Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport station
Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport is a two-level station on the IND and BMT Archer Avenue Lines of the New York City Subway. It is located at the intersection of Sutphin Boulevard and Archer Avenue in Jamaica, Queens. It is served by the E and J trains at all times, as well as the Z train during rush hours in the peak direction. This station has four tracks and two island platforms, with two platform levels: E trains stop on the upper level while J/Z trains stop on the lower level.
The station was planned as part of the construction of IND and BMT's Archer Avenue Line as outlined in the Program for Action in 1968. The construction began around 1982 and it was opened to service on December 11, 1988. Originally named Sutphin Boulevard, itserved as a replacement for the former Sutphin Boulevard elevated station on the demolished segment of the BMT Jamaica Line two blocks north. In 2003, when the AirTrain JFK opened at the adjacent Jamaica station, the JFK Airport suffix was added.
History
The plans for the Archer Avenue Lines emerged in the 1960s under the city and MTA's Program for Action. Because of the 1975 New York City fiscal crisis, the Archer Avenue Line's construction was delayed. Design on the station started on October 1, 1974, and was completed on February 24, 1982, by Hellmuth, O'Bata & Kassabaum. Bids on the station's construction were received on July 9, 1982, and the contract was awarded to Carlin-Atlas Corporation for $17.91 million. Work on the station started on July 15, 1982.The station opened along with the rest of the Archer Avenue Line on December 11, 1988.
In 2003, when the AirTrain opened, this station was renamed as Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport, as the station connects with the AirTrain at Jamaica Station.
Station layout
This is a two-level station with trains to serve the upper level at all times, and the and trains to serve the lower level, the former of which operates all times and the latter of which operates during rush hours in the peak direction. Each level has two tracks and an island platform. Like the other stations on the Archer Avenue Line, Sutphin is fully ADA-accessible. Both platforms are in length, standard for a full-length B Division train.This station had six escalators and two elevators when it opened.
There are gray vertical acoustic tile side walls and a glassed-in crossover. The mezzanine is glass and stainless steel and features a "Sutphin" mosaic on the geographic north wall. The station's tiling scheme is creme along the platform walls, with some patches of maroon and orange tiling in various places.
Exits
Stairs go up to all four corners of Sutphin Boulevard and Archer Avenue. The two northern staircases go down to an unstaffed fare control area that is HEET turnstile access at all times. The full-time fare control area is at the southern end. On the southeast corner, two escalators and a staircase going up outside the Long Island Rail Road's Jamaica station. Three elevators provide access to the street level and the LIRR station's main mezzanine areas. Connection is also available to AirTrain JFK, which provides service to John F. Kennedy International Airport. As part of upgrades to the Jamaica Transportation Center Station Plaza, two new subway station entrances, with canopies, will be constructed.| Exit location | Exit Type | Number of exits |
| Within LIRR and AirTrain station, SE corner of Sutphin Boulevard and Archer Avenue | Escalator and Elevator | 2 escalators 3 elevators |
| SE corner of Sutphin Boulevard and Archer Avenuet | Staircase | 1 |
| SW corner of Lexington Avenue and 63rd Street | Staircase | 1 |
| NE corner of Sutphin Boulevard and Archer Avenue | Staircase | 1 |
| NW corner of Sutphin Boulevard and Archer Avenue | Staircase | 1 |
Ridership
In 1990, after the Archer Avenue line opened, the station had 2,491,760 boardings. By 2007, the ridership in this station had increased over 60%, to 6.064 million annual passengers. In 2018, the station had 7,282,128 boardings, making it the 146th most used station in the -station system. This amounted to an average of 23,388 passengers per weekday.Bus and rail connections
There are connections to the Long Island Rail Road and AirTrain JFK at Jamaica station.New York City Bus routes and MTA Bus routes also stop at the station.