85th Street–Forest Parkway station
New York City Subway station in Queens
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The 85th Street–Forest Parkway station is a skip-stop station on the BMT Jamaica Line of the New York City Subway, located on Jamaica Avenue in Woodhaven, Queens.[6] The J train serves this station at all times. The Z train skips this station when it operates.[7]
Queens, New York
85 Street–Forest Parkway  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jamaica-bound platform | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Station statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Address | 85th Street and Jamaica Avenue Queens, New York | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Borough | Queens | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Woodhaven | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 40.692418°N 73.86014°W | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Division | B (BMT)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line | BMT Jamaica Line | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | J  (all times) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Transit |  NYCT Bus: Q56 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Structure | Elevated | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 2 side platforms | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | May 28, 1917[2][3][4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former/other names | Forest Parkway | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traffic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 703,824[5]  15.2% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | 344 out of 423[5] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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History
This station opened on May 28, 1917[2][3][4] under the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad, an affiliate of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company.
From the late-1950s into the 1960s the New York City Transit Authority had a proposal to realign the BMT Jamaica Line between Grant or Nichols Avenue (east of Crescent Street station) and 80th Street and Jamaica Avenue (just west of this station). This realignment would have also included a bi-directional express track. The realignment was never carried out.[8] "85th Street" was added to the name in 1966.
In February 2023, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced that this station would temporarily close for renovations as part of a station renewal contract at four stations on the Jamaica Line. On August 12, 2024, the Queens-bound platform closed. The closure shifted to the Manhattan-bound platform in mid-January 2025. Work includes platform renewals, replacement of stairs, canopies, and windscreens, installation of artwork, and minimizing the gaps between the train and the platform edge.[9] The work is being performed by Gramercy PJS Joint-Venture.[10]
Station layout
| Platform level | Side platform | |
| Westbound local | ← toward Broad Street (Cypress Hills AM rush, 75th Street–Elderts Lane other times) ←  does not stop here | |
| Peak-direction express | No track or roadbed | |
| Eastbound local | toward Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer (Woodhaven Boulevard) → does not stop here → | |
| Side platform | ||
| Mezzanine | Fare control, station agent, OMNY machines | |
| Ground | Street level | Entrances/exits |
The station has two tracks and two side platforms, with space for a center track.[11]
Exits
The north exit, which leads to 85th Street and has a crossunder, is near Forest Park.[6] The south exit, which leads to Forest Parkway, was removed.[6]
