85th Street–Forest Parkway station

New York City Subway station in Queens

New York City Subway station in Queens, New York

J (all times)Transit

NYCT Bus: Q56StructureElevatedPlatforms2 side platformsTracks2Other informationOpenedMay 28, 1917 (107 years ago) (1917-05-28)^[2]^[3]^[4]Opposite-
direction
transferYesFormer/other namesForest ParkwayTraffic2023829,926^[5]

19.8% Rank324 out of 423^[5]

Services

Preceding station	New York City Subway			Following station
Cypress Hills J skip-stop				Woodhaven Boulevard J toward Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer
75th Street–Elderts Lane J toward Broad Street				Woodhaven Boulevard J toward Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer
does not stop here

Location
Show map of New York City Subway Show map of New York City Show map of New York

Track layout

Legend

					to Woodhaven Boulevard





					to 75th Street–Elderts Lane

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

The 85th Street–Forest Parkway station is a skip-stop station on the BMT Jamaica Line of the New York City Subway, located on Jamaica Avenue in Woodhaven, Queens.^[6] The J train serves this station at all times. The Z train skips this station when it operates.^[7]

History

This station opened on May 28, 1917^[2]^[3]^[4] under the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad, an affiliate of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company.

From the late-1950s into the 1960s the New York City Transit Authority had a proposal to realign the BMT Jamaica Line between Grant or Nichols Avenue (east of Crescent Street station) and 80th Street and Jamaica Avenue (just west of this station). This realignment would have also included a bi-directional express track. The realignment was never carried out.^[8] "85th Street" was added to the name in 1966.

In February 2023, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced that this station would temporarily close for renovations as part of a station renewal contract at four stations on the Jamaica Line. Starting August 12, 2024, the Queens-bound platform closed. The closure will shift to the Manhattan-bound platform in early 2025. Work includes platform renewals, replacement of stairs, canopies, and windscreens, installation of artwork, and minimizing the gaps between the train and the platform edge.^[9] The work will be performed by Gramercy PJS Joint-Venture.^[10]

Station layout

Platform level	Side platform
	Westbound local	← toward Broad Street (Cypress Hills AM rush, 75th Street–Elderts Lane other times) ← does not stop here
	Peak-direction express	No track or roadbed
	Eastbound local	→ toward Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer (Woodhaven Boulevard) → → does not stop here →
	Side platform
Mezzanine		Fare control, station agent, MetroCard machines
Ground	Street level	Entrances/exits

The station has two tracks and two side platforms, with space for a center track.^[11]

Exits

The north exit, which leads to 85th Street and has a crossunder, is near Forest Park.^[6] The south exit, which leads to Forest Parkway, was removed.^[6]

References

^ "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.
^ ^a ^b "TO OPEN JAMAICA AV. LINE.; Nearly Two and a Half Miles Ready for Operation Tonight". No. May 27, 1917. New York Times Company. May 27, 1917. p. 24. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Jamaica Avenue 'L' is an Old Story Already" (PDF). No. May 31, 1917. Leader Observer (Queens/Brooklyn, NY). May 31, 1917. p. 1. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
^ ^a ^b Report of the Public Service Commission for the First District of the State of New York, Volume 1. New York State Public Service Commission. January 15, 1918. pp. 73, 81, 312–314. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Annual Subway Ridership (2018–2023)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Woodhaven" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
^ "J/Z Subway Timetable, Effective June 30, 2024". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
^ "Woodhavenites Fear Loss of Homes by El Improvement: Residents Clamor for Facts About City's Plan to Build El Structure Through Heart of Community; Official Statement Released by Transit Authority". The Leader–Observer. October 2, 1958. Retrieved July 27, 2016 – via Fulton History.
^ "MTA Announces Upcoming Station Renovations at Cypress Hills, 75 St, and 85 St Stations on the J and Z Line". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
^ Bardolf, Deirdre (February 16, 2023). "J train work starting in Woodhaven: MTA". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
^ Dougherty, Peter (2006) [2002]. Tracks of the New York City Subway 2006 (3rd ed.). Dougherty. OCLC 49777633 – via Google Books.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 85th Street – Forest Parkway (BMT Jamaica Line).

