Norwood Avenue (BMT Jamaica Line)
Encyclopedia
Norwood Avenue is a skip-stop
station
on the BMT Jamaica Line
of the New York City Subway
. Located at the intersection of Norwood Avenue and Fulton Street in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn
, it is served by the Z train during rush hours in peak direction and the J at all other times.
This elevated station, opened on May 30, 1893 and rehabilitated in 2007, has two tracks and one island platform
. The platform has a short red canopy with green frames and support columns at the east (railroad north
) end and silver lampposts and black station sign structures for the rest of the length.
The station's only entrance/exit is a station house connected to the platform at the extreme east end. It has a bank of three turnstile
s, token booth, and one staircase going down to an elevated passageway beneath the tracks, where two staircases go down to either eastern corners of Norwood Avenue and Fulton Street.
The 2007 artwork here is called "Culture SwirlM" by Marget Lazetta, It consists of stained glass artwork of various images on the platform sign structures.
Between here and Crescent Street
, the remains of a former connection to the Long Island Rail Road
's Atlantic Avenue Branch one block to the south of the BMT Jamaica Line can be seen at Chestnut Street. In the 1890s, the railroad wanted access to Manhattan
while the Brooklyn Rapid Transit company wanted access to The Rockaways. Due to the close proximity of the two lines, the companies cooperated on a connection beginning in 1898. The LIRR ran service to Broadway Ferry
while BRT ran service to the Rockaways via Woodhaven Junction
. When the Williamsburg Bridge
opened, LIRR service was extended to Essex Street and later Chambers Street. This was the LIRR's first direct access to Manhattan.
In 1917, the United States Railroad Administration
ruled that a commuter railroad line cannot operate on the same tracks with a subway or elevated line, requiring this connection to be severed. Most of the junction's structure remained until the 1940s when it was dismantled so the steel could be used in World War II
and the Atlantic Avenue Branch was moved underground.
Skip-stop
Skip-stop is a public transit service pattern which reduces travel times and increases capacity by not having all vehicles make all designated stops along a route. Skip-stops are used in both rail transit and bus transit operations.-Rail operation:...
station
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 BMT Jamaica Line
BMT Jamaica Line
The Jamaica Line is an elevated rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It runs from the Williamsburg Bridge southeast over Broadway to East New York, Brooklyn, and then east over Fulton Street and Jamaica Avenue to...
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 the intersection of Norwood Avenue and Fulton Street in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn
Cypress Hills, Brooklyn
Cypress Hills is a sub-section of the East New York neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City, lying north of City Line and south of Cypress Hills Cemetery, in the far northeastern corner of Brooklyn. It is abutted on the west by Bushwick and on the east, across the Brooklyn–Queens border, by...
, it is served by the Z train during rush hours in peak direction and the J at all other times.
This elevated station, opened on May 30, 1893 and rehabilitated in 2007, has two tracks and one island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
. The platform has a short red canopy with green frames and support columns at the east (railroad north
Railroad directions
Railroad directions are used to describe train directions on railroad systems. The terms used may be derived from such sources as compass directions, altitude directions, or other directions...
) end and silver lampposts and black station sign structures for the rest of the length.
The station's only entrance/exit is a station house connected to the platform at the extreme east end. It has a bank of three turnstile
Turnstile
A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be made so as to enforce one-way traffic of people, and in addition, it can restrict passage only to people who insert a coin, a ticket, a pass, or similar...
s, token booth, and one staircase going down to an elevated passageway beneath the tracks, where two staircases go down to either eastern corners of Norwood Avenue and Fulton Street.
The 2007 artwork here is called "Culture SwirlM" by Marget Lazetta, It consists of stained glass artwork of various images on the platform sign structures.
Between here and Crescent Street
Crescent Street (BMT Jamaica Line)
Crescent Street is a skip-stop station on the BMT Jamaica Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Crescent and Fulton Streets in Brooklyn, it is served by the J train at all times, and the Z train during rush hours in the peak direction. It has two tracks and one island...
, the remains of a former connection to the Long Island Rail Road
Long 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...
's Atlantic Avenue Branch one block to the south of the BMT Jamaica Line can be seen at Chestnut Street. In the 1890s, the railroad wanted access to Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
while the Brooklyn Rapid Transit company wanted access to The Rockaways. Due to the close proximity of the two lines, the companies cooperated on a connection beginning in 1898. The LIRR ran service to Broadway Ferry
Broadway Ferry
Broadway Ferry was a ferry landing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City, United States at the foot of Broadway. Boats connected it to the Grand Street Ferry, East 23rd Street Ferry, and James Slip landings in Manhattan. In Brooklyn, the Broadway El ended at the ferry....
while BRT ran service to the Rockaways via Woodhaven Junction
Woodhaven Junction (LIRR station)
Woodhaven Junction was a station on the Atlantic Branch and Rockaway Beach Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. It should not be confused with the former Woodhaven Station two stops west along the Atlantic Branch.-History:...
. When the Williamsburg Bridge
Williamsburg Bridge
The Williamsburg Bridge is a suspension bridge in New York City across the East River connecting the Lower East Side of Manhattan at Delancey Street with the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn at Broadway near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway...
opened, LIRR service was extended to Essex Street and later Chambers Street. This was the LIRR's first direct access to Manhattan.
In 1917, the United States Railroad Administration
United States Railroad Administration
The United States Railroad Administration was the name of the nationalized railroad system of the United States between 1917 and 1920. It was possibly the largest American experiment with nationalization, and was undertaken against a background of war emergency.- Background :On April 6, 1917, the...
ruled that a commuter railroad line cannot operate on the same tracks with a subway or elevated line, requiring this connection to be severed. Most of the junction's structure remained until the 1940s when it was dismantled so the steel could be used in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Atlantic Avenue Branch was moved underground.
External links
- Station Reporter — J Train
- The Subway Nut — Norwood Avenue Pictures
- MTA's Arts For Transit — Norwood Avenue (BMT Jamaica Line)
- Norwood Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View