Mets–Willets Point station (IRT Flushing Line)

The Mets–Willets Point station is a rapid transit station on the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway. Located near the Citi Field baseball stadium, it is served by the 7 train at all times and by the express <7> train during rush hours in the peak direction or after sporting events.^[5] This station is located near Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Willets Point, Queens, on Roosevelt Avenue between 114th and 126th Streets.

Mets–Willets Point  ​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Platforms of the Mets–Willets Point station
Station statistics
Address	Seaver Way & Roosevelt Avenue Queens, New York
Borough	Queens
Locale	Willets Point, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park
Coordinates	40°45′17″N 73°50′44″W
Division	A (IRT)[1]
Line	IRT Flushing Line
Services	7  (all times) <7>  (rush hours until 9:30 p.m., peak direction)​
Transit	NYCT Bus: Q48 LIRR: Port Washington Branch (at Mets–Willets Point)
Structure	Elevated
Platforms	2 side platforms (local) 1 island platform (express & northbound local) cross-platform interchange (northbound only)
Tracks	3
Other information
Opened	May 7, 1927; 97 years ago (1927-05-07)
Rebuilt	April 24, 1939; 85 years ago (1939-04-24)[2]
Accessible	Partially ADA-accessible (Northbound side (local) platform only; open only on game days and for special events[3])
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Former/other names	Willets Point Boulevard World's Fair Willets Point–Shea Stadium
Traffic
2023	1,818,251[4]  27.1%
Rank	176 out of 423[4]
Services Preceding station New York City Subway Following station Junction Boulevard <7> toward 34th Street–Hudson Yards Express Flushing–Main Street 7  <7> ​ Terminus 103rd Street–Corona Plaza 7  toward 34th Street–Hudson Yards Local 111th Street One-way operation
Location Show map of New York City Subway Show map of New York City Show map of New York
Track layout Legend to Flushing–Main Street Flushing Creek to 111th Street
Street map
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times Stops rush hours in the peak direction only

The station opened on May 7, 1927, as a local station named Willets Point Boulevard, with two side platforms and three tracks. It was rebuilt into the current layout of three tracks, two side platforms, and a center island platform for the 1939 New York World's Fair. The overpass to Flushing Meadows–Corona Park was rebuilt in the early 1940s. Ahead of the 1964 New York World's Fair, the original wooden platforms were replaced with more durable concrete slabs. Shortly afterward, the station was renamed Willets Point–Shea Stadium for the nearby baseball stadium. After Shea Stadium was replaced by Citi Field in 2009, the station was renamed after the New York Mets baseball team, and a ramp was added to the Flushing-bound side platform. A connection to the proposed AirTrain LaGuardia people mover system was announced in 2015, but the people mover was canceled in 2023.

The station's peak use occurs during Mets games at Citi Field (and at Shea Stadium from 1964 until 2008), located on the north side of the station, and during events at the USTA National Tennis Center, on the south side. The side platform for Manhattan-bound local trains, as well as the island platform for express trains and Flushing-bound local trains, are in regular use. The side platform for Flushing-bound local trains is wheelchair-accessible but is only open during sports games and special events; the other platforms are not wheelchair-accessible.

History

Construction and opening

Citi Field and the Manhattan-bound local platform, as seen from the center island platform

The 1913 Dual Contracts called for the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT; later Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation, or BMT) to build new lines in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. Queens did not receive many new IRT and BRT lines compared to Brooklyn and the Bronx, since the city's Public Service Commission (PSC) wanted to alleviate subway crowding in the other two boroughs first before building in Queens, which was relatively undeveloped. The IRT Flushing Line was to be one of two Dual Contracts lines in the borough, along with the Astoria Line; it would connect Flushing and Long Island City, two of Queens's oldest settlements, to Manhattan via the Steinway Tunnel. When the majority of the line was built in the early 1910s, most of the route went through undeveloped land, and Roosevelt Avenue had not been constructed.^[6]: 47 Community leaders advocated for more Dual Contracts lines to be built in Queens to allow development there.^[7] The Flushing Line west of 103rd Street opened in 1917.^[8] The IRT agreed to operate the line under the condition that any loss of profits would be repaid by the city.^[9] In 1923, the BMT started operating shuttle services along the Flushing Line, which terminated at Queensboro Plaza.^[10]

