Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer  ​​​
Upper level platform in 2007
Station statistics
Address	Parsons Boulevard and Archer Avenue Queens, New York
Borough	Queens
Locale	Jamaica
Coordinates	40°42′09″N73°48′00″W / 40.702407°N 73.799973°W /40.702407; -73.799973
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	SeeJamaica Center Bus Terminal
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
Former/other names	Jamaica Center–Parsons Boulevard
Traffic
2024	6,137,267[2]  6%
Rank	38 out of 423[2]
Services Preceding station New York City Subway Following station Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport E ​ ​J  ​Z  services split Terminus
Location Show map of New York City Subway Show map of New York City Show map of New York
Track layout Legend Upper level toSutphin Boulevard Lower level to Sutphin Boulevard
Street map
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times Stops rush hours in the peak direction only

TheJamaica Center–Parsons/Archer station (formerly theJamaica Center–Parsons Boulevard station and sometimes shortened as theJamaica Center station) is the northern terminal station of the IND and BMTArcher Avenue Lines of theNew York City Subway, located atParsons Boulevard and Archer Avenue inJamaica, Queens. It is served byE andJ trains at all times, as well asZ trains during rush hours in the peak direction.

This station opened on December 11, 1988, as Jamaica Center–Parsons Boulevard, and was renamed in 2004. The station is a major transfer point for buses from eastern Queens, and replaces the old160th Street and168th Street stations of theBMT Jamaica Line; the Jamaica Center station is located near the site of the former. It is also near the site of theLong Island Rail Road's now-demolishedUnion Hall Street station. The station is announced asJamaica Center on E trains.

The plans for the Archer Avenue Lines emerged in the 1960s under the city and theMetropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'sProgram for Action.^[3] The Archer Avenue subway's groundbreaking took place on August 15, 1972, at Archer Avenue and 151st Street,^[4][5] and the station's design started on December 7, 1973.^[6]: 13 By July 1974, when the federal government announced its approval of a $51.1 million (equivalent to $325,805,601 in 2024) grant for the project, the Parsons Boulevard station was expected to be used by 8,700 passengers during rush hours.^[7] Construction of two 200-foot (61 m) tunnels under the nine tracks of the LIRRMain Line in Jamaica began in January 1976. This section, connecting to the Archer Avenue Line's upper-level platform. started at Archer Avenue near 159th Street and ending about 150 feet (46 m) south of South Road near the Atlantic Branch, passing underneath the center of the York College campus.^[8] The two tunnels were completed in May 1976;^[9] south of these tunnel segments, the line would have been extended south several hundred yards, but this extension was never built.^[10]

On September 26, 1980, $40 million of federal funding was transferred to the MTA to build the connection to the Jamaica Line, to complete the Parsons Boulevard station, and the installation of track along the line, including the section south of that station to South Road and 158th Street. Work continued on the connection to the Queens Boulevard Line.^[10] The project's opening date at this juncture was October 1984.^[11] Plans for the station were completed in-house on June 17, 1981.^[6]: 13 Bids on the station construction were received on September 21, 1981, and was awarded to A. J. Pegno Construction Corporation for $22,425,415 (equivalent to $77,561,401 in 2024). Work on the station commenced on October 12, 1981.^[6]: 13

Because of the1975 New York City fiscal crisis, the Archer Avenue Line was never fully built to Springfield Boulevard, and was instead truncated to Parsons Boulevard. The shortened version of the line contained three stations and was 2 miles (3.2 km) long.^[12] In October 1980, the MTA considered stopping work on the line and on the 63rd Street Line, due to its budget crisis and the bad state of the existing subway system.^[13] Due to lack of money, all bidding on new subway and bus projects for the MTA was suspended in 1981, except for the already-built portions of the 63rd Street and Archer Avenue lines, which were allowed to continue.^[14] In September 1983, the project was 80 percent complete, and was expected to be in operation in fall 1985.^[15] Construction was completed a year ahead of schedule, in 1983, but was delayed for several more years due to various disputes.^[16] The station opened along with the rest of the Archer Avenue Line on December 11, 1988.^[17][12]

