The Eighth Avenue Line is a public transit line in Manhattan, New York City, running mostly along Eighth Avenue from Lower Manhattan to Harlem. Originally a streetcar line, it is now the M10 bus route and the M20 bus route, operated by the New York City Transit Authority. The M10 bus now only runs north of 57th Street (near Columbus Circle), and the M20 runs south of 66th Street. The whole line was a single route, the M10, until 2000 when the M20 was created.
The M10 and M20 bus routes serve the northern and southern halves of the Eighth Avenue corridor, respectively. The routes intersect in Upper Midtown Manhattan, between Lincoln Center and Columbus Circle. [5] Until 2000, the two routes were a single M10 route, running 10 miles (16 km) between Harlem and Lower Manhattan. [6]
The M10 bus begins in Harlem at Frederick Douglass Boulevard (Eighth Avenue) roughly where 158th Street would be located, on the east side of the Polo Grounds Towers housing complex. There is no actual intersection with 158th Street at this point. The route travels south on Frederick Douglass Boulevard, which becomes Central Park West at West 110th Street and Frederick Douglass Circle. At West 63rd Street in Lincoln Center, southbound buses turn west, then turn south on Broadway, terminating at 57th Street and Broadway just south of Columbus Circle. Northbound buses travel along the entire length of Eighth Avenue towards Harlem. [5] [7] Prior to 2010, the M10 continued south to Penn Station at 34th Street. [8] : 79
The M20 begins service at Broadway and West 63rd Street in Lincoln Center, at Dante Park. Southbound, the route travels through Columbus Circle, east along 59th Street, and south along Seventh Avenue, which becomes Seventh Avenue South and then Varick Street. At the end of Varick Street in Tribeca, the M20 runs south on West Broadway, then west along Chambers Street past West Street into Battery Park City. The route then travels along North End Avenue, Vesey Street, a short stretch of West Street, South End Avenue, Battery Place, and State Street. The route terminates at Whitehall Street along the Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal bus loop. [5] [9]
Northbound M20 buses follow essentially the same route through Battery Park City, except using Murray Street instead of Vesey Street. At Chambers Street and West Street, the route turns north onto West Street, east on Harrison Street, then north onto Hudson Street. At Abingdon Square Park and Bleecker Park, Hudson Street feeds into Eighth Avenue, which the M20 follows into Midtown. At West 66th Street, the M20 turns west, then turns south on Broadway, terminating at West 63rd Street. [5] [9]
The Eighth Avenue Railroad opened the line from the north end of the trackage shared with the Sixth Avenue Railroad's Sixth Avenue Line at Canal Street and Varick Street along Canal Street, Hudson Street, and Eighth Avenue to 51st Street on August 30, 1852. [1] It was eventually extended north to 159th Street, with a branch along Macomb's Lane to 154th Street, and another branch to the south along Canal Street east to Broadway.[ citation needed ]
Buses were substituted for streetcars by the Eighth Avenue Coach Corporation in March 1936, a company owned by Fifth Avenue Coach Company. [2] [10]
The New York City Omnibus Corporation took over operations of the route, known as Route 10, in 1951, and in 1956 it was renamed Fifth Avenue Coach Lines; the Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority replaced it in 1962.
On June 6, 1954, with the conversion of several streets to one-way streets, the route of the 10 was modified. Eighth Avenue was made one-way northbound between Abingdon Square and Columbus Circle, and Hudson Street was made one-way northbound between Chambers Street and Abingdon Square. Seventh Avenue was made one-way southbound between 47th Street and Houston Street, and Varick Street was made one-way southbound between Houston Street and Leonard Street. Southbound 10 service was rerouted along Broadway from Columbus Circle to Times Square, Seventh Avenue to West Broadway and West Broadway to Leonard Street. Initially, New York City Omnibus planned to reroute northbound Route 8 buses along Seventh Avenue to Hudson Street and Eighth Avenue for its entire route between 59th Street and Canal Street, and reroute a portion of southbound service from Times Square's east side to the west side starting at 47th Street on June 12, 1954. [11] [12] Instead, at the request of T. T. Wiley, the Traffic Commissioner, Route 8 was discontinued and combined with Route 10 on June 13. This change eliminated a u-turn at Central Park South and Seventh Avenue. [13] [14] [15] [16]
In 1962, when the Surface Company bought the route they put one bus service for the entire length. This was given the route number 10, which then became bus M10.[ citation needed ] In Fiscal Year 1963, the route was modified due to the conversion of some two-way streets to one-way streets. Service began running north along Hudson Street and south along Seventh Avenue. [17] On January 16, 1966, the branch of the M10 to Cortlandt Street was cut back to Vesey Street in anticipation of the demapping of several streets for the construction of the World Trade Center. [18] Service used a terminal loop of West Broadway, Vesey Street, Church Street and Reade Street, with the terminal being located at Park Place. [19] Previously service had traveled south along West Broadway, west on Cortlandt Street, north on the West Side Highway, east on Dey Street, and north on Church Street. [20]
On May 9, 1977, weekday limited-stop service began on the M10, operating northbound between 4 p.m. and 5:20 p.m., and southbound between 6:40 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.. [21]