As part of the Dual Contracts, the PSC would build the line eastward to at least Flushing.^[9] Three stations at Main Street, Willets Point Boulevard, and 111th Street were approved in 1921 as part of an extension of the Flushing Line past 103rd Street.^[11] Construction of the station and the double-deck bridge over the Flushing Creek began on April 21, 1923.^[6]: 71 The line to Main Street had been practically completed by 1925, but it had to be rebuilt in part due to the sinking of the foundations of the structure in the vicinity of Flushing Creek.^[12][13] Once the structure was deemed to be safe for operation, the line was extended to Willets Point Boulevard on May 7, 1927.^[14][15] The station's opening was formally celebrated on that date, coinciding with the opening of the Roosevelt Avenue Bridge for cars and buses.^[16] Until the Main Street station was completed, trains temporarily terminated at Willets Point Boulevard, where passengers boarded a shuttle bus to travel across the creek to Flushing.^[14] The Willets Point Boulevard extension was served by shuttle trains from 111th Street until through service was inaugurated on May 14.^[17]

The BMT used wooden elevated rolling stock, as the Flushing Line was built to IRT clearances, and standard steel BMT subway rolling stock were not compatible.^[10] Furthermore, because the Main Street station was underground, all elevated trains on the Flushing Line had to terminate at Willets Point Boulevard, as elevated trains were banned in subway tunnels.^[18] On January 22, 1928, the line was extended one stop east to Main Street.^[13] Afterward, Willets Point Boulevard was by far the least used station on the Flushing Line; it recorded 66,042 entries in 1930, whereas every other station on the line had at least one million passengers.^[19] After the Long Island Rail Road closed its Whitestone Branch to the neighborhood of Whitestone in early 1932, there were proposals to connect the branch with the subway at the Willets Point Boulevard station,^[20][21] but this did not happen.^[22]

20th-century modifications

1939 World's Fair

The site just south of the Willets Point Boulevard station was remodeled into Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in advance of the 1939 New York World's Fair. In December 1936, the IRT announced plans to expand the Willets Point Boulevard station to accommodate additional crowds for the World's Fair. The station would contain three platforms and four tracks, capable of serving 40 trains per hour in each direction.^[23] Expansion of the Willets Point Boulevard station, as well as the construction of an Independent Subway System (IND) line to a planned World's Fair station nearby, was seen as essential for World's Fair access.^[24] In January 1937, the World's Fair Corporation presented plans for the Willets Point Boulevard station's expansion to the New York City Board of Estimate,^[25] which voted to provide $650,000 for the project.^[26][27] The Manhattan Railway Company, which operated the IRT's elevated lines, opposed the planned expansion because it would put the IRT and IND in direct competition, but a federal judge ruled that the project could proceed.^[28]

Work on an overpass between the Willets Point Boulevard station and Flushing Meadows Park commenced in late 1937.^[29] Ramps and stairs were built from each platform to the overpass, where 16 turnstiles and a canopy were installed.^[30] Construction on the station itself began in January 1938, at which point the project had a budget of $494,000. The station had been revised to three tracks and three platforms. The center track and platform would be served by express trains that terminated at Willets Point Boulevard, while the outer two tracks would be used by local trains to Main Street. The IRT installed signals on the express track, which had previously been used as a storage track, and it built a power substation to allow for more frequent service.^[29][30] The IRT bought 50 World's Fair Lo-V subway cars in conjunction with these upgrades.^[31][32] World's Fair Special express trains began service on April 24, 1939.^[33][34] The fair opened on April 30, and 110,689 people entered the station on that day alone.^[35]

1940s and 1950s

The city government took over the IRT's operations on June 12, 1940.^[36][37] After the World's Fair closed in October 1940, the Willets Point Boulevard station continued to operate, serving Flushing Meadows Park.^[38][39] The overpass to Flushing Meadows Park was reconstructed in 1941.^[40] As part of a pilot program aimed at reducing traffic congestion in midtown Manhattan,^[41] a park and ride facility with 3,000 parking spots opened next to the Willets Point Boulevard station in November 1947.^[42][43] Many of the Willets Point Boulevard station's riders came from the park-and-ride facility and from United Nations General Assembly meetings in Flushing Meadows Park, but the New York Daily News said in 1949 that the station "serves practically no resident population".^[44]

The IRT routes were given numbered designations in 1948 with the introduction of "R-type" rolling stock, which contained rollsigns with numbered designations for each service.^[45] The route from Times Square to Flushing became known as the 7.^[46] On October 17, 1949, the joint BMT/IRT operation of the Flushing Line ended, and the line became the responsibility of the IRT.^[47] After the end of BMT/IRT dual service, the New York City Board of Transportation announced that the Flushing Line platforms would be lengthened to 11 IRT car lengths; the platforms were only able to fit nine 51-foot-long IRT cars beforehand.^[48][49] The platforms at the station were extended in 1955–1956 to accommodate 11-car trains.^[50] However, nine-car trains continued to run on the 7 route until 1962, when they were extended to ten cars.^[51]

