169th Street station (IND Queens Boulevard Line)

Construction

The Queens Boulevard Line was one of the first built by the city-owned Independent Subway System (IND), and was planned to stretch between the IND Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan and 178th Street and Hillside Avenue in Jamaica, Queens.^[6][7] The line was first proposed in 1925.^[8] Construction of the line was approved by the New York City Board of Estimate on October 4, 1928.^[9] On December 23, 1930, the contract for the construction of the section between 137th Street (now the Van Wyck Expressway) and 178th Street—Route 108, Section 11—was let. This section included the stations at 169th Street, Parsons Boulevard, Sutphin Boulevard, and Briarwood.^[10] As planned, Parsons Boulevard was to be an express stop, while the other three stations, including 169th Street, would be local stops.^[11] The contract for this section was awarded to Triest Contracting Corporation.^[12] The line was constructed using the cut-and-cover tunneling method, and to allow pedestrians to cross, temporary bridges were built over the trenches.^[13]

The first section of the line opened on August 19, 1933 from the connection to the Eighth Avenue Line at 50th Street to Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights.^[14] Later that year, a $23 million loan was approved to finance the remainder of the line, along with other IND lines.^[15] The remainder of the line was built by the Public Works Administration.^[16] In summer 1933 work on this station and 169th Street were completed, far ahead of schedule.^[12] In 1934 and 1935, construction of the extension to Jamaica was suspended for 15 months and was halted by strikes.^[17] Construction was further delayed due to a strike in 1935, instigated by electricians opposing wages paid by the General Railway Signal Company.^[18]

In April 1936, William Jerome Daly, the secretary of the New York City Board of Transportation, stated, in response to requests for a stop at 178th Street, that constructing a station at that location would prevent express service from operating past 71st Avenue. He said that with a final station at 169th Street, express trains could run to Parsons Boulevard, and that if the line was extended to Springfield Boulevard as planned, express service could be extended past 178th Street with a yard east of the new terminal.^[19]

In August 1936, construction to Forest Hills was expected to be completed by the end of the year. While the tracks were installed all the way to 178th Street, the stops to the east of Union Turnpike still needed to be tiled, have stairways, turnstiles and lighting installed. Two additional contracts remained to be put up for bid, both the results of last minute changes. One of the changes concerned the line's eastern terminal. Initially, express trains were planned to terminate at a station at 178th Street. However, the plans were changed to terminate the express trains at Parsons Boulevard, requiring the installation of switches. Since construction of the tunnel was already completed in this section, a few hundred feet of the wall separating the eastbound and westbound train tracks had to be removed to fit the two switches.^[20] In addition, a new tunnel roof and new side supports had to be constructed.^[21] Since the line's new terminal would be at 169th Street, the tracks at 178th Street would be used to turn back trains. This change delayed the opening of the line from Union Turnpike to 169th Street,^[21] and also led to protests from the Jamaica Estates Association because the 178th Street station had been eliminated.^[20]

A 3.5-mile (5.6 km) extension from Roosevelt Avenue to Kew Gardens opened on December 31, 1936.^[22] In March 1937, the extension to 169th Street was expected to be opened on May 1, requiring work to be finished by April 3, and fully approved and tested by April 20. As of this point, minor station work remained, including the installation of light bulbs, with the only major work left to be completed being the final 200 feet (61 m) of track in the 169th Street terminal.^[21]

Opening

On April 9, 1937, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia announced that the operation of the $14.4 million extension to Jamaica and express service would begin on April 24.^[2][23] The extension to Hillside Avenue and 178th Street, with a terminal station at 169th Street, opened as planned on April 24, 1937.^[24][25][26] Service was initially provided by E trains, which began making express stops from 71st–Continental Avenues to Queens Plaza during rush hours on the same date, and by EE local trains during non-rush hours. The express service operated between approximately 6:30 and 10:30 a.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.,^[16][27] and ran every three to five minutes.^[28] This extension was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Parsons Boulevard station and with a parade along Hillside Avenue.^[29]

Mosaic name tablet and Queens Public Library sign

On December 15, 1940, F trains began running via the newly opened IND Sixth Avenue Line, also running express west of 71st Avenue. 169th Street and Parsons Boulevard were both used as terminal stations during this time, with the E terminating at this station and the F at Parsons Boulevard.^[30] This setup was instituted to prevent congestion at both stations.^[31]: 123

