 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(January 2024) |
Brooklyn, New York streetcar network
The following streetcar lines once operated in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States.
Contents
| | This article needs additional citations for verification .(January 2024) |
The following streetcar lines once operated in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States.
The history of surface line operation in Brooklyn is long and very complicated, and is best presented under one of the following sub-articles which maintain the proper family tree for each of the lines listed below. These subsidiary articles are:
 |
Almost every surface line in Brooklyn eventually came under control of the Brooklyn and Queens Transit Corporation, a subsidiary of the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation, [1] prior to the takeover of the lines by the New York City Board of Transportation on June 5, 1940. Many of the lines ended at the Brooklyn Bridge in downtown Brooklyn or Williamsburg Bridge in Williamsburg, with some going over to the Park Row or Essex Street terminals in Manhattan. The small number of BMT streetcar lines that operated only in Queens are also included here.
| Name | From | To | Major streets | Abandoned | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
East-west lines | |||||
| Sea Gate Line | Sea Gate | Sheepshead Bay | Surf Avenue, Neptune Avenue, and Emmons Avenue | December 1, 1946 | now the B36 bus |
| Norton's Point Line | Sea Gate | Coney Island | private right-of-way | November 7, 1948 | now the B74 bus |
| Norton's Point Shuttle | Sea Gate | West 37th St. | private right-of-way | September 26, 1935; also ran June 1943 | became B36 shuttle bus, now discontinued |
| 86th Street Line | Bay Ridge | Coney Island | 3rd Avenue, 5th Avenue, 86th Street, and Cropsey Avenue | August 12, 1948 | now the B1 bus (part) |
| Bay Ridge Avenue Line | Bay Ridge | Coney Island | 3rd Avenue, Bay Ridge Avenue, 13th Avenue, 86th Street, and Cropsey Avenue | May 15, 1949 | now the B64 bus (part) |
| Bergen Beach Line | Flatbush | Bergen Beach | Flatbush Avenue and Avenue N | August 6, 1930 (east end); March 5, 1951 (whole line) | now the B41 bus |
| Cortelyou Road Line | Kensington | Flatbush | Cortelyou Road and 16th Avenue | July 23, 1930 | Converted to trolley coach on July 23, 1930, then to B23 bus on 10/31/1956. Discontinued on June 27, 2010 due to a budget crisis. |
| Holy Cross Cemetery Line | Prospect Park South | Holy Cross Cemetery | Tilden Avenue | April 1, 1951 | |
| Church Avenue Line | Greenwood Heights | Brownsville | 39th Street and Church Avenue | October 31, 1956 | now the B35 bus |
| Gravesend and Church Avenues Line | Kensington | Brownsville | Gravesend Avenue (McDonald Avenue) and Church Avenue | June 1, 1949 | same service continued as short run of Church Avenue Line until 10/31/1956; not replaced |
| New Lots Avenue Line | Brownsville | New Lots | New Lots Avenue | September 1, 1947 | now the B15 bus |
| Fifteenth Street Line | Red Hook | Windsor Terrace | Hamilton Avenue and 15th Street | December 1, 1945 | |
| Union Street Line | Red Hook | Windsor Terrace | Union Street and Prospect Park West | December 1, 1945 | |
| St. Johns Place Line | Downtown | Brownsville | Atlantic Avenue, Sterling Place, St. Johns Place, and Rockaway Avenue | August 24, 1947 | now the B45 bus |
| Bergen Street Line | Red Hook | Ozone Park, Queens | Sackett Street, Bergen Street, and Liberty Avenue | July 20, 1947 | now the B65 bus |
| Fulton Street Line | Downtown | East New York | Fulton Street | August 10, 1941 | now the B25 bus |
