121st Street station (BMT Jamaica Line)

History

This station was opened on July 3, 1918, by the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad, an affiliate of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company.

During construction of the Archer Avenue Line, the Jamaica Avenue elevated line was cut back past 121st Street on April 15, 1985. The Q49 bus, which replaced Jamaica elevated service running from the line's previous terminal of to the line's original terminal at , was extended to 121st Street. Until the opening of the Archer Avenue Line in 1988, J trains alternately terminated at 111th Street and 121st Street, with peak period headways to 121st Street being ten minutes. This temporary service pattern was originally slated to be in effect for six or seven months. Construction on the ramps to Archer Avenue was completed in November 1987, but since the tunnels were not ready for service until 1988, a double crossover east (railroad north) of the station was installed while the ramps were used for storage. The Archer Avenue Line opened on December 11, 1988, and service was extended from 121st Street to .

The Manhattan-bound platform closed for renovations on February 6, 2017, and reopened on December 22, 2017, delayed from the summer. The Jamaica Center-bound platform closed for renovations on February 12, 2018, and reopened on November 14, 2018, delayed from its planned reopening in the summer. As part of its 2025–2029 Capital Program, the MTA has proposed making the station wheelchair-accessible in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Station layout

This elevated station has two tracks and two side platforms, with space for a center express track that was never added. The station has beige windscreens and green canopies. This is the easternmost station on the Jamaica Line, east of here, trains go underground to the BMT Archer Avenue Line.

Exits

There are two exits. The full-time exit is at the west (railroad south) end of the station. One staircase from each platform leads to the mezzanine beneath the tracks. Outside of fare control, a pair of staircases lead down to either side of Jamaica Avenue on the west side of 121st Street.

There is an additional unstaffed exit at the east (railroad north) end of the station leading to the west side of 123rd Street. This exit is split in half due to the closed-off station house beneath the tracks. A single staircase from each platform leads to a landing that contains a full-height HEET turnstile before the street stairs.

References

References

1. "Richmond Hill, Queens".
2. "Kew Gardens, Queens".
3. (July 2, 1918). "Open New Subway to Regular Traffic; First Train on Seventh Avenue Line Carries Mayor and Other Officials ... New Extensions of Elevated Railroad Service ... Currents of Travel to Change". The New York Times.
4. (July 4, 1918). "'L' Trains Now Run Through to Jamaica". The Leader-Observer.
5. (January 10, 1919). "Report of the Public Service Commission for the First District of the State of New York, Volume 1". New York State Public Service Commission.
6. (April 13, 1985). "121st Street Is The End For J-Train Passengers". Forum of South Queens.
7. Rabin, Bernard. (April 10, 1985). "Battle on Archer Ave. line". New York Daily News.
8. Johnson, Kirk. (December 9, 1988). "Big Changes For Subways Are to Begin". The New York Times.
9. (December 22, 2017). "J Line - Weekday and Weekend Planned Service Changes". Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
10. (February 2, 2017). "J Line - Weekend and Weekday Planned Service Change". Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
11. "121 St - Full Service Restored". Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
12. "Jamaica-bound platform at 121 St is closed for renovation". Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
13. (September 25, 2024). "2025-2029 Capital Plan". Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
14. (1915). "Construction of Foundations and Structure: Section 1, Jamaica Line". [[Rapid transit operations of the BRT and BMT.
15. {{NYCS const. trackref. trackbook3
16. {{Cite NYC neighborhood map. Kew Gardens