Brooklyn Bridge trolleys
Encyclopedia
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.
's Graham Avenue Line tracks in Sands Street. Cars could enter Sands Street to the west at Fulton Street
(many Brooklyn Heights lines) or to the east at Washington Street (Coney Island and Brooklyn Railroad's DeKalb Avenue Line
) or Adams Street (Nassau Electric Railroad
's Adams Street and Boerum Place Line
). From Washington Street, tracks ran east on High Street to the CI&B's Smith Street Line
, Concord Street on the Nassau Electric's Park Avenue Line and Vanderbilt Avenue Line
, and Myrtle Avenue on the Brooklyn Heights's Myrtle Avenue Line
. The first line across the bridge was the Graham Avenue Line, a minor line approaching downtown from the east on Sands Street. This line was chosen because of its half-hour headway, and its cars began crossing the bridge on January 23, 1898.
A new elevated trolley line on the Brooklyn end of the bridge opened on September 28, 1908, taking trolleys bound for Fulton Street through the Sands Street
station of the elevated railway
s and underneath the connection to the Fulton Street Elevated. This eliminated congestion caused by the crossing of the bridge-bound cars from Fulton Street and the Brooklyn-bound cars to eastbound Sands Street. The Court Street Line, Flatbush Avenue Line
, Fulton Street Line
, Gates Avenue Line, Myrtle Avenue Line
, Putnam Avenue Line
, and Union Street Line were moved to this route.
On January 26, 1908, Brooklyn Bridge Local trolley service between the two ends of the bridge was introduced. The cable car
s of the New York and Brooklyn Bridge Railway, on whose tracks the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company was providing through elevated railway
service, were discontinued the next day. Local trolley service ended in 1930.
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
, taking passengers from many points in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
and Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to the Park Row
Park Row (BMT station)
Park Row was a major elevated railway terminal constructed over the New York end of the Brooklyn Bridge, across from New York City Hall in Manhattan that served as the terminal for BMT services operating over the Brooklyn Bridge from the BMT Fulton Street Line, BMT Myrtle Avenue Line and their...
terminal in Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
. These lines entered the bridge roadway from Fulton Street
Fulton Street (Brooklyn)
Fulton Street, named after engineer Robert Fulton, exists mainly in two parts in what are today two boroughs of New York City which Fulton linked by his steam ferries, and each segment has its own distinct identity. This entry deals with Fulton Street in Brooklyn, which now begins at the...
or Sands Street in Downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City , and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn...
, some of them using elevated trackage at the Sands Street
Sands Street (BMT station)
Sands Street was a station on the demolished BMT Myrtle Avenue Line. It was a large complex with 2 levels. The upper level served trains going to Park Row. It had 4 tracks and 2 island platforms with the outside of the platforms serving streetcars. The lower level had a terminal and a loop for...
elevated railway
Elevated railway
An elevated railway is a form of rapid transit railway with the tracks built above street level on some form of viaduct or other steel or concrete structure. The railway concerned may be constructed according to the standard gauge, narrow gauge, light rail, monorail or suspension railway system...
station.
History
Initially, all lines reached the bridge by way of the Brooklyn Heights RailroadBrooklyn Heights Railroad
The Brooklyn Heights Railroad was a street railway company in the U.S. state of New York. It leased and operated the streetcar lines of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, but started out with the Montague Street Line, a short cable car line connecting the Wall Street Ferry with downtown Brooklyn...
's Graham Avenue Line tracks in Sands Street. Cars could enter Sands Street to the west at Fulton Street
Fulton Street (Brooklyn)
Fulton Street, named after engineer Robert Fulton, exists mainly in two parts in what are today two boroughs of New York City which Fulton linked by his steam ferries, and each segment has its own distinct identity. This entry deals with Fulton Street in Brooklyn, which now begins at the...
(many Brooklyn Heights lines) or to the east at Washington Street (Coney Island and Brooklyn Railroad's DeKalb Avenue Line
DeKalb Avenue Line
The DeKalb Avenue Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States, running mostly along DeKalb Avenue, as well as eastbound on Lafayette Avenue , between downtown Brooklyn and Ridgewood, Queens...
) or Adams Street (Nassau Electric Railroad
Nassau Electric Railroad
The Nassau Electric Railroad was an electric street railway company in the U.S. state of New York. The company operated throughout the borough of Brooklyn, as well as over the Brooklyn Bridge and Williamsburg Bridge into Manhattan....
