128-583: 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 . It operated both passenger and freight services on its rail rapid transit, elevated and subway network, making it unique among
256-454: A guideway . This is an uncommon mode of transportation (excluding elevators ) due to the complexity of automation. A fully implemented system might provide most of the convenience of individual automobiles with the efficiency of public transit. The crucial innovation is that the automated vehicles carry just a few passengers, turn off the guideway to pick up passengers (permitting other PRT vehicles to continue at full speed), and drop them off to
384-730: A $ 346,000 low bid for the finishes. At the time, work on the section of the line north of 14th Street had not advanced as far as the section to the south, and the BRT blamed the city government for delays in opening the line. By that October, stations between Morris Street (in Lower Manhattan) and 14th Street were 35 percent completed. A. W. King was hired to install finishes in the 34th Street and Times Square stations in July 1917. The Public Service Commission indicated in February 1917 that it
512-543: A body of water. A foot-passenger ferry with many stops is sometimes called a water bus . Ferries form a part of the public transport systems of many waterside cities and islands, allowing direct transit between points at a capital cost much lower than bridges or tunnels, though at a lower speed. Ship connections of much larger distances (such as over long distances in water bodies like the Mediterranean Sea ) may also be called ferry services. A report published by
640-759: A branch along Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 59th Street from Ninth Street north and east to the Queensboro Bridge ; the Canal Street subway was to merge with the Broadway Line instead of continuing to the Hudson River. The IRT initially opposed the BRT's plans to operate a subway line under Broadway in Manhattan, as the IRT wanted to operate the line itself, but the BRT persisted. In May 1911,
768-455: A budget shortfall, service on the Broadway Line was reduced. The W train was discontinued and was replaced by N and Q service in Manhattan and Queens, respectively. The N train, which replaced the W, began running local north of Canal Street at all times, and the Q train was extended to/from Astoria, Queens via the 60th Street Tunnel in place of the W on weekdays, stopping on the local tracks starting at Times Square–42nd Street. In December 2014,
896-715: A connection to a never-built East River tunnel south of the Montague Street Tunnel that would have connected to Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. It has been proposed to use this as part of the Lower Manhattan–Jamaica/JFK Transportation Project , connecting to the Court Street station ( New York Transit Museum ) in Brooklyn. The BMT Broadway Line then curves east carrying the R train to a trailing non-revenue connection with
1024-508: A connection would cause severe train congestion. The BRT wanted to connect the lines, citing the fact that it would be difficult for passengers to transfer at the Canal Street station or to reroute trains in case of emergency. East of Centre Street , the Canal Street line had four tracks, although the southern two tracks turned south onto the Centre Street Loop . Work on the Canal Street line proceeded slowly, in part because of
1152-420: A decline in public transport usage. A number of sources attribute this trend to the rise in popularity of remote work, ride-sharing services, and car loans being relatively cheap across many countries. Major cities such as Toronto, Paris, Chicago, and London have seen this decline and have attempted to intervene by cutting fares and encouraging new modes of transportation, such as e-scooters and e-bikes. Because of
1280-493: A direct link to Manhattan. Two days later, W trains were reintroduced, running local on weekdays between Ditmars Boulevard and Whitehall Street. The N train once again became a weekday express in Manhattan between 34th Street–Herald Square and Canal Street . Q trains terminated at 57th Street–Seventh Avenue at all times until the first phase of the Second Avenue Subway opened on January 1, 2017, at which point
1408-552: A few stops per city. These services may also be international. High-speed rail is passenger trains operating significantly faster than conventional rail—typically defined as at least 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph). The most predominant systems have been built in Europe and East Asia, and compared with air travel, offer long-distance rail journeys as quick as air services, have lower prices to compete more effectively and use electricity instead of combustion. Urban rail transit
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#17327649763681536-539: A grade-separated junction, allowing Broadway service via 59th Street and Eighth Avenue to coexist. The provisions from two express tracks were connected to the BMT 63rd Street Line in 1989. The provisions from the two local tracks remain unused. South of the Whitehall Street station, provisions were built to allow for two tunnels to Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. New York City's first subway line , operated by
1664-606: A new EE local was created, running between Forest Hills and Whitehall Street during weekdays. The Q, which was the only service via the Brighton Line, was converted to the rush-hour only QB, running express in Manhattan from 57th Street. Most of the trips were moved to the IND Sixth Avenue Line as a relocated D , but a few trips stayed as the QB. QT service was discontinued. Another rush-hours only express service,
1792-606: A pair of double-track tunnels connecting the IND Sixth Avenue Line south of the Broadway–Lafayette Street station with the Williamsburg Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge north tracks. The Broadway Line had previously been connected to the north tracks of the Manhattan Bridge. As part of the project, the Broadway Line was connected to the south tracks, which had been previously used by trains from
1920-475: A point north of Canal Street , where the express tracks carrying the N and Q services descend and turn sharply east to separate platforms from the local tracks, before crossing the south side of the Manhattan Bridge to go to Brooklyn. Immediately after Canal Street, the express tracks resume again (originally they had been intended to run through) and serve as storage and turning tracks, bypassing
2048-438: A posted fee for each trip. There is no rigid definition of which kinds of transport are included, and air travel is often not thought of when discussing public transport—dictionaries use wording like "buses, trains, etc." Examples of public transport include city buses , trolleybuses , trams (or light rail ) and passenger trains , rapid transit (metro/subway/underground, etc.) and ferries . Public transport between cities
2176-676: A railway with freight trains . A rapid transit railway system (also called a metro, underground, heavy rail, or subway) operates in an urban area with high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Heavy rail is a high-capacity form of rail transit, with 4 to 10 units forming a train, and can be the most expensive form of transit to build. Modern heavy rail systems are mostly driverless, which allows for higher frequencies and less maintenance cost. Systems are able to transport large numbers of people quickly over short distances with little land use. Variations of rapid transit include people movers , small-scale light metro and
