Jamiaca Center-Parsons/Archer
Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer is the terminus of the E, J, and Z trains and the three stop Archer Avenue Extension. A major purpose of the station is connecting people from the subway to various bus routes (theMap Lists 24 connecting bus routes, in its bubble for bus routes at Jamaica Center) that continue out to Eastern Parts of Queens, as well as one Long Island Bus Route (the N4) that can take you all the way out to Freeport, about in the middle of Nassau County, all for the price of a single subway fare. The station's design as a bus connection center is quite noticeable. All of the station's bus stops are along the southern side of Archer Avenue, the embankment that carries the Long Island Rail Road is just above them. Three of the stations five exits serve the line of bus stops. All signs directing people to the various station exits are well marked with connecting bus routes from that exit.
The station itself, along with the two other Archer Avenue Extension Stations, only opened on December 11, 1988. The station is pretty much a replacement for the 160 Street Station on the Jamaica Avenue elevated that closed on September 10, 1977 and was one block north and one block east of today's subway station. These stations have unusual designs because they were on the second newest (the 63rd Street Tunnel is the newest, opened in 1989) subway lines to open before the 7 Line Extension in the 2010s, and the first new subway station to open since the 1 stop extension along 6 Avenue up to the 57 Street/6 Avenue Station, 20 years before in 1968. The overall color scheme of the station is yellow tiled columns and indirect lighting making the station hard to photograph, so my photos are what they are.
The station has two island platforms, an upper one that serves terminating E trains, and a lower one for terminating J and Z trains. No bumper blocks are visible within the station because all four tracks continue a bit of a distance (enough to lay-up (store when not in use) at least one extra train) beyond the station platforms, the J/Z tracks continue straight under Archer Avenue a short distance in preparation for an extension to Hollis following the LIRR's Main Line. The E trains tracks curve south under the LIRR tracks and run for a further 3,000 feet 2 blocks south before ending at bumper blocks under South Street, under the York College Campus. The E train was originally designed to take over the LIRR's Atlantic Branch and extended subway service to Laurelton in SE queens. There are no connecting tracks between the E train and J/Z trains on the Arthur Avenue extension (each level operates on different radio frequencies the J/Z trains on the BMT’s, E train on the IND’s). The station is poorly designed as a terminal with the diamond crossover switch for reversing trains, not close enough to the station platforms instead located between Jamaica Center and Sutphin Blvd, since Jamaica Center was intended to be a terminus and an intermediate stop on two subway extensions deeper into Eastern Queens. This operational challenge means some rush hour E trains (7 in each direction as of the 2019 timetable) continue along the E train’s old route via the Hillside Avenue line and terminate at Jamaica-179 Street. Next trains are indicated on small Red Dot Matrix displays that look like older the train approaching beeping sign displays used at many stations by the token booth.
The major exit and mezzanine area extends from the very northern (eastern) end of the station platforms. This area isn't even platformed on the lower-level J/Z platform because those trains are only eight-cars long. This portion of that platform has been closed off by a low-fence. At this exit, an escalator and stairs lead up from the E platform, as well as a bank directly up from the lower-level J/Z platform, in addition to the station's single ADA elevator that has three landings serving all three platforms as well as the upper mezzanine. This upper mezzanine level has a single very large bank of turnstiles, and the full-time token booth. Outside of fare control there is a major wide (grand-you could say) staircase and single up escalator out to a small pavilion setback from the street in its own little area at the NE corner of Parson's Blvd and Archer Avenue. Across from this entrance there is a secondary narrower staircase and up escalator that lead down to the subway system from the Southern side of the street, at the western end of the line of bus stops. The elevator down to the mezzanine is also here at the very western end of the wide sidewalk of bus boarding areas. The station was built with provisions for an underground passageway leading one block north to the Jamaica Avenue shopping district (closer to the 160 Street Station this stop replaced).
The secondary station entrance is towards the middle of the platforms. Three staircases connect the two platform levels spaced evenly apart between the two exits. Two different banks of escalators lead up from the E-platform, and the J/Z-platform (bypassing, but visually seen going through the E-platform), there is also a staircase directly up from the upper-level E-platform to a small mezzanine area. In this mezzanine there is more overlap of walls between fare control and the portion of the mezzanine for the stations exits. This means there is a part time bank of turnstiles in a central place but High Entrance/Exit Turnstiles Provide additional entrances closer to the three staircases up to the street. Two of these banks of staircases (one also has an up escalator, and both are wider than normal) lead up to the southern side of Archer Avenue along the sidewalk that is the bus boarding area. One of these staircases (the one with an escalator) has the unusual (but every other entrance on the Archer Avenue extension has it) brickwork design surrounding it, while the other has an ultra-wide but traditional green subway station entrance fence. There is a secondary staircase (and the narrowest in the entire station) down from across Archer Avenue at the NE corner with 153rd Street.
Photos 1-8: June 25, 2008; 9: July 17, 2008; 10-45: July 22, 2009; 46-57: November 1, 2012; 58-60: March 1, 2013; 61: June 20, 2014
Arts For Transit at Jamaica Center
Jamaica Center Station Riders, Blue, 1991, Painted aluminumBy Sam Gilliam
