B38 (New York City bus)

Last updated
b38
b38
DeKalb Avenue Line
2013 New Flyer XD60 "Xcelsior" Articulated (4770) on the B38 Limited at Fulton St.png
Downtown Brooklyn-bound B38 Limited bus running at Fulton St.
Overview
System MTA New York City Bus
Operator New York City Transit Authority
Garage Grand Avenue Depot
Vehicle New Flyer Xcelsior XD60
Route
Locale Brooklyn and Queens, New York, U.S.
Communities served Ridgewood, Bushwick, Bedford–Stuyvesant, Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, Downtown Brooklyn
Start Downtown Brooklyn–Cadman Plaza & Tillary Street
ViaLafayette Avenue (eastbound) / DeKalb Avenue (westbound) [1]
End Ridgewood, Queens
Length5.9 miles (9.5 km)
Other routes B26 Halsey/Fulton Streets
B52 Gates Avenue
B54 Myrtle Avenue
Service
OperatesAll times (Seneca/Catalpa), All times except late nights (Metropolitan/Starr) [1]
Annual patronage3,247,934 (2022) [2]
TransfersYes
Timetable B38
←  B37  {{{system_nav}}}  B39  →

The DeKalb Avenue Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, running mostly along DeKalb Avenue, as well as eastbound on Lafayette Avenue (as part of a one-way pair), between Downtown Brooklyn and Ridgewood, Queens. Originally a streetcar line, it is now the B38 DeKalb/Lafayette Avenues bus route, operated by the New York City Transit Authority.

Contents

At its east end, after crossing into Queens, the line turns southeast on Seneca Avenue and ends just short of Myrtle Avenue, at Catalpa Avenue. A branch runs northeast on Stanhope Street to Linden Hill Cemetery.

Route description

The B38 bus route begins at a loop around Borough Hall in Downtown Brooklyn. It heads east on Fulton Street, splitting onto DeKalb Avenue (westbound) and Lafayette Avenue (eastbound). After crossing Broadway, eastbound buses return to DeKalb Avenue via Bushwick Avenue. The route crosses into Ridgewood, Queens and turns southeast on Seneca Avenue; every other bus turns northeast on Stanhope Street to a loop around Linden Hill Cemetery, while the rest continue along Seneca Avenue to just shy of Myrtle Avenue. Along the way, transfers can be made to the subway at Court Street – Borough Hall ( 2 ,​ 3 ​, 4 ,​ 5 ​, N , R , and​ W ), Jay Street – MetroTech ( A ,​ C ​, and F and <F> ​), DeKalb Avenue (BMT Fourth Avenue and Brighton Lines) ( B ,​ D ,​ N ,​ Q ,​ R , and​ W ), Classon Avenue ( G ), Kosciuszko Street ( J ), DeKalb Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) ( L ), and Seneca Avenue ( M ). [3]

The B38 also employs a limited-stop service during the daytime, making limited stops between Flatbush Avenue and Seneca Avenue. While the limited-stop service is running, B38 Limiteds serve Catalpa Avenue while local B38 buses serve the Linden Hill Cemetery. There is no overnight service to Linden Hill Cemetery. [4]

History

Streetcar service

After a legal battle with the Coney Island and Brooklyn Railroad (Smith Street Line), which shared Water Street west of Main Street, [5] and in which it was decided that the CI&B would own two tracks and give the BC&N trackage rights over one, [6] the Brooklyn City and Newtown Rail Road opened the line to the public on January 28, 1862. The route stretched from Fulton Ferry east to stables at Throop Avenue and a depot at Marcus Garvey Boulevard (then Yates Avenue, later Sumner Avenue). Tracks were laid in Fulton Street, Front Street, Gold Street, Willoughby Street, University Plaza (then Debevoise Street), and DeKalb Avenue. [7] [8] [9] [10] The eastbound track, in Water Street and Bridge Street rather than Front Street and Gold Street, was soon opened. By July, the line was extended northeast on DeKalb Avenue and southeast on Seneca Avenue to the Myrtle Avenue Park in Ridgewood, Queens. [11]