At the end of 1949, the city proposed diverting several bus routes that terminated in Flushing, sending these routes to Willets Point Boulevard.^[44][52] The bus-terminal plan faced great opposition. Critics objected that business near the bus terminals in Flushing would decrease and that travel times from Willets Point Boulevard to points east would increase. Supporters of the plan noted the heavy traffic congestion on Flushing streets and the narrowness of the stairways at the Main Street station.^[53] Super-express 7 trains started serving the station in 1953, running nonstop between Queensboro Plaza and Willets Point Boulevard during rush hours in the peak direction.^[54][55] The super-express service was discontinued in 1956.^[56]

1964 World's Fair and Shea Stadium

View with Shea Stadium in the background, prior to the stadium's demolition in 2009

In 1960, the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) proposed upgrading the station in advance of the 1964 New York World's Fair, which was to be held at Flushing Meadows. The plans included rebuilding the walkway between the station and the park; the Willets Point Boulevard station would be the closest stop to the fair, since the World's Fair Line was not planned to be rebuilt.^[57][58] The NYCTA set aside $3.2 million for the expansion of the Willets Point Boulevard station and the nearby Corona Yard.^[59] Around the same time, Shea Stadium was built north of the Willets Point Boulevard station as a baseball stadium for the New York Mets.^[60] To make way for Shea Stadium, the Willets Point Boulevard park-and-ride facility was closed in 1962 and replaced with a 1,200-space parking lot south of the station.^[61] A direct ramp was built from the station to Flushing Meadows Park to accommodate increased crowds.^[62][63] The wooden platforms were also replaced with more durable concrete slabs.^[63]

With the opening of the World's Fair in April 1964, trains were lengthened to eleven cars,^[64][65] and the NYCTA bought 430 R33 and R36 "World's Fair" cars to provide this enhanced service.^[66]: 137 The station was renamed Willets Point–Shea Stadium.^[67] The "Willets Point" in the station's name is derived from the boulevard. The boulevard was named after the Willets Point peninsula at Fort Totten, three miles (4.8 km) northeast. The area near the Willets Point Boulevard station became known as Willets Point during the 20th century.^[67]

One of Shea Stadium's parking lots, adjacent to the station, was expanded in 1978, becoming a park-and-ride facility with 1,500 spaces.^[68] In 1983, Donald Trump proposed erecting a football stadium within Flushing Meadows–Corona Park and have the city government renovate the Willets Point subway station;^[69] however, the stadium was never built.^[70] A floor mosaic at the station's entrance, depicting the old Trylon and Perisphere, was completed in 1998.^[71]

21st century

The entrance/exit stairs for Mets-Willets Point station viewed from Citi Field. The Long Island Rail Road station is at rear left and the USTA National Tennis Center is at rear right.

The MTA reintroduced express service to Manhattan at the conclusion of New York Mets weeknight games in July 2007.^[72][73] Super-express trains to Manhattan also started operating after weekend games in April 2008.^[74] The super-express trains run for approximately one hour after the game and only make three stops in Queens before entering Manhattan: 61st Street–Woodside, Queensboro Plaza, and Court Square.^[75]

After Shea Stadium was replaced with Citi Field in 2009, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority renamed the stop Mets–Willets Point, omitting the corporate-sponsored name associated with the current stadium.^[76][77] Citigroup had sponsored the new baseball field but did not sign a naming rights deal with the MTA.^[78] Had the naming rights deal been achieved, the station would have been known as Willets Point–Citi Field.^[79] In conjunction with Citi Field's construction, the MTA also spent $40 million to renovate the subway and LIRR stations at Willets Point, including $18 million on the subway station.^[76][77] The MTA repainted the station, replaced lighting, and renovated the platforms.^[77] A ramp to the northbound side platform was rehabilitated, making that platform compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).^[80][81] However, the other platforms remained inaccessible, prompting protests from disability rights advocates.^[81][82] Except for game days, the Mets–Willets Point station remained sparsely used, with 4,155 passengers on an average weekday in 2014.^[83]

