Kew Gardens – Union Turnpike (IND Queens Boulevard Line)

Kew Gardens – Union Turnpike
New York City Subway rapid transit station
Station statistics
Address	Union Turnpike & Queens Boulevard Queens, NY 11415
Borough	Queens
Locale	Kew Gardens / Forest Hills
Coordinates	40°42′51″N 73°49′51″W / 40.714151°N 73.830786°W / 40.714151; -73.830786Coordinates: 40°42′51″N 73°49′51″W / 40.714151°N 73.830786°W / 40.714151; -73.830786
Division	B (IND)
Line	IND Queens Boulevard Line
Services	E  (all times)       F  (all times)
Transit connections	NYCT Bus: Q46, X63, X64, X68 MTA Bus: Q10, Q37, Q60, QM18, QM21 LIRR: City Terminal Zone (at Kew Gardens)
Structure	Underground
Platforms	2 island platforms cross-platform interchange
Tracks	4
Other information
Opened	December 31, 1936 (1936-12-31)
Accessible
Wireless service	[1][2]
Traffic
Passengers (2014)	8,363,109[3]  2.9%
Rank	44 out of 421
Station succession
Next north	Briarwood (local): E  F  Parsons Boulevard (express): E  Jamaica – Van Wyck (Archer express): E
Next south	75th Avenue (local): E  F  Forest Hills – 71st Avenue (express): E
Next north	Jamaica – 179th Street (via Queens Blvd./Hillside): E  F  Jamaica – Van Wyck (via Archer): E
Next south	Forest Hills – 71st Avenue: E  F
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times Stops rush hours in the peak direction only Stops weekdays only Stops weekends only

Kew Gardens – Union Turnpike is an express station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. Located at Union Turnpike and Queens Boulevard on the border of Kew Gardens and Forest Hills, Queens, it is served by the E and F trains at all times. Despite the station's name, Union Turnpike forms the border between Kew Gardens and Forest Hills, and the station straddles that border. Multiple entrances are located in each neighborhood.^[4]

History

The station replaced Roosevelt Avenue as the terminus of the line on December 31, 1936.^[5] In April of 1937, the line was extended to 169th Street, with 169th Street and Parsons Boulevard serving as terminals.^[6][7]

Station layout

G	Street Level	Exit/Entrance
B1	Mezzanine	Fare control, station agent (Elevator at SE corner of Union Turnpike and Kew Gardens Road)
B2 Platform level	Southbound local	← toward World Trade Center evenings, late nights & weekends (75th Avenue) ← toward Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue (75th Avenue)
	Island platform, doors will open on the left, right
	Southbound express	← toward World Trade Center weekdays (Forest Hills – 71st Avenue)
	Northbound express	→ toward Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer weekdays (Jamaica – Van Wyck) → → toward Jamaica – 179th Street rush hours (Parsons Boulevard) →
	Island platform, doors will open on the left, right
	Northbound local	→ toward Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer evenings, late nights & weekends (Briarwood) → → toward Jamaica – 179th Street (Briarwood) →
B3 Lower level tracks[8][9][10]	Yard track	→ No passenger service
	Yard track	→ No passenger service

This express station has four tracks and two island platforms. The F train stops on the outer local tracks at all times while the E stops on the center express tracks weekdays (Manhattan-bound from approximately 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Jamaica-bound from 7:30 a.m. to 7:45 p.m.) and on the outer tracks at all other times.

Mezzanines

Elevator and southeastern stairway

This station is unusual in that its mezzanine is split in two halves. This is because at this location, Union Turnpike and the Jackie Robinson Parkway cross under Queens Boulevard but over the Queens Boulevard Line tracks; the mezzanine is at the level of Union Turnpike, one half on either side, with no connection between the two outside of fare control. Previously a grade-level intersection, the underpass was constructed simultaneously with the subway station.^[11] Several stairs lead down from sidewalk level to walkways on either side of the turnpike, which themselves lead to one of the mezzanines.^[4] Automobiles were formerly allowed to drop off and pick up passengers along those walkways (similar to stations on the IND Concourse Line), but car access is currently blocked.^[12]

The eastern (railroad north) half of the mezzanine contains the station's full-time token booth. In 2008, this half, which serves riders of the Q10 and Q37 buses,^[4] was upgraded with cube-glass walls, as well as an elevator and ramp to make the station ADA accessible.^[13] However, the western (railroad south) half, which serves riders of the heavily used Q46 bus line that runs along Union Turnpike,^[4] had its token booth closed and removed (with signage indicating asbestos condemnation).

Track layout

A signal and switch tower is located at the north end of the northbound platform and is active only on weekdays.

There are two diamond crossovers near this station. One is located at the eastern end, for eastbound trains, and the other is located at the western end, for westbound trains. Each allow trains to cross-over between the local and express tracks in the same direction.^[14] There is a punch box located at the eastern end of the Jamaica-bound platform, allowing trains to continue along the Queens Boulevard line to 179th Street or to switch to the IND Archer Avenue Line.

East of the station there is a flying junction that connects to the Jamaica Yard via a wye that curves east from the yard towards Briarwood. A second side of the wye curves west to become a lower level of the subway just west of the station.^[14] The yard itself is situated just north of the station in the southern portion of Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, between the Grand Central Parkway and the Van Wyck Expressway.^[4][5]

Points of interest

Nearby points of interest include:

• Queens Borough Hall^[4]
• Queens Criminal Court^[4]
• The Kew-Forest School^[4]
• Forest Hills Tower, which houses Plaza College (since 2014) and administrative offices for FEMA. It formerly housed the headquarters of JetBlue Airways and a public relations office for Con Edison; the JetBlue office has since moved to the Brewster Building in Long Island City.^[15][16][17]
• At the east end of Queens Borough Hall on 82nd Avenue, a retired IRT redbird, R33 #9075 is on display signed as a 7 train.^[18]

Gallery

• 

  Northeastern stairway near Queens Borough Hall.

• 

  Front view of the Civic Statue near Queens Borough Hall.

• 

  JFK Airport-bound Q10 entering service near the station.

• 

  R33 #9075 just east of the station at 82nd Avenue.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kew Gardens – Union Turnpike (IND Queens Boulevard Line).

• nycsubway.org—IND Queens Boulevard Line: Union Turnpike/Kew Gardens
• "MTA NYC Transit Opens ADA Elevators at Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike EF in Queens" (Press release). MTA. July 28, 2008. 
• Station Reporter — E Train
• Station Reporter — F Train
• The Subway Nut — Kew Gardens – Union Turnpike Pictures
• Track map of the area, from nycsubway.org
• 80th Road entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Union Turnpike — Jackie Robinson Parkway entrance from Google Maps Street View
• 78th Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View