Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard station

Astoria–Ditmars Blvd
Astoria–Ditmars Blvd
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Station statistics
Address	23rd Avenue, Ditmars Boulevard and 31st Street; Astoria, NY 11105
Borough	Queens
Locale	Astoria
Coordinates	40°46′34″N 73°54′39″W / 40.776089°N 73.910737°WCoordinates: 40°46′34″N 73°54′39″W / 40.776089°N 73.910737°W
Division	B (BMT)
Line	BMT Astoria Line
Services	N (all times); W (weekdays only)
Transit	MTA Bus: Q69, Q100 (at 20th Avenue)
Structure	Elevated
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	February 1, 1917; 104 years ago
Station code	001
Opposite-; direction; transfer	N/A
Former/other names	Ditmars Avenue
Traffic
2019	5,277,341 16.1%
Rank	85 out of 424
Station succession
Next north	(Terminal): N W
Next south	Astoria Boulevard: N W
Location
	Show map of New York City SubwayShow map of New York CityShow map of New YorkShow all
Track layout
	Legend
Street map
Station service legend
Symbol	Description
	Stops all times
	Stops weekdays only

The Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard station (also known as Ditmars Boulevard station), is the northern terminal station on the BMT Astoria Line of the New York City Subway. Located above 31st Street between 23rd Avenue and Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria, Queens, it is served by the N train at all times and the W train on weekdays.

The Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard station opened on February 1, 1917, as part of the initial segment of the BMT Astoria Line. In 2018 and 2019, this station was renovated along with six others on the Astoria Line.

This station has two tracks and an island platform. It is partially under the New York Connecting Railroad (NYCR) viaduct, which also carries the tracks of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. Most of the platform is north of the viaduct.

History[]

Opening[]

Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard station seen from the New York Connecting Railroad viaduct

This station opened on February 1, 1917, along with the rest of the Astoria Line, which was originally part of the IRT, as a spur off the IRT Queensboro Line, now the IRT Flushing Line. Trains ran between Grand Central and Astoria.^[4]^[5] Dignitaries from the first ride included President of Alderman Frank Dowling, Public Service Commissioner Hodges, numerous other officials of the commission, President Shonts of the IRT, with a number of his assistants, and Queens Borough President Connolly. Members of the PSC pointed out the need to extend the line from the terminal to Ditmars Boulevard and Steinway Street.^[6] Regular passenger service started that afternoon.^[6] The station's name was originally Ditmars Avenue, which was the name of Ditmars Boulevard at the station's opening.^[6]^[7]

On July 23, 1917, the Queensboro Bridge spur of the elevated IRT Second Avenue Line opened. At that time, all elevated trains to Queensboro Plaza used the Astoria Line while all subway trains used the Corona Line, though this was later changed with trains alternating between branches.^[5]^[8] This station started to be served by BMT shuttles using elevated cars on April 8, 1923.^[9]

On October 17, 1949, the Astoria Line became BMT-only as the tracks at Queensboro Plaza were consolidated and the platforms on the Astoria Line were shaved back to allow through BMT trains to operate on it. Service was initially provided by the Brighton Local (BMT 1) weekdays & Broadway - Fourth Avenue Local (BMT 2) at all times.^[10]

Renovations[]

In 1981, the MTA listed the station among the 69 most deteriorated stations in the subway system.^[11] In February 2018, the MTA announced that the station would be renovated for 14 months beginning in April of that year, as part of a $22 million project. The station house, mezzanine, and stairs would be repaired. Some residents protested, arguing that the renovated station would lack elevators, and that then-ongoing full closures of the 30th Avenue and 36th Avenue stations in Astoria had negatively impacted the community.^[12]

There was a proposed, but never-built, extension of the line toward Bayside and possibly LaGuardia Airport.^[13]

Station layout[]

P Platform level	Southbound	← toward Coney Island (Astoria Boulevard) ← toward Whitehall Street weekdays (Astoria Boulevard)
	Island platform
	Southbound	← toward Coney Island (Astoria Boulevard) ← toward Whitehall Street weekdays (Astoria Boulevard)
M	Mezzanine	Fare control, station agent, MetroCard machines
G	Street level	Exit/entrance

Staircase entrances on 31st Street. The Q train served this station from 2010 to 2016.

This station has two tracks and an island platform. It is partially located under the New York Connecting Railroad (NYCR) viaduct. Most of the platform is north of the viaduct. The platform canopy extends to the portion of the platform under the NYCR.^[14] The tracks end at bumper blocks at the north end of the platform.