's Adams Street and Boerum Place Line
Adams Street and Boerum Place Line
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...
). From Washington Street, tracks ran east on High Street to the CI&B's Smith Street Line
Smith Street Line (surface)
The Smith Street Line was a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running mostly along Ninth Street and Smith Street between Park Slope and Downtown Brooklyn. Originally a streetcar line, and later the B75, it is now split between the B57 and B61 bus routes...
, Concord Street on the Nassau Electric's Park Avenue Line and Vanderbilt Avenue Line
Vanderbilt Avenue Line
The Vanderbilt Avenue Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, running along 7th Avenue and Vanderbilt Avenue between Kensington and Dumbo...
, and Myrtle Avenue on the Brooklyn Heights's Myrtle Avenue Line
Myrtle Avenue Line (surface)
The Myrtle Avenue Line is a surface transit line on Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. It was the first streetcar line in Brooklyn, built by the Brooklyn City Railroad, and it is now the B54 bus route, operated by MTA New York City Bus' Fresh Pond Depot in Ridgewood, Queens...
. The first line across the bridge was the Graham Avenue Line, a minor line approaching downtown from the east on Sands Street. This line was chosen because of its half-hour headway, and its cars began crossing the bridge on January 23, 1898.
Sands Street (BMT station)
Sands Street was a station on the demolished BMT Myrtle Avenue Line. It was a large complex with 2 levels. The upper level served trains going to Park Row. It had 4 tracks and 2 island platforms with the outside of the platforms serving streetcars. The lower level had a terminal and a loop for...
station of the elevated railway
Elevated railway
An elevated railway is a form of rapid transit railway with the tracks built above street level on some form of viaduct or other steel or concrete structure. The railway concerned may be constructed according to the standard gauge, narrow gauge, light rail, monorail or suspension railway system...
s and underneath the connection to the Fulton Street Elevated. This eliminated congestion caused by the crossing of the bridge-bound cars from Fulton Street and the Brooklyn-bound cars to eastbound Sands Street. The Court Street Line, Flatbush Avenue Line
Flatbush Avenue Line (surface)
The Flatbush Avenue Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running along Flatbush Avenue between Downtown Brooklyn and Marine Park...
, Fulton Street Line
Fulton Street Line (Brooklyn surface)
The Fulton Street Line or East New York Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States along Fulton Street between Fulton Ferry and East New York...
, Gates Avenue Line, Myrtle Avenue Line
Myrtle Avenue Line (surface)
The Myrtle Avenue Line is a surface transit line on Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. It was the first streetcar line in Brooklyn, built by the Brooklyn City Railroad, and it is now the B54 bus route, operated by MTA New York City Bus' Fresh Pond Depot in Ridgewood, Queens...
, Putnam Avenue Line
Putnam Avenue Line
The Putnam Avenue Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running mostly along Fulton Street, Putnam Avenue, and Halsey Street between downtown Brooklyn and Ridgewood, Queens...
, and Union Street Line were moved to this route.
On January 26, 1908, Brooklyn Bridge Local trolley service between the two ends of the bridge was introduced. The cable car
Cable car (railway)
A cable car or cable railway is a mass transit system using rail cars that are hauled by a continuously moving cable running at a constant speed. Individual cars stop and start by releasing and gripping this cable as required...
s of the New York and Brooklyn Bridge Railway, on whose tracks the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company was providing through elevated railway
Elevated railway
An elevated railway is a form of rapid transit railway with the tracks built above street level on some form of viaduct or other steel or concrete structure. The railway concerned may be constructed according to the standard gauge, narrow gauge, light rail, monorail or suspension railway system...
service, were discontinued the next day. Local trolley service ended in 1930.
See also
- New York and Brooklyn Bridge Railway, a cable carCable car (railway)A cable car or cable railway is a mass transit system using rail cars that are hauled by a continuously moving cable running at a constant speed. Individual cars stop and start by releasing and gripping this cable as required...
line that was later operated as part of the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit CorporationBrooklyn-Manhattan Transit CorporationThe Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation 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 and today, together with the IND subway system, form the B Division of the New York City Subway...
's elevated railwayElevated railwayAn elevated railway is a form of rapid transit railway with the tracks built above street level on some form of viaduct or other steel or concrete structure. The railway concerned may be constructed according to the standard gauge, narrow gauge, light rail, monorail or suspension railway system...
system