Great Kills station

The Great Kills station is a Staten Island Railway station in the neighborhood of Great Kills, Staten Island, New York. It is located on an open cut west of Giffords Lane and Amboy Road on the main line. It has two side platforms and turquoise blue canopies and walls.

Great Kills
Staten Island Railway station (rapid transit)
Train terminating at the station
General information
LocationGiffords Lane & Brower Court
Great Kills, Staten Island
Coordinates40.55125°N 74.15132°W / 40.55125; -74.15132
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus transport NYCT Bus: S54, SIM5, SIM6
Construction
Structure typeOpen-cut
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station code513
History
OpenedApril 23, 1860[1]
Rebuilt1933
1997
Previous namesGifford's
Gifford's Lane
Services
Preceding station Staten Island Railway Following station
Bay Terrace
toward St. George
 Eltingville
toward Tottenville

History
Station house located above the platforms at Giffords Lane

The station's original name was Gifford's, a previous name of the neighborhood honoring Daniel Gifford, a local commissioner and surveyor. The name also survives in Giffords Lane and Giffords Glen, which are adjacent to the station. The station was also known as Gifford's Lane.[1][2] Both names appeared on the October 16, 1921 timetable.[3]

The station opened on April 23, 1860, with the opening of the Staten Island Railway from Vanderbilt's Landing to Eltingville.[1][4] It was rebuilt in the early 1930s to eliminate grade crossings, but with great difficulty. Workers had to dig 30 feet below ground level in order to avoid the underground springs and deep quicksand that laced the vicinity of the right-of-way. The project was finished by 1933.

Station layout

The station is located in an open cut and has two tracks and two side platforms. Afternoon rush-hour express trains from St. George end their non-stop runs at this station. Local trains operating in the peak direction begin or end their runs here. New switches were installed in 1997 south of the platforms. The remains of a spur are visible in this area. The New York City Department of Transportation operates a park and ride lot near the station.

Mezzanine Overpass Exit/entrance, connection between platforms
Ground Street level Station house, exit/entrance, buses, parking
Disabled access Ramps on both sides of the station
Platform
level		 Side platform
Southbound ← toward Tottenville (Eltingville)
← rush hour express toward Tottenville (Eltingville)
← rush hour local termination track
Northbound → toward St. George (Bay Terrace) →
Side platform

Exits

This station is handicapped-accessible in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act via a pair of long ramps. In addition, there are stairs and an overpass leading to Brower Court and Nelson Avenue. The Great Kills Veterans Memorial is outside the entrance on the northbound side. The north end at Giffords Lane has the standard SIRT street-level stationhouse, and staircases leading to a heavily used commercial district.[5]

References
  1. Irvin Leigh and Paul Matus (December 23, 2001). "SIRT The Essential History". p. 4. Archived from the original on January 4, 2009. Retrieved March 3, 2009.
  2. Miscellaneous Documents of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company and Subsidiary Companies, 1869.
  3. Time-Table No. 8, October 16, 1921, from "Gary Owen's S.I.R.T. Pages".
  4. Staten Island Railroad, commencing Monday, April 23d, 1860, from "Gary Owen's S.I.R.T. Pages".
  5. "Map of NYC Subway Entrances". NYC Open Data. City of New York. Retrieved July 10, 2018.

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