  33. ^ "M31878 INSTALL RELAY TRACK BROAD CHANNEL STATION ROCKAWAY LINE $5M - $10M". mta.nyc.ny.us. New York City Transit. February 2, 1997. Archived from the original on February 2, 1997. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  34. ^ Rosenfeld, Robbie (May 30, 2013). "Photo of punch box on northbound platform". nycsubway.org. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
  35. ^ Khan, Kulsoom (March 31, 2016). "Broad Channel". Queens Tribune. Archived from the original on February 3, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  36. from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  37. ^ "Subway and bus ridership for 2021" (XLSX file). MTA. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  38. ^ "Safest and riskiest areas of New York's subway system revealed in Daily News investigation". New York Daily News. June 22, 2014. Archived from the original on March 27, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  39. ^ Productions, Mixit. "Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge". www.nyharborparks.org. Archived from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.

External links