nycsubway.org – BMT Jamaica Line: 85th Street – Forest Parkway
Station Reporter — J Train
The Subway Nut — 85th Street–Forest Parkway Pictures Archived January 5, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
85th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
Platforms from Google Maps Street View

Stations of the New York City Subway, by service

Nassau Street Local

Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer
Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport
121st Street
111th Street
104th Street
Woodhaven Boulevard
85th Street–Forest Parkway
75th Street–Elderts Lane
Cypress Hills
Crescent Street
Norwood Avenue
Cleveland Street
Van Siclen Avenue
Alabama Avenue
Broadway Junction
Chauncey Street
Halsey Street
Gates Avenue
Kosciuszko Street
Myrtle Avenue
Flushing Avenue
Lorimer Street
Hewes Street
Marcy Avenue
Essex Street
Bowery
Canal Street
Chambers Street
Fulton Street
Broad Street

See also: Lists by borough (The Bronx; Brooklyn; Manhattan; Queens); Accessible; Closed; Terminals; Transfer; Commons category

Note: Service variations, station closures, and reroutes are not reflected here.
Stations with asterisks have no regular peak, reverse peak, or midday service on that route. See linked articles for more information.

v t e Stations of the New York City Subway, by line (physical trackage)
Jamaica Line	Demolished stations Broadway Ferry Driggs Avenue [← to Essex Street, Nassau St. Line] Marcy Avenue Hewes Street Lorimer Street Flushing Avenue Park Avenue Myrtle Avenue Kosciuszko Street Gates Avenue Halsey Street Chauncey Street Broadway Junction [~~to Atlantic Avenue, Canarsie Line →~~] Alabama Avenue Van Siclen Avenue Cleveland Street Norwood Avenue Crescent Street Cypress Hills 75th Street–Elderts Lane 85th Street–Forest Parkway Woodhaven Boulevard 104th Street 111th Street 121st Street [to Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport, Archer Ave. lines →] Demolished stations Metropolitan Avenue Queens Boulevard Sutphin Boulevard 160th Street 168th Street
See also Lists by borough (The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens) Accessible Closed Terminals Transfer Commons category Stations and line segments in italics are closed, demolished, or planned (temporary closures are marked with asterisks). Track connections to other lines' terminals are displayed in brackets. ~~Struck through~~ passenger track connections are closed or unused in regular service.

Stations of the New York City Subway, by line (physical trackage)

Jamaica Line

Demolished stations
- Broadway Ferry
- Driggs Avenue
[← to Essex Street, Nassau St. Line]
Marcy Avenue
Hewes Street
Lorimer Street
Flushing Avenue
Park Avenue
Myrtle Avenue
Kosciuszko Street
Gates Avenue
Halsey Street
Chauncey Street
Broadway Junction
[~~to Atlantic Avenue, Canarsie Line →~~]
Alabama Avenue
Van Siclen Avenue
Cleveland Street
Norwood Avenue
Crescent Street
Cypress Hills
75th Street–Elderts Lane
85th Street–Forest Parkway
Woodhaven Boulevard
104th Street
111th Street
121st Street
[to Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport, Archer Ave. lines →]
Demolished stations
- Metropolitan Avenue
- Queens Boulevard
- Sutphin Boulevard
- 160th Street
- 168th Street

See also: Lists by borough (The Bronx; Brooklyn; Manhattan; Queens); Accessible; Closed; Terminals; Transfer; Commons category

Stations and line segments in italics are closed, demolished, or planned (temporary closures are marked with asterisks). Track connections to other lines' terminals are displayed in brackets. ~~Struck through~~ passenger track connections are closed or unused in regular service.