Unbuilt AirTrain station

On January 20, 2015, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a plan to build AirTrain LaGuardia, a people mover running along the Grand Central Parkway and connecting the station to LaGuardia Airport.^[84][85] The project would have included a $50 million renovation of the Willets Point subway station, which would have become fully accessible.^[83] In May 2017, Parsons Brinckerhoff was hired to design the AirTrain;^[86] at the time, construction was projected to start in 2019.^[87]: 35 Transportation advocates criticized the plan as being overly roundabout.^[88] In October 2021, Kathy Hochul, who succeeded Cuomo as governor after his resignation, directed PANYNJ to pause the AirTrain project.^[89] The PANYNJ presented 14 alternatives in March 2022,^[90][91] and the AirTrain LGA project was canceled in March 2023 in favor of increased bus service.^[92][93]

Station layout

Platform level	Side platform
	Southbound local	← toward 34th Street–Hudson Yards (111th Street) ← AM rush toward 34th Street–Hudson Yards (Junction Boulevard)
	Center track	← special event service toward 34th Street–Hudson Yards (61st Street–Woodside) → PM rush/evenings toward Flushing–Main Street (Terminus) →
	Island platform
	Northbound local	→ toward Flushing–Main Street (Terminus) →
	Side platform, special event service only
Mezzanine		Fare control, station agent, MetroCard machines
Ground	Street level	Entrances/exits

The Mets–Willets Point station contains three tracks and three platforms. From compass north to south, there is a southbound side platform, southbound track for Manhattan-bound local trains (internally known as track 1), center express track (track M), island platform, northbound track for Flushing-bound local trains (track 2), and northbound side platform.^[94] It is served by 7 local trains at all times and by <7> express trains during rush hours in the peak direction.^[5] The next station to the west is Junction Boulevard for express trains and 111th Street for local trains, while the next station to the east is Flushing–Main Street.^[95] Northbound local trains normally open their doors on the island platform. The northbound side platform is used only during Mets games and events at the National Tennis Center, such as the U.S. Open.^[80] Some 7 local trains terminate at this station during the evening rush hour.^[5]

West of the station, there are switches between the local tracks, the express track, and the northern layup track to 111th Street. East of the station, switches allow trains on the express track in either direction to switch to the local track, but not vice versa.^[96][94]

Exits

Turnstiles on the Manhattan-bound platform that are used during events

On the south side of the station, a wheelchair-accessible ramp connects the mezzanine and the northbound (southern) side platform to a footbridge, known as the Passarelle Boardwalk, which passes over Corona Yard and connects to the Mets–Willets Point station on the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)'s Port Washington Branch, before entering the grounds of the National Tennis Center.^[80]

A wooden mezzanine is located underneath the tracks and platforms, with two ramps to the southbound platform and two stairways to the island platform.^[97] The north side of the station has a stairway, which formerly led to Shea Stadium^[97] but now leads directly to Citi Field's Jackie Robinson Rotunda.^[98] The mezzanine contains a station agent's booth, as well as a main fare control area with several turnstiles and an emergency-exit door. Typically, passengers enter the station through the main fare control area, but these turnstiles are deactivated during Mets games, allowing pedestrians to walk between the LIRR station to the south and Citi Field to the north without paying a fare. During Mets games, the ramps to the southbound platform and the stairs to the island platform are accessed by their own fare-control areas, each with several turnstiles.^[97]

Accessibility

Ramp to station from LIRR with Citi Field in the background

The Mets–Willets Point station is generally not accessible to passengers with disabilities, except during sporting events, when the northbound side platform is open.^[99][100] In 2009, the MTA built a ramp from the south side of Roosevelt Avenue to the station mezzanine.^[80][82][99] The two existing ramps from the mezzanine to station level were modified to make them ADA-accessible; the work cost $4 million. The ramps are owned and maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.^[80]

Some riders with disabilities were unhappy that the station was not made completely accessible during the station's renovation. By contrast, other New York City Subway stations that serve sports venues, including 161st Street–Yankee Stadium for Yankee Stadium, 34th Street–Penn Station at Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue for Madison Square Garden, and Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center for Barclays Center, are completely accessible.^[101] Northbound local trains open their doors on the side platform during games and special events only; the platform typically opens 90 minutes before an event and closes 90 minutes afterward.^[99][100] The southbound platform and the center platform are not wheelchair-accessible.^{[100][lower-alpha 1]} Transit advocates also complained about the Willets Point station's lack of accessibility outside of game days; aside from Willets Point, only four of the Flushing Line's 18 stations in Queens were accessible.^[103] As of 2024^[update], the MTA also had not allocated funding for further accessibility upgrades in its 2025–2029 capital plan. However, if Steve Cohen's proposal for a casino in Willets Point were approved, the station would receive accessibility upgrades as part of the casino's construction.^[82]

