75th Avenue station

75 Avenue  ​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
View of northbound platform
Station statistics
Address	75th Avenue & Queens Boulevard Forest Hills, New York
Borough	Queens
Locale	Forest Hills
Coordinates	40.71864°N 73.837738°W / 40.71864; -73.837738
Division	B (IND)[1]
Line	IND Queens Boulevard Line
Services	E  (nights after 9:00 p.m., weekends, and limited a.m. rush hour trips) ​   F  (all times) <F>  (two rush hour trains, reverse peak direction)
Transit	MTA Bus: Q60, QM11, QM18
Structure	Underground
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	4
Other information
Opened	December 31, 1936; 87 years ago (1936-12-31)
Opposite- direction transfer	No
Former/other names	75th Avenue–Puritan Avenue
Traffic
2023	683,707[2]  12.9%
Rank	352 out of 423[2]
Services Preceding station New York City Subway Following station Forest Hills–71st Avenue E  ​F  <F> toward Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue Local Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike E  ​F  <F> toward Jamaica–179th Street
Location Show map of New York City Subway Show map of New York City Show map of New York
Track layout Upper level to Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike to Forest Hills–71st Avenue Lower level to Jamaica Yard Lower level relay tracks to Forest Hills–71st Avenue
Street map
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times Stops late nights and weekends Stops rush hours in the peak direction only (limited service)

The 75th Avenue station (originally the 75th Avenue–Puritan Avenue station) is a local station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 75th Avenue and Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills, Queens, it is served by the F train at all times, the E train at all times except weekday rush hours and middays, and the <F> train during rush hours in the reverse peak direction.

The station opened on December 31, 1936, as a station along the Independent Subway System's Queens Boulevard Line. The opening of the station brought significant growth to the adjacent community of Forest Hills, transforming it from a quiet residential community to an active population center.

History

Construction and opening

For further details about the construction of this segment of the IND Queens Boulevard Line, see IND Queens Boulevard Line § Opening and expansion.

The Queens Boulevard Line was one of the first built by the city-owned Independent Subway System (IND), and was planned to stretch between the IND Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan and 178th Street and Hillside Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, with a stop at 75th Avenue.^[3][4] The line was first proposed in 1925.^[5] Construction of the line was approved by the New York City Board of Estimate on October 4, 1928.^[6] As planned, 75th Avenue was to be a local stop; it would be one of 22 total stops on the line between Seventh Avenue in Manhattan and 178th Street in Queens.^[7] The line was constructed using the cut-and-cover tunneling method, and to allow pedestrians to cross, temporary bridges were built over the trenches.^[8]

Early planning documents called for a station at "Queens Boulevard–Puritan Avenue";^[9] Puritan Avenue was the name for 75th Road in Forest Hills Gardens.^[10] For the first few years of operation the station was referred to as Puritan Avenue.^[11] The design called for a small mezzanine but 75th Avenue was built with a full one as it was cheaper than filling in the excavation.^[12]

The first section of the line opened on August 19, 1933, from the connection to the Eighth Avenue Line at 50th Street to Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights.^[13] Later that year, a $23 million loan was approved to finance the remainder of the line, along with other IND lines.^[14] The remainder of the line was built by the Public Works Administration.^[15][16] In 1934 and 1935, construction of the extension to Jamaica was suspended for 15 months and was halted by strikes.^[17] Construction was further delayed due to a strike in 1935, instigated by electricians opposing wages paid by the General Railway Signal Company.^[18] In August 1936, tracks were installed all the way to 178th Street, and the stations to Union Turnpike were completed.^[17] On December 31, 1936, the IND Queens Boulevard Line was extended by eight stops, and 3.5 miles (5.6 km), from its previous terminus at Roosevelt Avenue to Union Turnpike.^{[19][20][21][22][23]}

The construction of the extension to Kew Gardens brought significant growth to Queens, specifically in Forest Hills and Kew Gardens.^[24] With the subway providing a quick and cheap commute, Forest Hills became a more desirable place to live, and as a result new apartment buildings were built in advance of the line's opening to accommodate the expected influx of residents.^{[25]: 74 [26]: 71} Forest Hills was transformed from a quiet residential community of one-family houses to an active population center.^[27][28]