In order to enable the company to avoid the narrow Debevoise Street and a dangerous westbound curve at Debevoise Street and DeKalb Avenue, [12] [13] a law was passed in 1869 to allow a single track in DeKalb Avenue and Gold Street between Debevoise Street and Willoughby Street. The company laid a single track plus a "siding", but used both for revenue service, rerouting all trains in both directions to the new route in August 1869. [14] Eastbound trains were moved back to Willoughby Street and Debevoise Street once a single track was built to replace the two; [15] by then, the Hunter's Point and Prospect Park Railroad (Crosstown Line) was also using Willoughby Street. [16] [17]

Starting on May 3, 1871, the Park Avenue Railroad's Vanderbilt Avenue Line shared the tracks between Fulton Ferry and Concord Street. [18] In March 1872, a law was passed to allow the BC&N to build in DeKalb Avenue west from Debevoise Street to Fulton Street, and use the Brooklyn City Rail Road's trackage in Fulton Street to Fulton Ferry. [19] After some opposition from the City Railroad, [20] the route was changed in April to turn off on Washington Street after passing City Hall. [21] Despite objections from Washington Street residents, [22] the new route, using Washington Street north to Front and Water Streets, [23] was opened on September 4, 1872. [24] The old route continued to be used by short-turn trains to Yates Avenue. [25] The BC&N stopped using the old route later that decade, but the Vanderbilt Avenue Line continued to use it until 1883, when it built a track in Concord Street west of Bridge Street in order to serve the new Brooklyn Bridge. [26] [27] [28]

The Coney Island and Brooklyn Railroad leased BC&N on December 1, 1897 [29] [30] and this became an important CI&B branchline. [31] : 182  The DeKalb Avenue and North Beach Railroad (also leased to the Coney Island and Brooklyn) built the branch on Stanhope Street. [32] [33] [34] Buses were substituted for streetcars on January 30, 1949. [35]

Bus service

Prior to January 2019, the B38 Local was based out of the Grand Avenue Depot while the B38 Limited was based out of the Fresh Pond Depot. On weekends, buses from both depots were utilized. On January 6, 2019, the B38 was fully assigned to the Grand Avenue Depot since the route was planned to be converted to using articulated buses. In July 2019, the MTA announced plans to convert the route to use articulated buses. Consistent with the conversions of other bus routes, the frequency of service was decreased by 1 to 3 minutes on weekdays, and by 2 to 3 minutes on weekends, as each articulated bus can fit 115 passengers, compared to the 85 riders that can fit onto a standard 40 feet (12 m)-long bus. In order to accommodate the longer articulated bus stops, four bus stops in Brooklyn and five stops along Seneca Avenue in Queens were discontinued during the week of August 12–16, 2019. In addition, 14 bus stops were adjusted. The route started using articulated buses on September 1, 2019. [36] [37] [38]

On December 1, 2022, the MTA released a draft redesign of the Brooklyn bus network. [39] [40] As part of the redesign, all B38 buses would operate to Catalpa Avenue at all times, and the Metropolitan Avenue/Linden Hill Cemetery branch would be discontinued. Closely-spaced stops would be removed. The B38 Limited would also be discontinued because the increased stop spacing would make it redundant. [41]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franklin Avenue station (Fulton Street)</span> New York City Subway station complex in Brooklyn

The Franklin Avenue station is a station complex shared by the BMT Franklin Avenue Line and the IND Fulton Street Line of the New York City Subway, located at Franklin Avenue and Fulton Street in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. It is served by the:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeKalb Avenue station (BMT lines)</span> New York City Subway station in Brooklyn