2304-578: A separate line, the Broadway Line, which tied into the Broadway–Lexington Avenue Line south of 14th Street. The Public Service Commission began soliciting bids for section 1 of the Broadway Line from 16th to 26th Streets, which included the 23rd Street station , in July 1913. This segment was awarded to the E. E. Smith Construction Company that September. By early 1914, contracts had been let for all segments from Whitehall Street to 26th Street. The Public Service Commission approved plans for
2432-480: A set of trolley poles for mobility. Online Electric Vehicles are buses that run on a conventional battery, but are recharged frequently at certain points via underground wires. Certain types of buses, styled after old-style streetcars, are also called trackless trolleys, but are built on the same platforms as a typical diesel , CNG , or hybrid bus; these are more often used for tourist rides than commuting and tend to be privately owned. Passenger rail transport
2560-412: A single (or return) trip, or valid within a certain area for a period of time (see transit pass ). The fare is based on the travel class, either depending on the traveled distance, or based on zone pricing . The tickets may have to be shown or checked automatically at the station platform or when boarding, or during the ride by a conductor . Operators may choose to control all riders, allowing sale of
2688-684: A small section turning north after the Crescent Street station. Most of the other surviving structures were either built new or rehabilitated between 1915 and 1922 as part of the Dual Contracts . One piece of structure – the elevated portion of the Franklin Avenue Shuttle , built in 1896 and 1905 – was extensively rebuilt in 1999. Several BRT-era equipment have been preserved. This includes nine BU cars and five AB Standard cars, all which were also operated by
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#17327649763682816-413: A smaller suburban or town center. The stations are often combined with shuttle bus or park and ride systems. Frequency may be up to several times per hour, and commuter rail systems may either be part of the national railway or operated by local transit agencies. Common forms of commuter rail employ either diesel electric locomotives, or electric multiple unit trains. Some commuter train lines share
2944-574: A station and exchange passengers. There is often a potential conflict between this objective and optimising the utilisation of vehicles and drivers. The main sources of financing are ticket revenue, government subsidies and advertising. The percentage of revenue from passenger charges is known as the farebox recovery ratio . A limited amount of income may come from land development and rental income from stores and vendors, parking fees, and leasing tunnels and rights-of-way to carry fiber optic communication lines. Most—but not all—public transport requires
3072-431: A tram line. Light rail lines are, thus, essentially modernized interurbans . Unlike trams, light rail trains are often longer and have one to four cars per train. Somewhere between light and heavy rail in terms of carbon footprint , monorail systems usually use overhead single tracks, either mounted directly on the track supports or put in an overhead design with the train suspended. Monorail systems are used throughout
3200-507: Is a term used for buses operating on dedicated right-of-way, much like a light rail. Coach services use coaches (long-distance buses) for suburb-to-CBD or longer-distance transportation. The vehicles are normally equipped with more comfortable seating, a separate luggage compartment, video and possibly also a toilet. They have higher standards than city buses, but a limited stopping pattern. Trolleybuses are electrically powered buses that receive power from overhead power line by way of
3328-496: Is a transit technology that moves people in motor-less, engine-less vehicles that are propelled by a steel cable. There are two sub-groups of CPT— gondola lifts and cable cars (railway) . Gondola lifts are supported and propelled from above by cables, whereas cable cars are supported and propelled from below by cables. While historically associated with usage in ski resorts , gondola lifts are now finding increased consumption and utilization in many urban areas—built specifically for
3456-421: Is an all-encompassing term for various types of local rail systems, such as these examples trams , light rail , rapid transit , people movers , commuter rail , monorail , suspension railways and funiculars . Commuter rail is part of an urban area's public transport. It provides faster services to outer suburbs and neighboring satellite cities . Trains stop at train stations that are located to serve
3584-484: Is common with roads for automobiles. Interchanges are locations where passengers can switch from one public transport route to another. This may be between vehicles of the same mode (like a bus interchange), or e.g. between bus and train. It can be between local and intercity transport (such as at a central station or airport). Timetables (or 'schedules' in North American English ) are provided by
3712-610: Is dominated by airlines , coaches , and intercity rail . High-speed rail networks are being developed in many parts of the world. Most public transport systems run along fixed routes with set embarkation/disembarkation points to a prearranged timetable, with the most frequent services running to a headway (e.g.: "every 15 minutes" as opposed to being scheduled for any specific time of the day). However, most public transport trips include other modes of travel, such as passengers walking or catching bus services to access train stations. Share taxis offer on-demand services in many parts of
3840-430: Is especially valuable in cases where there are capacity problems for private transport. Investments in infrastructure are expensive and make up a substantial part of the total costs in systems that are new or expanding. Once built, the infrastructure will require operating and maintenance costs, adding to the total cost of public transport. Sometimes governments subsidize infrastructure by providing it free of charge, just as
3968-961: Is often referred to as the "N and R", since those were the only services on the line from 1988 to 2001, when the Manhattan Bridge 's southern tracks were closed for rebuilding. The Broadway Line was built to give the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (later the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation , or BMT) access to Midtown Manhattan . The line is named for its location under Broadway between Vesey Street and Seventh Avenue /45th Street ( Times Square ). It also passes under Vesey Street, Whitehall Street , Trinity Place , and Church Street in Lower Manhattan , and Seventh Avenue, 59th Street , and 60th Street in Midtown . The local tracks stretch
