Division B (BMT) Structure Elevated Opened 1 February 1917 | Line BMT Astoria Line Borough Queens Locale Astoria | |
 | ||
Services N (all times)
W (weekdays only) Transit connections New York City Bus: M60 SBS to LaGuardia Airport
MTA Bus: Q19 Platforms 2 island platforms
cross-platform interchange Address Queens, NY 11102, United States Similar Astoria, Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard, 30th Avenue, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Roosevelt Island | ||
Astoria Boulevard (also known as Astoria Boulevard – Hoyt Avenue) is an express station on the BMT Astoria Line. Located above 31st Street at Astoria Boulevard and the Grand Central Parkway in Astoria, Queens, the station is served by the N train at all times, as well as by the W train on weekdays.
Contents
History
This elevated station opened on February 1, 1917, along with the opening of the rest of the Astoria Line, as an IRT line station, and the BRT (later BMT) also provided joint service.
On the morning of May 1, 1998, a backhoe working underneath the station (not performing New York City Transit-related work) struck the mezzanine, ripping out three support beams while damaging four more and creating a huge hole in the floor. There were no injuries, but trains bypassed the station at restricted speed. Cleanup work began immediately and by noon, the slow speed restriction was removed. By 3:00 p.m., a temporary wooden floor was installed. Less than eight hours from the time of the first response, the station was back in full service. Permanent repairs were made overnight.
Station layout
The station has three tracks and two island platforms. The center track is not used in revenue service, but it had been used regularly as recently as 2002.
The station has wooden canopies with transite and wooden mezzanines. The northbound platform’s benches are surrounded by low windscreen on three sides. The southbound platform bears the tertiary name of Columbus Square, for a small park containing a statue of Columbus by Angelo Racioppi immediately east of the southeastern stair of the station. It also has an enclosed waiting area.
Exits
This station affords a view of the Hell Gate Bridge and viaduct to the north, Triborough Bridge to the west, and the Grand Central Parkway (Interstate 278) and Astoria Boulevard underneath. These three structures forced a change in the station. The overpass to the far north exit was an addition because of the Triborough Bridge’s construction in 1936. The parkway forced relocation of the north exit stairways since the parkway was too wide for the original stairways. The southern stairways are original. The mezzanine has separate turnstile banks from each side with crossunders from the platform stairs.
Essentially, there are four exits to the station: two to either northern corner of Astoria Boulevard North and 31st Street (via overpass), and two to either southern corner of Astoria Boulevard South and 31st Street.