The DeKalb Avenue station is an interchange station on the BMT Brighton Line and BMT Fourth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of DeKalb and Flatbush Avenues in Downtown Brooklyn. It is served by the Q and R trains at all times, the B train on weekdays, and the D and N trains during late nights. During rush hours only, a few W train trips also serve this station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMT Franklin Avenue Line</span> New York City Subway line

The BMT Franklin Avenue Line is a lower capacity rapid transit line of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York, running between Franklin Avenue and Prospect Park. Service is full-time, and provided by the Franklin Avenue Shuttle. The line serves the neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights, and allows for easy connections between the Fulton Street Line and the Brighton Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeKalb Avenue</span> Avenue in Brooklyn, New York

DeKalb Avenue is a thoroughfare in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, with the majority of its length in Brooklyn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B68 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Brooklyn, New York

The B68 is a bus route that constitutes a public transit line operating in Brooklyn, New York City. The B68 is operated by the MTA New York City Transit Authority. Its precursor was a streetcar line that began operation in June 1862, and was known as the Coney Island Avenue Line. The route became a bus line in 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B54 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Brooklyn, New York

The B54 is a bus route on Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn, New York City. The line travels between Downtown Brooklyn in the west and Myrtle–Wyckoff Avenues station in the east. The B54 operates from MTA New York City Bus's Fresh Pond Depot in Ridgewood, Queens. The route serves only the section of Myrtle Avenue within Brooklyn; the section within Queens is served by the Q55 bus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B26 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Brooklyn, New York

The Putnam Avenue Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, running mostly along Fulton Street, Putnam Avenue, and Halsey Street between downtown Brooklyn and Ridgewood, Queens. Originally a streetcar line, it is now the B26 Halsey/Fulton Streets bus route, operated by the New York City Transit Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B41 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Brooklyn, New York

The B41 is a bus route that constitutes a public transit line operating in Brooklyn, New York City, running along Flatbush Avenue between Downtown Brooklyn and Marine Park. The B41 is operated by the MTA New York City Transit Authority. Its precursor was a streetcar line that began operation in 1860, and was known as the Flatbush Avenue Line. The route became a bus line in 1951. Limited-stop service began along the route in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B44 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Brooklyn, New York

The B44 is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, running mostly along Nostrand Avenue, as well as northbound on Rogers Avenue or New York Avenue and Bedford Avenue, between Sheepshead Bay and Williamsburg. Originally a streetcar line, it is now the B44 bus route, operated by the New York City Transit Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Q59 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Queens and Brooklyn, New York

The Grand Street Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, running mostly along the continuous Grand Street and Grand Avenue between Williamsburg, Brooklyn and Maspeth, Queens. It then continues down Queens Boulevard to the 63rd Drive–Rego Park station. Originally a streetcar line, it is now the Q59 bus route, operated by the New York City Transit Authority between Williamsburg and Rego Park, Queens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B15 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Brooklyn, New York

The Sumner Avenue Line and New Lots Avenue Line were two streetcar lines in Brooklyn, New York City, running mainly along Marcus Garvey Boulevard, East 98th Street, and New Lots Avenue between northern Bedford–Stuyvesant and New Lots. Originally streetcar lines, the two lines were combined as a bus route in 1947. That bus route became the present B15 Marcus Garvey Boulevard / New Lots Avenue service, operated by MTA New York City Bus' East New York Depot in East New York. The B15 continues east from New Lots to John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens.