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4096-656: Is reasonably comfortable (seats, toilets, services), and can thus be scheduled and used pleasurably, productively or for (overnight) rest. Chauffeured movement is enjoyed by many people when it is relaxing, safe, but not too monotonous. Waiting, interchanging, stops and holdups, for example due to traffic or for security, are discomforting. Jet lag is a human constraint discouraging frequent rapid long-distance east–west commuting, favoring modern telecommunications and VR technologies. An airline provides scheduled service with aircraft between airports. Air travel has high speeds, but incurs large waiting times before and after travel, and
4224-444: Is the conveyance of passengers by means of wheeled vehicles specially designed to run on railways. Trains allow high capacity at most distance scales, but require track , signalling , infrastructure and stations to be built and maintained resulting in high upfront costs. Intercity rail is long-haul passenger services that connect multiple urban areas. They have few stops, and aim at high average speeds, typically only making one of
4352-597: Is the oldest existing piece of rapid transit right-of-way in New York City, and in the U.S., having opened on June 8, 1864. Initially the surface and elevated railroad lines ran on steam power . Between 1893 and 1900 the lines were converted to electricity operation. An exception was the service on the Brooklyn Bridge . Trains were operated by cables from 1883 to 1896, when they were converted to electric power By 1900, it had acquired virtually all of
4480-721: Is therefore often only feasible over longer distances or in areas where a lack of surface infrastructure makes other modes of transport impossible. Bush airlines work more similarly to bus stops; an aircraft waits for passengers and takes off when the aircraft is full. Bus services use buses on conventional roads to carry numerous passengers on shorter journeys. Buses operate with low capacity (compared with trams or trains), and can operate on conventional roads, with relatively inexpensive bus stops to serve passengers. Therefore, buses are commonly used in smaller cities, towns, and rural areas, and for shuttle services supplementing other means of transit in large cities. Bus rapid transit (BRT)
4608-447: The 57th Street–Seventh Avenue station. At the 57th Street station, the line joins two express tracks that enter the station from the north via the BMT 63rd Street Line , which the Q uses (with rush hour service from the N and R). The line proceeds as a four-track subway down Seventh Avenue to its intersection with Broadway at Times Square-42nd Street , and then continues down Broadway to
4736-526: The B Division of the New York City Subway in Manhattan . As of November 2016 , it is served by four services, all colored yellow: the N and Q trains on the express tracks and the R and W trains on the local tracks during weekdays (the N and Q trains make local stops during late nights, as do the N and R trains on weekends). The line
4864-500: The BMT Nassau Street Line (no regular service) and enters the Montague Street Tunnel to Brooklyn. Because of the complicated history, the Broadway Line includes several remnants of earlier plans. The line was built as four tracks south to City Hall, where the local tracks were to terminate on the upper level, and the express tracks were to use the lower level, curving through Vesey Street into Church Street. However,
4992-575: The BMT Nassau Street Line . The connection between the south tracks and the Nassau Street Line was severed, and the connection between the Broadway Line and the north tracks was also severed. Many routes, including those on the Broadway Line, changed as a result of the opening of the connection on November 26, 1967. The RR local was rerouted to Astoria, running 24/7 between Ditmars Boulevard and Bay Ridge–95th Street . To replace it in Queens,
5120-536: The Brooklyn, Queens County and Suburban Railroad leased on July 1, 1898. The BRT took over the property of a number of surface railroads, the earliest of which, the Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Railroad or West End Line , opened for passenger service on October 9, 1863, between Fifth Avenue at 36th Street at the then border of Brooklyn City and Bath Beach in the Town of Gravesend, New York . A short piece of surface route of this railroad, near Coney Island Creek ,
5248-736: The IND/BMT 63rd Street Line (connecting with the Second Avenue Subway ). The Broadway Line was the only Manhattan outlet north of Delancey Street for the BMT's Brooklyn lines until 1967, when the opening of the Chrystie Street Connection allowed most BMT Brighton Line and BMT West End Line service to be moved to the IND Sixth Avenue Line . The following services use the Broadway Line and are colored yellow: The BMT Broadway Line begins at
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5376-548: The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT), ran along Broadway in Lower Manhattan and Upper Manhattan , but it detoured away from Broadway between New York City Hall and Times Square . John B. McDonald , the contractor who built the first subway line, had considered constructing a subway line under part of the remaining portion of Broadway as early as April 1902. The line would have run between Union Square and Times Square, merging with
5504-536: The Manhattan Bridge to a junction with the aforementioned Nassau Street Line at Canal Street . The BRT opened the first segment of its Manhattan main line subway, the Broadway Line , as far as 14th Street–Union Square on September 4, 1917. The Broadway Line was completed in 1920. The BRT's only crosstown Manhattan line, the Canarsie Line , opened in 1924. During the beginning of the BRT's existence,
5632-627: The New York Consolidated Railroad . In 1913, the BRT, through another subsidiary, the New York Municipal Railway , signed the Dual Contracts with the government of New York City , to construct and operate new subways and other rapid transit lines to be built or improved under these contracts. Almost all subsequent BRT lines were built as part of the contracts. The BRT opened its first Brooklyn subway under Fourth Avenue on June 22, 1915, running over
5760-613: The Prince Street station . The same month, the Degnon Construction Company submitted a low bid for the construction of section 2 of the Broadway–Lexington Avenue Line, from Park Place to Walker Street (two blocks south of Howard Street), for $ 2.356 million; this segment included the City Hall station . The Canal Street station was to be built as part of section 2A, between Walker and Howard Streets, which
5888-550: The rapid transit and streetcar operations in its target area: Only the Coney Island and Brooklyn Railroad and the short Van Brunt Street and Erie Basin Railroad remained independent; the former was acquired in 1913 or 1914. BRT opened its first short subway segment, consisting only of an underground terminal at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge at Delancey and Essex Streets in Manhattan on June 16, 1908. This line
6016-482: The stagecoaches traveling a fixed route between coaching inns , and the horse-drawn boat carrying paying passengers, which was a feature of European canals from the 17th century onwards. The canal itself as a form of infrastructure dates back to antiquity. In ancient Egypt canals were used for freight transportation to bypass the Aswan cataract. The Chinese also built canals for water transportation as far back as
