Woodhaven Boulevard station (BMT Jamaica Line)

This article is about the station at Jamaica Avenue. For the station at Queens Boulevard, see Woodhaven Boulevard (IND Queens Boulevard Line).

The Woodhaven Boulevard station is an elevated station on the BMT Jamaica Line of the New York City Subway, located in Woodhaven, Queens.^[4] It is served by the J train at all times and the Z train during rush hours in the peak direction.^[5]

Woodhaven Blvd  ​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
R179 J train entering the station
Station statistics
Address	Woodhaven Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue Queens, New York
Borough	Queens
Locale	Woodhaven
Coordinates	40.693622°N 73.852158°W / 40.693622; -73.852158
Division	B (BMT)[1]
Line	BMT Jamaica Line
Services	J  (all times) ​   Z  (rush hours, peak direction)
Transit	NYCT Bus: Q56 MTA Bus: Q11, Q21, Q52/Q53 SBS, QM15, BM5
Structure	Elevated
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	May 28, 1917 (107 years ago) (1917-05-28)[2]
Rebuilt	January, 2025
Accessible	ADA-accessible
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Traffic
2023	557,522[3]  33.5%
Rank	373 out of 423[3]
Services Preceding station New York City Subway Following station 75th Street–Elderts Lane Z  skip-stop 104th Street J  ​Z  toward Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer 85th Street–Forest Parkway J  toward Broad Street 111th Street J  skip-stop
Location Show map of New York City Subway Show map of New York City Show map of New York
Track layout Legend to 104th Street to 85th Street–Forest Parkway
Street map
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction Stops rush hours in the peak direction only Stops all times

History

This station opened on May 28, 1917^[2][6][7] under the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad, an affiliate of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company.

As part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's 2015–2019 Capital Program, the Woodhaven Boulevard station was selected to receive elevators as part of a process to expand the New York City Subway system's accessibility.^[8][9] As of February 2021^[update], funding had been committed to accessibility renovations at the Woodhaven Boulevard station.^[10] In December 2021, the MTA awarded a contract for the installation of elevators at eight stations, including the Woodhaven Boulevard station.^[11][12]

Additionally, as part of a separate project, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced in February 2023 that this station would be renovated as part of a station renewal contract at four stations on the Jamaica Line.^[13] Starting February 27 of that year, the eastbound platforms at this station and 75th Street-Elderts Lane were closed.^[14] The closure shifted to the Manhattan-bound platform at this station in December 2023, and work was completed on August 12, 2024. The work, performed by Gramercy PJS Joint-Venture, included platform renewals, replacement of stairs, canopies, and windscreens, installation of artwork, and minimizing the gaps between the train and the platform edge.^[13][15]

As of July 2022^[update], the project to install two street-to-platform elevators at this station was scheduled to be completed in May 2024,^[16] but the elevators did not open until late January 2025.^[17][18] This project cost $140 million.^[17]

Station layout

Platform level	Side platform
	Westbound	← toward Broad Street 85th Street–Forest Parkway) ← AM rush toward Broad Street (75th Street–Elderts Lane)
	Center track	→ No track or roadbed
	Eastbound	→ toward Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer (111th Street PM rush, 104th Street other times) → → PM rush toward Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer (104th Street)
	Side platform
Mezzanine	Mezzanine	Fare control, station agent Elevators at: Northeast corner of Woodhaven Boulevard (service road) and Jamaica Avenue for southbound service. Southeast corner of Woodhaven Boulevard (service road) and Jamaica Avenue for northbound service.
Ground	Street level	Exit/entrance

The Five Points of Observation artwork on the Jamaica-bound platform, prior to renovation

This elevated station has two tracks and two side platforms with space for a center track.^[19] Both platforms have beige windscreens and brown canopies with green roofs along the entire length except for a section at the west (railroad south) end. Here, there are only waist-high black steel fences.

This station has provisions built in its structure to convert it into an express station, if the center third track was to be installed. The other station on the line that had such provisions was the now demolished Sutphin Boulevard station.

The 1990 artwork here is called Five Points of Observation by Kathleen McCarthy. It affords a view of the street from the platforms and resembles a face when seen from the street. This artwork is also located on four other BMT Jamaica Line stations.^[20][21]

Exits

View of the station from Woodhaven Boulevard, looking northeast prior to renovation and elevator installation.

This station has two entrances/exits, both of which are elevated station houses beneath the tracks that allow free transfers between directions. The main one is at the extreme west end and has a single staircase from each platform, turnstile bank, token booth, and two street stairs going down to either western corners of Woodhaven Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue.^[4]

The other station house is un-staffed, containing just two HEET turnstiles, a staircase to each platform, and one staircase going down to the southwest corner of 95th Street and Jamaica Avenue.^[4] The Queens-bound staircase's landing has an exit-only turnstile that allows passengers to exit the station without having to go through the station house.^[4]