Broad Channel (IND Rockaway Line)
Encyclopedia
Broad Channel is a station
on the IND Rockaway Line
of the New York City Subway
. Located at Noel Road and West Road in the Broad Channel
neighborhood of the borough
of Queens
, it is served by the A
train and the Rockaway Park Shuttle at all times, the latter of which terminates here.
and became a station on the Rockaway Beach Branch
. As a Long Island Rail Road station it served as one of two junctions between the Far Rockaway
and Rockaway Beach Branches. The other junction was at Hammels Station
, although it was originally a junction for the Far Rockaway Branch and the Ocean Electric Railway
. Wooden shelter sheds were added to the station in 1921 and 1923. A fire on the trestle between this station and another one known as The Raunt
forced the closure of both stations on May 23, 1950, as well as the entire Jamaica Bay trestle. By October 3, 1955, the entire Rockaway Beach Branch south of Ozone Park
, and all of the Far Rockaway Branch west of Far Rockaway
was purchased by the New York City Transit Authority
, who reopened Broad Channel Station to subway service on June 28, 1956.
This station has two tracks and two side platform
s, with a glass-enclosed crossover containing the waiting area and fare control. Entrance/exit is on the southbound side only, requiring northbound passengers to cross over.
Just to the north, the Rockaway Line gains two extra non-revenue tracks straddling the two revenue tracks; the 2 mile long western track is used as a test track, while the eastern track is used to relay shuttle trains. The eastern track is long enough for one full-length train and ends at a bumper block. Continuing north, the Rockaway Line crosses Jamaica Bay
before reaching Howard Beach; the distance between the two stations is the longest between any two in the New York City Subway system. To the south, the Rockaway Line continues to the Rockaway peninsula
, where it splits at Hammel's Wye to allow service to both Far Rockaway – Mott Avenue and Rockaway Park – Beach 116th Street.
As Broad Channel is a small island with fewer than 3,000 residents, the station has the fourth-lowest ridership
in the subway system as of 2010. However, it is the only transfer point for passengers to access the Rockaway Park Shuttle, from the A Train, and most riders use it in this capacity.
Metro station
A metro station or subway station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as "metro", "underground" and "subway". It is often underground or elevated. At crossings of metro lines, they are multi-level....
on the IND Rockaway Line
IND Rockaway Line
The IND Rockaway Line is a rapid transit line of the IND Division of the New York City Subway. It branches from the IND Fulton Street Line at Rockaway Boulevard, extending over the Jamaica Bay, into the Rockaways.-History:...
of the New York City Subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
. Located at Noel Road and West Road in the Broad Channel
Broad Channel, Queens
Broad Channel is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It occupies the southern portion of Rulers Bar Hassock , which is the only inhabited island in Jamaica Bay. The neighborhood stands on Big Egg Marsh, an area of fill approximately 20 blocks long and 4 blocks wide...
neighborhood of the borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, it is served by the A
A (New York City Subway service)
The A Eighth Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. Its route bullet is colored blue on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map since it runs on the IND Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan....
train and the Rockaway Park Shuttle at all times, the latter of which terminates here.
History and Description
The station originally opened in 1880 as a New York, Woodhaven and Rockaway Railroad station (although some sources claim it opened in June 1881), that was acquired by the Long Island Rail RoadLong Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
and became a station on the Rockaway Beach Branch
Rockaway Beach Branch
The Rockaway Beach Branch was a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in Queens, New York City, United States. The line left the Main Line at Whitepot Junction in Rego Park heading south via Ozone Park and across Jamaica Bay to Hammels in the Rockaways turning west there to a...
. As a Long Island Rail Road station it served as one of two junctions between the Far Rockaway
Far Rockaway Branch
The Far Rockaway Branch is an electrified rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch begins at Valley Interlocking, just east of Valley Stream station; the Long Beach Branch also begins there, heading east and south to Long Beach,...
and Rockaway Beach Branches. The other junction was at Hammels Station
Hammels (LIRR station)
Hammels was a Long Island Rail Road station on the Rockaway Beach Branch in Hammels, Queens. It was located at what is today Beach 84th Street at the west leg of the Hammels Wye.-History:...
