TheSutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport station is a two-levelstation on the IND and BMTArcher Avenue Lines of theNew York City Subway. It is located at the intersection of Sutphin Boulevard and Archer Avenue inJamaica, Queens. It is served by theE andJ trains at all times, as well as theZ train during rush hours in the peak direction. This station has four tracks and twoisland platforms, with two platform levels: E trains stop on the upper level while J/Z trains stop on the lower level.

Sutphin Blvd–Archer Av–JFK  ​​​
Upper-level platform with E train
Station statistics
Address	Sutphin Boulevard and Archer Avenue Queens, New York
Borough	Queens
Locale	Jamaica
Coordinates	40°42′02″N73°48′28″W / 40.700488°N 73.80774°W /40.700488; -73.80774
Division	B (BMT/IND)[1]
Line	BMT Archer Avenue Line IND Archer Avenue Line
Services	E  (all times)​ ​  J  (all times) ​  Z  (rush hours, peak direction)
Transit	New York City Bus:Q1,Q20,Q24,Q30,Q31,Q43,Q44 SBS,Q54,Q56,Q75 MTA Bus:Q6,Q8,Q9,Q25,Q40,Q41,Q60,Q65 AirTrain JFK: Jamaica LIRRJamaica station
Structure	Underground
Levels	2
Platforms	2island platforms (1 on each level)
Tracks	4 (2 on each level)
Other information
Opened	December 11, 1988; 36 years ago (1988-12-11)
Accessible	ADA-accessible
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Former/other names	Sutphin Boulevard
Traffic
2023	5,941,974[2]  24.65%
Rank	34 out of 423[2]
Services Preceding station New York City Subway Following station Jamaica–Van Wyck E  towardWorld Trade Center Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer E ​ ​J  ​Z  Terminus 111th Street J  skip-stop 121st Street J  ​Z  towardBroad Street
Location Show map of New York City Subway Show map of New York City Show map of New York
Track layout Legend Upper level toJamaica Center–Parsons/Archer toJamaica–Van Wyck Lower level to Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer to121st Street
Street map
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops in station at all times Stops all times except late nights Stops late nights only Stops late nights and weekends only Stops weekdays during the day Stops weekends during the day Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction Stops all times except weekdays in the peak direction Stops all times except nights and rush hours in the peak direction Stops rush hours only Stops rush hours in the peak direction only Station is closed (Details about time periods)

The station was planned as part of the construction of IND and BMT's Archer Avenue Line as outlined in theProgram for Action in 1968. The construction began around 1982 and it was opened to service on December 11, 1988. Originally namedSutphin Boulevard, it served as a replacement for the formerSutphin Boulevard elevated station on the demolished segment of theBMT Jamaica Line two blocks north. In 2003, when theAirTrain JFK opened at the adjacentJamaica station, theJFK Airport suffix was added. The station is announced asSutphin Boulevard-Archer Avenue-JFK on E trains, andSutphin Boulevard-JFK Airport on J and Z trains.

The plans for the Archer Avenue Lines emerged in the 1960s under the city and MTA'sProgram for Action.^[3] Because of the1975 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, byHellmuth, 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,^[4]: 14 and opened along with the rest of the Archer Avenue Line on December 11, 1988.^[5][6]

In 2003, when theAirTrain opened, this station was renamed asSutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport, as the station connects with the AirTrain atJamaica Station.^[7]

In 2020, the MTA announced that it would reconstruct the track and third rail on the IND Archer Avenue Line, which had become deteriorated. From September 19 to November 2, 2020, E service was cut back to Jamaica–Van Wyck, with a shuttle bus connecting to Sutphin Boulevard and Jamaica Center.^[8][9] The MTA then announced it would reconstruct the track on the BMT Archer Avenue Line.^[10] Starting on July 1, 2022, J service was cut back to 121st Street, and Z service was temporarily discontinued,^[11][10] with a shuttle bus connecting to Sutphin Boulevard and Jamaica Center.^[10] The work was completed in September 2022.^[12]

