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.

 Cypress Hills
 "J" train
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
View from the northbound platform with an R42 J train
Station statistics
AddressHemlock Street & Jamaica Avenue
Brooklyn, New York
BoroughBrooklyn
LocaleCypress Hills
Coordinates40°41′23″N 73°52′23″W / 40.68972°N 73.87306°W / 40.68972; -73.87306
DivisionB (BMT)[1]
LineBMT Jamaica Line
BMT Lexington Avenue Line (formerly)
Services   J all times (all times)
TransitBus transport NYCT Bus: B13, Q56
StructureElevated
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
Other information
OpenedMay 30, 1893; 131 years ago (1893-05-30)[2]
RebuiltMay 28, 1917; 107 years ago (1917-05-28)[3]
Opposite-
direction
transfer
Yes
Former/other namesCypress Hills Cemetery
City Line
Traffic
2023286,484[4]Increase 8.8%
Rank412 out of 423[4]
Services
Preceding station New York City Subway New York City Subway Following station
Crescent Street
J all times
85th Street–Forest Parkway
J rush hours, peak direction
skip-stop
75th Street–Elderts Lane
J all except rush hours, peak direction
"Z" train does not stop here
Location
Cypress Hills station is located in New York City Subway
Cypress Hills station
Cypress Hills station is located in New York City
Cypress Hills station
Cypress Hills station is located in New York
Cypress Hills station
Track layout

Street map

Map

Station service legend
Symbol Description
Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction
Stops rush hours in the peak direction only Stops rush hours in the peak direction only
Stops all times Stops all times

History

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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]

Station layout

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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 northernmost 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

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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.[9]

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.[9] The exit on the Manhattan-bound platform was closed, and the street stair was removed.

References

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  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.
  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
  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. ^ a b
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