A footbridge had formerly extended north over Casey Stengel Plaza, leading to a long, circular staircase with turnstiles at the bottom, bringing people close to Gate E at Shea Stadium. In 2008, the footbridge and turnstiles were removed and replaced with a wider stairway which is now situated at Mets Plaza, close to Citi Field's Jackie Robinson Rotunda. The arrangement of turnstiles in the mezzanine was also reconfigured to improve the post-game pedestrian flows and allow fans to use all ramps, whether they were using the subway or walking across the Passarelle Boardwalk to reach the Long Island Rail Road station or parking lots in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park.^[74]

Notes

1. The station is not marked as a wheelchair-accessible station on the New York City Subway map, even in the northbound direction.^[95] The MTA also does not list the station as being wheelchair-accessible on its website.^[102]

References

1. "Glossary". Second Avenue Subway Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) (PDF). Vol. 1. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. March 4, 2003. pp. 1–2. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
2. "Fast Subway Service to Fair Is Opened; Mayor Boards First Express at 6:25 A.M." The New York Times. April 25, 1939. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
3. "Mets - Willets Point Station Service Advisories". MTA New York City Transit. Archived from the original on April 22, 2009. Retrieved September 26, 2009.
4. "Annual Subway Ridership (2018–2023)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
5. "7 Subway Timetable, Effective December 17, 2023". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
6. Raskin, Joseph B. (2013). The Routes Not Taken: A Trip Through New York City's Unbuilt Subway System. New York, New York: Fordham University Press. doi:10.5422/fordham/9780823253692.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-82325-369-2.
7. "Move for Rapid Transit" (PDF). Newtown Register. December 2, 1909. p. 1. Retrieved September 30, 2017 – via Fultonhistory.com.
8. "Transit Service on Corona Extension of Dual Subway System Opened to the Public; First Train From Grand Central Station Carries City Officials and Business Men Over New Route;-The Event Celebrated Throughout the Borough of Queens". The New York Times. April 22, 1917. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
9. "Flushing Line Risk Put on the City – Interborough Agrees to Equip and Operate Main St. Branch, but Won't Face a Loss – It May Be a Precedent – Company's Letter Thought to Outline Its Policy Toward Future Extensions of Existing Lines" (PDF). The New York Times. December 4, 1913. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
10. "Additional Subway Service to Borough of Queens; The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company Starts! Running Trains Today Over the Astoria and Corona Branches". The New York Times. April 8, 1923. p. RE1. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 103096376.
11. "New Rapid Transit Commission Preparing Plans for Extension of Corona Line to Flushing – Board of Estimate Has Authorized Extension of Line From Corona to New Storage Yards Near Flushing River—Queensboro Subway to Have Connection With Proposed Eighth Avenue Line Near Times Square" (PDF). The New York Times. June 12, 1921. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
12. Poor's...1925. 1925. p. 523. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
13. "Flushing Rejoices as Subway Opens – Service by B.M.T. and I.R.T. Begins as Soon as Official Train Makes First Run – Hope of 25 Years Realized – Pageant of Transportation Led by Indian and His Pony Marks the Celebration – Hedley Talks of Fare Rise – Transit Modes Depicted" (PDF). The New York Times. January 22, 1928. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
14. "Corona Subway Extended; New Service Goes to Within 350 Feet of Flushing Creek Bridge". The New York Times. May 8, 1927. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
15. "Queensboro Service Better: Rush Hour Trains Lengthened; Corona Branch Extended". New York Herald Tribune. May 8, 1927. p. A18. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1130954477.
16. "Dual Queens Celebration" (PDF). The New York Times. May 15, 1927. p. 3. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
17. "Flushing to Celebrate" (PDF). The New York Times. May 13, 1927. p. 8. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
18. "Union Terminal At Sunnyside A Possibility: Transit Commissioners, Railroad Heads and Business Men Meet To-morrow in Queens to Discuss Plans". The New York Herald, New York Tribune. October 18, 1925. p. B1. ProQuest 1112941793.
19. "Queens Growth Reflected by Fare Figures: Well Known Transit Points in Borough Have Been Displaced by Others Flushing Leading Center 10,071,912 Persons Used Main Street Last Year". New York Herald Tribune. February 8, 1931. p. E2. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1114167996.
20. "L.I. Halts Trains On Whitestone Line Tomorrow: Committee Wires Protest to Walker at Lake Placid Assailing City's Inaction". New York Herald Tribune. February 14, 1932. p. 20. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1114495396.