The New York City Transit Authority proposed officially eliminating M10 Limited service along 145th Street and Lenox Avenue to Esplanade Gardens at 147th Street on December 30, 1986. Two southbound trips and three northbound trips had operated to this terminal, but due to passenger confusion and low ridership, this service was ended in late 1986 by the Surface Operations Department. The official change would reroute these trips to the usual northern terminal at 159th Street, and would take effect in March 1987. [22]
On April 22, 1987, the New York City Transit Authority proposed several modifications to bus routes in Lower Manhattan to serve Battery Park City to the MTA Board, including the extension of the M10. Southbound service was extended south along West Broadway, west along Vesey Street, south along West Street, west on West Thames Street, and north on Sound End Avenue to the terminal at Liberty Street. Northbound service then ran north along South End Avenue, east along Liberty Street, north on West Street, east on Harrison Street and north via Hudson Street before returning to the existing route. This change eliminated service at four stops along Church Street and Reade Street, and service along Hudson Street between West Broadway and Harrison Street, affecting fewer than 100 riders, and removed a bottleneck at Reade Street. This change was implemented at the end of 1987. [23]
In January 1999, the MTA issued a performance report on the M10 route, calling the route "extremely long and unreliable", with long headways between buses. [6] On January 16, 2000, the M10 was split into two routes, with the northern section from Harlem to Penn Station still operating under the M10 designation, and the southern segment from Columbus Circle to Battery Park City being renamed the M20. [6] The two routes overlapped between Penn Station and Columbus Circle. Riders transferring between the M10 and the M20 were given an additional free transfer. Since the M10 no longer served Abingdon Square, westbound M14 service was increased during the afternoon. [24]
After the September 11 attacks in 2001, M20 service was initially revised to terminate in the northern section of Battery Park City without entering the southern section of the neighborhood. 700 riders a day headed to the northern section of the neighborhood during this period. On May 6, 2002, the M20's previous route was restored. [25] In December 2002, the MTA announced plans to reroute the M20 from West Street to serve the northern portion of Battery Park City. West Street was difficult to cross, and the M20 could not stop on West Street southbound due to high curbs. Northbound service would travel north via West Street, west via Murray Street, north of North End Avenue, and east on Chambers Street before heading back to its previous route, while southbound service would head west on Chambers Street, south on North End Avenue, east on Vesey Street, and south on West Street, before resuming its previous route. The change was estimated to cost $160,000 annually, and would take effect in January 2003. [26]
Due to budget constraints during the Great Recession, M10 buses' southern terminus was truncated to Columbus Circle on June 27, 2010. On the same day, the M20 was extended to South Ferry, replacing the section of the M9 south of City Hall. [8] : 73, 74, 79 The truncation, which saved $1.1 million annually, resulted in a significant drop in ridership on the M10, with riders instead using the M7, the M20, and the subway. M20 ridership increased with the truncation of M10 service and its extension to South Ferry. [27] : B-38, 39, 46 On April 3, 2011, however, M10 service was extended by two blocks to 57th Street, with the final southbound stop at 58th Street and Broadway and the first northbound stop at 57th Street and Eighth Avenue. [28] [29]
The D Sixth Avenue Express is a rapid transit service in the B Division of the New York City Subway. Its route emblem, or "bullet", is colored orange, since it uses the IND Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan.
The 23rd Street Crosstown is a surface transit line on 23rd Street in Manhattan, New York City. It currently hosts the M23 SBS bus route of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s Regional Bus Operations. The M23 runs between Chelsea Piers, along the West Side Highway near 22nd Street, via 23rd Street, to Avenue C and 20th Street in Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village.
Eighth Avenue is a major north–south avenue on the west side of Manhattan in New York City, carrying northbound traffic below 59th Street. It is one of the original avenues of the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 to run the length of Manhattan, though today the name changes twice: At 59th Street/Columbus Circle, it becomes Central Park West, where it forms the western boundary of Central Park, and north of 110th Street/Frederick Douglass Circle, it is known as Frederick Douglass Boulevard before merging onto Harlem River Drive north of 155th Street.
The 59th Street–Columbus Circle station is a New York City Subway station complex shared by the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line and the IND Eighth Avenue Line. It is located at Columbus Circle in Manhattan, where 59th Street, Broadway and Eighth Avenue intersect, and serves Central Park, the Upper West Side, Hell's Kitchen, and Midtown Manhattan. The station is served by the 1, A, and D trains at all times; the C train at all times except late nights; the B train during weekdays until 11:00 p.m.; and the 2 train during late nights.
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.