| Putnam Avenue Line | Downtown | Ridgewood, Queens | Fulton Street, Putnam Avenue, and Halsey Street | September 21, 1941; restored November 29, 1942 to February 5, 1950 | now the B26 bus |
| Greene and Gates Avenues Line | Downtown | Ridgewood, Queens | Fulton Street, Greene Avenue, and Gates Avenue | October 5, 1941 | now the B52 bus |
| DeKalb Avenue Line | Brooklyn Bridge | Ridgewood, Queens | DeKalb Avenue and Seneca Avenue | January 30, 1949 | now the B38 bus |
| Montague Street Line | Downtown | Montague Street | |||
| Myrtle Avenue and Court Street Line | Red Hook | Ridgewood, Queens | Court Street and Myrtle Avenue | July 17, 1949 | now the B54 and B57 buses |
| Park Avenue Line | Brooklyn Bridge | Trinity Cemetery | Park Avenue and Wilson Avenue | June 19, 1930 | |
| Flushing Avenue Line | Brooklyn Bridge | Maspeth, Queens | Flushing Avenue | November 21, 1948 | now the B57 bus |
| Broadway Line | Williamsburg Bridge | Cypress Hills | Broadway and Fulton Street | January 15, 1950 | now the Q24 (ex-B22) bus |
| Williamsburg Bridge Local | Williamsburg Bridge | Williamsburg Bridge | December 4, 1948 | now the B39 bus | |
| Jamaica Line | Ocean Hill | Jamaica, Queens | Fulton Street and Jamaica Avenue | November 30, 1947 | now the Q56 (ex-B56) bus |
| Bushwick Avenue Line | Williamsburg Bridge | Ridgewood, Queens | Meserole Street, Bushwick Avenue, and Myrtle Avenue | September 1, 1947 | |
| Wilson Avenue Line | Williamsburg Bridge | Canarsie | Johnson Avenue, Wilson Avenue, and Rockaway Avenue | May 27, 1951 | now the B60 bus |
| Cypress Hills Cemetery Line | Ridgewood, Queens | Cypress Hills Cemetery, Queens | Cypress Avenue | September 1, 1947 | now the B13 bus |
| Richmond Hill Line | Ridgewood, Queens | Jamaica, Queens | Myrtle Avenue | April 26, 1950 | now the Q55 (ex-B55) bus |
| Metropolitan Avenue Line | Williamsburg Bridge | Jamaica, Queens | Grand Street and Metropolitan Avenue | June 12, 1949 | now the Q54 (ex-B53) bus |
| Metropolitan Avenue Shuttle | Williamsburg | East Williamsburg | Metropolitan Avenue | 1920 | |
| Flushing-Ridgewood Line | Ridgewood, Queens | Flushing, Queens | Fresh Pond Road, Grand Avenue, and Corona Avenue | July 17, 1949 | now the Q58 (ex-B58) bus |
| Grand Street Line | Williamsburg | Maspeth, Queens | Grand Street and Grand Avenue | December 11, 1949 | now the Q59 (ex-B59) bus |
| Calvary Cemetery Line | Greenpoint | Calvary Cemetery, Queens | Greenpoint Avenue | January 26, 1930 | now the B24 bus |
North-south lines | |||||
| Furman Street Line | Red Hook | Downtown | Columbia Street and Furman Street | ||
| Hicks Street Line | Red Hook | Cobble Hill | Hicks Street | 1921 | |
| Erie Basin Line | Red Hook | Brooklyn Bridge | Columbia Street | March 5, 1944 | now the B61 bus |
| Crosstown Line | Red Hook | Greenpoint | Columbia Street, Flushing Avenue, Wythe Avenue, Driggs Avenue, Bedford Avenue, and Manhattan Avenue | January 27, 1951 | now the B61 & B62 bus |
| 65th Street-Fort Hamilton Line | Fort Hamilton | Sunset Park | 3rd Avenue and 2nd Avenue | March 1, 1942 | |
| Hamilton Avenue Line | Bay Ridge | Red Hook | 3rd Avenue and Hamilton Avenue | March 29, 1942 | |
| Smith Street Line | Windsor Terrace | Brooklyn Bridge | 9th Street and Smith Street | February 11, 1951 | now the B57 bus |
| Third Avenue Line | Fort Hamilton | Brooklyn Bridge | 3rd Avenue | March 1, 1942 | B37 bus until June 2010, service restored June 29, 2014 |
| Fifth Avenue Line | Fort Hamilton | Cobble Hill | 5th Avenue and Atlantic Avenue | February 20, 1949 | now the B63 bus |
| Seventh Avenue Line | Windsor Terrace | Brooklyn Bridge | 7th Avenue and Flatbush Avenue | February 11, 1951 | now the B67 bus |