6144-851: The warring States period which began in the 5th century BCE. Whether or not those canals were used for for-hire public transport remains unknown; the Grand Canal in China (begun in 486 BCE) served primarily the grain trade . The bus , the first organized public transit system within a city, appears to have originated in Paris in 1662, although the service in question, Carrosses à cinq sols (English: five-sol coaches), which have been developed by mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal , lasted only fifteen years until 1677. Buses are known to have operated in Nantes in 1826. The public bus transport system
6272-579: The 1967 opening of the Chrystie Street Connection. Several other services have used the express tracks, including the NX (Sea Beach, 1967–1968) and the B (West End) and D (Brighton) during closures of the Manhattan Bridge north tracks in the 1980s and 1990s. On May 6, 1985, double letters were eliminated, and the QB was relabeled the Q, and the RR was relabeled the R. On April 26, 1986,
6400-482: The 1986–1988 service pattern with only the south side Broadway Line tracks in service. However, the Broadway side was not yet ready. As a result, during middays and weekends, the north side of the bridge was also closed. As a result, Q trains began serving the Broadway Line again. They ran via the Montague Street Tunnel, before switching to the express tracks after Canal Street. This service continued past 57th Street via
6528-567: The 60th Street Tunnel from Queens. The N and W trains from the BMT Astoria Line and the R service from the IND Queens Boulevard Line join at the beginning of the tunnel. The line runs west as a two-track subway line under 60th Street (east of Fifth Avenue) and 59th Street (west of Fifth Avenue), with stations at Lexington Avenue/59th Street and Fifth Avenue/59th Street . It then turns south to Seventh Avenue into
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#17327649763686656-578: The BMT 63rd Street Line to 21st Street–Queensbridge, being the first scheduled service to use this connection. On February 22, 1998, construction on the IND 63rd Street Line cut B and Q service to 57th Street–Sixth Avenue. Service on the 63rd Street Line was replaced by a shuttle running from the BMT Broadway Line. Trains originally operated from 57th Street–Seventh Avenue to 21st Street–Queensbridge, with 20-minute headways. On April 6, 1998, because
6784-476: The BMT declined to do so, citing workforce shortages. In 1926, the New York City Board of Transportation (BOT) received bids for the lengthening of platforms at nine stations on the Broadway Line, from Whitehall Street to 23rd Street, to accommodate eight-car trains. Edwards & Flood submitted a low bid of $ 101,750 for the project. The platform-lengthening project was completed in 1927, bringing
6912-406: The BMT upon the company's creation in 1923. Public transit Public transport (also known as public transportation , public transit , mass transit , or simply transit ) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport , typically managed on a schedule, operated on established routes, and that may charge
7040-599: The BRT subway and Williamsburg Bridge began with the opening of the Chambers Street Station. Both LIRR and BRT motorman were represented by the same union. Today, BRT successor MTA New York City Transit still receives freight deliveries from LIRR freight successor the New York & Atlantic Railroad in Sunset Park and at Linden Yard. World War I and the attendant massive inflation associated with
7168-545: The Broadway Line and the Fourth Avenue Line in Brooklyn to go into operation more than a year earlier than would otherwise have been possible. From the Canal Street Bridge station, it is possible to see where the line would have continued further west to a terminal near the Hudson River. At the Canal Street local station, the express tracks terminate part of the way into the station, more evidence of
7296-438: The Broadway and Fourth Avenue lines. The latter project was criticized for being dehumanizing. An NYCTA spokesman stated that the old tiles were in poor condition and that the change was made to improve the appearance of stations and provide uniformity. Furthermore, it did not consider the old mosaics to have "any great artistic merit". The Chrystie Street Connection was built during the 1960s. The new connection consisted of
7424-532: The Broadway–Lexington Avenue Line, between Houston Street and Union Square, which was to include the Eighth Street and 14th Street stations. This was the first construction contract to be placed for bidding after the Dual Contracts had been signed. The Dock Contractor Company submitted a low bid of $ 2.578 million, but local civic group Broadway Association and various property owners objected to
7552-794: The Broadway–Lexington Avenue line were announced in 1909. The plans tentatively called for a super-express service with stops at Warren or Murray Street and at Canal Street in Lower Manhattan, running non-stop to 86th Street and 125th Street in Upper Manhattan . The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) submitted a proposal to the Commission, dated March 2, 1911, to operate the Tri-borough system (but under Church Street instead of Greenwich Street), as well as
7680-406: The Canal Street local station and ending in the disused lower level of City Hall . The local tracks continue south as a two-track subway to Whitehall Street–South Ferry station. Whitehall Street–South Ferry is a three track, two-platform station, with the center track set up as a terminal track for the W train during weekdays, and late night R trains. A pair of bellmouths exists here, allowing for
7808-535: The City Hall station was so far advanced that contractors had begun installing subway entrances. By February 1914, the Public Service Commission was soliciting bids for a tunnel extending east under Canal Street to the Manhattan Bridge. Due to the swampy character of the area (which used to contain a drainage canal from Collect Pond ), the commission considered building the line using either
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#17327649763687936-518: The IRT proposed constructing a two-track line extending from Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn, which would cross the East River into Manhattan and travel west under 14th Street, north under Broadway, and east under 59th Street to the Queensboro Bridge . The BRT refused to accept this offer. The city, the BRT, and the IRT reached an agreement and sent a report to the New York City Board of Estimate on June 5, 1911. The line along Broadway to 59th Street
8064-503: The IRT's subway line north of Times Square. In July 1902, McDonald and the IRT's president August Belmont Jr. unsuccessfully proposed a line under Broadway between Union Square and Times Square for $ 100,000. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported that, if the New York City government had accepted Belmont and McDonald's proposal, the government could lose $ 150,000 in annual income from the streetcar companies that used Broadway. The New York Public Service Commission adopted plans for what
8192-465: The LIRR was a competitor of the BRT for passengers in Brooklyn and Queens. Despite competing with nearby lines, the BRT and its predecessors also hosted LIRR passenger trains via track sharing agreements and interchanged freight with them. LIRR Passenger service to the BRT's Brooklyn Bridge terminal began after an agreement in 1895, utilizing BRT elevated lines. LIRR passenger service to downtown Manhattan via