21. "Whitestone Group Plans Final Move; But Commuters Counsel Hopes City Will Act in Time to Keep Line Running". The New York Times. February 15, 1932. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
22. "Contractor Buys Whitestone Spur; Starr, Who Is Aiding Transit Relief Effort, Declines to Tell How He Will Use Line". The New York Times. April 26, 1932. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
23. "Expanded Transit For Fair Is Asked; State and City Boards Join in Plea for Appropriation of $1,850,000" (PDF). The New York Times. December 24, 1936. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
24. "City Subway Spur To The Fair Urged; Delaney and Fullen Jointly Propose Extension From Queens Boulevard" (PDF). The New York Times. 1937. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
25. "World Fair Contract for $586,361 Approved; Estimate Board Also Gives Sanction to Retaining Embury as Architect". The New York Times. January 16, 1937. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
26. "More Funds Voted for World's Fair; City Will Spend $650,000 on Enlarging I. R. T. Station at Willets Point Boulevard". The New York Times. January 30, 1937. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
27. "Mayor Pledges Queens Express Subway Funds: City Grant Will Enlarge I.R.T.-B.M.T. Station at Fair to Permit Service". New York Herald Tribune. January 30, 1937. p. 30. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1266812738.
28. "I. R. T. Line to Fair Approved by Court; Petition Is Granted to Equip Flushing Express Track and Buy 50 New Cars". The New York Times. January 28, 1937. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
29. "Work Is Begun On I. R.T. Station At World's Fair: Willets Point Structure in Flushing Beinp Rebuilt at Cost of $494.000 To Serve 40 Trains an Hr. $260,000 Signal System Is Planned for Expresses". New York Herald Tribune. January 9, 1938. p. 17. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1240588402.
30. "New I.R.T. Station for Fair Started; Willets Point Structure on Flushing Line to Be Rebuilt at Cost of $494,000". The New York Times. January 9, 1938. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
31. "50 New Subway Cars to Be Added for Fair; I. R. T. Asks Bids for Equipment for Service From Times Square and Grand Central". The New York Times. March 3, 1938. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
32. "I. R. T. Will Buy 50 New Cars for Express to Fair: Bids Asked on Equipment for Special Service on Line Running to Flushing". New York Herald Tribune. March 3, 1938. p. 19. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1243080430.
33. "Fast Subway Service to Fair Is Opened; Mayor Boards First Express at 6:25 A.M." (PDF). The New York Times. April 25, 1939. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
34. "Flushing Line Express Trains Start Service: Mayor Inaugrates Schedule That Cuts Running Time to Fair by 6 Minutes His Honor Hangs to Strap in New Subway Exprest". New York Herald Tribune. April 25, 1939. p. 11A. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1255491255.
35. "278,000, First Day, Used Transit Lines; Commission Figures, However, Do Not Include Travel to the Fair After 7 P.M." The New York Times. May 2, 1939. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
36. "City Transit Unity Is Now a Reality; Title to I.R.T. Lines Passes to Municipality, Ending 19-Year Campaign". The New York Times. June 13, 1940. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
37. "Transit Unification Completed As City Takes Over I. R. T. Lines: Systems Come Under Single Control After Efforts Begun in 1921; Mayor Is Jubilant at City Hall Ceremony Recalling 1904 Celebration". New York Herald Tribune. June 13, 1940. p. 25. ProQuest 1248134780.
38. "City Subway Line to Fair Closes at 5 A.M. Today". The New York Times. October 28, 1940. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
39. "The City Smooths Way for More Recreation at the World's Fair: Skating Rinks Open Sunday at Fair Grounds Mayor to Join Ceremony for Flushing Meadow's First Recreational Unit". New York Herald Tribune. January 10, 1941. p. 17. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1263415458.
40. "Fair Site Will Keep Train Connections". New York Daily News. April 3, 1941. p. 658. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
41. Ingraham, Joseph C. (June 19, 1949). "City to End Free Parking On Old World's Fair Site; Area to Remain Open Day and Night, With 25-Cent Charge for 12 Hours -- System of Fees to Be Extended to Beach Lots". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
42. "Free Parking Lot Delights Patrons; Only 211 Cars Use Fair Space in First Rush Hour Test, but Drivers Spread News". The New York Times. November 18, 1947. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
43. "Free Parking At World's Fair Lot Draws Few: 277 Use Queens Grounds at Subway on the First Day; Police Not Discouraged Free Parking Lot Opens at Flushing Meadow but Few Motorists Use It". New York Herald Tribune. November 18, 1947. p. 3. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1313566889.
44. "Flushing Bus Terminal May Be Transferred". New York Daily News. December 26, 1949. p. 406. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
45. Brown, Nicole (May 17, 2019). "How did the MTA subway lines get their letter or number? NYCurious". amNewYork. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
