The Dongan Hills station is a

Staten Island Railway The Staten Island Railway (SIR) is a rapid transit line in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Staten Island. It is owned by the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority (SIRTOA), a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Trans ...

station in the neighborhood of Dongan Hills,

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...

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History

The station opened on April 23, 1860, with the opening of the Staten Island Railway from Vanderbilt's Landing to Eltingville. The station's original name was Garretsons, named after the original name of the neighborhood of the same name. The station's name changed after the neighborhood was renamed Dongan Hills. The name Garretson still can be found as there is a street that passes under the station. Both names appeared on the October 16, 1921 timetable. On February 21, 1907, the Staten Island Railway petitioned the Public Service Commission (PSC) to get permission to move the Dongan Hills stop from its location south of Seaview Avenue to a location to the north in between Seaview Avenue and Garretson Avenue. On March 12, 1907, the PSC granted its permission.

Station layout

The station is located on an embankment at Seaview Avenue and Railroad Avenue on the main line. It has two

side platform A side platform (also known as a marginal platform or a single-face platform) is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platforms ...

s and beige canopies. The marble wall at street level on the south end is a legacy of when the line was converted from grade level to the current embankment level today. The grade separation took place in 1933. Free parking is available on a small lot adjacent to the northbound platform, which is owned by the MTA, the agency that controls the rail line. The brick station house is unusually positioned on the northbound side at platform level, unlike other SIR station houses, which are usually located on street level. The Dongan Hills station house had a ticket booth and benches until 1987, and then a

vending machine A vending machine is an automated machine that provides items such as snacks, beverages, cigarettes, and lottery tickets to consumers after cash, a credit card, or other forms of payment are inserted into the machine or otherwise made. The fir ...

for tokens until July 4, 1997 when the fare was eliminated for all stations south of

St. George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...

. South of this station, there is an additional third track that once served a coal distributor. Grates between the rails led to chutes which now open into the backyards of homes that run alongside the embankment.

Exits

There are staircases at the north end that lead to Garretson Avenue. The Dongan Hills station is handicapped accessible in compliance with the

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 19 ...

, with ramps at the south end that lead to the southern side of Seaview Avenue. Stairs also lead from each platform to the northern side of Seaview Avenue.

References

External links

Staten Island Railway station list

Garretson Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View

Seaview Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View

Platform level from Google Maps Street View
{{Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority Staten Island Railway stations Railway stations in the United States opened in 1860 1860 establishments in New York (state)