8320-493: The Montague Tunnel at all times. In order to replace B service to Ditmars Boulevard, additional N service was provided during rush hours. On September 30, 1990, express service on the Broadway Line was restored when repair work on the Manhattan Bridge was temporarily suspended. The N then began making express stops from 34th Street to Canal Street at all times except late nights. R service between Manhattan and Brooklyn
8448-455: The N ran express via the Bridge to 57th Street during evenings, nights, and weekends. Afterwards, N service began running local via the Broadway Line during evenings, nights, and weekends, but they still operated over the Manhattan Bridge. On May 24, 1987, when the N and R swapped routes in Queens, there were additional changes in Broadway service. Evening and weekend B service stopped switching to
8576-517: The NX, was created. It ran from 57th Street to Brighton Beach, following the N route, making express stops along the BMT Sea Beach Line, before going through Coney Island to terminate at Brighton Beach. NX service ended on April 12, 1968 due to low ridership. At most times, the Broadway Line has had four services — two local and two express — during the day, with a third express service until
8704-515: The Netherlands many individuals use e-bikes to replace their car commutes. In major American cities, start-up companies such as Uber and Lyft have implemented e-scooters as a way for people to take short trips around the city. All public transport runs on infrastructure, either on roads, rail, airways or seaways. The infrastructure can be shared with other modes, freight and private transport, or it can be dedicated to public transport. The latter
8832-495: The Public Service Commission for permission to open the line from Canal Street to 14th Street. The opening of the line was expected to reduce congestion at Chambers Street , where many BRT passengers had previously transferred to the IRT and paid an extra fare to go uptown. A short portion of the line, coming off the north side of the Manhattan Bridge through Canal Street to 14th Street–Union Square , opened on September 4, 1917, at 2 P.M., with an eight car train carrying members of
8960-717: The Public Service Commission, representatives of the city government and officials of the BRT, leaving Union Square toward Coney Island. Service opened to the general public at 8 P.M., with trains leaving Union Square and Coney Island simultaneously. The line was served by two services. One route ran via the Fourth Avenue Line and the Sea Beach Line to Coney Island; this service was rerouted from its previous terminus at Chambers Street. The other line ran to Ninth Avenue , where passengers could transfer for West End and Culver Line service. The initial headway on
9088-480: The Q began running local on the line between Canal Street and 57th Street–Seventh Avenue during late nights, to supplement late-night N service. In early 2016, as part of the upcoming opening of the Second Avenue Subway 's first phase, the MTA announced that the W service would resume operations. On November 5, 2016, late-night R service was extended to Whitehall Street in order to reduce the need to transfer and provide
9216-543: The UK National Infrastructure Commission in 2018 states that "cycling is mass transit and must be treated as such." Cycling infrastructure is normally provided without charge to users because it is cheaper to operate than mechanised transit systems that use sophisticated equipment and do not use human power . Many cities around the world have introduced electric bikes and scooters to their public transport infrastructure. For example, in
9344-448: The beginning of 1917. However, the line's opening had to be postponed by mid-1915, as none of the connections to other subway lines were close to finished. The Broadway Line south of 14th Street was substantially complete by February 1916. The same month, the Public Service Commission began accepting bids for the installation of finishes at seven stations on the Broadway Line from Rector Street to 14th Street, and D. C. Gerber submitted
9472-650: The bridge and express tracks, terminating at 57th Street–Seventh Avenue. B and D services were split. Their service from the Bronx and Upper Manhattan continued to run via the Sixth Avenue Line, terminating at 34th Street. Their service to Brooklyn, however, was rerouted via the Broadway Line express tracks. D service terminated at 57th Street, while B service terminated at Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard during rush hours, and at Queensboro Plaza during middays, evenings, and weekends. Between April 26, 1986 and May 24, 1987,
9600-512: The bridge to Queens. On July 28, 1915, the New York Public Service Commission approved a change of plans requested by the New York City Board of Estimate to place both tracks under 60th Street and cross the East River in the 60th Street Tunnel, because of concern whether or not the bridge could handle the weight of all-steel subway trains. A piece of the 59th Street tunnel had already been built, concurrent with
9728-541: The change of plans. The tunnel south of City Hall was rebuilt to bring the upper local tracks down to the lower level north of Vesey Street, and the lower level at City Hall was never used for passenger service. The lower level is currently used for train storage. Unused construction is also present near the west end of the Queensboro Bridge. The original plan there was to build two one-track tunnels under 59th and 60th Streets east of Fifth Avenue, rising onto
9856-414: The city and the BMT and IRT, were adopted on March 4, 1913. Before construction started, the plans for the Broadway Line's stations in midtown were changed several times. Originally, there was going to be an express station at 47th Street, and there would have been local stations at 42nd and 57th Streets. In December 1913, the plans were changed so that both 47th and 57th Streets were express stations, and
9984-479: The commission canceled plans for sections 5 and 6 of the Broadway–Lexington Avenue Line, which paralleled the existing IRT line. During construction, workers discovered the remnants of a tunnel for the Beach Pneumatic Transit near City Hall, as well as the remains of a 17th-century colonial prison near Dey Street. In May 1913, the Public Service Commission began receiving bids for section 4 of
10112-713: The commuter rail hybrid S-Bahn . More than 160 cities have rapid transit systems, totalling more than 8,000 km (4,971 mi) of track and 7,000 stations. Twenty-five cities have systems under construction. People movers are a special term for grade-separated rail which uses vehicles that are smaller and shorter in size. These systems are generally used only in a small area such as a theme park or an airport. Trams (also known as streetcars or trolleys) are railborne vehicles that originally ran in city streets, though over decades more and more dedicated tracks are used. They have higher capacity than buses, but must follow dedicated infrastructure with rails and wires either above or below
