Division B (IND) Structure Underground Opened 19 August 1933 Locale Woodside | Transit connections MTA Bus: Q18, Q66 Platforms 2 side platforms Borough Queens Tracks 2 | |
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Line IND Queens Boulevard Line Services E (late nights)
M (weekdays until 11 p.m.)
R (all hours except late nights) Address Queens, NY 11377, United States Similar Prince Street, Woodhaven Boulevard, Queens Plaza, 63rd Drive–Rego Park, Elmhurst Avenue | ||
Northern Boulevard is a local station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Northern Boulevard and Broadway, it is served by the R train at all times except nights, when the E train takes over service. The M train provides additional service here on weekdays except nights.
Contents
History
The Queens Boulevard Line was one of the first lines built by the city-owned Independent Subway System (IND), and stretches between the IND Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan and 179th Street and Hillside Avenue in Jamaica, Queens. The Queens Boulevard Line was in part financed by a Public Works Administration (PWA) loan and grant of $25,000,000. One of the proposed stations would have been located at Northern Boulevard.
The first section of the line, west from Roosevelt Avenue to 50th Street, opened on August 19, 1933. E trains ran local to Hudson Terminal (today's World Trade Center) in Manhattan, while the GG (predecessor to current G service) ran as a shuttle service between Queens Plaza and Nassau Avenue on the IND Crosstown Line.
Station layout
The station has two tracks and two side platforms. The express tracks are below the station and not visible from the platforms. West of the station, the express tracks turn south under Northern Boulevard. The tile band is Puce with a black border, and a number of replacement tiles in different shades of violet and purple have been placed during repairs. The station's name is abbreviated as "N BLVD" on the tile captions.
There are heavy columns across one part of the station, where the New York Connecting Railroad to the Hell Gate Bridge crosses over. There is an older style wooden token booth in the mezzanine of the uptown entrance.
In the western half of this station, the express tracks go underneath the local tracks to run along Northern Boulevard. A short distance east of here, the express tracks rise to the same level as the local tracks. To the south (geographical west) of this station, there is a single crossover connecting the two tracks.
There is an emergency exit at the western end of the Forest Hills-bound platform at this station, which leads to the D3 and D4 express tracks below.
Under the 2015–2019 MTA Capital Plan, the station, along with thirty other New York City Subway stations, will undergo a complete overhaul and would be entirely closed for up to 6 months. Updates would include cellular service, Wi-Fi, charging stations, improved signage, and improved station lighting.
Exits
The station's exits are at the western end at Northern Boulevard and Broadway. Fare controls are at platform level and there are no crossovers or crossunders. The booth on the southbound side is full-time. Each fare control area has one street stair. There are closed exits at the eastern end on both sides. The IND "56th Street" direction tile and arrow are left intact on both platforms under the "Northern Blvd" tablet.