Cypress Hills station

New York City Subway station in Brooklyn

New York City Subway station in Brooklyn, New York

Cypress Hills

New York City Subway station (rapid transit)

View from the northbound platform with an R42 J train

Station statistics
Address| Hemlock Street and Jamaica Avenue
Brooklyn, New York
Borough| Brooklyn
Locale| Cypress Hills
Coordinates| 40°41′23″N 73°52′23″W﻿ / ﻿40.68972°N 73.87306°W﻿ / 40.68972; -73.87306
Division| B (BMT)[1]
Line| BMT Jamaica Line
BMT Lexington Avenue Line (formerly)
Services|  J (all times)
Transit|  NYCT Bus: B13, Q56
Structure| Elevated
Platforms| 2 side platforms
Tracks| 2
Other information
Opened| May 30, 1893; 131 years ago (1893-05-30)[2]
Rebuilt| May 28, 1917; 107 years ago (1917-05-28)[3]
Accessible| not ADA-accessible; accessibility planned
Opposite-
direction
transfer| Yes
Former/other names| Cypress Hills Cemetery
City Line
Traffic
2023| 286,484[4] 8.8%
Rank| 412 out of 423[4]
| Services

| Preceding station  |  New York City Subway | Following station

|
|

Crescent Street

toward Broad Street

|  |  |  | 85th Street–Forest Parkway

skip-stop

75th Street–Elderts Lane

toward Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer

does not stop here
| Location

Show map of New York City Subway

Show map of New York City

Show map of New York

| Track layout

Legend

|  |  |

|  |

to 75th Street–Elderts Lane

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to Crescent Street

|  |  |  |  |  |
| Street map

| Station service legend

Symbol | Description
| Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction
| Stops rush hours in the peak direction only
| Stops all times

The Cypress Hills station is a skip-stop station on the BMT Jamaica Line of the New York City Subway, located on Jamaica Avenue in the Cypress Hills neighborhood of northeastern Brooklyn. It is served by the J train at all times. The Z train skips this station when it operates.

## History

[edit]

This station was opened on May 30, 1893 as part of the Brooklyn Elevated Railroad's four stop extension of the Lexington Avenue Line to Cypress Hills.[2] The original Cypress Hills station had two tracks and one island platform and was located along Crescent Street, reaching the cemetery. This station was the terminal for both the Jamaica Line and the BMT Lexington Avenue Line when it opened.[5] It formerly had an island platform and stub-end located directly along Crescent Street just south of Jamaica Avenue that can still be seen approaching the cemetery east of the station.[2]

The rebuilt station was constructed under the Dual Contracts and was opened on May 28, 1917.[3] The rebuilt station has two tracks and two side platforms. The removal of the island platform resulted in a space between the tracks. This space would allow for an express third track, but one was never built.

On October 13, 1950, Lexington Avenue Line trains ceased to serve this station with that line's closure.[6]

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 July 22, 2024, the Queens-bound platform closed. The closure will shift to the Manhattan-bound platform in early 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.[7] The work is being performed by Gramercy PJS Joint-Venture.[8] As part of its 2025–2029 Capital Program, the MTA has proposed making the station wheelchair-accessible in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.[9]

## Station layout

[edit]

Platform level | Side platform

|

Westbound local | ←  toward Broad Street (Crescent Street)
←  does not stop here
Peak-direction express | No track or roadbed
Eastbound local | → toward Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer (85th Street–Forest Parkway PM rush, 75th Street–Elderts Lane other times) →
→ does not stop here →
Side platform
Mezzanine | Fare control, station agent, MetroCard and OMNY machines
Ground | Street level  | Entrances/exits
South end of northbound platform

It is the easternmost station in Brooklyn on the BMT Jamaica Line, since the next stop, 75th Street–Elderts Lane, is in Queens. Both platforms have beige windscreens and green canopies with brown roofs that run along the entire length. Just west of this station are two sharp curves that trains must navigate at less than 15 miles per hour (24 km/h). For this reason, a train must take more time to transverse this section than other sections of the line.

The 1990 artwork here is called Five Points of Observation, by Kathleen McCarthy. It affords a view of the street from the platforms and resembles a face when seen from the street. This artwork is also located in four other stations on the Jamaica Line.

### Exits

[edit]

The station's main entrance is at the south end. A single staircase from each platform leads to an elevated station house beneath the tracks. Inside are three turnstiles and a token booth. Outside of fare control, two street stairs lead to the corners of Hemlock and Crescent Streets.[10]