10240-658: The construction of the IRT Lexington Avenue Line, and became a walkway connecting the two side platforms of the IRT's 59th Street station. North of 57th Street, provisions were built to extend the four tracks northwest through Central Park and under Eighth Avenue through the Upper West Side to Inwood , along the route later built as the IND Eighth Avenue Line . The provision existed for many years and would have allowed for
10368-450: The cut-and-cover method or using deep-bore tunneling. The Underpinning and Foundation Company submitted a low bid of $ 1.822 million for a cut-and-cover tunnel. The Canal Street tunnel was originally supposed to be a separate line passing under the Broadway Line station and extend further westward. At the time, the Public Service Commission did not plan to build a track connection between the Canal Street and Broadway lines, saying that such
10496-447: The day or part of the day (known as clock-face scheduling ). Often, more frequent services or even extra routes are operated during the morning and evening rush hours . Coordination between services at interchange points is important to reduce the total travel time for passengers. This can be done by coordinating shuttle services with main routes, or by creating a fixed time (for instance twice per hour) when all bus and rail routes meet at
10624-704: The entire length between the two East River tunnels: the Montague Street Tunnel to the BMT Fourth Avenue Line in Brooklyn and the 60th Street Tunnel to the BMT Astoria Line and 60th Street Tunnel Connection in Queens . Center express tracks exist between Canal Street and 57th Street , turning off at Canal Street to feed the south tracks on the Manhattan Bridge , and continuing north and east under Central Park as
10752-499: The fact that Dock Contractor was to receive the contract, citing the firm's lack of experience. The Public Service Commission approved Dock Contractor's bid despite these objections, and the contract was awarded later that month. By the end of the year, work on the tunnel south of 14th Street was running ahead of schedule. Section 3 was 78 percent complete, while section 4 was 71 percent complete. These sections were more than 80 percent complete by March 1914; work on
10880-405: The final plan had the express tracks splitting at Canal Street and passing under the northbound local track to the Manhattan Bridge. The tracks via Canal Street and the Manhattan Bridge were not intended to be connected to the Broadway Line. Instead, they were supposed to be a crosstown line continuing further west. The tracks were connected to the Broadway Line as it allowed through operation between
11008-480: The financially struggling company, and the BRT filed bankruptcy on December 31, 1918. In 1923 the BRT was restructured and released from bankruptcy as the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT). Some of the former elevated system of the BRT, dating to 1885, remains in use today. The largest section is the part of today's BMT Jamaica Line running above Fulton Street from the Alabama Avenue station to
11136-428: The high water table of the area, which required the contractor to pump out millions of gallons of groundwater every day. Plans for the Canal Street line west of Broadway were abandoned midway during construction, and the Canal Street line was connected to the Broadway Line instead. The Canal Street spur was less than half completed by January 1916 and was not planned to be opened for another fourteen months. By then,
11264-559: The length of these stations' platforms to 535 feet (163 m). In the 1960s, the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) started a project to lengthen station platforms on the Broadway Line to 615 feet (187 m) to accommodate 10-car trains. All stations on the Broadway Line had their platforms lengthened during this time. The NYCTA also covered elaborate mosaic tile walls with 8-by-16-inch (20 by 41 cm) white cinderblock tiles at 16 local stations on
11392-491: The line began, with Sea Beach and West End trains that had been running local becoming expresses. The opening of this portion of the line provided additional transit service to Times Square, with a new connection to Brooklyn. Local service henceforth ran between Times Square and Rector Street. While local trains terminated at the Times Square station, express trains from Brooklyn continued to terminate at Union Square until
11520-470: The line north of 59th Street were in dispute. The section between 38th Street and 51st Street, known as section 3, was not put to bid until July 1915. This section was to include the Times Square–42nd Street and 49th Street stations. Holbrook, Cabot & Rollins Inc. submitted a low bid of $ 3.741 million for that section of the line. The Broadway Line was originally supposed to open at
11648-452: The line was three minutes during rush hours, three minutes and forty-five seconds at other times, except during late nights when service ran every fifteen minutes. The opening of the Broadway Line's first segment caused real-estate prices to increase in parts of Brooklyn which had direct subway access to the new line. On January 5, 1918, the line was extended north to Times Square–42nd Street and south to Rector Street . Express service via
11776-458: The local stop at 42nd Street was relocated to 38th Street. Opponents of the plan said it would cause large amounts of confusion, as Times Square was a "natural" transfer point. In February 1914, the PSC ordered the BRT to make the Broadway Line's 42nd Street station an express station. In addition, 57th Street became an express station, while there was to be a local station at 49th Street. The change
11904-471: The local track north of 34th Street to serve the Astoria Line. Instead, it skipped 49th Street and terminated at 57th Street. When the north side of the Manhattan Bridge reopened on December 11, 1988, the south side of the bridge was closed. B, D, and Q trains were rerouted from the Broadway Line to the Sixth Avenue Line using the north side of the bridge. The N began running local in Manhattan and via
12032-456: The location of their choice (rather than at a stop). Conventional transit simulations show that PRT might attract many auto users in problematic medium-density urban areas. A number of experimental systems are in progress. One might compare personal rapid transit to the more labor-intensive taxi or paratransit modes of transportation, or to the (by now automated) elevators common in many publicly accessible areas. Cable-propelled transit (CPT)
12160-400: The lost time and statistically higher risk of accident in private transport , together with the initial, running and parking costs. Loss of control , spatial constriction, overcrowding , high speeds/accelerations, height and other phobias may discourage use of public transport. Actual travel time on public transport becomes a lesser consideration when predictable and when travel itself
12288-427: The new 57th Street station. Express service between Manhattan and Pacific Street began to run at all times except late nights. The line was extended to Lexington Avenue/59th Street on September 1, 1919. On August 1, 1920, the Broadway Line was extended on either end, with the opening of two tunnels under the East River. On the north end the line was extended through the 60th Street Tunnel to Queensboro Plaza , and on
