Forest Hills station (LIRR) explained

Forest Hills
Style:LIRR
Address:71st Avenue and Austin Street
Forest Hills, Queens, New York
Coordinates:40.7195°N -73.8449°W
Line:Main Line
Distance:6.7miles from [1]
Owned:Long Island Rail Road
Other: New York City Subway:
at
MTA Bus:
Platform:2 side platforms
Tracks:4
Passengers:1,967
Pass Year:2017
Electrified:June 16, 1910
750 V (DC) third rail
Accessible:ADA Accessible-Yes

2 Ramps are present at Forest Hills, one for each platform.

Zone:1
Other Services Header:Former services
Other Services Collapsible:yes
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Custom:
Shape:none
Line:none
Marker:rail
Zoom:14

The Forest Hills station is a station on the Main Line of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), located in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens in New York City. It is lightly used compared to other stations in the city, with 2,408 daily riders in 2023;[2] many residents opt for the subway because of its more frequent service, cheaper fares, and direct express trains to Midtown Manhattan. The station is wheelchair accessible.

Location

Located in the Queens neighborhood of the same name, the station is situated along the elevated LIRR tracks above 71st Avenue (also known as Continental Avenue) between Austin and Burns Streets. The station is on the north side of brick-paved Station Square, the historic town center of Forest Hills Gardens, a planned community modelled after the garden communities of England.[3] The station building was constructed in the same Tudor style as the building known as the "Forest Hills Inn" located across Station Square.[4] The station is also just east of the West Side Tennis Club. Two blocks to the north along 71st Avenue is the Forest Hills–71st Avenue subway station, one of the busiest in Queens.

History

Built in 1906,[4] the Forest Hills station is one of the oldest operating passenger railway stations in New York City, predating IND subway expansion to the area in the mid 1930s. Being subsequently remodeled for handicapped accessibility with ramps, it does not contain the standard blue and white signage. Instead there are plaques and antique signs that complement the surrounding area. On July 4, 1917, former President Theodore Roosevelt made his "Unification Speech" (also known as "100 Percent American") from the steps of this station.[5]

On March 17, 1936, at a hearing of the New York State Transit Commission and the New York State Public Service Commission, the LIRR said that it would seek permission in 1937 to abandon the three stations along the Main Line between Jamaica and Pennsylvania Station—Kew Gardens, Forest Hills, and Woodside. The LIRR had said that it anticipated a loss of annual revenue between $750,000 and $1 million with the opening of the extension of the Independent Subway System's Queens Boulevard Line to Jamaica.[6]

In November 1963, the LIRR announced a plan to shorten the platforms at Forest Hills and Kew Gardens by 300feet. The railroad's justification was that ridership at the stations was low, and did not warrant repairing the crumbling concrete. These sections of platforms had been installed in about 1929 to allow the stations to accommodate full-length trains. This move was opposed by civic groups, and resulted in an investigation by the Public Service Commission. However, the platform extensions were removed in 1965 or 1966.[7]

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), in its 2010–2014 capital program, proposed lengthening the four-car-long platforms at Forest Hills and Kew Gardens to allow additional train cars to board at the station. The platform extensions would reduce waiting time at the station while allowing for more efficient operations between Jamaica and Penn Station. Although $4.5 million was allocated for the project, the money was ultimately redistributed to other projects.[8]

On July 26, 2018, it was announced that the LIRR planned to extend the platforms at Kew Gardens and Forest Hills by 200feet to accommodate six-car trains. The platform extensions consisted of fiberglass decking supported by steel scaffolding structures, allowing the extensions to be completed quickly, and at a low cost, while allowing the LIRR to plan a solution for permanent platform extensions. Preparation work began during the week of July 23[9] and the new extensions went into service the week of September 12, 2018.[10] [11]

