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. On July 23, 1917, the Queensboro Bridge spur of the elevatedIRT 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. This station started to be served by BMT shuttles using elevated cars on April 8, 1923. 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 weekdays & Broadway - Fourth Avenue Local at all times.
Station renovations
The platforms at this station, along with six others on the Astoria Line, were lengthened to to accommodate ten-car trains in 1950. The project cost $863,000. Signals on the line had to be modified to take into account the platform extensions. Under the 2015–2019 MTA Capital Plan, the station underwent a complete overhaul as part of the Enhanced Station Initiative and was entirely closed for several months. Updates included cellular service, Wi-Fi, USB charging stations, interactive service advisories and maps. The award for Package 2 of the renovations, which will cover renovations at the 30th Avenue, Broadway, 36th Avenue, and 39th Avenue stations, was awarded on April 14, 2017, to Skanska USA. This station, along with 30th Avenue, was closed entirely for around 8 months on October 23, 2017. Since the 30th Avenue and 36th Avenue stations closed, there has been some controversy due to the loss of business near these stations. The stations reopened on June 22, 2018. In July 2018, the MTA retroactively awarded a contract for the additional platform and girder repairs at the 30th and 36th Avenues stations, conducted after the stations had reopened.
Station layout
This elevated station has three tracks and two side platforms. The center track is not used in revenue service, but it had been used regularly as recently as 2002. The ends of each platform contain full-height mesh windscreens, while the center of the platform contains glass windscreens and black metal canopies. Prior to the 2018 renovations, both platforms had creme-colored windscreens for the entire lengths, except for a small section on the Astoria-bound platform at the north end, and red wooden canopies at their centers. The 2018 artwork at this station, "Crystal Blue Persuasion" by Maureen McQuillan, consists of laminated glass panels in the mezzanine.
Exits
The station's only entrance is via an elevated station-house beneath the tracks. It contains two staircases to each platform, a waiting area covered with transite that allows free transfer between directions, turnstile bank, token booth, and three street stairs going down to all corners of 36th Avenue and 31st Street except the northeast one.
