Flushing–Main Street station (IRT Flushing Line) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids  Flushing–Main Street
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Center track
Station statistics
Address	Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue Queens, NY 11354
Borough	Queens
Locale	Flushing
Coordinates	40°45′34″N 73°49′49″W / 40.75944°N 73.83028°W / 40.75944; -73.83028
Division	A (IRT)
Line	IRT Flushing Line
Services	7 alltimes (all times) <7>rushpeak (rush hours until 9:30 p.m., peak direction)
Transit connections	NYCT Bus: Q12, Q13, Q15, Q15A, Q16, Q17, Q20A, Q20B, Q26, Q27, Q28, Q44 SBS, Q48, Q58 MTA Bus: Q19, Q25, Q34, Q50, Q65, Q66 NICE Bus: n20G LIRR: Port Washington Branch (at Flushing–Main Street)
Structure	Underground
Platforms	2 island platforms
Tracks	3
Other information
Opened	January 21, 1928; 97 years ago (1928-01-21)
Station code	447
Accessible	ADA-accessible
Opposite-direction transfer available	N/A
Station succession
Next north	(Terminal): 7 alltimes <7>rushpeak
Next south	Mets–Willets Point: 7 alltimes <7>rushpeak
Location Show map of New York City Subway Show map of New York City Show map of New York
Street map
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times Stops rush hours in the peak direction only
Main Street Subway Station (Dual System IRT)
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
MPS	New York City Subway System MPS
NRHP reference No.	04001147
Added to NRHP	October 14, 2004

The Flushing–Main Street subway station is the last stop on the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway. You can find it at Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Downtown Flushing, Queens.

This station is served by the local 7 train all the time. During busy rush hours, the express <7> train also stops here.

The Flushing–Main Street station first opened on January 21, 1928. It was the final part of the Flushing Line to be built in Queens. Even though there were plans to extend the line further east, this never happened. In 2018, it was the busiest subway station in Queens and the 11th busiest in the entire New York City subway system!

History of the Flushing–Main Street Station

How the Station Was Planned and Built

One of the escalators in the eastern entrance

Back in 1910, there were big plans to expand New York City's subway lines. Queens, where Flushing is, didn't get as many new lines at first because other areas like Brooklyn and the Bronx needed subways more. The Flushing Line was one of the first new lines planned for Queens. It would connect Flushing and Long Island City to Manhattan.

When the line was being planned, Flushing was a quiet village. The street now known as Roosevelt Avenue was called Amity Street. Local leaders in Flushing really wanted the subway line to be built underground as a tunnel, not as an elevated line (a train on tracks above the street). They worried that an elevated train would make the neighborhood noisy and crowded. It could also lower property values and force the street to be widened too much.

In January 1913, people in Flushing voted to demand an underground station. Building a subway was more expensive, but it would cause fewer problems for the neighborhood. In June 1913, the city decided to extend the line from 103rd Street–Corona Plaza east to Flushing.

Construction of the station began on April 21, 1923. Workers used a method called cut-and-cover. This means they dug a big trench, built the subway structure inside it, and then covered it up. The station officially opened on January 21, 1928.

After the station opened, Downtown Flushing grew into a busy area for shopping and transportation. In 1939, express trains started running to the station. Because so many people used the station, an extra exit was added on the east side after World War II. This new entrance opened on October 28, 1948.

Changes Over the Years

In the mid-1950s, the platforms at Main Street and other Flushing Line stations were made longer. This allowed longer, 11-car trains to use the line. Another entrance was built on the north side of Roosevelt Avenue in the 1960s.

The station needed a big update, and plans for renovation started in the 1970s. In 1981, it was listed as one of the subway system's most run-down stations. Finally, in 1994, money was found for the renovation. Between 1999 and 2000, the station got a major makeover.

One of the most important changes was adding an elevator near the eastern exit at Lippmann Plaza. This made the station accessible for people with disabilities, following the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The project also added new street entrances and a large entrance hall.

The Flushing–Main Street station has been recognized as an important historical place since October 2004. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places because it's a great example of the architecture from when it was built.

More improvements are planned for the station! As part of a project from 2015 to 2019, New York City set aside money to make subway stations more accessible and less crowded. At Main Street, four new staircases will be added between the platforms and the upper level (mezzanine). More stairs will also be added from the street to the mezzanine. This will help people move around the station more easily.

Plans for Extending the Line

Flushing Line tunnel portal at College Point Boulevard

The Flushing–Main Street station was not originally meant to be the very last stop on the line. There were many ideas to extend the subway further east, to places like Whitestone, College Point, and Bayside.