Between July and October 1938, the entrance to the southeastern corner of 75th Road and Queens Boulevard opened. This entrance opened due to increased ridership from six new apartment buildings in the area.^[29] The owners of these six new apartment buildings, Cord Meyer Development Company, local homeowners, and civic associations placed pressure on the New York City Board of Transportation to open the entrance in July 1938.^[30] On December 15, 1940, F trains began running via the newly opened IND Sixth Avenue Line and along the Queens Boulevard Line's express tracks; they skipped the 75th Avenue station.^[31]

Platform extensions

In 1953, the platforms at six Queens Boulevard Line stations, including 75th Avenue, were lengthened to allow eleven-car trains.^[a][33] The New York City Board of Transportation had announced plans in November 1949 to spend $325,000 extending platforms at several IND stations, including 75th Avenue, to accommodate 11-car trains;^[34][35] the bid for the project went out in 1951.^[36] The lengthened trains began running during rush hour on September 8, 1953. Eleven-car trains would only operate on weekdays.^{[37]: 37–38} The extra car increased the total carrying capacity by 4,000 passengers. The lengthening project cost $400,000 (equivalent to $4.56 million in 2023).^[33] The operation of eleven-car trains ended in 1958 because of operational difficulties. The signal blocks, especially in Manhattan, were too short to accommodate the longer trains, and the motormen had a very small margin of error to properly platform the train. It was found that operating ten-car trains allowed for two additional trains per hour to be scheduled.^[38]

Station layout

Ground	Street level	Exit/entrance
Mezzanine		Fare control, station agent, MetroCard machines
Platform level	Side platform
	Southbound local	← toward World Trade Center evenings/nights/weekends (Forest Hills–71st Avenue) ← toward Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue (Forest Hills–71st Avenue)
	Southbound express	← does not stop here weekdays
	Northbound express	→ does not stop here weekdays →
	Northbound local	→ toward Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer evenings/nights/weekends (Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike) → → toward Jamaica–179th Street (two p.m. rush hour trips) (Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike) → → toward Jamaica–179th Street (Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike) →
	Side platform
Lower tracks	Yard track	← No passenger service
	Storage track	← storage track
	Storage track	→ storage track
	Yard track	→ No passenger service →

Mosaic name tablet

This local station has four tracks and two side platforms.^[39] The F train stops here at all times, while the E train stops here during evenings, late nights, and weekends.^[40][41] The E train uses the two center tracks to bypass this station weekdays (Manhattan-bound from approximately 6:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Jamaica-bound from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.).^[41] The station is between Forest Hills–71st Avenue to the west and Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike to the east.^[42]

Both platforms have a light Fern green trim line with a black border and "75TH AVE" tile captions in white lettering on a black background beneath them.^[43] There are mosaic name tablets reading "75TH AVE." in white sans-serif font on a black background with a light Fern green border, and beneath them are directional tile signs in white lettering on a black background pointing to the exits.^[44] The tile band is part of a color-coded tile system used throughout the IND.^[45] The tile colors were designed to facilitate navigation for travelers going away from Lower Manhattan. As such, a different tile color is used at Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike, the next express station to the east. The green tiles used at the 75th Avenue station was also used at the next station to the west, Forest Hills–71st Avenue, which is an express station.^[46][47]

Tile caption

Emerald green I-beam columns run along both platforms at regular intervals, alternating ones having the standard black station name plate with white lettering. The trackside columns have old white "75TH AVE" signs on them in black lettering.^[48] The former name of Puritan Avenue was still reflected on platform signage into the 1990s.^[49] The I-beam piers on the platforms are located every 15 feet (4.6 m) and support girders above the platforms. The roof girders are also connected to columns in the walls adjoining each platform.^[50]: 3

The tunnel is covered by a U-shaped trough that contains utility pipes and wires. The outer walls of this trough are composed of columns, spaced approximately every 5 feet (1.5 m) with concrete infill between them. There is a 1-inch (25 mm) gap between the tunnel wall and the platform wall, which is made of 4-inch (100 mm)-thick brick covered over by a tiled finish. The columns between the tracks are also spaced every 5 feet (1.5 m), with no infill.^[50]: 3

