THE PIC OF A NIGHT FREIGHTER OP ALMOST TAXIES OFF OF THE ASSIGNED TXWY WHEN HE MISREADS THE LIGHTING AT JFK; NY.

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WHILE LEAVING THE JFK CARGO RAMP AREA; WAS INSTRUCTED TO EXPEDITE XING RWY 31R FOR LNDG TFC. THIS REQUIRED A 90 DEG L TURN; FOLLOWED BY AN IMMEDIATE 45 DEG TURN TO THE R. WHEN THE CLRNC WAS GIVEN; I CHKED FOR ARRIVING TFC; SAW GREEN TAXI LIGHTS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE RWY FROM MY POS AND CONTINUED TO TAXI. MY FO CALLED FOR ME TO STOP. THE NOSE OF THE ACFT HAD GONE OVER THE TAXI EDGE. ALTHOUGH THE NOSE GEAR WAS STILL ON THE TXWY; MAINT HAD TO PUSH US BACK SO THAT WE COULD MAKE THE 90 DEG L TURN. IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUEST TO CROSS THE RWY; I MADE A FAULTY ASSUMPTION THAT MY TAXI RTE TOOK ME DIRECTLY ACROSS THE RWY WHERE THERE WERE MORE TAXI LIGHTS TO FOLLOW. IN FACT; THE SIDES OF THE TXWY ARE POORLY MARKED -- WANDS WERE USED. ALSO; THE OVERRUN AREA WAS PAVEMENT AND AT NIGHT; BLENDED IN WITH THE TAXI AREA. NARROW TXWYS ALSO WERE A FACTOR. ALTHOUGH MY ARPT DIAGRAM WAS READILY AVAILABLE. I DID NOT REF IT AS CLOSE AS I SHOULD HAVE -- ESPECIALLY SINCE I SELDOM OPERATE OUT OF JFK. LESSON LEARNED! GOOD CREW COORD. HOWEVER; WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PREVENTING THE ACFT FROM LEAVING THE TXWY.