While 169th Street was the end of the line, F trains terminated at Parsons Boulevard because the 169th Street station provided an unsatisfactory terminal setup for a four-track line. There were no storage facilities provided at the 169th Street station, and since 169th Street was a local station, trains on the outer local tracks had to cross over to the inner express tracks to reverse direction. Therefore, the line was planned to be extended to 184th Place with a station at 179th Street containing two island platforms, sufficient entrances and exits, and storage for four ten-car trains. The facilities would allow for the operation of express and local service to the station.^[31] Delayed due to the Great Depression and World War II, the extension was completed later than expected and opened on December 11, 1950.^[32][33] E trains were extended there at all times and F trains were extended evenings, nights, and Sunday mornings.^[34] On May 13, 1951, all F trains outside of rush hour were extended to 179th Street using the local tracks beyond Parsons Boulevard. On October 8, 1951, trains were extended to 179th Street at all times.^[35] During rush hours F trains skipped 169th Street running via the express tracks. At other times, the F stopped at 169th Street.^[36]

In 1953, the platforms at several IND stations were lengthened to allow eleven-car trains; originally, service was provided with ten-car trains.^[a][38] The lengthened trains began running during rush hour on September 8, 1953. Eleven-car trains would only operate on weekdays.^{[39]: 37–38} The extra car increased the total carrying capacity by 4,000 passengers.^[38] The operation of eleven-car trains ended in 1958 because of operational difficulties. The signal blocks, especially in Manhattan, were too short to accommodate the longer trains, and the motormen had a very small margin of error to properly platform the train. It was found that operating ten-car trains allowed for two additional trains per hour to be scheduled.^[40]

Archer Avenue extension

Before the IND Archer Avenue Line opened on December 11, 1988, all Queens Boulevard express trains (E and F trains) ran to 179th Street, with the E running express along Hillside Avenue during rush hours only and the F running local.^[41] At that time, the 169th Street station was considered to be the most congested due to the numerous bus lines that either terminated just outside or at the nearby 165th Street Bus Terminal;^[42] this use had increased after the closure and demolition of the nearby 168th Street BMT station on Jamaica Avenue in 1977.^[43] The station was ill-equipped to handle the high passenger traffic volume transferring between the buses and subway, and The New York Times stated that during peak hours, passengers had to wait just to get to the platform.^[42] As a result, bars were installed on each of the seven 179th Street-bound staircases at platform level to "feed" passengers into the staircases and prevent them from crowding around it.^[44]

The opening of the Archer Avenue Line was expected by the New York City Transit Authority to reduce rush hour ridership at this station from 12,912 to 6,058. The locations of the station's full-time and part-time booths were switched in 1988, since more than half of the remaining riders lived closer to the 169th Street entrance. Before the change, most riders came from the Bus Terminal via the 168th Street entrance. The formerly full-time 168th Street booth was made part-time, and the formerly part-time 169th Street booth was made full-time.^{[45]: 12–13}

Discover more about History related topics

IND Queens Boulevard Line

IND Queens Boulevard Line

The IND Queens Boulevard Line, sometimes abbreviated as QBL, is a line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Manhattan and Queens, New York City, United States. The line, which is underground throughout its entire route, contains 23 stations. The core section between 50th Street in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, and 169th Street in Jamaica, Queens, was built by the Independent Subway System (IND) in stages between 1933 and 1940, with the Jamaica–179th Street terminus opening in 1950. As of 2015, it is among the system's busiest lines, with a weekday ridership of over 460,000 people.

Independent Subway System

Independent Subway System

The Independent Subway System, formerly known as the Independent City-Owned Subway System (ICOSS) or the Independent City-Owned Rapid Transit Railroad (ICORTR), was a rapid transit rail system in New York City that is now part of the New York City Subway. It was first constructed as the Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan in 1932.

IND Eighth Avenue Line

IND Eighth Avenue Line

The IND Eighth Avenue Line is a rapid transit line in New York City, United States, and is part of the B Division of the New York City Subway. Opened in 1932, it was the first line of the Independent Subway System (IND), and the Eighth Avenue Subway name was also applied by New Yorkers to the entire IND system.

