Broadway Junction (New York City Subway)

Broadway Junction
New York City Subway station
Jamaica-bound J crosses Eastern Parkway while entering Broadway Junction station
Station information
Services	A  (all times) C  (all except late nights) J  (all times) L  (all times) Z  (rush hours, peak direction)
Passengers (2006)	3.236 million ▲ 4%
Other
Borough	Brooklyn
Connection	LIRR Atlantic Branch at East New York

Coordinates: 40°40′44.11″N 73°54′12.43″W / 40.6789194, -73.9034528

Broadway Junction is a New York City Subway station complex shared by the elevated BMT Canarsie Line and BMT Jamaica Line, and the underground IND Fulton Street Line. It is located roughly at the intersection of Broadway, Fulton Street, and Van Sinderen Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn. The fare control area is located at the eastern end of the Fulton Street Line station.

[edit] BMT Canarsie Line platforms

Station information
Line	BMT Canarsie Line
Services	L  (all times)
Platforms	1 side platform, 1 island platform
Tracks	2
Other
Opened	December 14, 1928
Next north	Bushwick Avenue–Aberdeen Street: L
Next south	Atlantic Avenue: L

Broadway Junction on the BMT Canarsie Line has two tracks, one island platform, and one side platform. Manhattan-bound trains use the island platform while Canarsie-bound trains use the side platform. However, the latter can use the island platform if necessary.

This station is one of the highest elevated platforms in the city, sitting above the already-elevated BMT Jamaica Line. As high as this station platform is, it plunges abruptly into a tunnel at the north end. This end of the station slopes sharply downward, and the platform end is about 200 yards (180 m) away from the tunnel's portal. A new crossover switch has been installed here. A fine view of the East New York Yard can be seen from the northbound platform. Note how the south end of the northbound platform divides into two "legs." Also of note is the now-unused "flyover" track, which connects the Canarsie and Jamaica lines. Now and then, a train being rerouted will use these tracks. The southbound tracks can be seen emerging beneath the two "legs" of the northbound platform; the northbound "flyover" with its severe curve can be seen just east of the station, beginning near the signal tower. Since 1999, this station has been undergoing a series of renovations, including new canopies, a new crossover (known as 'The Barn' because of its rustic red siding and white trim), and the removal of a hazardous crossunder. The old-style platform lights were removed and replaced with "loop" fixtures, widely seen elsewhere in the system.

From the northbound platform looking east, the control tower of John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens can be seen over five miles (8 km) away. It is also possible to see planes landing and taking off from the airport.

The 2001 artwork is called Brooklyn, New Morning by Al Loving.

[edit] BMT Jamaica Line platforms

Southbound train waits
Station information
Line	BMT Jamaica Line
Services	J  (all times) Z  (rush hours, peak direction)
Platforms	2 island platforms
Tracks	3
Other
Opened	June 14, 1885[1]
Next north	Alabama Avenue: J  (Z  skips to Van Siclen Avenue)
Next south	Chauncey Street (local): J  Z  (J  skips to Halsey Street) Myrtle Avenue (express): no regular service
	Atlantic Avenue (Canarsie): no regular service

Broadway Junction on the BMT Jamaica Line has three tracks and two island platforms; the middle track is not used. At each end of the station there are also track connections to the East New York Yard. Trains that run to/from that yard terminate/began at this station.

The station was originally called Eastern Parkway, named for its original exit on the extreme west of the platforms. This entrance is now closed. This station is the largest elevated complex in the system. When it was originally built, two elevated lines (the Jamaica and Fulton) converged and diverged at this large station complex, with the BMT Canarsie Line being added in 1928. Many artifacts remain of its former glory, including ironwork for the old Fulton El trackways which can be seen under the station. An interesting feature here is the mezzanine, which is above the platforms. It is used to connect to the Canarsie Line and to exit to street level via two long escalators. At street level, there is a transfer to the IND Fulton Street Line (which is underground) and the fare control area. The upper mezzanine extends most of the length of the station and is made of concrete. Windows were once present, but are now cemented over. Another mezzanine, now closed, is at the south end of the station. It is currently used for flagging operations. Renovation is planned for the entire complex.

[edit] IND Fulton Street Line platforms

Station information
Line	IND Fulton Street Line
Services	A  (all times) C  (all except late nights)
Platforms	2 island platforms
Tracks	4
Other
Opened	December 30, 1946
Next north	Rockaway Avenue (local): A  C  Utica Avenue (express): A
Next south	Liberty Avenue (local): A  C  Euclid Avenue (express): A

Broadway Junction on the IND Fulton Street Line, formerly called Broadway/East New York, has four tracks and two island platforms. The fare control is at the Brooklyn-bound end of the station; this entrance also serves the J, L and Z trains via newly-replaced escalators from street to elevated level. There's also a police precinct located in the mezzanine. If there was a former western end exit, there is no longer any evidence of it.

There is an active tower just past the head end of the eastbound (railroad southbound platform, and south of the station are lead-ins for a proposed extension along the BMT Jamaica Line.

[edit] History

The name Manhattan Junction or Manhattan Beach Junction was applied to the station on what is now the Jamaica Line when it opened in 1885;^[2][3] the area had been known as Manhattan Beach Crossing since before then,^[4][5] due to the crossing of the Long Island Rail Road's Manhattan Beach Division. A station on the Fulton Street Elevated at Sackman Street opened on July 4, 1889,^{[citation needed]} when the line was extended to Atlantic Avenue.

A two-track one-half-block elevated connection was built along Vesta Avenue (now Van Sinderen Avenue) between the Fulton Street and Broadway Lines.^[6] This connection, equipped with third rail, was opened on August 9, 1900, and new service patterns were implemented: during times other than rush hours, Lexington Avenue and Fulton Street trains were through-routed, and travel beyond Manhattan Junction required a transfer.^[7][8] This "East New York Loop" was unpopular, and was soon stopped; the next service to use the tracks was the Canarsie Line to Broadway Ferry (later the 15), joined to the Fulton Street Line at Pitkin and Snediker Avenues in 1906.^{[citation needed]}

The name was changed from Manhattan Junction to Broadway Junction in 1913.^[9]

[edit] Bus connections

• B20
• B25
• B83
• Q24
• Q56

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• nycsubway.org — BMT Canarsie Line: Broadway Junction
• nycsubway.org — BMT Jamaica Line: Broadway Junction
• nycsubway.org — IND Fulton: Broadway/East New York
• Station Reporter — Broadway Junction complex