Woodhaven and Cross Bay Boulevards

Woodhaven Boulevard and Cross Bay Boulevard (formerly Jamaica Bay Boulevard) are two parts of a major boulevard in the New York City borough of Queens. Woodhaven Boulevard runs roughly north–south in the central portion of Queens. South of Liberty Avenue, it is known as Cross Bay Boulevard, which is the main north–south road in Howard Beach. Cross Bay Boulevard is locally known as simply "Cross Bay", and Woodhaven Boulevard, "Woodhaven". The completion of the boulevard in 1923, together with the construction of the associated bridges over Jamaica Bay, created the first direct roadway connection to the burgeoning Atlantic Ocean beachfront communities of the Rockaway Peninsula from Brooklyn and most of Queens.

Route description

The road is part of the New York City Arterial System with the unsigned reference route designation of New York State Route 908V (NY 908V), but is still maintained by the New York City Department of Transportation.

Beginning at the intersection with Queens Boulevard near the Queens Center shopping mall in Elmhurst, the boulevard runs generally south through the neighborhoods of Rego Park, Elmhurst, Middle Village, Glendale, Woodhaven (for which it is named), and Ozone Park. At the intersection with Liberty Avenue in Ozone Park, the name of the street changes to Cross Bay Boulevard. It continues south through Ozone Park, Howard Beach and across Jamaica Bay via the Joseph P. Addabbo Memorial Bridge through Broad Channel, before finally coming to an end at Rockaway Beach in The Rockaways, after crossing over the Cross Bay Bridge.

Woodhaven Boulevard (disambiguation)

Woodhaven Boulevard is a major boulevard in the New York City borough of Queens.

Woodhaven Boulevard may also refer to two subway stations serving the boulevard:

Woodhaven Boulevard (BMT Jamaica Line)

Woodhaven Boulevard is a station on the BMT Jamaica Line of the New York City Subway, located in Woodhaven, Queens. It is served by the J train at all times and the Z train during rush hours in the peak direction.

Station layout

This elevated station opened on May 28, 1917, and has two tracks and two side platforms with space for a center track. Both platforms have beige windscreens and brown canopies with green roofs along the entire length except for a section at the west (railroad south) end. Here, there are only waist-high black steel fences.

This station has provisions built in its structure to convert it into an express station, if the center third track was to be installed. The other station on the line that had such provisions was the now demolished Sutphin Boulevard station.

This station has two entrances/exits, both of which are elevated station houses beneath the tracks that allow free transfers between directions. The main one is at the extreme west end and has a single staircase from each platform, turnstile bank, token booth, and two street stairs going down to either western corners of Woodhaven Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue.

Woodhaven Boulevard (IND Queens Boulevard Line)

Woodhaven Boulevard is a local station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway, consisting of four tracks. Located in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens, it is served by the R train at all times except nights, when the E train takes over service. The M train provides additional service here on weekdays except nights. The station serves the adjacent Queens Center Mall, as well as numerous bus lines.

Station layout

The station opened on December 31, 1936, as part of an extension of the Queens Boulevard Line from Roosevelt Avenue to Union Turnpike. During the station's construction, the main road of Queens Boulevard was depressed into underpasses at the intersections with Woodhaven Boulevard and Horace Harding Boulevard (also known as Nassau Boulevard). The easternmost underpass now carries Queens Boulevard below the Long Island Expressway (LIE), which replaced Horace Harding Boulevard. Built as a local station, the station was constructed with bellmouth provisions to allow conversion into an express station. A close observation of both ends of this station reveals that the tunnel wall extends outward to allow space for the two side platforms to be replaced with island platforms, with the local tracks taking the side platforms' place. The station would have accommodated a major system expansion, with additional service coming from the Roosevelt Avenue Terminal station and the former LIRR Rockaway Line. Requests to convert the station were also put forward by the local community shortly after the station opened, due to heavy bus traffic feeding into the station and overcrowding at the Roosevelt Avenue express stop.