Exits

The station has a full-length mezzanine above the platforms and tracks.^[12] All of the mezzanine is still completely open, with the exception of a tiny closed fenced-off section at the station's eastern end that is accessed from a single closed staircase on the Manhattan-bound platform.^[51][52] However, it is set up in a way that does not allow a free transfer between directions, as the fare control is located in the middle of the mezzanine.^[53] The token booth and turnstile banks for either direction are at the center.^[53][54] HEET turnstiles are at either ends near the station's entrances and exits, both of which have two street stairs.^[55][56] The entrance at the west (railroad south) end leads to the northwest corner^[57] and southwest corners of Queens Boulevard and 75th Avenue,^[58] while the one on the east (railroad north) end leads to southeast corner of Queens Boulevard and 75th Road.^[59] Chain-link fences separate the sections of the mezzanine within fare control and the section out of fare control.^[60] The section of the mezzanine within fare control used to span across the entire space, but a fare-free underpass under Queens Boulevard now divides the northbound and southbound parts of the mezzanine, and there is no way to make a free transfer between the two platforms anymore.^[61]

Track layout

There are a pair of diamond crossovers near the western end of this station, located between the local and express tracks in each direction.^[62] F trains use these at all times, switching from express to local for the remainder of their route east (railroad north) to its terminal at Jamaica–179th Street station. E trains only use them on weekdays during the evening and on weekends during the day.^[63] The stretch of local track between 71st Avenue and 75th Avenue is only used in revenue service during late nights, when E and F trains both run local.^[39][62]

There are also four tracks underneath this station, which are not visible from the platforms. An emergency exit located in the middle of the Jamaica-bound platform leads to this lower level. The two outer tracks lead to Jamaica Yard while the two center tracks are used for reversing local trains from Forest Hills–71st Avenue and end at bumper blocks just below Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike station under the mainline tracks. The two center tracks used for reversing local trains can be seen from Jamaica-bound express trains. At the west end of the station, there are two punch boxes, one on the local and express tracks.^{[62]: 50 [64]}

Ridership

In the 1970s, when the New York City Subway was at an all-time low, following the general trend of a decrease in ridership, the number of passengers using the 75th Avenue station decreased by 300,000 passengers.^[65] In 2019, the station had 1,059,027 boardings, making it the 351st most used station in the 423-station system. This amounted to an average of 3,549 passengers per weekday.^[2]

Notes

1. The subway cars on the IND were built to be 60 feet (18.3 m) long. These cars typically operated in 10-car trains, with an entire train length being 600 feet (182.9 m). When platforms at stations such as 75th Avenue were lengthened to accommodate 11-car trains, the platforms had to be extended an additional car length, or 60 feet, making the platform at least 660 feet (201.2 m) long.^[32]: 185