The First and Second Avenues Line, also known as the Second Avenue Line, is a bus route in Manhattan, New York City, running mostly along Second Avenue from Lower Manhattan to East Harlem. Originally a streetcar line along Second Avenue, it is now the M15 bus route, the busiest bus route in the city and United States, carrying 16.4 million riders annually. MTA Regional Bus Operations, under the New York City Bus and Select Bus Service brands, operates the local out of the Tuskegee Airmen Bus Depot and the SBS from the Mother Clara Hale Bus Depot. Service is operated with articulated buses, unless supplemental service is needed.
The Third and Lexington Avenues Line, also known as the Third Avenue Line, is a public transit line in Manhattan, New York City, running from Lower Manhattan to Fort George in Washington Heights. Originally a streetcar line, it now consists of the M98, M101, M102, and M103 bus routes, operated by the New York City Transit Authority. The M98 bus route operates on Third Avenue between East 65th Street and East 127th Street, although it previously continued to 32nd Street. The M101, M102 and M103 bus routes run southbound on Lexington Avenue north of East 24th Street.
The Sixth Avenue Line was a public transit line in Manhattan, New York City, running mostly along Sixth Avenue from Lower Manhattan to Central Park. Originally a streetcar line and later a bus route, it has been absorbed into the M5 bus route, which replaced the Broadway Line, as its northbound direction.
The Ninth and Tenth Avenues Line or Ninth Avenue Line is a surface transit line in the New York City borough of Manhattan, running mostly along Ninth Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue from Lower Manhattan to Manhattanville. Originally a streetcar line operated by the Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority, it is now the M11 bus route operated by the New York City Transit Authority.
The M5 and M55 bus routes constitute a public transit corridor in Manhattan, New York City, running along the Fifth / Sixth Avenues / Riverside Drive Line as well as the southern portion of the Broadway Line after the discontinuation of the M6. The routes primarily run along Broadway, Fifth and Sixth Avenues, and Riverside Drive from South Ferry, Lower Manhattan to Washington Heights. The M5 covers the northern portion of the route north of 31st Street, while the M55 operates along the southern portion of the route south of 44th Street. The two routes overlap in Midtown Manhattan. The portion along Broadway south of East 8th Street was originally a streetcar line.
The Columbus Avenue Line is a public transit line in Manhattan, New York City, running mostly along Columbus Avenue, 116th Street, and Lenox Avenue from Lower Manhattan to Harlem. Originally a streetcar line, it is now the M7 bus route, operated by the New York City Transit Authority, a division of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
The Seventh Avenue Line is a surface public transit line in Manhattan, New York City, United States, connecting Lower Manhattan with Central Park along Seventh Avenue. Once a streetcar line, it is now part of the southbound direction of the M10 and M20 bus routes.
The Broadway Line is a surface transit line in Manhattan, New York City, running mainly along 42nd Street and Broadway from Murray Hill to Harlem. Formerly a streetcar line operated by the Third Avenue Railway, it is now the M104 bus route operated by the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. This bus route no longer runs along the entire route of the former streetcar.
The M1, M2, M3, and M4 are four local bus routes that operate the Fifth and Madison Avenues Lines – along the one-way pair of Madison and Fifth Avenues in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Though the routes also run along other major avenues, the majority of their route is along Madison and Fifth Avenues between Greenwich Village and Harlem.
The M12 bus route constitutes a public transit line in Manhattan, New York City. The M12 operates between Columbus Circle and Abingdon Square, serving Manhattan's West Side. It uses 11th and 12th Avenues between 14th and 57th Streets. It was introduced in 2014 to provide better service to the far west side.
The SIM1, SIM1C, SIM7,SIM10, and SIM11 bus routes constitute a public transit line in Staten Island and Manhattan, New York. The routes all operate on Richmond Avenue and Hylan Boulevard on Staten Island, but go to three separate terminals in Manhattan.
The B99, Bx99, and M99 bus routes formed a temporary night bus service in the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. The three bus routes were created to replace overnight subway service during the height of COVID-19 pandemic, while the subway system was closed to the public between 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM. All three routes overlapped in Manhattan allowing customers to easily transfer between services.
The 34th Street Crosstown Line is a surface transit line on 34th Street in Manhattan, New York City, United States. It currently hosts the M34/M34A SBS routes of MTA's Regional Bus Operations. The M34 runs from 12th Avenue to FDR Drive via 34th Street, while the M34A runs from Port Authority Bus Terminal to Waterside Plaza.
The M31 and M57 bus routes constitute the 57th Street Crosstown Line, a public transit line in Manhattan, New York City, running primarily along 57th Street. The M31 runs between 11th Avenue and 54th Street in Hell's Kitchen to 1st Avenue and 92nd Street in Yorkville. The M57 runs from 72nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue in the Upper West Side to Sutton Place and 57th Street in Sutton Place.
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