Richmond Valley station

The Richmond Valley station is a Staten Island Railway station in the neighborhood of Richmond Valley, Staten Island, New York. Located at Richmond Valley Road and Amboy Road on the main line, the station is a mixture of open cut (below grade level) at the north end and grade level at the south end.

Richmond Valley
Staten Island Railway station (rapid transit)
View of the platforms from the Champ Court overpass
General information
LocationRichmond Valley Road & Amboy Road
Richmond Valley, Staten Island
Coordinates40.5196°N 74.2293°W / 40.5196; -74.2293
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus transport NYCT Bus: SIM26
Construction
Structure typeOpen-cut / At-grade
Other information
Station code519
History
OpenedJune 2, 1860[1]
Services
Preceding station Staten Island Railway Following station
Pleasant Plains
toward St. George
 Arthur Kill
toward Tottenville
Former services
Preceding station Staten Island Railway Following station
Pleasant Plains
toward St. George
 Nassau
Closed 2017
toward Tottenville

History

The station opened on June 2, 1860 with the opening of the Staten Island Railway (SIR) from Annadale to Tottenville.[1] The opening of the station gave the surrounding area a separate identity from Tottenville. While it had been considered part of Tottenville, it became its own neighborhood once the area was named Richmond Valley by the SIR.[2] The station consisted of a wooden stationhouse and a ticket office, which were located on the northbound platform, which was located to the south of the Richmond Valley Road grade crossing. However, the southbound platform was located to the north of the Richmond Valley Road.[3]

On the evening of March 9, 1874, someone set the passenger and freight depot at the station on fire. They had cut a hole through the floor underneath in the building and set a pile of straw and wood ablaze. The fire was discovered in time to save the building.[4]

In 1940, the grade crossing at Richmond Valley Road was eliminated as the street was raised over the railroad tracks as part of a project to remove grade crossings across Staten Island.[3][5]

The platforms at the station were replaced in 1970.[6]

Under the 2015–2019 MTA Capital Plan, the station is undergoing a complete overhaul as part of the Enhanced Station Initiative. While the station would remain open during the project, construction in adjacent areas would require occasional one-direction service at the station on certain weekends. Updates would include cellular service, Wi-Fi, charging stations, improved signage, and improved station lighting.[7][8] The station would feature many of the improvements made at the new Arthur Kill station, which is the next stop to the south.[9] As part of the overhaul, the station would have artwork installed as part of the MTA Arts & Design program.[10] The project, which began on June 4, 2018, would repair the station's concrete structure, platforms, staircases, canopies and columns. The $2.2 million contract was to be completed after ten months.[11][12]

West Shore Line

Directly to the south of the station, a non-electrified spur branched off of the Tottenville-bound track, which once ran all the way to the Arthur Kill. The spur, built in 1928, was called the West Shore Line by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O), which owned the Staten Island Rapid Transit. It was used to deliver building materials to the Outerbridge Crossing construction site near the Kill.[13] Years later, the track was used to serve a scrapyard owned by the Roselli Brothers.[14] Until 2013, the track remained intact to Page Avenue, with the right-of-way ballasted,[15] and with the switch in working condition to allow for trains to be stored, as evidenced by the fouling point sign.[16] However, that year, the connection was severed. The rails still exist past the old connection just to the west of the right-of-way.[17] Underneath Page Avenue, the track split into two other tracks, with the rails still in place.[18][19] The right-of-way for the line was an easement on the property of Nassau Metals, and was later used by CSX.[18]: 1–2  Some sections of the old tracks have been removed, while others still remain in the overgrowth.[20]

Station layout

There are two side platforms and the station is orange color with the south overpass appearing to be an addition during a renovation. Because of the short platform, only the first 3 cars in the direction of the train traveling can be platformed here.[21] Mill Creek, which leads to the Arthur Kill, passes beneath part of the platform,[22] and travels underneath the SIR through a culvert.[20]

M Mezzanine Overpass between platforms
G
Platform level		 Side platform
Southbound ← toward Tottenville (Arthur Kill)
→ (demolished: Nassau)
Northbound → toward St. George (Pleasant Plains) →
Side platform
Street level Exit/entrance, buses

Exits

The station has exits on both its north and south ends. The north exit leads to Richmond Valley Road while the south exit leads to Amboy Road.[23]

References
  1. Irvin Leigh and Paul Matus (December 23, 2001). "SIRT The Essential History". p. 5. Retrieved March 3, 2009.
  2. Gschlecht, Billy (January 22, 2016). "Ride the Staten Island Railway Through the Public Domain". The New York Public Library. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  3. "RICHMOND VALLEY HISTORY". www.tottenvillehistory.com. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  4. "The Fire Record". The Meriden Daily Republican. March 13, 1874. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  5. Conrad, George (May 11, 1970). "Richmond Valley Station". nycsubway.org. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  6. "Richmond Valley Station Platform: Staten Island Rapid Transit (SIRT)". nytm.pastperfectonline.com. Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  7. Whitford, Emma (January 8, 2016). "MTA Will Completely Close 30 Subway Stations For Months-Long "Revamp"". Gothamist. Archived from the original on August 1, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  8. "MTAStations" (PDF). governor.ny.gov. Government of the State of New York. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  9. "Richmond Valley SIR Station to be Revamped Under Cuomo's MTA Plan". DNAinfo New York. January 11, 2016. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  10. "MTA Arts & Design - MTA Staten Island Railroad - Richmond Valley Station". mtaarts.submittable.com. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  11. "Repairs, Improvements Coming to Staten Island Railway's Richmond Valley Station". www.mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. June 3, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  12. "Richmond Valley railway station undergoing $2.2M repair project". SILive.com. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  13. NINTH ANNUAL REPORT DECEMBER 31, 1929 (PDF). PORT or NEW YORK Authority. 1929. p. 16.
  14. Pitanza, Marc (June 22, 2015). Staten Island Rapid Transit. Arcadia Publishing. p. 111. ISBN 9781439652039.
  15. Pitanza, Marc (January 28, 2007). "Ballasted Spur". nycsubway.org. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  16. Pitanza, Marc (January 28, 2007). "Richmond Valley Spur". nycsubway.org. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  17. Rosenfeld, Robbie (October 16, 2013). "Richmond Valley Spur". nycsubway.org. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  18. "236 Richmond Valley Road – Staten Island, New York Environmental Assessment Statement – Analyses" (PDF). Department of City Planning. August 29, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  19. Pitanza, Marc (January 28, 2007). "Page Avenue Switch". nycsubway.org. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  20. Kensinger, Nathan (June 23, 2016). "Exploring Staten Island's changing Mill Creek". Curbed NY. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  21. "Station Information: Please use the first three cars to enter or exit the train at the following stations". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  22. Rosenfeld, Robbie (October 16, 2013). "Mill Creek at Richmond Valley Station". nycsubway.org. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  23. "Map of NYC Subway Entrances". NYC Open Data. City of New York. Retrieved July 10, 2018.

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