New York City Board of Estimate

New York City Board of Estimate

The New York City Board of Estimate was a governmental body in New York City responsible for numerous areas of municipal policy and decisions, including the city budget, land-use, contracts, franchises, and water rates. Under the amendments effective in 1901, to the charter of the then-recently-amalgamated City of Greater New York, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment was composed of eight ex officio members: the Mayor of New York City, the New York City Comptroller and the President of the New York City Board of Aldermen, each of whom had three votes; the borough presidents of Manhattan and Brooklyn, each having two votes; and the borough presidents of the Bronx, Queens, and Richmond, each having one vote. The La Guardia Reform Charter of 1938 simplified its name and enhanced its powers.

Parsons Boulevard station

Parsons Boulevard station

The Parsons Boulevard station is an express station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Parsons Boulevard and Hillside Avenue in Queens, it is served by the F train at all times, and the train during rush hours in the reverse peak direction. Limited rush hour E service also stops here due to capacity constraints at its primary terminal of Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer station, located four blocks south.

Briarwood station

Briarwood station

The Briarwood station is a local station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 84th Drive, Main Street, Queens Boulevard, and the Van Wyck Expressway, in Briarwood, Queens, bordering Kew Gardens, it is served by the F train at all times, the E train at all times except rush hours and middays, and the train during rush hours in the reverse peak direction.

50th Street station (IND lines)

50th Street station (IND lines)

The 50th Street station is a bi-level station on the IND Eighth Avenue and Queens Boulevard Lines of the New York City Subway, located at 50th Street and Eighth Avenue in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. The lower level, on the Queens Boulevard Line, is served by the E train at all times, and the upper level, on the Eighth Avenue Line, is served by the C at all times except late nights and the A during late nights.

Jackson Heights, Queens

Jackson Heights, Queens

Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in the northwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. Jackson Heights is neighbored by North Corona to the east, Elmhurst to the south, Woodside to the west, northern Astoria (Ditmars-Steinway) to the northwest, and East Elmhurst to the north and northeast. Jackson Heights has an ethnically diverse community, with half the population having been foreign-born since the 2000s. The New York Times has described Jackson Heights as "the most culturally diverse neighborhood in New York, if not on the planet." According to the 2010 United States Census, the neighborhood has a population of 108,152.

General Railway Signal

General Railway Signal

General Railway Signal Company (GRS) was an American manufacturing company located in the Rochester, New York area. GRS was focused on railway signaling equipment, systems and services. The company was established in 1904 and became part of Alstom Transport in 1998. GRS was a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average from 1928 to 1930.

New York City Board of Transportation

New York City Board of Transportation

The New York City Board of Transportation or the Board of Transportation of the City of New York was a city transit commission and operator in New York City, consisting of three members appointed by the mayor. It was created in 1924 to control city-owned and operated public transportation service within the New York City Transit System. The agency oversaw the construction and operation of the municipal Independent Subway System (IND), which was constructed shortly after the Board was chartered. The BOT later presided over the major transfers of public transit from private control to municipal control that took place in the 1940s, including the unification of the New York City Subway in 1940. In 1953, the Board was dissolved and replaced by the state-operated New York City Transit Authority, now part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

Forest Hills–71st Avenue station

Forest Hills–71st Avenue station

The Forest Hills–71st Avenue station is an express station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway, located on Queens Boulevard at 71st (Continental) Avenue in Forest Hills, Queens. It is served by the E and F trains at all times, the train during rush hours in the reverse peak direction, the R train at all times except late nights, and the M train on weekdays except late nights. It serves as the terminus for the latter two services.

E (New York City Subway service)

E (New York City Subway service)

The E Eighth Avenue Local is a rapid transit service in the B Division of the New York City Subway. Its route emblem, or "bullet", is blue since it uses the IND Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan.

G	Street level	Exit/entrance
M	Mezzanine	Fare control, station agent, MetroCard machines
P Platform level	Side platform
	Southbound local	← toward Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue (Parsons Boulevard)
	Southbound express	← does not stop here (select rush hour trips)
	Northbound express	→ does not stop here (select rush hour trips) →
	Northbound local	→ toward Jamaica–179th Street (two p.m. rush hour trips) (Terminus) → → toward Jamaica–179th Street (Terminus) →
	Side platform

The southwest entrance

This underground station has four tracks and two side platforms.^[46][47] Both platforms have a vermilion trim line with a black border and mosaic name tablets reading "169TH ST." in white sans-serif lettering on a black background with vermillion border. Small "169" and directional tile captions in white lettering on a black background run below the trim line and name tablets. Lime green I-beams run along the platforms and mezzanine at regular intervals, alternating ones having the standard black station name plate with white lettering.^{[48][49][50][51]}