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. "Annual Subway Ridership (2018–2023)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
3. See:
   • Duffus, R.L. (September 22, 1929). "Our Great Subway Network Spreads Wider; New Plans of Board of Transportation Involve the Building of More Than One Hundred Miles of Additional Rapid Transit Routes for New York". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
   • Board of Transportation of the City of New York Engineering Department, Proposed Additional Rapid Transit Lines And Proposed Vehicular Tunnel, dated August 23, 1929
4. "Queens Lauded as Best Boro By Chamber Chief". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 23, 1929. p. 40. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
5. "New Subway Routes in Hylan Program to Cost $186,046,000" (PDF). The New York Times. March 21, 1925. p. 1. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
6. "$17,146,500 Voted For New Subways; Estimate Board Appropriates More Than $9,000,000 for Lines in Brooklyn. $6,490,000 For The Bronx Smaller Items for Incidental Work --Approves the Proposed Queens Boulevard Route". The New York Times. October 5, 1928. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
7. "22 Stations On New Subway Into Queens: Five Are Designated Express Stops on Transit Route, Which Ends at Jamaica". New York Herald Tribune. July 23, 1933. p. H2. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1114650593.
8. Hirshon, Nicholas; Romano, Foreword by Ray (January 1, 2013). Forest Hills. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-9785-0.
9. "104 Station Sites For City's Subways Chosen By Board" (PDF). The New York Times. June 2, 1930. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
10. Kern-Jedrychowska, Ewa (April 16, 2015). "Streets With 2 Names Cause 'Chronic' 911 Problems, Official Says". DNAinfo.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2015. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
11. "New Subway To Add 2 Needed Services; Opening of 6th Ave. Line to Provide Uptown Local Route and More Queens Expresses". The New York Times. December 2, 1939. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
12. Marks, Seymour (January 20, 1959). "Phantom Subway: Ideal Spot to Park" (PDF). Long Island Star-Journal. Fultonhistory.com. p. 3. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
13. "Two Subway Links Opened In Queens" (PDF). The New York Times. August 19, 1933. p. 13. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
14. "Unfinished Sections of Subway Lines To Be Completed" (PDF). The New York Sun. December 13, 1933. p. 47. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
15. "Trains Testing Jamaica Link Of City Subway". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. April 10, 1937. p. 3. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
16. "Test Trains Running In Queens Subway; Switch and Signal Equipment of New Independent Line Is Being Checked". The New York Times. December 20, 1936. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
17. Neufeld, Ernest (August 23, 1936). "Men Toil Under Earth to Build Subway" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. p. 2 (Section 2). Retrieved August 12, 2016.
18. See:
    • "500 More Quit Subway Work On Boulevard: General Strike Order Issued Today; 72 Walk Out in Jamaica" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. April 2, 1935. p. 2. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
    • "Aldermen Probe Strike on Subway" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. April 3, 1935. p. 4. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
19. "New Retail Area In Queens Borough; Sees Roosevelt Avenue Subway Station as Great Shopping Centre. Advantages Pointed Out Accessibility to Many Home Communities Assures Potential Market". The New York Times. July 9, 1933. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
20. "Notice to Passengers: Extension of Service Beginning at 7 o'clock in the morning of Thursday, December 31, 1936". New York City Board of Transportation. 1936. Retrieved April 26, 2016 – via Flickr.
21. "PWA Party Views New Subway Link: Queens Section to Be Opened Tomorrow Is Inspected by Tuttle and Others" (PDF). The New York Times. December 30, 1936. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
22. "City Subway Opens Queens Link Today; Extension Brings Kew Gardens Within 36 Minutes of 42d St. on Frequent Trains". The New York Times. December 31, 1936. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
23. "Opening Moved Up For New Subway; Traffic to Be Started on the Extension of City's Line to Kew Gardens on Thursday. Eight Stations Are Added La Guardia and Official Party Will Inspect New Queens Branch on Wednesday". The New York Times. December 26, 1936. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
24. "Subway Link Aids Realty Activity". The New York Times. March 7, 1937. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
25. Hirshon, Nicholas (2013). Forest Hills. Arcadia Publishing. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-7385-9785-0.
26. Copquin, Claudia Gryvatz (2007). The Neighborhoods of Queens. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-11299-3.
27. "Demand Is Noted For Queens Homes". The New York Times. July 18, 1937. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
28. Myers, Steven Lee (June 14, 1992). "Life Beyond the Subway Is Subject to Its Own Disruptions". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
29. "Many Rentals Attributed to New Features". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. October 23, 1938. Archived from the original on February 28, 2022.
30. "Transit Board Asked to Extend Subway Station". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 24, 1938. Archived from the original on February 28, 2022.
31. See:
    • Linder, Bernard (December 2008). "Sixth Avenue Subway Service Changes". New York Division Bulletin. 51 (12). Electric Railroaders' Association: 2–4. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
