Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport station

The Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport station 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, it served 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, Obata & 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, and 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. In February 2022, the MTA announced that the IND platform (but not the BMT platform) would receive platform screen doors as part of a pilot program involving three stations. The announcement came after several people had been shoved onto tracks, including one incident that led to a woman's death at another station.
==Station layout==
The Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport station contains two levels, each with two tracks and an island platform. The E train serves the upper level (IND) at all times. The J and Z trains serve the lower level (BMT); the former operates all times and the latter operates during rush hours in the peak direction. Like the other stations on the Archer Avenue Line, Sutphin Boulevard 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 (1 up, 1 down)3 elevators
SE corner of Sutphin Boulevard and Archer Avenue 	Staircase 	1
SW corner of Sutphin Boulevard and Archer Avenue 	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.1904-2006 ridership figures Metropolitan Transportation Authority Retrieved April 15, 2020 By 2007, the ridership in this station had more than doubled 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.
== Gallery ==
File:Sutphin-Archer-JFK Lower Level 10.jpg|A view of the elevator leading to the upper level and mezzanine
File:WB mezzanine Sutphin Archer IND jeh.jpg|A view of the mezzanine with the "SUTPHIN" mosaic
File:Sutphin Archer upper level vc.jpg|A view of passengers at the upper level, exiting an E train with luggage and heading for the AirTrain to JFK Airport
== References ==
== External links ==
*
* Station Reporter — E Train
* Station Reporter — J Train
* The Subway Nut — Sutphin Boulevard – Archer Avenue – JFK Airport Pictures
* Sutphin Boulevard entrance from Google Maps Street View
* Upper level from Google Maps Street View
* Lower level from Google Maps Street View
Category:Archer Avenue Line stations
Category:Program for Action
Category:Airport railway stations in the United States
Category:New York City Subway stations in Queens, New York
Category:New York City Subway stations located underground
Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1988
Category:Jamaica, Queens
Category:New York City Subway transfer stations
Category:John F. Kennedy International Airport
Category:1988 establishments in New York City