Woodside, Queens

The New York Connecting Railroad line continues to the northeast through Woodside before joining the NYCRR line from Sunnyside Yards (and Penn Station) in Astoria. The line is elevated and depressed at various points along the line as the topography varies. The NYCRR never had station stops along the line so any stations are even more theoretical than the Circumferential Line itself.

Queens Boulevard Station

Queens Boulevard would probably be a good spot for another standalone subway stop, although a station would probably need to be up on the north hillside at the top of the concrete viaduct over the Boulevard and the neighbors in this quiet neighborhood might not be too appreciative.

6/13/2008 07:56 PM Walter H. Crowley I.S. 5

6/13/2008 07:59 PM LIRR Bridge over Queens Boulevard

6/13/2008 08:00 PM LIRR Bridge over Queens Boulevard

6/13/2008 08:00 PM Municipal waste truck parked on Queens Boulevard

6/13/2008 08:00 PM Concrete arch freight track bridge over Queens Boulevard

6/13/2008 08:02 PM Concrete arch freight track bridge over Queens Boulevard

6/13/2008 08:03 PM Arch keystone

6/13/2008 08:03 PM Bridge detail

6/13/2008 08:04 PM Queens Boulevard bridge viewed from the west

6/13/2008 08:06 PM 46th Street older single-family homes

6/13/2008 08:06 PM 46th Street older single-family homes

6/13/2008 08:06 PM 74th Street Queens crap

6/13/2008 08:07 PM 74th Street

6/13/2008 08:08 PM Deck of Queens Boulevard freight track bridge

Roosevelt Avenue Station

The rail line was rebuilt as it meanders around the Brooklyn-Queens expressway between Roosevelt Avenue and Northern Boulevard, probably as part of upgrades to the expressway.

Unfortunately, the line is a couple of blocks west of the Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights Station where the IND Queens Boulevard (G/R/V trains) and the elevated IRT Flushing Line (#7 train) meet in a big, messy station. But transfer to those lines here would be almost indispensible here, meaning a long pedestrian tunnel would need to be dug. At least, there's plenty of space beside the tracks for platforms.

6/13/2008 08:23 PM Track south of Roosevelt Avenue beside the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway

7/18/2008 08:20 PM Construction on Roosevelt Blvd. bridge over tracks

7/18/2008 08:19 PM Tracks headed north from Roosevelt Boulevard.

7/18/2008 08:16 PM Roosevelt Avenue Station

7/18/2008 08:16 PM IRT Flushing Line (#7 train) over 73rd Street

6/13/2008 09:42 PM 74th Street north of the Roosevelt Avenue #7 subway station by night

73rd Street Station

This is a potential station site a few blocks north of the Roosevelt Avenue Station. It might be possible to make a cleaner connection here to the IND Queens Boulevard Line (G/R/V trains), which passes under the NYCRR before heading under the BQE. There is some space here for platforms and a modest station house.

7/18/2008 08:13 PM 37th Avenue bridge over the tracks and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway

7/18/2008 08:12 PM Tracks from the south headed under 73rd Street

7/18/2008 08:11 PM Tracks exiting from under 73rd Street Bridge

7/18/2008 08:10 PM Tracks headed north from 73rd Street Bridge - great spot for a station

7/18/2008 08:09 PM Sitting area on 73rd Street Bridge

7/18/2008 08:08 PM 73rd Street Bridge over the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway

7/18/2008 08:08 PM The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway

7/18/2008 08:06 PM IND Queens Boulevard (G/R/V trains) 65th Street Station

7/18/2008 08:00 PM Rail line and BQE crossing over 34th Avenue

7/18/2008 07:58 PM Rail line south of 34th Avenue

7/18/2008 07:56 PM Rail bridge over Northern Boulevard

7/18/2008 07:56 PM Rail bridge over Northern Boulevard

7/18/2008 07:55 PM Northern approach to Northern Boulevard bridge

Starting at 32nd Avenue many of the two-lane streets are crossed with concrete arch bridges. Some of the arches are in pretty dire shape.

7/18/2008 07:51 PM 32nd Avenue bridge

7/18/2008 07:50 PM Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church

7/18/2008 07:49 PM Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church

The NYCCRR splits into two branches at Bowery Bay Junction around 28th Street in Astoria. The western branch heads into Sunnyside Yards and Penn station. The eastern branch is the one we've been following that heads south to connect with the Bay Ridge Line at the Fresh Pond Yards.

7/18/2008 07:47 PM 31st Avenue bridge (western branch to Fresh Ponds Yards)

7/18/2008 07:47 PM 31st Avenue bridge

7/18/2008 07:47 PM BIN 7705010

7/18/2008 07:43 PM 31st Avenue Bridge (eastern branch to Sunnyside Yards)

7/18/2008 07:44 PM 31st Avenue Bridge

Boulevard Gardens is a 963-unit complex designed by T.H. Engelhardt in 1933 in concert with landscape architect C.N. Lowrie. The complex was built as part of Roosevelt's New Deal initiative and opened in 1935. When I visited in 2008 it was run as a Co-Op.

7/18/2008 07:40 PM Boulevard Gardens

7/18/2008 07:39 PM Boulevard Gardens

28th Avenue Station

This might be a good place for a station before the line has to deal with additional Amtrak traffic coming from Penn Station. There is plenty of surrounding right-of-way for platforms. It is, however, a bit close to the IND Queens Boulevard (G/R/V trains) and if the objective is adding access to underserved areas, placement of a station a bit further north might be preferable.

7/18/2008 07:37 PM 28th Avenue terminating at the right-of-way

7/18/2008 07:36 PM Low-rise row houses on 56th Place

7/18/2008 07:34 PM Apartments on 50th Street

7/18/2008 07:34 PM Apartments on 50th Street

7/18/2008 07:33 PM Catenary wires south of 50th Street

7/18/2008 07:33 PM 50th Street Bridge

7/18/2008 07:31 PM Row houses on Hobart Street

7/18/2008 07:31 PM Triangular lot between 50th street and Hobart Street west of 28th Avenue