    • "New 6th Ave. Tube Will Be Boon to Queens Residents". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. December 8, 1940. p. 10. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
32. Sansone, Gene (October 25, 2004). New York Subways: An Illustrated History of New York City's Transit Cars. JHU Press. ISBN 9780801879227.
33. Ingalls, Leonard (August 28, 1953). "2 Subway Lines to Add Cars, Another to Speed Up Service" (PDF). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
34. 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". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
35. "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.
36. Proceedings of the New York City Board of Transportation. New York City Board of Transportation. 1951. pp. 53, 145, 255.
37. Report. New York City Transit Authority. 1953.
38. "16-Point Plan Can Give Boro Relief Now". Long Island Star–Journal. August 10, 1962. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
39. Dougherty, Peter (2002). "NYC Track Map Book Page 50 Queens F" (PDF). nyctrackmapbook.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 6, 2003. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
40. "F Subway Timetable, Effective June 30, 2024". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
41. "E Subway Timetable, Effective April 1, 2024". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
42. "Subway Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
43. Cox, Jeremiah (June 2, 2008). The 75th Ave tiled text a tile width below the lime green trim with a black border (image).
44. Cox, Jeremiah (June 2, 2008). A name tablet with a mosaic arrow for the exit to 75th Ave (image).
45. "Tile Colors a Guide in the New Subway; Decoration Scheme Changes at Each Express Stop to Tell Riders Where They Are". The New York Times. August 22, 1932. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
46. Carlson, Jen (February 18, 2016). "Map: These Color Tiles In The Subway System Used To Mean Something". Gothamist. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
47. Gleason, Will (February 18, 2016). "The hidden meaning behind the New York subway's colored tiles". Time Out New York. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
48. Cox, Jeremiah (June 2, 2008). Looking down an empty Manhattan-bound platform at 75th Ave (image).
49. NYCSubwaySystem (June 26, 2012). NYC Subway: 75 Avenue, F Train. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2016. (Note: The platform sign showing in the video has the name as "75 Av-Puritan Av" which can be seen at the 0:09 mark, and an entrance sign showing this name can be seen at the 2:18 mark)
50. "New York MPS Elmhurst Avenue Subway Station (IND)". Records of the National Park Service, 1785 – 2006, Series: National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records, 2013 – 2017, Box: National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records: New York, ID: 05000672. National Archives.
51. Cox, Jeremiah (June 2, 2008). "A view of a closed staircase up to the mezzanine at 75th Ave". subwaynut.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
52. Cox, Jeremiah (January 3, 2012). "The closed off extreme eastern end of the mezzanine". subwaynut.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
53. Cox, Jeremiah (January 2, 2013). "Approaching the token booth on the middle mezzanine". subwaynut.com. Retrieved December 10, 2016.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
54. Cox, Jeremiah (June 2, 2008). "A view of the turnstiles in the center of the station from the Manhattan-bound side of the mezzanine, nowhere near an exit to the street". subwaynut.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
55. Cox, Jeremiah (January 3, 2012). "Two high turnstiles to the 75 Road exit". subwaynut.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
56. Cox, Jeremiah (June 2, 2008). "A view of the High Entrance/Exit gates to the 75 Avenue exit, this means passengers don't have to walk the equivalent of 1/2 way down a platform length to find turnstiles to enter the system". subwaynut.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
57. Cox, Jeremiah (June 2, 2008). "A mosaic sign outside of fare control for 75th Ave/N Side Queens Blvd". subwaynut.com. Retrieved December 15, 2016.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
58. Cox, Jeremiah (January 3, 2012). "Mosaic for 75th Ave. and the S. Side Queens Blvd". subwaynut.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
59. "75th Avenue Neighborhood Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. April 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 4, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
60. Cox, Jeremiah (June 2, 2008). "Another view down the Manhattan-bound side of the mezzanine at 75th Avenue, the cheep-looking chain link fence painted white that separates it from the area outside of fare control is visible". subwaynut.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
61. Cox, Jeremiah (January 3, 2012). "The Jamaica-bound platform is exit only near the exits". subwaynut.com. Retrieved December 11, 2016.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
62. Dougherty, Peter (2020). Tracks of the New York City Subway 2020 (16th ed.). Dougherty. OCLC 1056711733.
63. "Review of F Line Operations, Ridership, and Infrastructure" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. October 7, 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 25, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
64. Linsky, Alan. "A Picture History of Kew Gardens, NY – Queens Boulevard Rapid Transit". Kew Gardens Civic Association Incorporated. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
65. Burks, Edward C. (April 20, 1975). "Ridership on Queens Subways Down". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 3, 2016.

External links

• Track map of the area, from nycsubway.org
• 75th Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View
• 75th Road entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Platforms from Google Maps Street View