12416-519: The north side tracks on the Manhattan Bridge leading to the IND Sixth Avenue Line were closed for rehabilitation, and services that had used the north side were moved to the south side, running via the BMT Broadway Line. Because of the large amount of train traffic now running on the bridge's south side tracks, rush hour and midday N service stopped using the bridge, and began running via the Montague Street Tunnel and Lower Manhattan making local stops. However, evening, night and weekend trains continued to use
12544-565: The north-side tracks were closed. Originally, the N ran local via the Montague Street Tunnel and the BMT Sea Beach Line , and the W ran express via the Manhattan Bridge and the BMT West End Line. On February 22, 2004, when the north tracks reopened, the N became express via the Manhattan Bridge and the W was short-turned at Whitehall Street , its Brooklyn section being replaced by the D. On June 25, 2010, because of
12672-601: The northward extension to 57th Street was completed. At the beginning of September 1918, trains on the line were lengthened from four to five cars. Service was extended one station to Whitehall Street–South Ferry on September 20, 1918. The line was extended two stops northward to 57th Street on July 10, 1919. Express service between Times Square and Union Square was inaugurated on this date. Previously, express service terminated at Union Square, with local service terminating at Times Square. Express service then began to terminate at Times Square, with local service terminating at
12800-594: The other heading east and northeast along 138th Street, Southern Boulevard , and Westchester Avenue to Pelham Bay Park . In early 1908, the Tri-borough plan was formed, combining this route, the under-construction Centre Street Loop Subway in Manhattan and Fourth Avenue Subway in Brooklyn, a Canal Street subway from the Fourth Avenue Subway via the Manhattan Bridge to the Hudson River , and several other lines in Brooklyn. A list of stations on
12928-492: The public transport leg of their journey and how close it leaves them to their desired destination. Timeliness is how long they must wait for the vehicle. Directness records how far a journey using public transport deviates from a passenger's ideal route. In selecting between competing modes of transport , many individuals are strongly motivated by direct cost (travel fare/ ticket price to them) and convenience , as well as being informed by habit . The same individual may accept
13056-481: The purchase of a ticket to generate revenue for the operators. Tickets may be bought either in advance, or at the time of the journey, or the carrier may allow both methods. Passengers may be issued with a paper ticket, a metal or plastic token , or a magnetic or electronic card ( smart card , contactless smart card ). Sometimes a ticket has to be validated, e.g. a paper ticket has to be stamped, or an electronic ticket has to be checked in. Tickets may be valid for
13184-556: The purposes of mass transit. Many, if not all, of these systems are implemented and fully integrated within existing public transportation networks. Examples include Metrocable (Medellín) , Metrocable (Caracas) , Mi Teleférico in La Paz , Portland Aerial Tram , Roosevelt Island Tramway in New York City, and the London Cable Car . A ferry is a boat used to carry (or ferry ) passengers, and sometimes their vehicles, across
13312-615: The reduced emissions and other environmental impacts of using public transportation over private transportation, many experts have pointed to an increased investment in public transit as an important climate change mitigation tactic. Conveyances designed for public hire are as old as the first ferry service . The earliest public transport was water transport . Ferries appear in Greek mythology writings. The mystical ferryman Charon had to be paid and would only then take passengers to Hades . Some historical forms of public transport include
13440-421: The section north of 38th Street was delayed due to disputes over the layout and placement of the 42nd Street station. In particular, the Public Service Commission was supposed to have awarded a contract for the portion between the intersection of 38th Street and Broadway, and the intersection of 59th Street and Seventh Avenue. No contract for this section of the line had been awarded by early 1915 because plans for
13568-404: The sections of the mainline Broadway Line south of 26th Street were between 88 and 99.7 percent finished. Real-estate figures wanted the completion of the Canal Street spur to be expedited so the Broadway Line could be opened, and they claimed that the city's failure to open the Broadway Line would result in a loss of profit for the BRT. The route north of 14th Street was originally considered
13696-636: The segment between 26th and 38th Streets, including the 28th Street and 34th Street stations, in April 1914. The contract for that section went to the second-lowest bidder, the United States Realty and Construction Company , as the lowest bidder was too inexperienced. U.S. Realty began constructing the tunnel between 26th and 38th Streets in August 1914. By the end of 1914, contracts had been awarded for all sections south of 38th Street, but
13824-434: The service did not terminate at an ADA-accessible station, the shuttle was extended to 34th Street–Herald Square on weekdays, skipping 49th Street via the express tracks. Normal service resumed on May 22, 1999. The current set of four services — N, Q, R, and W — started using the line on July 22, 2001, when the south tracks on the Manhattan Bridge reopened and the Broadway B and D services were discontinued. At this time,
13952-471: The smoke filled subway tunnels from the steam engines. In 1894, Boston built the first subway in the United States, an electric streetcar line in a 1.5-mile tunnel under Tremont Street's retail district. Other cities quickly followed, constructing thousands of miles of subway in the following decades. In March 2020, Luxembourg abolished fares for trains, trams and buses and became the first country in
14080-533: The south end the line was extended through the Montague Street Tunnel to DeKalb Avenue with service via the BMT Brighton Line. With these extensions, the Broadway Line was completed. Platforms at stations on the Broadway Line originally could only fit six 67-foot-long (20 m) cars. The State Transit Commission first directed the BMT to lengthen platforms at these stations in September 1923, but
14208-594: The three companies which built and operated subway lines in New York City. It became insolvent in 1919. It was restructured and released from bankruptcy as the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation in 1923. The BRT was incorporated January 18, 1896, and took over the bankrupt Long Island Traction Company in early February acquiring the Brooklyn Heights Railroad and the lessee of the Brooklyn City Rail Road . It then acquired
14336-402: The ticket at the time of ride. Alternatively, a proof-of-payment system allows riders to enter the vehicles without showing the ticket, but riders may or may not be controlled by a ticket controller ; if the rider fails to show proof of payment, the operator may fine the rider at the magnitude of the fare. BMT Broadway Line The BMT Broadway Line is a rapid transit line of
14464-504: The track, limiting their flexibility. In the United States, trams were commonly used prior to the 1930s, before being superseded by the bus. In modern public transport systems, they have been reintroduced in the form of the light rail. Light rail is a term coined in 1972 and uses mainly tram technology. Light rail has mostly dedicated right-of-ways and less sections shared with other traffic and usually step-free access. Light rails line are generally traversed with increased speed compared to
