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The Manhattan Bridge Three Cent Line was a streetcar company that operated cars over the Manhattan Bridge between the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan in New York City. As the name implied, the fare was only 3 cents per ride.
Documents of the Senate of the State of New York, Volume 6; Pages 409 and 410
/ref> The MBTCL operated from Fulton Street and Flatbush extension in
Manhattan Bridge Three Cent Line BMT Trolleys Map (JoeKorner.net)
{{NYC streetcar transit Streetcar lines in Manhattan Streetcar lines in Brooklyn Defunct public transport operators in the United States Defunct New York (state) railroads Railway lines opened in 1912 Railway lines closed in 1929
The Manhattan Bridge Three Cent Line was a streetcar company that operated cars over the Manhattan Bridge between the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan in New York City. As the name implied, the fare was only 3 cents per ride.
History
When the Manhattan Bridge was opened on December 31, 1909, it had tracks which were intended to be used by the subways of theBrooklyn Rapid Transit Company
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 ...
(BRT). There were no tracks on either side to connect them to, however. The MBTCL began to run streetcars in 1912, and until 1915 was the only operator of transit over the bridge. In 1915, the trolleys were moved to the upper roadways of the bridge, and the BRT subway lines were connected to the former MBTCL's tracks. The bridge was shared by the Brooklyn and North River Railroad
The Brooklyn and North River Line, operated by the Brooklyn and North River Railroad, was a trolley line in Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Its route ran from the Desbrosses Street Ferry across Lower Manhattan via the Canal St ...
Stephen L. Meyers, Manhattan's Lost Streetcars, pages 109 and 110 MBTCL intended to sue the B&NR January 1916 over alleged franchise violations./ref> The MBTCL operated from Fulton Street and Flatbush extension in
Downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City after Midtown Manhattan and Lower Manhattan), and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is known for its office and r ...
to a three track loop at Bowery and Bayard Street in what is today part of Chinatown. The two track terminal at Fulton Street was shared with the Third Avenue Railway System cars that used the north tracks of the bridge. When the bridge first opened, the streetcars used what are now the subway tracks. When the BMT subway was ready to use the bridge, the streetcar tracks were relocated to the upper level, where auto roadways are over the subway tracks today.
The MBTCL continued operating trolleys over the bridge until November 13, 1929, by which time patronage had declined due to the popularity of the automobile, as well as rapid transit. The line operated as a shuttle across the bridge using the south tracks of the bridge. The car house was still standing .
References
External links
Manhattan Bridge Three Cent Line BMT Trolleys Map (JoeKorner.net)
{{NYC streetcar transit Streetcar lines in Manhattan Streetcar lines in Brooklyn Defunct public transport operators in the United States Defunct New York (state) railroads Railway lines opened in 1912 Railway lines closed in 1929