The 2018 artwork at this station is Urban Idyll by painter Elisabeth Condon. It consists of laminated glass windows with a Tree of Life theme.^[15]

Exits[]

The station's only mezzanine is a station house beneath the tracks and platforms. Two double-wide staircases from the platform go down to their own bank of turnstiles with a token booth in the middle. Outside fare control, there are four staircases, two going down to the west side of 31st Street between Ditmars Boulevard and 23rd Avenue and two going down to the east side. The east side of the station house has a short, enclosed pedestrian bridge that leads to the Ditmars Plaza Mini Mall, located on the second floor of the adjacent Garry Building. This mall has a staircase to the street, providing another entrance to the station.^[16]

Ridership[]

In 2019, the station had 5,277,341 boardings, making it the 120th most used station in the 424-station system. This amounted to an average of 17,912 passengers per weekday.^[3]

Image gallery[]

Platform before 2019 renovation
Elisabeth Condon's Urban Idyll piece in the station's mezzanine.
Station seen in 1970's
Gerry Building Entrance

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.
^ "Station Developers' Information". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
^ ^a ^b "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership 2014–2019". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
^ "First Train Runs On Elevated Line to Astoria Section". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 1, 1917. Retrieved June 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b Annual report. 1916-1917. New York: Interborough Rapid Transit Company. 1917.
^ ^a ^b ^c "First Train Runs On Elevated Line to Astoria Section". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 1, 1917. Retrieved June 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Street Name Changes in Queens, New York". One-Step Webpages by Stephen P. Morse.
^ "Subway Link Over Queensboro Bridge". The New York Times. July 22, 1917. p. 31. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
^ "Additional Subway Service to Borough of Queens". The New York Times. April 8, 1923. p. RE1. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
^ "Direct Subway Runs to Flushing, Astoria". The New York Times. October 15, 1949. p. 17. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
^ Gargan, Edward A. (June 11, 1981). "Agency Lists its 69 Most Deteriorated Subway Stations". The New York Times. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
^ Barone, Vincent (February 8, 2018). "Queens residents, politicians are fed up with MTA construction". am New York. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
^ Martin, Douglas (November 17, 1996). "Subway Planners' Lofty Ambitions Are Buried as Dead-End Curiosities". The New York Times. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
^ Dougherty, Peter (2006) [2002]. Tracks of the New York City Subway 2006 (3rd ed.). Dougherty. OCLC 49777633 – via Google Books.
^ "Astoria Ditmars Blvd". MTA Arts & Design. MTA. 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
^ "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Astoria" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2015.

External links[]

nycsubway.org – BMT Astoria Line: Ditmars Boulevard
Station Reporter — N Train
TheSubwayNut - Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard
Ditmars Boulevard entrance from Google Maps Street View
Platform from Google Maps Street View

[1] "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.

[stationinformation-2] "Station Developers' Information". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 13, 2017.

[2016-rider-3] "Facts and Figures: Annual Subway Ridership 2014–2019". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.

[AstoriaExtension2-4] "First Train Runs On Elevated Line to Astoria Section". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 1, 1917. Retrieved June 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.

[:02-5] Annual report. 1916-1917. New York: Interborough Rapid Transit Company. 1917.

[AstoriaExtension-6] "First Train Runs On Elevated Line to Astoria Section". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 1, 1917. Retrieved June 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.

[7] "Street Name Changes in Queens, New York". One-Step Webpages by Stephen P. Morse.

[8] "Subway Link Over Queensboro Bridge". The New York Times. July 22, 1917. p. 31. Retrieved December 18, 2011.

[9] "Additional Subway Service to Borough of Queens". The New York Times. April 8, 1923. p. RE1. Retrieved December 18, 2011.

[10] "Direct Subway Runs to Flushing, Astoria". The New York Times. October 15, 1949. p. 17. Retrieved December 18, 2011.

[11] Gargan, Edward A. (June 11, 1981). "Agency Lists its 69 Most Deteriorated Subway Stations". The New York Times. Retrieved August 13, 2016.

[12] Barone, Vincent (February 8, 2018). "Queens residents, politicians are fed up with MTA construction". am New York. Retrieved February 10, 2018.

[13] Martin, Douglas (November 17, 1996). "Subway Planners' Lofty Ambitions Are Buried as Dead-End Curiosities". The New York Times. Retrieved June 27, 2015.

[tracks-14] Dougherty, Peter (2006) [2002]. Tracks of the New York City Subway 2006 (3rd ed.). Dougherty. OCLC 49777633 – via Google Books.

[15] "Astoria Ditmars Blvd". MTA Arts & Design. MTA. 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2019.

[maps-16] "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Astoria" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2015.

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v t Stations of the New York City Subway, by service
Broadway Express	Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard Astoria Boulevard 30th Avenue Broadway 36th Avenue 39th Avenue Queensboro Plaza Lexington Avenue/59th Street Fifth Avenue–59th Street 57th Street–Seventh Avenue 49th Street Times Square–42nd Street 34th Street–Herald Square 28th Street* 23rd Street* 14th Street Eighth Street–New York University* Prince Street* Canal Street City Hall* Cortlandt Street* Rector Street* South Ferry–Whitehall Street* Court Street* Jay Street–MetroTech* DeKalb Avenue Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center Union Street* Ninth Street* Prospect Avenue* 25th Street* 36th Street 45th Street* 53rd Street* 59th Street–Fourth Avenue Eighth Avenue Fort Hamilton Parkway New Utrecht Avenue 18th Avenue 20th Avenue Bay Parkway Kings Highway Avenue U 86th Street Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue
Broadway Local	Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard Astoria Boulevard 30th Avenue Broadway 36th Avenue 39th Avenue Queensboro Plaza Lexington Avenue/59th Street Fifth Avenue–59th Street 57th Street–Seventh Avenue 49th Street Times Square–42nd Street 34th Street–Herald Square 28th Street 23rd Street 14th Street Eighth Street–New York University Prince Street Canal Street City Hall Cortlandt Street Rector Street South Ferry–Whitehall 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.