The Bushwick Avenue Line or Bushwick Line was a

public transit Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of wh ...

line in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, running mostly along

Bushwick Avenue Bushwick is a neighborhood in the northern part of the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. It is bounded by the neighborhood of Ridgewood, Queens, to the northeast; Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Williamsburg to the northwest; ...

and

Myrtle Avenue Myrtle Avenue is a street that runs from Duffield Street in Downtown Brooklyn to Jamaica Avenue in Richmond Hill, Queens, in New York City, United States. Myrtle is a main thoroughfare through the neighborhoods of Fort Greene, Clinton ...

between

Williamsburg Williamsburg may refer to: Places *Colonial Williamsburg, a living-history museum and private foundation in Virginia *Williamsburg, Brooklyn, neighborhood in New York City *Williamsburg, former name of Kernville (former town), California *Williams ...

and

Ridgewood, Queens Ridgewood is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It borders the Queens neighborhoods of Maspeth to the north, Middle Village to the east, and Glendale to the southeast, as well as the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bushwick to ...

History

The Bushwick Railroad opened the line from the Grand Street Ferry east to their stables on Bushwick Avenue in late May or early June 1868. The line began at the company's office at the intersection of Grand Street and Kent Avenue, and proceeded south on Kent Avenue (

Brooklyn City Rail Road The Brooklyn City Railroad (BCRR) was the oldest and one of the largest operators of streetcars (horsecars and later trolleys) in the City of Brooklyn, New York, continuing in that role when Brooklyn became a borough of New York City in 1898. In ...

Greenpoint Line The Greenpoint Line was a streetcar line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. When it stopped operating in 1942, it was not replaced by a bus route. History The line was opened by the Brooklyn City Railroad The Brooklyn City Railroad (BCRR ...

), east on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

( Broadway Railroad's Broadway Line trackage), north on Bedford Avenue, east on South Fourth Street and Meserole Street, and southeast on Bushwick Avenue. The line was soon extended southeast on Bushwick Avenue and east on

to Myrtle Avenue Park (near Cypress Avenue) in

. A branch to the Greenpoint Ferry, through which cars were operated between this ferry and Ridgewood, was opened on September 18, 1875. This branch split at Graham Avenue, turning north along the

Graham Avenue Line The Graham Avenue Line and Tompkins Avenue Line were two public transit lines in Brooklyn, New York City with the Graham Avenue Line running mainly along Graham Avenue and Manhattan Avenue and the Tompkins Avenue Line running mainly along Tomp ...

. At the end of that line, it turned west on several blocks of new trackage on Driggs Avenue before reaching the Brooklyn Crosstown Railroad's Crosstown Line in Manhattan Avenue. There it turned north through Manhattan Avenue to Greenpoint Avenue, turning west there onto new trackage to reach the ferry. An extension was planned south to the

Prospect Park and Coney Island Railroad The Culver Line, Gravesend Avenue Line, or McDonald Avenue Line was a surface public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running along McDonald Avenue and built by the Prospect Park and Coney Island Railroad. Most of its main ...

depot via Graham Avenue, Tompkins Avenue, Brooklyn Avenue, Prospect Place, and Vanderbilt Avenue. This was built somewhat differently as the Tompkins Avenue Line the next year. The

extended its Myrtle Avenue Line east from its former terminus at Broadway to Bushwick Avenue and thence over the Bushwick Railroad's line to Myrtle Avenue Park in August 1879. The BCRR leased the Bushwick Railroad on July 27, 1888. On October 18, 1888, the court ruled that the BCRR had no right to operate over the Brooklyn Crosstown Railroad trackage on Manhattan Avenue, gained through an 1875 agreement between the Bushwick and Crosstown Railroads. The Crosstown owned the Greenpoint and Calvary Cemetery Railroad, which included the

Calvary Cemetery Line Calvary ( or ) or Golgotha () was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, Jesus was crucified. Since at least the early medieval period, it has been a destination for pilgrimage. ...

from Greenpoint Ferry to Calvary Cemetery. The BCRR leased the Crosstown in mid-1889, but did not restore the Bushwick Avenue branch to the ferry. Eventually, the

was extended over the trackage on Driggs Avenue, and the Greenpoint Avenue trackage to the Greenpoint Ferry became part of several lines, including the

Lorimer Street Line The B48 bus route constitutes a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, running along Lorimer Street, Franklin Avenue, and Classon Avenue between Flatbush and Greenpoint. Originally the Lorimer Street streetcar line, it is now a bus rout ...

, Union Avenue Line, and

. At some point, westbound traffic to the

Williamsburg Bridge The Williamsburg Bridge is a suspension bridge across the East River in New York City, connecting the Lower East Side of Manhattan with the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. Originally known as the East River Bridge, the Williamsburg Brid ...

was rerouted to use the

Wilson Avenue Line The Wilson Avenue Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, running along Wilson Avenue and Rockaway Avenue between Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Williamsburg and Canarsie, Brooklyn, Canarsie. Originally a Tram, streetcar line, it is ...

(Johnson Avenue and

) to the crossing of Johnson and Bushwick Avenues, and eastbound Wilson Avenue cars were moved to the Bushwick Avenue Line. Streetcars were discontinued on September 1, 1947.

References

{{Brooklyn surface Streetcar lines in Brooklyn Streetcar lines in Queens, New York