Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike station

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Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike station is an underground express stop on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Union Turnpike and Queens Boulevard, it sits on the border between Kew Gardens and Forest Hills in Queens. The station’s overhead signs display Union Turnpike–Kew Gardens.

Service and layout
- The station is served by the E and F trains at all times. The E uses the express and local tracks as appropriate, while the F uses the other set of tracks. In rush hours the F also runs in a limited reverse-peak pattern.
- It has four tracks and two island platforms, allowing cross-platform transfers between local and express services.

History
- The Queens Boulevard Line was built in the 1930s by the Independent Subway System (IND). Union Turnpike station opened on December 31, 1936, as part of a major extension that reached Union Turnpike from Roosevelt Avenue.
- The opening helped spur growth in nearby Forest Hills and Kew Gardens, transforming the area into a more active population center.
- The station was made ADA-accessible in 2008 as part of a broader accessibility program, with three new elevators and a ramp. In the 1980s the NYCTA also added art installations; in 1988 Underground Skies-Cloud Forest by Krystyna Spisak-Madejczyk was installed in the western mezzanine.
- The station’s mezzanine is split into two halves because Union Turnpike crosses under Queens Boulevard. Each mezzanine has its own fare controls, and there is no outside connection between the two halves.

Exits and entrances
- There are three street-level entrances feeding the mezzanines.
- The western mezzanine has two staircases to the north side of Queens Boulevard (near the Q45, Q46, and Q48 bus stops) and one to the south side of the boulevard.
- The eastern mezzanine has two staircases to 80th Road and to Queens Boulevard (one on each side of the boulevard), plus a staircase to the southeastern corner of Queens Boulevard and Union Turnpike. An elevator serves the eastern mezzanine.
- Walkways on both sides of the Union Turnpike underpass connect to their respective mezzanines.

Track and station features
- The station includes a signal and switch setup with diamond crossovers near the station, allowing trains to switch between local and express tracks.
- East of the station, a wye connects to the Jamaica Yard, with a branch toward Briarwood; another portion of the wye leads to the lower level of the subway near the station.

Ridership and nearby destinations
- In 2019, about 7.6 million passengers boarded at this station (roughly 25,000 per weekday), ranking it around 48th busiest of the city’s 423 stations.
- Nearby landmarks include Queens Borough Hall, the Queens Criminal Court, and The Kew-Forest School. The Forest Hills Tower (now housing Plaza College) and FEMA offices are also nearby. In the past, JetBlue had offices in the area, and a retired Redbird subway car has been displayed nearby.

Summary
Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike is a major underground transfer point on the Queens Boulevard Line, serving E and F trains with a distinctive two-mezzanine layout split by Union Turnpike. Opened in 1936, it helped spur growth in nearby communities and today connects subway riders with multiple bus routes and nearby civic and educational destinations.