On December 14, 1991, a display titled "Astoria–Dreams of New York," a 32 feet (9.8 m)-long mural, consisting of seven portraits of first-generation Greek immigrants was removed from the station for not including any pictures of African Americans, seven days after going up.^[18] The artist, Eugenia Marketou, called the decision "censorship of the worst kind." The piece was removed at the request of the directors of the Arts for Transit program after a negative public reaction, which included their defacement with graffiti and protest stickers. A dozen African American riders had complained to the agency. On the same date, a $70,000 sculpture called "Jamaica Center Stations Riders, Blue," which was created by well-known African American artistSam Gilliam, was unveiled at the station. The sculpture was funded through theMTA Arts for Transit program, which allocates 1 percent of capital construction costs for art projects.^[19][20] After negotiations between Marketou and his agency took place, it was reinstalled on February 6, 1992, with a banner stating "Portraits of the Greek Immigrant Community" added in addition to the tile. In addition, Marketou agreed to appear in front of it during three rush hours to explain it. One of the photographs was removed in the following two weeks. The exhibit was only scheduled to stay until May 6, 1992.^[21]

To save energy, the MTA installed variable-speed escalators at Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer and three other subway stations in August 2008,^[22] although not all of the escalators initially functioned as intended.^[23]

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.^[24][25] The MTA then announced it would reconstruct the track on the BMT Archer Avenue Line.^[26] Starting on July 1, 2022, J service was cut back to 121st Street, and Z service was temporarily discontinued,^[27][26] with a shuttle bus connecting to Sutphin Boulevard and Jamaica Center.^[26] The work was completed in September 2022.^[28] The lower-level platform underwent structural and esthetic renovations in mid-2023.^[29]

Ground	Street level	Exit/entrance
Mezzanine		Fare control, station agents,MetroCard and OMNY machines Elevator on south side of Archer Avenue at Parsons Boulevard
Basement 2 IND platform	Westbound	← towardWorld Trade Center(Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport)
	Island platform
	Westbound	← towardWorld Trade Center(Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport)
Basement 3 BMT platform	Westbound	← towardBroad Street(Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport) ← AM rush towardBroad Street(Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport)
	Island platform
	Westbound	← towardBroad Street(Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport) ← AM rush towardBroad Street(Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport)

A view of the upper level

A view of the lower level

The Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer station contains two levels, each with two tracks and anisland platform.^[30][31] TheE train serves the upper level (IND)^[30] at all times.^[32] TheJ and Z trains serve the lower level (BMT);^[30] the former operates all times and the latter operates during rush hours in the peak direction.^[33] The station is the eastern terminus of all service; the next stop to the west isSutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport.^[34] Like the other stations on the Archer Avenue Line, Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer is fullyADA-accessible.^[35] Both platforms are 600 feet (183 m) in length, standard for a full-lengthB Division train; however, sinceBMT Eastern Division trains are only 480 feet (146 m) long, there are fences at both of the unused ends of the lower-level platforms to prevent passengers from falling onto the tracks. Fixed platform barriers, which are intended to prevent commuters falling to the tracks, are positioned near the platform edges throughout the lengths of both platforms.^[36][37]

As with other stations constructed as part of the Program for Action, the Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer station contained technologically advanced features such as air-cooling, noise insulation,CCTV monitors, public announcement systems, electronic platform signage, and escalator and elevator entrances.^[38] This station has ten escalators and two elevators.^[6]: 13

This station has tan brick walls and red brick floor on both levels. Thecoved trapezoidal ceilings are suspended^[6]: 13 and have metal slats.

There are two entrances to this station. The first one is at the very east end of the station and connects with Parsons Boulevard. It contains amezzanine that has fourescalators, two to each platform, and anADA-accessible elevator serving both platforms. There is a large, single bank ofturnstiles with nine turnstiles leading tofare control.^[30] One wide staircase and one escalator leads to a pavilion behind the streets at the northeast corner of Parsons Boulevard and Archer Avenue. A narrower staircase and escalator leads to the southeast corner.^[30] An elevator is present near the southeast corner of the intersection.^[39] This entrance contains a 1991 artwork calledJamaica Center Station Riders by Sam Gilliam made up of blue painted aluminum.^[40]