On the north end of each platform, a single staircase leads to a landing outside of a now closed station house. On the Queens-bound platform, a single exit-only turnstile provides exit from the system and a street stair perpendicular to the line leads to Autumn Avenue, which ends at Jamaica Avenue.[10] The exit on the Manhattan-bound platform was closed, and the street stair was removed.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Glossary". Second Avenue Subway Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) (PDF). Vol. 1\. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. March 4, 2003. pp. 1–2\. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.1-2&rft.pub=Metropolitan+Transportation+Authority&rft.date=2003-03-04&rft_id=http://web.mta.info/capital/sas_docs/sdeis/glossary.pdf&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Cypress+Hills+station" class="Z3988">
2. ^ a b c "Trains Running This Morning The Elevated Road to Cypress Hills Still in Operation". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. May 30, 1893. p. 10. Retrieved October 2, 2016 - via Brooklyn Newspapers.
3. ^ a b
* "TO OPEN JAMAICA AV. LINE.; Nearly Two and a Half Miles Ready for Operation Tonight". No. May 27, 1917. New York Times Company. May 27, 1917. p. 24. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
* "Jamaica Avenue 'L' is an Old Story Already" (PDF). No. May 31, 1917. Leader Observer (Queens/Brooklyn, New York). May 31, 1917. p. 1. Retrieved April 20, 2015.[permanent dead link‍]
* Report of the Public Service Commission for the First District of the State of New York, Volume 1. New York State Public Service Commission. January 15, 1918. pp. 73, 81, 312–314. Retrieved April 20, 2015.312-314&rft.pub=New+York+State+Public+Service+Commission&rft.date=1918-01-15&rft_id=https://books.google.com/books?id=C39CAQAAMAAJ&q;=%2B%22cliffside+avenue%22+%2B%22jamaica%22&pg;=PA81&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Cypress+Hills+station" class="Z3988">
4. ^ a b "Annual Subway Ridership (2018–2023)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
5. ^ "Showing Image 113358".
6. ^ "Brooklyn 'El' Link Dies With Aplomb; Celebrants Pack Last Train to Run on Lexington Spur, Soon to Be Torn Down In Service For 65 Years Riders Were So Scarce That Its 8 Stations Were Closed at Night for Last 10 Years". The New York Times. October 14, 1950. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
7. ^ "MTA Announces Upcoming Station Renovations at Cypress Hills, 75 St, and 85 St Stations on the J and Z Line". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
8. ^ Bardolf, Deirdre (February 16, 2023). "J train work starting in Woodhaven: MTA". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
9. ^ "2025-2029 Capital Plan". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 25, 2024. p. 187 (PDF p. 95). Retrieved January 1, 2025.
10. ^ a b
* "MTA Neighborhood Maps: East New York" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
* "MTA Neighborhood Map: Woodhaven" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cypress Hills (BMT Jamaica Line).

* nycsubway.org – BMT Jamaica Line: Cypress Hills
* Station Reporter — J Train
* The Subway Nut — Cypress Hills Pictures Archived July 6, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
* MTA's Arts For Transit — Cypress Hills (BMT Jamaica Line)
* Crescent Street and Hemlock Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
* Autumn Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View
* Platforms from Google Maps Street View

* v
* t
* e

Stations of the New York City Subway, by service

Nassau Street Local|

* Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer
* Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport
* 121st Street
* 111th Street
* 104th Street
* Woodhaven Boulevard
* 85th Street–Forest Parkway
* 75th Street–Elderts Lane
* Cypress Hills
* Crescent Street
* Norwood Avenue
* Cleveland Street
* Van Siclen Avenue
* Alabama Avenue
* Broadway Junction
* Chauncey Street
* Halsey Street
* Gates Avenue
* Kosciuszko Street
* Myrtle Avenue
* Flushing Avenue
* Lorimer Street
* Hewes Street
* Marcy Avenue
* Essex Street
* Bowery
* Canal Street
* Chambers Street
* Fulton Street
* Broad Street

See also
Lists by borough (The Bronx
Brooklyn
Manhattan
Queens)
Accessible
Closed
Terminals
Transfer
Commons category

* Note: Service variations, station closures, and reroutes are not reflected here.
Stations with asterisks have no regular peak, reverse peak, or midday service on that route. See linked articles for more information.

* v
* t
* e

Stations of the New York City Subway, by line (physical trackage)

Jamaica Line

* Demolished stations
* Broadway Ferry
* Driggs Avenue
* [← to Essex Street, Nassau St. Line]
* Marcy Avenue
* Hewes Street
* Lorimer Street
* Flushing Avenue
* Park Avenue
* Myrtle Avenue
* Kosciuszko Street
* Gates Avenue
* Halsey Street
* Chauncey Street
* Broadway Junction
* [ ~~toAtlantic Avenue, Canarsie Line →~~]
* Alabama Avenue
* Van Siclen Avenue
* Cleveland Street
* Norwood Avenue
* Crescent Street
* Cypress Hills
* 75th Street–Elderts Lane
* 85th Street–Forest Parkway
* Woodhaven Boulevard
* 104th Street
* 111th Street
* 121st Street
* [to Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport, Archer Ave. lines →]
* Demolished stations
* Metropolitan Avenue
* Queens Boulevard
* Sutphin Boulevard
* 160th Street
* 168th Street

See also
Lists by borough (The Bronx
Brooklyn
Manhattan
Queens)
Accessible
Closed
Terminals
Transfer
Commons category

* Stations and line segments in italics are closed, demolished, or planned (temporary closures are marked with asterisks). Track connections to other lines' terminals are displayed in brackets. ~~Struck through~~ passenger track connections are closed or unused in regular service.

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