As part of improvements included in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's 2020-2024 capital plan, the station will undergo renovations to make it fully accessible. Two ADA-compliant ramps will be constructed to provide access to both platforms, the existing platforms will be demolished and replaced, and lighting and architectural finishes will be upgraded.[12] Additionally, the platforms will receive permanent extensions to accommodate full 12-car trains.[13] The MTA board awarded contracts for the accessibility upgrades in December 2023,[14] [15] but work on the project was paused in mid-2024 due to the postponement of congestion pricing in New York City, which would have helped fund the renovations.[16]

Station layout

A local station, Forest Hills has two side platforms, both six cars long, and four tracks. The relatively flat and straight stretch of track at Forest Hills has been used for PATH PA-1 and R44 speed tests.[17] [18]

P
Platform level
Platform A, side platform
Track 3← services toward or
Track 1← services does not stop here →
Track 2← services does not stop here →
Track 4 services toward and Points East
Platform B, side platform
GStreet levelEntrances/exits

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: TIMETABLE No. 4 . Long Island Rail Road . May 14, 2012 . August 4, 2022 . III.
  2. Web site: Today . The LIRR . 2023 station ridership shows correlation to service, fares . 2024-06-13.
  3. Web site: Forest Hills Gardens . 2024-06-13 . CityNeighborhoods.NYC . en-US.
  4. Web site: History of Station Square. www.friendsofstationsquare.org. April 22, 2018. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20180524051456/http://www.friendsofstationsquare.org/history.htm. May 24, 2018.
  5. Book: Morrison, David D. . Pakaluk . Valerie . Long Island Rail Road Stations . Images of Rail . 2003 . Arcadia Publishing . 39 . 0-7385-1180-3.
  6. News: March 18, 1936. L.I.R.R. to Drop Way Trains From N.Y. to Jamaica. Line Anticipates $750,000 Loss When Subway Opens, Is Plea at Hearing.. Brooklyn Times Union. December 2, 2021.
  7. News: L.I.R.R. Plan to Shorten 2 Queens Platforms Scored. November 14, 1963. The New York Times. November 26, 2017. en-US. 0362-4331.
  8. Web site: Proposed 2010-2014 Capital Program. September 2009. nysenate.gov. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. November 24, 2017.
  9. Web site: LIRR to Lengthen Platforms at Forest Hills and Kew Gardens. July 27, 2018. www.mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. en. July 27, 2018. July 27, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180727185005/http://www.mta.info/news/2018/07/27/lirr-lengthen-platforms-forest-hills-and-kew-gardens. dead.
  10. Web site: Platform Extensions at Forest Hills, Kew Gardens Stations Now Open . Forest Hills Post . Law . Tara . September 12, 2018 . September 13, 2018.
  11. Web site: Kelley . Ryan . LIRR opens extended platforms at Forest Hills and Kew Gardens stations . QNS.com . September 12, 2018 . September 13, 2018 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180912224102/https://qns.com/story/2018/09/12/lirr-opens-extended-platforms-forest-hills-kew-gardens-stations/ . September 12, 2018.
  12. Web site: May 5, 2023 . 6494 DESIGN BUILD SERVICES FOR LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD STATION IMPROVEMENTS PACKAGE II BABYLON (SOGR), FOREST HILLS & HOLLIS (ADA) . May 18, 2023 . mta.info.
  13. Web site: April 19, 2023 . Proposed Transportation Improvement Program Amendments: April 19, 2023 through April 28, 2023 . May 18, 2023 . New York Metropolitan Transportation Cancel.
  14. Web site: Gannon . Michael . MTA plans ADA work at four subway stops . Queens Chronicle . December 28, 2023 . June 21, 2024.
  15. Web site: MTA board approves major accessibility projects for subway and LIRR, Metro-North yard project . Trains . February 2, 2024 . June 21, 2024.
  16. Web site: Castillo . Alfonso A. . MTA stops accessibility upgrades at 2 LIRR stations after congestion pricing pause . Newsday . June 21, 2024 . June 21, 2024.
  17. Web site: world.nycsubway.org/Showing Image 21781. nycsubway.org.
  18. Web site: Showing Image 7650. nycsubway.org.