Rockaway Boulevard is a station on the IND Fulton Street Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Rockaway Boulevard, Woodhaven and Cross Bay Boulevards, and Liberty Avenue in Ozone Park, Queens, it is served by the A C and T trains at all times.
History[]
Rockaway Boulevard was one of the six stations along Liberty Avenue in Queens, from 80th Street through Ozone Park – Lefferts Boulevard, as well as the current three track elevated structure, built for the BMT Fulton Street Line in 1915 as part of BMT's portion of the Dual Contracts.
On April 8, 1928, two eastbound trains crashed in the station, killing one person and injuring 30.
The connection to the BMT was severed on April 26, 1956, and the IND was extended east (railroad south) from Euclid Avenue via a connecting tunnel and new intermediate station at Grant Avenue, with the new service beginning on April 29, 1956. Three months later, a connection to the IND Rockaway Line was provided on June 26, 1956, replacing the Long Island Rail Road's long troubled Rockaway Beach Branch.
The station was completely renovated in 2015.
Station layout[]
| P Platform level |
Side platform, doors will open on the right | |
| Northbound | ← A toward Inwood–207th Street (88th Street) ← C toward 168th Street (88th Street) ← T toward Broadway-125th Street (88th Street) | |
| Center Track | → No passenger service | |
| Southbound | → A toward Far Rockaway (Aqueduct-North Conduit Avenue) → C toward Lefferts Boulevard (104th Street) → T toward Rockaway Park (Aqueduct-North Conduit Avenue) | |
| M | Mezzanine | Fare control, station agent |
| G | Street Level | Exit/ Entrance |
This station has two side platforms and three tracks. The center track is not used in revenue service. The platforms have beige windscreens and green and brown canopies.
Just past the east end of the platform, the line splits into two routes. C trains heading to Lefferts Boulevard continue east along Liberty Avenue and use the outermost tracks, while the A and T heading to the Rockaways diverge and turn south towards Howard Beach, Jamaica Bay, Broad Channel and the Rockaways, using part of the former BMT center track to form two center tracks that connect to the former LIRR Rockaway Beach line.
Exits/Entrances[]
This station has two station-houses with the full-time one at the west (railroad north) end. Single staircases from each platform go down to the elevated station-house beneath the tracks. Inside are a turnstile bank and token booth. Outside of fare control, two staircases lead to either side of Liberty Avenue at Woodhaven/Cross Bay Boulevard.
The other station-house at the east (railroad south) end is also elevated and beneath the tracks, but unstaffed. It contains two HEET turnstiles, a staircase to each platform, and two staircases to either side of Liberty Avenue at 96th Street. The wooden staircase landings have a high exit-only turnstile to allow passengers to exit the system without having to go through the station.