Metropolitan Avenue station (BMT Jamaica Line)


Metropolitan Avenue was a station on the demolished section of the BMT Jamaica Line. It opened in 1918 and closed in 1985 in anticipation of the opening of the Archer Avenue lines.

History

This station was built as part of the Dual Contracts. It opened on July 3, 1918 by the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad, an affiliate of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, after the removal of Atlantic Avenue Rapid Transit service from Dunton LIRR station, and closed on April 15, 1985, with the Q49 bus replacing it until December 11, 1988. The Q49 bus was discontinued when the rest of the Jamaica Line was connected to the Archer Avenue Subway.
Both Metropolitan Avenue and Queens Boulevard stations were demolished in late 1990. However, on December 11, 1988, the MTA opened the Jamaica – Van Wyck subway station directly underneath the site of the former Metropolitan Avenue elevated station. This served as the replacement station for both Metropolitan Avenue and Queens Boulevard.

Station layout

This elevated station had two tracks and two side platforms, with space for a third track in the center. A short stretch of third track was added for use as a lay-up or storage track, along with a scissor crossover near the temporary Queens Boulevard terminal in 1976, in anticipation of the line being cut back from 168th Street.