Nostrand Avenue Line (surface)
Encyclopedia
The Nostrand Avenue Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn
, New York City
, United States
, running mostly along Nostrand Avenue
, as well as northbound on New York Avenue and Bedford Avenue (as part of a one-way pair
), between Sheepshead Bay
and Williamsburg
. Originally a streetcar line, it is now the B44 bus route, operated by the New York City Transit Authority
.
in Williamsburg
south over the Brooklyn City Rail Road's Greenpoint Line
on Kent Avenue and Classon Avenue, east on its Flushing Avenue Line on Flushing Avenue
, and south on Nostrand Avenue
to Flatbush
. The charter allowed them to use Lee Avenue instead from Williamsburg, but residents along that street opposed its use. Tracks were however placed in Lee Avenue in early 1873, and opened soon after, running from the Broadway Ferry east over the Broadway Railroad's Broadway Line
on Broadway
and south on Driggs Avenue and Lee Avenue.
An extension from Empire Boulevard south to the Flatbush Avenue Line
opened on July 15, 1895, after some delay, and the Holy Cross Cemetery Line
was moved to a branch of the line along Tilden Avenue. The line eventually reached Avenue U.
Effective 5 am, December 5, 1948, the line was cut back from Essex Street on the Manhattan
side of the Williamsburg Bridge
to the Williamsburg Bridge Plaza in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
. Service across the bridge was replaced with a transfer to the new B39 bus route, which is now discontinued. Buses were substituted for streetcars on April 1, 1951; the B44 bus now continues south past Avenue U into Sheepshead Bay, some B44 buses now go as far as Emmons Avenue.
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...
, 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...
, running mostly along Nostrand Avenue
Nostrand Avenue
Nostrand Avenue is a major street in Brooklyn, New York, that runs north from Emmons Avenue in Sheepshead Bay to Flushing Avenue in Williamsburg, where it continues as Lee Avenue. From Flushing Avenue to Farragut Road, Nostrand Avenue is a two-lane street...
, as well as northbound on New York Avenue and Bedford Avenue (as part of a one-way pair
One-way pair
A one-way pair, one-way couple, or just couplet is a pair of parallel, usually one-way streets that carry opposite directions of a signed route or major traffic flow, or sometimes opposite directions of a bus or streetcar route....
), between Sheepshead Bay
Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn
Sheepshead Bay is a bay separating the mainland of Brooklyn, New York City from the eastern portion of Coney Island, the latter originally a barrier island but now effectively an extension of the mainland with peninsulas both east and west...
and Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
. Originally a streetcar line, it is now the B44 bus route, operated by the New York City Transit Authority
New York City Transit Authority
The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City...
.
History
The Williamsburgh and Flatbush Railroad was chartered in 1868, and opened in 1870 from the Broadway FerryBroadway Ferry
Broadway Ferry was a ferry landing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City, United States at the foot of Broadway. Boats connected it to the Grand Street Ferry, East 23rd Street Ferry, and James Slip landings in Manhattan. In Brooklyn, the Broadway El ended at the ferry....
in Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
south over the Brooklyn City Rail Road's Greenpoint Line
Greenpoint Line
The Greenpoint Line was a streetcar line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. When it stopped operating, it was not replaced by a bus route.-History:The line was opened by the Brooklyn City Railroad in October 1854 to Bushwick Creek....
on Kent Avenue and Classon Avenue, east on its Flushing Avenue Line on Flushing Avenue
Flushing Avenue
Flushing Avenue is an approximately five mile street running through northern Brooklyn and west central Queens beginning at the termination of Nassau Street, on the northern fringe of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, and ending where it merges with Grand Avenue, in Maspeth. It divides the neighborhood of...
, and south on Nostrand Avenue
Nostrand Avenue
Nostrand Avenue is a major street in Brooklyn, New York, that runs north from Emmons Avenue in Sheepshead Bay to Flushing Avenue in Williamsburg, where it continues as Lee Avenue. From Flushing Avenue to Farragut Road, Nostrand Avenue is a two-lane street...
to Flatbush
Flatbush, Brooklyn
Flatbush is a community of the Borough of Brooklyn, a part of New York City, consisting of several neighborhoods.The name Flatbush is an Anglicization of the Dutch language Vlacke bos ....
. The charter allowed them to use Lee Avenue instead from Williamsburg, but residents along that street opposed its use. Tracks were however placed in Lee Avenue in early 1873, and opened soon after, running from the Broadway Ferry east over the Broadway Railroad's Broadway Line
Broadway Line (Brooklyn surface)
The Broadway Line was a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States along Broadway between Williamsburg and East New York. Originally a streetcar line, it later became a bus route, but no bus currently operates over the entire length of Broadway, with the BMT Jamaica Line...
on Broadway
Broadway (Brooklyn)
Broadway is an avenue in the New York City borough of Brooklyn that extends from the East River in the neighborhood of Williamsburg in a southeasterly direction to East New York for a length of 4.32 miles . It was named for Broadway in Manhattan. The East New York terminus is a complicated...
and south on Driggs Avenue and Lee Avenue.
An extension from Empire Boulevard south to the 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...
opened on July 15, 1895, after some delay, and the Holy Cross Cemetery Line
Holy Cross Cemetery Line
The Holy Cross Cemetery Line was a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running as a short branch of the Nostrand Avenue Line east to Holy Cross Cemetery on Tilden Avenue...
was moved to a branch of the line along Tilden Avenue. The line eventually reached Avenue U.
Effective 5 am, December 5, 1948, the line was cut back from Essex Street on the Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
side of the Williamsburg Bridge
Williamsburg Bridge
The Williamsburg Bridge is a suspension bridge in New York City across the East River connecting the Lower East Side of Manhattan at Delancey Street with the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn at Broadway near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway...
to the Williamsburg Bridge Plaza in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
. Service across the bridge was replaced with a transfer to the new B39 bus route, which is now discontinued. Buses were substituted for streetcars on April 1, 1951; the B44 bus now continues south past Avenue U into Sheepshead Bay, some B44 buses now go as far as Emmons Avenue.