46. Friedlander, Alex; Lonto, Arthur; Raudenbush, Henry (April 1960). "A Summary of Services on the IRT Division, NYCTA" (PDF). New York Division Bulletin. 3 (1). Electric Railroaders' Association: 2–3. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 14, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
47. "Direct Subway Runs To Flushing, Astoria" (PDF). The New York Times. October 15, 1949. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
48. Bennett, Charles G. (November 20, 1949). "Transit Platforms On Lines In Queens To Be Lengthened; $3,850,000 Program Outlined for Next Year to Care for Borough's Rapid Growth New Links Are To Be Built 400 More Buses to Roll Also — Bulk of Work to Be on Corona-Flushing Route Transit Program In Queens Outlined". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
49. "37 Platforms On Subways To Be Lengthened: All Stations of B. M. T. and I.R.T.in Queens Included in $5,000,000 Program". New York Herald Tribune. November 20, 1949. p. 32. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1325174459.
50. Minutes and Proceedings of the New York City Transit Authority. New York City Transit Authority. 1955. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
51. "R17s to the Flushing Line". New York Division Bulletin. 5 (6). Electric Railroaders' Association: M-8. December 1962. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022 – via Issuu.
52. "Reid Favors Bus Line Shifts in Flushing To Relieve Rush-Hour Jam on Main Street". The New York Times. December 28, 1949. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
53. "I.R.T. Plan Meets Queens Opposition; Proposal to Divert Commuters to Willets Point Station Discussed at Hearing Longer Travel Time Stressed Some Civic Groups Support Rerouting--City Sees Less Crowding on Bus Lines" (PDF). The New York Times. 1950. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
54. "2 I.R.T. Expresses to Cut Flushing-Times Sq. Run". The New York Times. March 10, 1953. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
55. "Super Express In Its First Run From Flushing: Journey to Times Square Is So Swift That It Even Leaves Bingham Behind". New York Herald Tribune. March 13, 1953. p. 19. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1322299710.
56. Linder, Bernard (December 1964). "Service Change". New York Division Bulletin. Electric Railroaders' Association.
57. "64 Fair Plans Set by Transit Board; Authority Seeks 10 Million for 80 More Cars -- Will Improve IRT Station". The New York Times. April 27, 1960. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
58. Chapman, Ralph (April 27, 1960). "1964-'65 Fair Expects Draw Of 70 Million: Admissions Revenue Put at $84 Million". New York Herald Tribune. p. 3. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1325112256.
59. Silverfarb, Edward J. (July 20, 1960). "T. A. Budget Reflects '64 World's Fair: $9,600,000 Item Ts For 80 Subway Cars". New York Herald Tribune. p. 11. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1327511197.
60. "Work Being Rushed on Final Touches to Shea Stadium". The New York Times. April 12, 1964. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
61. "Parking Lot for 1,200 Cars To Open Monday in Queens". The New York Times. August 18, 1962. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
62. "Heaviest Concentration of Traffic Policemen in City's History to Be on Duty Today". The New York Times. April 22, 1964. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
63. "New York awaits the countdown". Railway Age. Vol. 156, no. 8. March 2, 1964. p. 16. ProQuest 895741554.
64. "TA to Show Fair Train". Long Island Star – Journal. August 31, 1963. Retrieved August 30, 2016 – via Fulton History.
65. "A First-class Rapid Ride". Railway Age. Vol. 156, no. 21. June 1, 1964. p. 22. ProQuest 895766286.
66. Sparberg, Andrew J. (2014). From a Nickel to a Token: The Journey from Board of Transportation to MTA. Empire State Editions. ISBN 9780823261932. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
67. Pollak, Michael (May 30, 2004). "F.Y.I." The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
68. "Second 'Park and Ride' Facility Is Being Opened for Commuters". The New York Times. March 27, 1978. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
69. Gottlieb, Martin (December 15, 1984). "New Stadium Proposals on Both Sides of Hudson; in New York, Trump Plan Hinges Upon the Sale of Rights to Its Seats". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
70. Meislin, Richard J. (April 11, 1987). "Plans for Domed Stadium in Queens in Doubt". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
71. Marcus, Jon (June 13, 1999). "The Future Was Then; NYC Dusts Off Relics of Its World's Fairs". The Washington Post. p. E01. ISSN 0190-8286. ProQuest 408480364.
72. "MTA New York City Transit Introduces 7 Express Service After Mets Home Games" (Press release). New York City Transit. July 11, 2007. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved October 16, 2009.
73. Chan, Sewell (July 11, 2007). "After Mets Games, a Faster Ride Home by Train". City Room. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
74. "New York City Transit Provides Enhanced Mets Post-Game 7 Express Service" (Press release). New York City Transit. April 9, 2008. Archived from the original on December 29, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2009.
