Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer (Archer Avenue Lines)

Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer
New York City Subway rapid transit station
Upper level platform
Station statistics
Address	Parsons Boulevard & Archer Avenue Queens, NY 11433
Borough	Queens
Locale	Jamaica
Coordinates	40°42′09″N 73°48′00″W / 40.702407°N 73.799973°W / 40.702407; -73.799973Coordinates: 40°42′09″N 73°48′00″W / 40.702407°N 73.799973°W / 40.702407; -73.799973
Division	B (BMT/IND)
Line	BMT Archer Avenue Line (lower level) IND Archer Avenue Line (upper level)
Services	E  (all times)       J  (all times)       Z  (rush hours, peak direction)
Connection	MTA Bus, NYCT Bus, and NICE Bus (see Jamaica Center Bus Terminal below)
Structure	Underground
Levels	2
Platforms	2 island platforms (1 on each level)
Tracks	4 (2 on each level)
Other information
Opened	December 11, 1988 (1988-12-11)
Accessible
Wireless service	[1][2]
Traffic
Passengers (2014)	12,784,635[3]  2.2%
Rank	25 out of 421
Station succession
Next north	(Terminal): E  J  Z
Next south	Sutphin Boulevard – Archer Avenue – JFK Airport: E  J  Z
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops in station at all times Stops all times except late nights Stops late nights only Stops late nights and weekdays only Stops late nights and weekends only Stops weekends and weekend late nights Stops weekdays and weekday late nights Stops weekdays only Stops weekends only Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction Stops all times except weekdays in the peak direction Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction Stops rush hours only Stops rush hours in the peak direction only Station is closed (Details about time periods)

Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer (formerly Jamaica Center – Parsons Boulevard) is the northern terminal station on the IND and BMT Archer Avenue Lines of the New York City Subway, located at Parsons Boulevard and Archer Avenue in Jamaica, Queens. It is a major transfer point for buses from eastern Queens, and replaces the old 160th Street Station of the BMT Jamaica Line, and inadvertently the former Union Hall Street Long Island Rail Road station. This station opened on December 11, 1988.

This is a two-level station with E trains serving the upper level (IND) at all times, and the J and Z trains serving the lower level (BMT), the former of which operates all times and the latter of which operates during rush hours only. Each level has two tracks and one island platform. Both platforms are a standard 600 feet (183 m) in length, but since BMT Eastern Division trains are only 480 feet (146 m) long, there are fences at both ends of the lower-level platforms to prevent passengers from falling onto the tracks.

Station layout

G	Street Level	Exit/ Entrance
B1	Mezzanine	Fare control, station agents (Elevator on south side of Archer Avenue at Parsons Boulevard)
B2 Upper level	Southbound	← toward World Trade Center (Sutphin Boulevard – Archer Avenue – JFK Airport)
	Island platform, doors will open on the left or right
	Southbound	← toward World Trade Center (Sutphin Boulevard – Archer Avenue – JFK Airport)
B3 Lower level	Southbound	← ( AM rush hours) toward Broad Street weekdays (Sutphin Boulevard – Archer Avenue – JFK Airport) ← toward Chambers Street weekends (Sutphin Boulevard – Archer Avenue – JFK Airport)
	Island platform, doors will open on the left or right
	Southbound	← ( AM rush hours) toward Broad Street weekdays (Sutphin Boulevard – Archer Avenue – JFK Airport) ← toward Chambers Street weekends (Sutphin Boulevard – Archer Avenue – JFK Airport)

This station has tan brick walls and red brick floor on both levels; the ceilings have metal slats and resembles a vaulted ceiling, except there are no curves.

Exits

The Jamaica Center Bus Terminal can be found at some of the exits.

There are two entrances to this station.

• Exit 1: The first one is at the very north end of the platforms. It contains a mezzanine that has four escalators, two to each platform, and an ADA-accessible elevator serving both platforms. There is a large, single bank of turnstiles leading to fare control. One wide staircase and one escalator leads to a pavilion behind the streets at the northeast corner of Parsons Boulevard and Archer Avenue. A narrower staircase and escalator leads to the southeast corner. An elevator is present as well. This entrance contains a 1991 artwork called Jamaica Center Station Riders by Sam Gilliam made up of blue painted aluminum.
• Exit 2: The second exit is near the middle of the platforms. Each platform contains two escalators to the mezzanine. The upper level also has one staircase to the mezzanine while the lower level has two. In this mezzanine there is more overlap of walls between fare control and the portion of the mezzanine for the station exits. In addition to the part-time bank of standard turnstiles, there are HEET turnstiles to provide access during off-peak hours. This entrance has three street stairs. Two of them, one of which also has an up-only escalator, lead up to the south side of Archer Avenue outside the bus boarding area. The staircase with the escalator has a brickwork design surrounding it while the other staircase at this entrance has an ultra-wide green metal fence. There is another staircase, the narrowest in the entire station at the northeast corner of Archer Avenue and 153rd Street.

Infrastructure

The tracks on both levels extend past the station for possible future extensions. On the lower level, they continue one train length and end at bumper blocks. This was a planned extension toward 190th Street – Hollis Avenue. Where the lower level tracks end, there is a provision for a diamond crossover switch at the end of the tunnel (under 160th Street).

On the upper level, the tracks curve south to run under 160th Street and stop at about South Road, also ending at bumper blocks. The plan was for this line to use the LIRR Locust Manor Branch ROW and run to Springfield Boulevard or Rosedale LIRR station. Where the upper level tracks stub end, there's a provision for a portal to go outside if the line going to Southeastern Queens is ever built.

East of the upper level platform, a Central Instrument Room (753CIR) is located deep in the tunnel on track D2A (upper level) bench wall.

East of the station, next to the D1A tail track on the upper level, the tunnel catwalk structure widens, and the track curves south along with the D2A track. Where the catwalk structure ends, there is a stairway to the lower level tail tracks.

The tail tracks on both levels are currently used for storage.

Jamaica Center Bus Terminal

The subway complex includes the Jamaica Center Bus Terminal. Though little more than a series of bus stops along Sutphin Boulevard, primarily along the southbound side of the street, it still serves as a major transit hub within Jamaica. Incidentally, the former 160th Street Jamaica Elevated station that it replaced, was also a major hub for trolley service, when it was originally built.

References

External links

Media related to Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer (New York City Subway) at Wikimedia Commons

• nycsubway.org—IND Queens Boulevard Line: Jamaica Center/Parsons–Archer
• Station Reporter — E Train
• Station Reporter — J Train
• The Subway Nut — Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer Pictures
• MTA's Arts For Transit — Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer
• Parsons Boulevard entrance from Google Maps Street View
• 153rd Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• 158th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View