Under normal service patterns, the station is served by the A train and the Rockaway Park Shuttle at all times, the latter of which originates/terminates here except during summer weekends.

[7] The station and the adjacent segment of the Rockaway Line suffered serious damage during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and was out of service for several months.

Due to its location in the middle of Jamaica Bay, the station was filled with debris, with its trackbed damaged.

[12][13] During its temporary closure, the station received new ADA-tactile strips, platform edge rubbing boards, and cosmetic and mechanical work.

Service was restored to the station on May 30, 2013, and to celebrate the re-opening, a vintage R1 subway car formed the first train.

[14] In 2018, a two-phase program of flood mitigation work along the Hammels Wye required further service disruptions.

A kinetic energy storage system with KESS technology was installed, and as a result, the voltage regulation of the track improved.

[31] Continuing north, the Rockaway Line crosses Jamaica Bay before reaching Howard Beach; the distance of 3.5 miles (5.6 km) between the two stations is the longest between any two in the New York City Subway system.

On the peninsula, the line splits at a flying junction named Hammels Wye to allow service to both Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue and Rockaway Park–Beach 116th Street.

[25][29] Punch boxes are located at the ends of both platforms, to allow train operators to select the correct route.

[29]: xix [36] Broad Channel is a small island with fewer than 3,000 residents,[37] and as a result, it has historically been one of the least-used stations in the system.

[40] Nearby points of interest include a visitor center and trails for the Gateway National Recreation Area's Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

The visitor center is the start of many guided tours of the refuge and it is home to exhibits that discuss the history of Jamaica Bay, the wide array of wildlife that can be found there, and the impact of human activity.