In 1913, people in these areas wanted the subway to reach them. There was even talk of using parts of the LIRR tracks for the subway. However, the LIRR didn't want the subway to compete with its own train service.

Over the years, various plans for extending the Flushing Line were suggested. These included branches to College Point and Bayside. But these plans often faced problems like high costs or conflicts with other train lines. After World War II, new budgets didn't allow for the Flushing extension.

Even in 1956, there were proposals to extend the line east to Bayside and College Point, and even south to John F. Kennedy International Airport. However, all these proposals have not been built, and Flushing–Main Street remains the end of the line.

Station Layout

G	Street level	Entrances/exits to Main Street
M	Concourse	Fare control, MetroCard machines, station agent
P Platform level	Track 1	← toward Hudson Yards (Mets–Willets Point)	Lippmann Plaza, fare control, MetroCard machines, escalator to Roosevelt Avenue Elevator on Roosevelt Avenue east of Main Street
	Island platform
	Track M	← ( AM rush) toward Hudson Yards (Mets–Willets Point)
	Island platform
	Track 2	← ( AM rush) toward Hudson Yards (Mets–Willets Point)

Eastern entrance's waiting area

The station has three tracks and two platforms in the middle, called island platforms. These platforms are about 16 feet wide. The entire station is located underground, beneath Roosevelt Avenue.

When express trains are running during busy times, they use the middle track and the southernmost track. Local trains use the northernmost track. The walls of the station have cool mosaic tiles that say "MAIN STREET".

At the west end of the platforms, you'll find offices and a control tower. Train crews report here, and the tower controls the trains on the Flushing Line. West of the station, the subway tracks come out of the tunnel and go onto an elevated bridge over Flushing Creek.

Main Street is one of only seven underground stations on the Flushing Line. It's also the only underground station east of Hunters Point Avenue.

Station Exits

The station has nine entrances at street level, leading to two different areas where you pay your fare. The main entrance is in the middle of the platforms. It has a mezzanine (an upper level) with the fare control area and a ticket booth. Stairs lead up to all four corners of Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue.

There's also a newer fare control area at Lippmann Plaza. This area has a very high ceiling, about 40 feet below the street. It has an elevator that makes the station accessible for everyone. There are also three escalators and a stairway to the street. In 1998, a new art piece called Happy World was added above the turnstiles. Lippmann Plaza is a walking area that leads to a parking lot and several bus stops.

Bus Service

The Flushing–Main Street subway station is a major hub for buses in Queens. It's one of the busiest places where subway and local buses connect. Over 20 bus routes run through or end in this area. You can also connect to the nearby Long Island Rail Road station here.

Ridership

In 2017, about 18.7 million people used the Flushing–Main Street station. This made it the 10th busiest station in the entire subway system. It was also the busiest station outside of Manhattan and the busiest station served by only one subway line. On an average weekday, about 58,511 passengers used the station.

Attractions and Points of Interest Near the Station

Queens Library in Flushing

The station is located in Downtown Flushing, which is also known as Flushing Chinatown. This is one of New York City's largest Asian communities.

Many important city and national landmarks are close by. You can find them along the Queens Historical Society's Freedom Mile, which goes around downtown Flushing:

• Flushing Armory, on Northern Boulevard
• Flushing High School on Northern Boulevard
• Flushing Town Hall, at Northern Boulevard and Linden Place
• John Bowne House, at 37th Avenue and Bowne Street
• Kingsland Homestead and the Weeping Beech, at 37th Avenue
• Lewis H. Latimer House, at 137th Street and Leavitt Street
• Old Quaker Meeting House, at Northern Boulevard and Linden Place
• St. George's Church, on Main Street

Other interesting places to visit include:

• Bowne Street Community Church, at Bowne Street and Roosevelt Avenue
• Flushing Main Post Office, on Main Street
• Free Synagogue of Flushing, at Kissena Boulevard and Sanford Avenue
• Lippmann Plaza, a pedestrian area between 39th Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue
• Queens Library, Flushing Branch, at Main Street and Kissena Boulevard

Gallery

• 

  Eastern entrance, refurbished in 1999

• 

  Eastern entrance ticket hall

• 

  A Q65 bus outside the station, at Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue

• nycsubway.org – IRT Flushing Line: Main Street/Flushing
• nycsubway.org – Happy World Artwork by Ik-Joong Kang (1998)
• Station Reporter – 7 Train
• The Subway Nut – Main Street–Flushing pictures
• MTA's Arts For Transit – Flushing–Main Street (IRT Flushing Line)

See also

In Spanish: Flushing–Calle Main (línea Flushing) para niños