The B69 is a bus route that constitutes a public transit line operating in Brooklyn, New York City, running along 7th Avenue and Vanderbilt Avenue between Kensington and Dumbo. The B69 is operated by the MTA New York City Transit Authority. Its precursor was a streetcar line that began operation in 1869, and was known as the Vanderbilt Avenue Line. The route became a bus line in 1950.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B63 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Brooklyn, New York

The B63 is a bus route in Brooklyn, New York City, running mainly along Fifth Avenue and Atlantic Avenue between Fort Hamilton and Cobble Hill. Originally a streetcar line called the Fifth Avenue Line, it is now operated by the New York City Transit Authority as the Fifth/Atlantic Avenues bus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B61 and B62 buses</span> Bus routes in Brooklyn, New York

The Crosstown Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, running along Van Brunt Street and Manhattan Avenue between Red Hook and Long Island City, Queens. Originally a streetcar line, it is now the B61 and the B62 bus routes. The northern section, the B62, is operated by MTA New York City Bus' Grand Avenue Depot in Maspeth, Queens, and the southern section is the B61, operated by MTA New York City Bus' Jackie Gleason Depot in Sunset Park. The entire route was a single line, the B61, until January 3, 2010; the B62 was previously a separate, parallel route between Downtown Brooklyn and Greenpoint, now part of the B43 route. The streetcar line, B61 and the original B62 previously operated from the now-closed Crosstown Depot in Greenpoint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B43 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Brooklyn, New York

The Graham Avenue Line and Tompkins Avenue Line were two public transit lines in Brooklyn, New York City with the Graham Avenue Line running mainly along Graham Avenue and Manhattan Avenue and the Tompkins Avenue Line running mainly along Tompkins Avenue. The Graham Avenue line ran between Downtown Brooklyn and Greenpoint and the Tompkins Avenue Line ran between Prospect Lefferts Gardens and Williamsburg. Originally streetcar lines, they were replaced by the B47 and B62 bus routes which were then combined to form the B43 route which currently operates between Prospect Lefferts Gardens and Greenpoint. The line is dispatched from Jackie Gleason Depot in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B48 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Brooklyn, New York

The B48 bus route constitutes a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, running along Lorimer Street, Franklin Avenue, and Classon Avenue between Flatbush and Greenpoint. Originally the Lorimer Street streetcar line, it is now a bus route operated by MTA New York City Bus.

The Adams Street and Boerum Place Line was a public transit line in Downtown Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running along Boerum Place and Adams Street. It served as access for the Atlantic Avenue Railroad to the City Hall area.

The Hicks Street Line was a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running from the Ninth Avenue Depot at Greenwood Cemetery to the Brooklyn Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooklyn Bridge trolleys</span> Former Brooklyn Bridge trolley lines

From 1898 to 1950, various companies operated local trolley lines over the Brooklyn Bridge, taking passengers from many points in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States to the Park Row terminal in Lower Manhattan. These lines entered the bridge roadway from Fulton Street or Sands Street in Downtown Brooklyn, some of them using elevated trackage at the Sands Street elevated railway station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B46 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Brooklyn, New York

The B46 bus route constitutes a public transit corridor in Brooklyn, New York City. The route runs primarily along Utica Avenue north from the Kings Plaza shopping center through Eastern Brooklyn, with continued service west along Broadway to the Williamsburg Bridge Plaza Bus Terminal. The corridor was originally served by a streetcar line, known as the Utica and Reid Avenues Line, Utica−Reid Line, Reid−Utica Line, Reid Avenue Line, or Utica Avenue Line until 1951, when the line was replaced by bus service. The bus route is operated by MTA Regional Bus Operations under the New York City Transit brand.

