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)
Transit connections	NYCT Bus: Q4, Q5, Q20A, Q20B, Q24, Q30, Q31, Q42, Q44 SBS, Q83, Q84, Q85 MTA Bus: Q6, Q8, Q9, Q25, Q34, Q41, Q65, Q110, Q111, Q112, Q113, Q114 NICE Bus: n4 (all at Jamaica Center Bus Terminal)
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)
Station code	278[1]
Accessible	ADA-accessible
Wireless service	[2][3]
Traffic
Passengers (2016)	12,470,914[4]  1.2%
Rank	25 out of 422
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 all times Stops rush hours in the peak direction only
Location Show map of New York City Subway Show map of New York City Show map of New York Show map of the US

Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer (formerly Jamaica Center–Parsons Boulevard) is the northern terminal station of 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.

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 (Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport)
	Island platform, doors will open on the left or right
	Southbound	← ( AM rush hours) toward Broad Street (Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport)

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

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 in the peak direction. Each level has two tracks and one island platform. Both platforms are 600 feet (183 m) in length, standard for a full-length B Division train; however, since BMT Eastern Division trains are only 480 feet (146 m) long, there are fences at both of the unused ends of the lower-level platforms to prevent passengers from falling onto the tracks.

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

Track layout
Upper level
to Sutphin Blvd
Lower level
to Sutphin Blvd

There are two entrances to this station.

• Exit 1: The first one is at the very east 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.^[5]
• 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.^[5]

Infrastructure

West of the station, both levels feature diamond crossovers. The upper level's crossover is just west of the platform, while the lower level's is halfway between this station and Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue.^[6]

The tracks on both levels extend past the station for possible future extensions, but are currently used for storage.^[7][8] On the lower level, they continue one train length of about 480 feet (150 m) and end at bumper blocks at 160th Street;^[8][9] they were originally planned to extend as far as Merrick Boulevard.^[9] This was a planned extension toward 190th Street–Hollis Avenue (near the Hollis LIRR station). Where the lower level tracks end, there is a provision for a diamond crossover switch at the end of the tunnel (under 160th Street).^[10][9] On the upper level, the tracks extend around 2,000 feet (610 m) or just over 3 train lengths of about 600 feet (180 m), curving south under the LIRR Atlantic Branch 60 feet (18 m) below ground. They then run under 160th Street within the York College campus and stop at about South Road, also ending at bumper blocks.^{[7][8][9][11][12]} This was the site of the line's original groundbreaking in 1973.^[10] The plan was for this line to use the LIRR Locust Manor Branch (Atlantic) ROW and run to Springfield Boulevard or Rosedale LIRR station.^[12][10][9] 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.^[10][9] The tunnel was originally planned curve west towards the Atlantic ROW just north of Liberty Avenue, running underneath the York College Athletic Field.^[9]

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.

Jamaica Center Bus Terminal

The subway complex includes the Jamaica Center Bus Terminal. The terminal is a series of bus stops along Sutphin Boulevard (primarily along the southbound side of the street next to the Jamaica LIRR and Sutphin Boulevard subway stations), on Jamaica Avenue, and on Archer Avenue (primarily on the eastbound side), it still serves as a major transit hub within Jamaica.^[5] The former 160th Street Jamaica Elevated station on Jamaica Avenue that it replaced was also a major hub for trolley service when it was originally built.^[13][14] Several of the trolley lines were the predecessors to current bus service.^[13][14]

Jamaica Center station itself has a designated bus terminal area built on the south side of Archer Avenue along the LIRR trestle, with bus stop areas lettered A through H. The western portion of the terminal (bays F through H and the bus layover area) is also known as the "Teardrop Canopy".^[15]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer (New York City Subway).

• 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
• Upper level from Google Maps Street View
• Lower level from Google Maps Street View