75. "7 Post Game Express Now Stops at Court Square on Game Nights" (Press release). New York City Transit. May 9, 2008. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2009.
76. Parker, Billy (March 12, 2009). "MTA the First to Officially *Not* Recognize the Name Citi Field". Gothamist. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
77. Neuman, William (March 11, 2009). "Mets Decline to Buy Name for Subway Station at Citi Field". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 7, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
78. Grynbaum, Michael M. (June 24, 2009). "M.T.A. Sells Naming Rights to Subway Station". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
79. Neuman, William (March 11, 2009). "Stadium Is Citi Field, but the Subway Stop Has Other Ideas". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 2, 2009. Retrieved September 26, 2009.
80. "Mets-Willets Point Station: A New Name and a Fresh Look" (Press release). MTA New York City Transit. April 10, 2009. Archived from the original on July 8, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2009.
81. Parker, Billy (April 13, 2009). "Citi Field Becomes the New Apple of Met Fans' Eyes Tonight". Gothamist. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
82. Martinez, Jose (August 29, 2024). "With U.S. Open in Swing, Fans Would Love to See Wheelchair Access at Willets Point". THE CITY - NYC News. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
83. Honan, Katie (February 9, 2016). "Mets-Willets Pt. 7 Train Station Getting $48M Overhaul, MTA Says". DNAinfo New York. Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
84. Durkin, Erin (January 20, 2015). "Andrew Cuomo announces $450M plan to build AirTrain connecting LaGuardia Airport to the subway". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on January 21, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
85. Honan, Katie. "Cuomo Announces AirTrain to LaGuardia Airport from Subway, LIRR". DNAinfo. Archived from the original on January 20, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
86. Rivoli, Dan (May 9, 2017). "NYC firm hired for $14.6M to develop LaGuardia AirTrain proposal". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on May 12, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
87. "PANYNJ Proposed Capital Plan 2017-2026" (PDF). Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. January 11, 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
88. Kessler, Eve (March 16, 2021). "Cuomo's 'Wrong Way AirTrain' Boondoggle Moves Ahead". Streetsblog NYC. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
89. Duggan, Kevin (October 12, 2021). "Port Authority pauses $2.1B LaGuardia AirTrain plan to review alternatives at Hochul's request". AM New York. Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
90. Duggan, Kevin (March 2, 2022). "Port Authority reveals possible alternatives to LaGuardia AirTrain". AM New York. Archived from the original on June 10, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
91. Nessen, Stephen (March 3, 2022). "After scrapping Cuomo's AirTrain, Port Authority releases 14 other options". Gothamist. Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
92. McGeehan, Patrick (March 13, 2023). "Plans to Build AirTrain to La Guardia Are Officially Scrapped". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
93. "LaGuardia AirTrain NYC: Hochul scraps plan and MTA, Port Authority improve bus service". ABC7 New York. March 13, 2023. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
94. Dougherty, Peter (2006) [2002]. Tracks of the New York City Subway 2006 (3rd ed.). Dougherty. OCLC 49777633 – via Google Books.
95. "Subway Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
96. Marrero, Robert (January 1, 2017). "472 Stations, 850 Miles" (PDF). B24 Blog, via Dropbox. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
97. "18: Transit and Pedestrians". Willets Point Development Plan (PDF). New York City Department of City Planning. 2007. p. 18.7. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 2, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
98. "Mets encourage fans to take mass transit and arrive early to the Subway Series next week at Citi Field". Major League Baseball. May 8, 2014. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
99. "Accessibility at the Mets-Willets Point subway station". PCAC. June 21, 2009. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
100. "Mets/Willets Point Station". New York Mets. July 16, 2016. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
101. Haddon, Heather (April 12, 2009). "Advocates: make Mets subway station accessible". AM New York.
102. "MTA Accessible Stations". MTA. July 11, 2022. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
103. Pesantez, Nathaly (February 20, 2019). "Transit Advocacy Group Places 40th Street Station Among 50 Subway Stops That Should Be Made Accessible". Sunnyside Post. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2022.

External links

• nycsubway.org – IRT Flushing Line: Willets Point/Shea Stadium
• Station Reporter — 7 Train
• The Subway Nut — Mets–Willets Point Pictures
• Willets Point entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Ramp entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Platforms from Google Maps Street View