References

  1. 1 2 MTA Regional Bus Operations. "B38 bus schedule".
  2. ↑ "Subway and bus ridership for 2022". mta.info. August 3, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Brooklyn Bus Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. October 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Brooklyn Bus Service" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. October 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  5. ↑ "The Rival Railroad Companies". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 2 October 1861. p. 3.
  6. ↑ "The Fight Between the Newtown and Coney Island Railroad Companies". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 12 February 1862. p. 2.
  7. ↑ "The Newtown Railroad". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 2 January 1862. p. 2.
  8. ↑ "City and Newtown Railroad Co". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 18 January 1862. p. 3.
  9. ↑ "The Opening of the Newtown Railroad". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 27 January 1862. p. 3.
  10. ↑ "The Newtown Railroad". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 28 January 1862. p. 2.
  11. ↑ "The Brooklyn City and Newtown Railroad Company". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 11 March 1869. p. 2.
  12. ↑ "Local Railroads". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 15 March 1869. p. 3.
  13. ↑ "Change of Railroad Route". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 24 May 1869. p. 10.
  14. ↑ "Corporate Sharp Practice". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 14 August 1869. p. 2.
  15. ↑ "DeKalb Avenue Railroad". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 25 August 1869. p. 3.
  16. ↑ "Cross Town Railroad". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 9 April 1869. p. 2.
  17. ↑ "Travel". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 3 June 1869. p. 4.
  18. ↑ "The Park Avenue Line of Cars". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 3 May 1871. p. 4.
  19. ↑ "From Albany". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 28 March 1872. p. 4.
  20. ↑ "Rival Railroads". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 20 March 1872. p. 4.
  21. ↑ "From Albany". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 3 April 1872. p. 3.
  22. ↑ "Railroad Matters". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 5 April 1872. p. 3.
  23. ↑ "The Change of the DeKalb Avenue Railroad". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 16 July 1872. p. 4.
  24. ↑ "Change of Route". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 4 September 1872. p. 3.
  25. ↑ David Rumsey Map Collection, J.B. Beers & Co., A new and complete street directory of Brooklyn, 1874; the following routes are listed for the "Dekalb Avenue R. R.":
    ROUTE NO. 1. Fulton Ferry to Montrose Avenue, via Water, Washington and Fulton Streets and Dekalb Avenue and Chestnut St., to City Line. Returning by same route to Front, thence through Front and Fulton Sts.
    ROUTE No. 2. Fulton Ferry to Yates Ave., via Water, Bridge and Willoughby Sts., Debevoise Place and Dekalb Ave. Returning by Dekalb Ave., Gold, Front and Fulton Streets.
  26. ↑ "Events in Brooklyn". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 10 June 1883. p. 5.
  27. ↑ "Unused Tracks". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 2 October 1883. p. 2.
  28. ↑ "The Board of Aldermen". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. 10 June 1884. p. 2.
  29. ↑ Watson, Edward B.; Linder, Bernard (October 1969). "Brooklyn Trolley Companies" (PDF). New York Division Bulletin. 12 (5). Electric Railroaders' Association: 3–7.
  30. ↑ Senate, New York (State) Legislature (1917). Documents of the Senate of the State of New York. E. Croswell. p. 565.
  31. ↑ Cudahy, Brian (2002). How We Got to Coney Island. New York: Fordham University Press. ISBN   0823222098 . Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  32. ↑ The City Record: Official Journal. New York City. 1900. p. 7489.
  33. ↑ Commissioners, New York (State) Board of Railroad (1901). Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners of the State of New York.
  34. ↑ Commissioners, New York (State) Board of Railroad (1901). Annual Report.
  35. ↑ Linder, Bernard (August 1965). "BMT Trolley Routes 1940-1956" (PDF). New York Division Bulletin. 8 (3). Electric Railroaders' Association: 7.
  36. ↑ "B38 Bus Timetable" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 1, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  37. ↑ Wong, Pamela (August 14, 2019). "MTA To Cut 4 Brooklyn Stops On B38 Route With Switch To Longer Buses". Bklyner. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  38. ↑ Wong, Pamela (August 6, 2019). "Myrtle Ave BID Petitions Against B54 Bus Cuts, Rally On Thursday". Bklyner. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  39. ↑ Brachfeld, Ben (December 1, 2022). "Draft plan for new Brooklyn bus network aims to finally end decades of slow, unreliable service". amNewYork. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  40. ↑ "Brooklyn bus riders could finally get faster service under MTA redesign". Crain's New York Business. December 1, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  41. ↑ "Draft Plan: B38 Local". MTA. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.