The station has a full-length mezzanine above the platforms with a crossover between both platforms.^{[46][52][53][54]} When the station opened, IND engineers had concluded that only a small portion of the mezzanine was needed, which led to a 1959 proposal to convert the mezzanine into an underground parking garage.^[52] Despite this, the 169th Street station's mezzanines included turnstiles and change booths at both ends, in contrast to several other stations on the same line, which included turnstiles at only one end.^[52] Above the Manhattan-bound platform, the mezzanine gets narrower as it makes way for employee space.^[55] Due to low clearance, a "DO NOT JUMP" message in black letters is painted on the white tiles of the ceiling above one of the 179th Street-bound staircases.^[56]

Exits

There are two fare control areas at either end of the mezzanine. The full-time entrances are at 169th Street, and stairs go up to all four corners of that intersection.^[57] As of 2007^[update], the 169th Street turnstile bank consists of six regular turnstiles, two High Entry-Exit Turnstiles, and two high exit-only turnstiles.^[46] The 169th Street entrances have been the full-time entrances since 1988, when the Archer Avenue lines opened, dramatically reducing ridership at this station.^{[12]: 12–13} The part-time entrances are at 168th Street, with stairs going up to all four corners;^[57] this was the full-time entrance until 1988.^{[12]: 12–13} The 168th Street turnstile bank also has six regular turnstiles, two HEETs, and two high exit-only turnstiles.^[46] At both entrances, staircases go up to all four corners of the street's intersection with Hillside Avenue.^[57][52] When it was originally built, the station had staffed token booths at both fare control areas.^[52] The 169th Street station is the closest to the 165th Street Bus Terminal, though the entrances at 168th Street are closer than those at 169th Street.^[57]

Discover more about Station layout related topics

MetroCard

MetroCard

The MetroCard is a magnetic stripe card used for fare payment on transportation in the New York City area. It is a payment method for the New York City Subway, New York City Transit buses and MTA buses. The MetroCard is also accepted by several partner agencies: Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE), the PATH train system, the Roosevelt Island Tramway, AirTrain JFK, and Westchester County's Bee-Line Bus System.

Side platform

Side platform

A side platform is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platforms, one for each direction of travel, is the basic design used for double-track railway lines. Side platforms may result in a wider overall footprint for the station compared with an island platform where a single width of platform can be shared by riders using either track.

F (New York City Subway service)

F (New York City Subway service)

The F and Queens Boulevard Express/Sixth Avenue Local are two rapid transit services in the B Division of the New York City Subway. Their route bullets are colored orange, since they use and are part of the IND Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan.

Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue station

Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue station

The Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue station is a New York City Subway terminal in Coney Island, Brooklyn. It is the railroad-south terminus for the D, F, N, and Q trains at all times and for the train during rush hours in the peak direction.

Parsons Boulevard station

Parsons Boulevard station

The Parsons Boulevard station is an express station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Parsons Boulevard and Hillside Avenue in Queens, it is served by the F train at all times, and the train during rush hours in the reverse peak direction. Limited rush hour E service also stops here due to capacity constraints at its primary terminal of Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer station, located four blocks south.

E (New York City Subway service)

E (New York City Subway service)

The E Eighth Avenue Local is a rapid transit service in the B Division of the New York City Subway. Its route emblem, or "bullet", is blue since it uses the IND Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan.

Jamaica–179th Street station

Jamaica–179th Street station

The Jamaica–179th Street station is an express terminal station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. Located under Hillside Avenue at 179th Street in Jamaica, Queens, it is served by the F train at all times, the train during rush hours in the reverse peak direction, and a few rush-hour E trains. The station has 15 entrances, including two at Midland Parkway in Jamaica Estates.

Sans-serif

Sans-serif

In typography and lettering, a sans-serif, sans serif, gothic, or simply sans letterform is one that does not have extending features called "serifs" at the end of strokes. Sans-serif typefaces tend to have less stroke width variation than serif typefaces. They are often used to convey simplicity and modernity or minimalism.

Archer Avenue lines

Archer Avenue lines

The Archer Avenue lines are two rapid transit lines of the New York City Subway, mostly running under Archer Avenue in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens. The two lines are built on separate levels: trains from the IND Queens Boulevard Line serve the upper level, and trains from the BMT Jamaica Line serve the lower.