, although it was originally a junction for the Far Rockaway Branch and the Ocean Electric Railway
Ocean Electric Railway
The Ocean Electric Railway was a street car line that operated on The Rockaways. It ran parallel to parts of the Rockaway Beach Branch and Far Rockaway Branch of the Long Island Rail Road...
. Wooden shelter sheds were added to the station in 1921 and 1923. A fire on the trestle between this station and another one known as The Raunt
The Raunt (LIRR station)
The Raunt was a former Long Island Rail Road station on the Rockaway Beach Branch. It had no address and no station house, because it was meant strictly as a dropping-off point for fishermen using a small island in Jamaica Bay. The station was located 1300 feet west of signal station "ER" , and...
forced the closure of both stations on May 23, 1950, as well as the entire Jamaica Bay trestle. By October 3, 1955, the entire Rockaway Beach Branch south of Ozone Park
Ozone Park (LIRR station)
Ozone Park is a former Long Island Rail Road station. Ozone Park station was set up to enable passengers from Pennsylvania Station and Flatbush Avenue to reach the Rockaway Park area or Far Rockaway section simply by changing trains . The trains would stack end-to-end, and passengers would...
, and all of the Far Rockaway Branch west of Far Rockaway
Far Rockaway (LIRR station)
Far Rockaway is the terminus of the Long Island Rail Road's Far Rockaway Branch in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens in New York City...
was purchased by the New York City Transit Authority
New York City Transit Authority
The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City...
, who reopened Broad Channel Station to subway service on June 28, 1956.
This station has two tracks and two side platform
Side platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
s, with a glass-enclosed crossover containing the waiting area and fare control. Entrance/exit is on the southbound side only, requiring northbound passengers to cross over.
Just to the north, the Rockaway Line gains two extra non-revenue tracks straddling the two revenue tracks; the 2 mile long western track is used as a test track, while the eastern track is used to relay shuttle trains. The eastern track is long enough for one full-length train and ends at a bumper block. Continuing north, the Rockaway Line crosses Jamaica Bay
Jamaica Bay
Jamaica Bay is located on the southwestern tip of Long Island in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, and the town of Hempstead, New York/hamlet of Inwood...
before reaching Howard Beach; the distance between the two stations is the longest between any two in the New York City Subway system. To the south, the Rockaway Line continues to the Rockaway peninsula
Rockaway, Queens
The Rockaway Peninsula, informally The Rockaways, is the name of a peninsula of Long Island, all of which is located within the New York City borough of Queens. A popular summer resort area since the 1830s, Rockaway has become a mixture of lower, middle, and upper-class neighborhoods...
, where it splits at Hammel's Wye to allow service to both Far Rockaway – Mott Avenue and Rockaway Park – Beach 116th Street.
As Broad Channel is a small island with fewer than 3,000 residents, the station has the fourth-lowest ridership
Patronage (transportation)
In public transportation, patronage or ridership is a type of forecasting or statistic for studying the average quantity of passengers carried per certain time in a mode of public transit system. The concept should not be confused with the maximum loading capacity of one particular vehicle or the...
in the subway system as of 2010. However, it is the only transfer point for passengers to access the Rockaway Park Shuttle, from the A Train, and most riders use it in this capacity.
Nearby points of interest
- Visitor center and trails for the Gateway National Recreation AreaGateway National Recreation AreaGateway National Recreation Area is a National Recreation Area in the Port of New York and New Jersey. Scattered over Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, New York and Monmouth County, New Jersey, it provides recreational opportunities that are rare for a dense urban environment, including ocean...
Jamaica Bay Wildlife RefugeJamaica Bay Wildlife RefugeJamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge in New York City that is managed by the National Park Service as part of the Gateway National Recreation Area....
.
External links
- Station Reporter — Rockaway Park Shuttle
- The Subway Nut - Broad Channel Pictures
- http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=88+Street+%26+Liberty+Avenue+nyc&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.313287,76.552734&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Liberty+Ave+%26+88th+St,+Queens,+New+York+11417&ll=40.607942,-73.816044&spn=0.003845,0.013433&z=17&lci=transit&layer=c&cbll=40.608051,-73.816092&panoid=0XCd2otB6vORpg9AELM5HA&cbp=12,60.09,,0,2.7entrance to Broad Channel station from Google Maps Street View]