The second exit is near the middle of the platforms and connects with 153rd Street. Each platform contains two escalators to the mezzanine; the upper level also has one staircase to the mezzanine, while the lower level has two. In this mezzanine, there are fire regular turnstiles, fiveHigh Entry-Exit Turnstiles, and two high exit-only turnstiles.^[30] This entrance has three street stairs; two of them, one of which also has an up-only escalator, lead up to the south side of Archer Avenue outside the bus boarding area.^[30][40] The staircase with the escalator has a brickwork design surrounding it while the other staircase at this entrance has an ultra-wide green metal fence. There is another staircase at the northeast corner of Archer Avenue and 153rd Street.^[40]

West of the station, both levels featurediamond crossovers, which are halfway between this station and Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue.^[41]

The tracks on both levels extend past the station for possible future extensions, but are currently used for storage.^[42][43] On the lower level, they continue one train length of about 480 feet (150 m) and end atbumper blocks at 160th Street;^[43][44] they were originally planned to extend as far asMerrick Boulevard.^[44] This was a planned extension toward 190th Street–Hollis Avenue (near theHollis LIRR station). Where the lower level tracks end, there is a provision for adiamond crossover switch at the end of the tunnel (under 160th Street).^[45][44] On the upper level, the tracks extend around 2,000 feet (610 m) or just over 3 train lengths of about 600 feet (180 m), curving south under the LIRRAtlantic Branch 60 feet (18 m) below ground. They then run under 160th Street within theYork College campus and end at bumper blocks near Tuskegee Airmen Way (formerly South Road).^{[42][43][44][46][47]} This was the site of the line's original groundbreaking in 1973.^[45] The plan was for this line to use the LIRRLocust Manor Branch (Atlantic) ROW and run toSpringfield Boulevard orRosedale LIRR station.^[47][45][44] Where the upper level tracks stub end, there is a provision for a portal to go outside if the line going to Southeastern Queens is ever built.^[45][44] The tunnel was originally planned to curve west towards the Atlantic ROW just north ofLiberty Avenue, running underneath the York College Athletic Field.^[44]

East of the upper-level platform, a Central Instrument Room (753CIR) is located deep in the tunnel on track D2A (upper level) bench wall.

East of the station, next to the D1A tail track on the upper level, the tunnel catwalk structure widens, and the track curves south along with the D2A track. Where the catwalk structure ends, there is a stairway to the lower level tail tracks.

In 2018, the station had 10,681,269 boardings, making it the 27th most used station in the 423-station system. This amounted to an average of 36,368 passengers per weekday.^[2]

• 
  The western mezzanine
• 
  The main entrance, located at the northeast corner of Archer Avenue and Parsons Boulevard

The subway complex includes theJamaica Center Bus Terminal, a series of bus stops located along Archer Avenue (primarily along the south side of the street next to the LIRRright of way). The bus stop areas are lettered A through H. The western portion of the terminal (bays F through H and the bus layover area) is also known as the "Teardrop Canopy".^[48] It serves as a major transit hub within Jamaica.^[40] The former160th Street Jamaica Elevated station on Jamaica Avenue that it replaced was also a major hub for trolley service when it was originally built.^[49][50] Several of the trolley lines were the predecessors to current bus service.^[49][50]

Jamaica Center is also a hub fordollar vans in the New York metropolitan area.

• King Manor^[51]
• York College^[51]
• Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning^[51]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toJamaica Center – Parsons/Archer (New York City Subway).

• nycsubway.org –IND Queens Boulevard Line: Jamaica Center/Parsons–Archer
• Station Reporter —E Train
• Station Reporter —J Train
• The Subway Nut —Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer Pictures
• MTA's Arts For Transit —Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer
• Parsons Boulevard entrance from Google Maps Street View
• 153rd Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• 158th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Upper level from Google Maps Street View
• Lower level from Google Maps Street View

• Accessible New York City Subway stations
• Archer Avenue Line stations
• Program for Action
• New York City Subway stations in Queens, New York
• Railway stations in the United States opened in 1988
• New York City Subway transfer stations
• Jamaica, Queens
• 1988 establishments in New York City
• New York City Subway terminals

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