The MTA announced in December 2021 that it would install wide-aisle fare gates for disabled passengers at five subway stations, including Sutphin Boulevard, by mid-2022.^[13] The implementation of these fare gates was delayed; the MTA's chief accessibility officer indicated in February 2023 that the new fare gates would be installed at the Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport andAtlantic Avenue–Barclays Center stations shortly afterward.^[14][15] Additionally, in February 2022, the MTA announced that the IND platform (but not the BMT platform) would receiveplatform screen doors as part of a pilot program involving three stations.^[16][17] The announcement came after several people had been shoved onto tracks, including one incident that led toa woman's death at another station.^[17] The MTA started soliciting bids from platform-door manufacturers in mid-2022;^[18] the doors are planned to be installed starting in December 2023 at a cost of $6 million.^[19] Designs for the platform doors were being finalized by June 2023.^[20][21] On December 4, 2023, wide aisle turnstiles were installed, making the station the first in the New York City Subway system to have such turnstiles.^[22][23] A customer service center at the station opened the same month.^[23] The station was cleaned and repaired in 2024 as part of the MTA's Re-New-Vation program.^[24]

The Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport station contains two levels, each with two tracks and anisland platform.^{[25]: 17.3 [26]} TheE train serves the upper level (IND)^[25]: 17.3 at all times.^[27] TheJ and Z trains serve the lower level (BMT);^[25]: 17.3 the former operates all times and the latter operates during rush hours in the peak direction.^[28] The next stop to the west isJamaica–Van Wyck forE trains and121st Street forJ and ​Z trains. The next stop to the east isJamaica Center–Parsons/Archer.^[29] Like the other stations on the Archer Avenue Line, Sutphin Boulevard is fullyADA-accessible.^[30] Both platforms are 600 feet (183 m) in length, standard for a full-lengthB Division train.^{[citation needed]}

As with other stations constructed as part of the Program for Action, the Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport station contained technologically advanced features such as air-cooling, noise insulation,CCTV monitors, public announcement systems, electronic platform signage, and escalator and elevator entrances.^[31] This station had six escalators and two elevators when it opened.^[4]: 14 The station's mezzanine is located above the IND platform under the intersection of Sutphin Boulevard and Archer Avenue.^[25]: 17.3

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.^{[citation needed]}

Stairs go up to all four corners of Sutphin Boulevard and Archer Avenue.^{[32][25]: 17.3, 17.4} The two northern staircases go down to an unstaffed fare control area, which as of 2007^[update] consists of fourHigh Entry-Exit Turnstiles. The full-time fare control area is at the southern end and includes seven regular turnstiles.^[25]: 17.3 On the southeast corner, two escalators (one up, one down) and a staircase lead to street level, just outside theLong Island Rail Road (LIRR)'sJamaica station. Additional staircases lead from street level to each of the LIRR platform. Three elevators provide access to the street level and the LIRR station's main mezzanine areas.^[25]: 17.4 Connection is also available toAirTrain JFK, which provides service toJohn F. Kennedy International Airport;^[32] the AirTrain JFK also has its own entrance from the street just south of the LIRR station.^[25]: 17.4 As part of upgrades to the Jamaica Transportation Center Station Plaza, two new subway station entrances, with canopies, are planned to be constructed as of 2016^[update].^[33]

In 1990, after the Archer Avenue line opened, the station had 2,491,760 boardings.^[34] By 2007, the ridership in this station had more than doubled to 6.064 million annual passengers.^[35] In 2018, the station had 7,282,128 boardings, making it the 146th most used station in the 423-station system. This amounted to an average of 23,388 passengers per weekday.^[2]

There are connections to theLong Island Rail Road andAirTrain JFK atJamaica station.^[36]

New York City Bus routesQ1,Q20,Q24,Q30,Q31,Q43,Q44 SBS,Q54 andQ56 andMTA Bus routesQ6,Q8,Q9,Q25,Q40,Q41,Q60 andQ65 also stop at the station.^[37]

•  
  A view of the elevator leading to the upper level and mezzanine
•  
  A view of the mezzanine with the "SUTPHIN" mosaic
•  
  A view of passengers at the upper level, exiting an E train with luggage and heading for the AirTrain to JFK Airport

• nycsubway.org –IND Queens Boulevard Line: Sutphin Boulevard (Jamaica Branch)
• 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