| Eighth Avenue Line | Bay Ridge | Sunset Park | 8th Avenue and 39th Street | May 15, 1949 | now the B70 bus |
| West End Line | Coney Island | Sunset Park | New Utrecht Avenue | June 28, 1947 | |
| Sixteenth Avenue Line | New Utrecht | Kensington | 16th Avenue | January 26, 1930 | absorbed into Cortelyou Road trolley coach |
| McDonald Avenue Line | Coney Island | Windsor Terrace | McDonald Avenue | October 31, 1956 | portion north of Cortelyou Road now the B67/B69 buses |
| Coney Island Avenue Line | Coney Island | Windsor Terrace | Coney Island Avenue | November 30, 1955 | now the B68 bus |
| Greenpoint Line | Downtown | Greenpoint | Myrtle Avenue, Kent Avenue, and Franklin Street | November 19, 1945 | |
| Flatbush Avenue Line | Marine Park | Downtown | Flatbush Avenue | March 5, 1951 | now the B41 bus |
| Vanderbilt Avenue Line | Windsor Terrace | Downtown | Vanderbilt Avenue and Flushing Avenue | August 20, 1950 | now the B69 bus |
| Franklin Avenue Line | Prospect Park South | Williamsburg Bridge | Franklin Avenue and Wythe Avenue | October 28, 1945 | now the B48 bus |
| Ocean Avenue Line | Sheepshead Bay | Crown Heights | Ocean Avenue and Rogers Avenue | April 29, 1951 | now the B49 bus |
| Nostrand Avenue Line | Sheepshead Bay | Williamsburg Bridge | Nostrand Avenue and Lee Avenue | April 1, 1951 | now the B44 bus |
| Meeker and Marcy Avenues Line | Stuyvesant Heights | Greenpoint | Marcy Avenue and Meeker Avenue | April 17, 1939 | now the B24 bus |
| Tompkins Avenue Line | Prospect Park | Williamsburg Bridge | Empire Boulevard, Kingston Avenue, and Tompkins Avenue | August 24, 1947 | now the B43 bus |
| Union Avenue Line | Ridgewood, Queens | Greenpoint | Knickerbocker Avenue, Flushing Avenue, and Union Avenue | December 1, 1945 | |
| Lorimer Street Line | Prospect Park South | Greenpoint | Franklin Avenue, Lorimer Street, and Nassau Avenue | December 14, 1947 | now the B48 bus |
| Graham Avenue Line | Brooklyn Bridge | Hunters Point, Queens | Flushing Avenue, Graham Avenue, and Manhattan Avenue | December 21, 1948 | now the B43 bus |
| Sumner Avenue Line | Brownsville | Williamsburg Bridge | 98th Street, Sumner Avenue (Marcus Garvey Boulevard), and Broadway | July 20, 1947 | now the B15 bus |
| Utica and Reid Avenues Line | Flatlands | Williamsburg Bridge | Utica Avenue, Reid Avenue, and Broadway | March 18, 1951 | now the B46 bus |
| Ralph Avenue Line | Brownsville | Williamsburg Bridge | 98th Street, Ralph Avenue, and Broadway | November 1, 1943 | now the B47 bus |
| Ralph and Rockaway Avenues Line | Brownsville | Williamsburg Bridge | Rockaway Avenue, Ralph Avenue, and Broadway | May 27, 1951 | now the B47 bus |
| Rockaway Parkway Line | Canarsie Landing | Canarsie | Rockaway Parkway | April 29, 1951 | now the B42 bus |
| North Beach Line | Elmhurst, Queens | North Beach, Queens | Junction Boulevard | August 24, 1949 | now the Q72 (ex-B72) bus |
| Name | From | To | Major streets | Abandoned | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan Bridge Three Cent Line | Downtown Brooklyn | Chinatown, Manhattan | Manhattan Bridge | November 13, 1929 | |
| Hudson Avenue Line | Prospect Park | Downtown | Flatbush Avenue and Hudson Avenue | 1871 |
The BMT Brighton Line, also known as the Brighton Beach Line, is a rapid transit line in the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Local service is provided at all times by the Q train, but is joined by the B express train on weekdays. The Q train runs the length of the entire line from Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue to the Manhattan Bridge south tracks. The B begins at Brighton Beach and runs via the bridge's north tracks.
The Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT) was an urban transit holding company, based in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, and incorporated in 1923. The system was sold to the city in 1940. Today, together with the IND subway system, it forms the B Division of the modern New York City Subway.
The Dual Contracts, also known as the Dual Subway System, were contracts for the construction and/or rehabilitation and operation of rapid transit lines in the City of New York. The contracts were signed on March 19, 1913, by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company. As part of the Dual Contracts, the IRT and BRT would build or upgrade several subway lines in New York City, then operate them for 49 years.
The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) was a public transit holding company formed in 1896 to acquire and consolidate railway lines in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It was a prominent corporation and industry leader using the single-letter symbol B on the New York Stock Exchange.
The Brooklyn City Railroad (BCRR) was the oldest and one of the largest operators of streetcars in the City of Brooklyn, New York, continuing in that role when Brooklyn became a borough of New York City in 1898.
Starting in 1899, the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company and Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation operated rapid transit lines in New York City — at first only elevated railways and later also subways.
The South Brooklyn Railway is a railroad in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is owned by the government of New York City and operated by the New York City Transit Authority. Its original main line ran parallel to 38th Street from the Upper New York Bay to McDonald Avenue, and south on McDonald Avenue to the Coney Island Yards, mostly underneath the former Culver Shuttle and the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway.
Culver Depot, also called Culver Terminal or Culver Plaza, was a railroad and streetcar terminal in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, United States, located on the northern side of Surf Avenue near West 5th Street. It was just north of the boardwalk, near the former Luna Park amusement complex, and across from the current New York Aquarium. Originally built by the Prospect Park and Coney Island Railroad for the Culver surface line, it later became a major terminal for the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT).
The Culver Line, Gravesend Avenue Line, or McDonald Avenue Line was a surface public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running along McDonald Avenue and built by the Prospect Park and Coney Island Railroad. Most of its main line has been essentially replaced by the IND Culver Line of the New York City Subway.
The Rockaway Parkway Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, running mostly along Rockaway Parkway between Canarsie Pier and the Canarsie–Rockaway Parkway terminal of the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Originally a streetcar line, it is now the B42 bus route, operated by the New York City Transit Authority.
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 Brooklyn and Queens Transit Corporation (B&QT) was a subsidiary of the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation that operated streetcars in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It was created in 1929 to operate these routes, which had previously been operated by the BMT directly; its operations were transferred to the New York City Board of Transportation in 1940, and to the New York City Transit Authority in 1956.
The West End Line or New Utrecht Avenue Line was a surface transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running along New Utrecht Avenue and other streets between Coney Island and Sunset Park. Built by the Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Railroad as a steam line, it became a trolley line, along which elevated trains ran until the new elevated BMT West End Line opened. This route is no longer part of any bus line; its southern part was part of a bus route. In 2013, the B64 route to Coney Island was restored.
The Williamsburg Bridge Plaza, sometimes called Washington Plaza or the Williamsburg Bridge Transit Center, is a major bus terminal and former trolley terminal located at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, one block west of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (I-278). It is situated by the boundaries of Broadway, Havemeyer Street, Roebling Street, and South 5th Street, south of the LaGuardia Playground. It contains five bus lanes, and serves as a terminal for numerous MTA New York City Transit Authority bus routes of Brooklyn and Queens that start and end their runs there.
The Williamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal, also called the Essex Street Trolley Terminal or Delancey Street Trolley Terminal, was a trolley terminal located underground adjacent to the Essex Street subway station in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Passenger trolley service operated through the terminal from 1908 until 1948 when trolley service over the Williamsburg Bridge ended. The station was constructed with balloon loops for turning around streetcars after they crossed over the Williamsburg Bridge to send them back to Brooklyn.
The Manhattan Bridge Three Cent Line was a streetcar company that operated cars over the Manhattan Bridge between the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan in New York City. As the name implied, the fare was only 3 cents per ride.
The 86th Street Line or Streetcar Line #31 was a streetcar line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, mostly running along Bath Avenue and other Streets between Coney Island and Sunset Park. Built by the Brooklyn and Queens Transit Corporation as a Streetcar line this route has now been entirely replaced by the B1 and B64 buses.
Companies and predecessors of the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elevated railroads and subways |
|    | |||
| Streetcars and cable cars |
| ||||
| Buses | |||||
| Streetcar lists | |||||
| Other |
| ||||