14592-517: The transport operator to allow users to plan their journeys. They are often supplemented by maps and fare schemes to help travelers coordinate their travel. Online public transport route planners help make planning easier. Mobile apps are available for multiple transit systems that provide timetables and other service information and, in some cases, allow ticket purchase, some allowing to plan your journey, with time fares zones e.g. Services are often arranged to operate at regular intervals throughout
14720-408: The use and extent of public transport. The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) is the international network for public transport authorities and operators, policy decision-makers, scientific institutes and the public transport supply and service industry. It has over 1,900 members from more than 100 countries from all over the globe. In recent years, some high-wealth cities have seen
14848-656: The war put New York transit operators in a tough position, since their contracts with the City required a five-cent fare be charged, while inflation made the real value of the fare less than three cents in constant currency value. On November 1, 1918, the Malbone Street wreck , the second worst rapid transit train wreck to occur in the United States, occurred on the BRT's Franklin Avenue/Brighton Beach line, killing at least 93 people. This further destabilized
14976-536: The world (especially in Europe and east Asia , particularly Japan ), but apart from public transit installations in Las Vegas and Seattle, most North American monorails are either short shuttle services or privately owned services (With 150,000 daily riders, the Disney monorail systems used at their parks may be the most famous in the world). Personal rapid transit is an automated cab service that runs on rails or
15104-544: The world to make all public transport free. The Encyclopædia Britannica specifies that public transportation is within urban areas, but does not limit its discussion of the topic to urban areas. Seven criteria estimate the usability of different types of public transport and its overall appeal. The criteria are speed, comfort, safety, cost, proximity, timeliness and directness. Speed is calculated from total journey time including transfers. Proximity means how far passengers must walk or otherwise travel before they can begin
15232-745: The world, which may compete with fixed public transport lines, or complement them, by bringing passengers to interchanges. Paratransit is sometimes used in areas of low demand and for people who need a door-to-door service. Urban public transit differs distinctly among Asia, North America, and Europe. In Asia, profit-driven, privately owned and publicly traded mass transit and real estate conglomerates predominantly operate public transit systems. In North America, municipal transit authorities most commonly run mass transit operations. In Europe, both state-owned and private companies predominantly operate mass transit systems. For geographical, historical and economic reasons, differences exist internationally regarding
15360-538: Was assigned to the BRT, while the IRT obtained the Lexington Avenue line , connecting with its existing route at Grand Central–42nd Street . The New York City Board of Estimate approved the report on June 21. The Public Service Commission approved a proposal in March 1912 to connect the line with the proposed Montague Street Tunnel at its southern end. The Dual Contracts , two operating contracts between
15488-787: Was built for 11 miles of track for the Union Passenger Railway in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1888. Electric streetcars could carry heavier passenger loads than predecessors, which reduced fares and stimulated greater transit use. Two years after the Richmond success, over thirty two thousand electric streetcars were operating in America. Electric streetcars also paved the way for the first subway system in America. Before electric streetcars, steam powered subways were considered. However, most people believed that riders would avoid
15616-488: Was extended under Delancey Street and Centre Street to a new five-platform complex at Chambers Street beneath the Manhattan Municipal Building at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge on August 4, 1913. In addition to BRT trains, Long Island Railroad (LIRR) commuter trains also used the new Chambers Street station from its opening until 1917. The elevated railroads were operated by a new corporation,
15744-402: Was increased during rush hours. During late nights, R trains no longer ran via the Broadway Line; instead, they operated as a shuttle in Brooklyn, terminating at 36th Street. The brief Broadway service via the Manhattan Bridge was stopped on December 27 because of a cracked beam on the bridge. From April 30, 1995 to November 12, 1995, the Manhattan Bridge services were supposed to go back to
15872-666: Was introduced to London in July 1829. The first passenger horse-drawn vehicle opened in 1806. It ran along the Swansea and Mumbles Railway . In 1825 George Stephenson built the Locomotion No 1 for the Stockton and Darlington Railway in northeast England, the first public steam railway in the world. The world's first steam-powered underground railway opened in London in 1863. The first successful electric streetcar
16000-650: Was known as the Broadway–Lexington Avenue route on December 31, 1907. This route began at the Battery and ran under Greenwich Street , Vesey Street, Broadway to Ninth Street , private property to Irving Place , and Irving Place and Lexington Avenue to the Harlem River . After crossing under the Harlem River into the Bronx , the route split at Park Avenue and 138th Street, with one branch continuing north to and along Jerome Avenue to Woodlawn Cemetery , and
16128-579: Was made at the insistence of Brooklynites who wanted an express station in the Theater District of Manhattan. The first part of the Broadway Line to be built was the section south of 14th Street, which was initially known as the Broadway–Lexington Avenue Line. In January 1912, the Underpinning & Foundation Company received a $ 2.295 million contract to construct section 3 of the line, from Howard Street to Houston Street , which included
16256-399: Was placed for bid in March 1912. The O'Rourke Engineering Construction Company submitted a low bid of about $ 910,000 for section 2A. In September 1912, F. L. Cranford received about $ 2 million in construction contracts for sections 1 and 1A in Lower Manhattan. By then, the Public Service Commission had decided to divide the Broadway–Lexington Avenue Line between the BRT and the IRT; as such,
16384-572: Was prepared to force the BRT to open the section of the line between Canal Street and 14th Street, even though the BRT wished to wait until the Times Square station was completed. That year, the IRT and BRT reached an agreement in which the Broadway Line would receive power from the IRT Powerhouse . At the end of August 1917, the BRT's parent company, the New York Consolidated Railroad Company, applied to
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