Broad Channel
Broad Channel along with Roosevelt Island are the only two NYC subway stations that are located on their own islands and not on Long Island, Manhattan, or the mainland (the Bronx). Broad Channel is a small island neighborhood in the middle of Jamaica Bay of single-family homes that feels like a Long Island Town and not in Queens at all. The subway station also provides access to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, a haven for birders in Jamaica Bay's swampy marshes. That's another cool fact about the NYC subway, it can take you to a National Wildlife Refuge.
The station also has the dubious distinction of having the second-worst ridership (in terms of Number of fares paid) after Beach 105 Street (and technically Aqueduct Racetrack if that stop counts). In 2009, for example, only 73 people got on the subway here on the average Sunday (361 on the average Weekday), that's just enough people to fill a single R44 subway car. A total of only 103,573 got on the subway there throughout the year 2007, that's about the same as the number who board at the Times Square Complex on the average Sunday.
The platforms are more crowded from passengers transferring between Rockaway Park S Shuttle Trains that terminate at the station to and from A trains to Manhattan (or using the crossover to continue north up the Rockaway peninsula with a detour). Since 2016, During Summer Weekends the station is an intermediate stop on the Rockaway Park Shuttle when trains are extended Rockaway Blvd, allowing all A trains (including Lefferts Blvd-bound ones) to connect with this shuttle that services popular summer beaches.
The station itself has two side platforms along the two-track line. Rockaway Park Shuttle trains terminate by depositing there passengers on the Manhattan-bound platform for an A train that is scheduled to come in shortly after it before running north of the station. Fare control is located on an overpass that has a nice view down the tracks, towards the southern end of the station. There is a single staircase down to street level that is the station's entrance along W Road across from Noel Road along the Rockaways-bound platform (the Manhattan-bound platform is just along Marshland). This staircase also has a High Exit Turnstile directly from the Rockaway-bound platform so passengers exiting don't have to go up and back down. There is a limited amount a tiling along the platforms that is in the unusual 1950s style. The platforms are canopied near the exit, and are the extra long LIRR size because they were built for 10 85-foot cars. There is also a substation towards the northern end of the Rockaways-bound platform and next to it is a fenced off gate on the Rockaways-bound platform that leads to a short staircase down to a locked gate and W Road.
The station was closed from October 28, 2012 until May 30, 2013 because of severe damage to the station and subway line through the flats after Superstorm Sandy. The station received an unannounced renovation because of Sandy. The platforms now have new modern black lamp fixtures that have replaced the previous blue square ones. There is a nice paint job that extends to the abandoned and closed exit only staircase near the substation on the Rockaway Park-bound platforms. At the upper landings into the station house are new doors green doors to keep it more enclosed. A couple of trailers outside in May 2013 were where the contractors are still managing the complete restoration of service including the track normally used by Rockaway Park Shuttle trains to relay that now must make long relay runs and terminate in the middle tracks at Howard Beach, as well as the continued installation of new 7 foot metal walls for flood protection over the flats.
Photos 1-16: September 30, 2005; 17-22: March 30, 2005; 23-29: December 29, 2008; 30-34: July 26, 2010; 35-66: May 30, 2013; 67-79: September 13, 2013; 80-93: September 13, 2012
