B63 (New York City bus)

This article is about the bus route that replaced the BMT streetcar line. For the former elevated rapid transit line, also owned by the BMT, see Fifth Avenue Line (Brooklyn elevated).

b63
Fifth Avenue Line
A B63 bus in snow
Overview
System	MTA Regional Bus Operations
Operator	New York City Transit Authority
Garage	Jackie Gleason Depot
Vehicle	New Flyer C40LF CNG New Flyer Xcelsior XN40
Began service	August 28, 1860
Route
Locale	Brooklyn
Communities served	Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Park Slope, Gowanus, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill
Start	Brooklyn Bridge Park – Pier 6
Via	Fifth Avenue, Atlantic Avenue
End	Bay Ridge – Shore Road
Length	5.8 miles (9.3 km)
Service
Operates	24 Hours
Annual patronage	2,090,272 (2021)
Transfers	Yes
Timetable	B63
Route map ← B61  {{{system_nav}}}  B64 →

The B63 is a bus route in Brooklyn, New York City, running mainly along Fifth Avenue and Atlantic Avenue between Fort Hamilton and Cobble Hill. Originally a streetcar line called the Fifth Avenue Line, it is now operated by the New York City Transit Authority as the Fifth/Atlantic Avenues bus.

Route description

The B63 bus route begins at Shore Road and Fourth Avenue in Fort Hamilton, and heads north on Fourth Avenue, splitting onto Fifth Avenue at 94th Street. Fifth Avenue is followed through Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, and Gowanus to Park Slope, where buses turn northwest on Flatbush Avenue and west on Atlantic Avenue to South Ferry. Along the way, subway connections can be made at Bay Ridge – 95th Street, Fourth Avenue – Ninth Street, and Atlantic Avenue – Barclays Center, as well as the Long Island Rail Road's Atlantic Branch at Atlantic Terminal.

History

The Brooklyn Central and Jamaica Railroad opened the line along Fifth Avenue, from its Atlantic Avenue Line south to 24th Street at Greenwood Cemetery, on August 28, 1860. The Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Rail Road opened on October 5, 1863, running steam dummies from Fifth Avenue and 36th Street (the city line) south to 37th Street, and east on 37th Street and south towards Coney Island. At the same time, the Central Railroad extended its Fifth Avenue Line south to 36th Street. The Atlantic Avenue Railroad, the Central's successor, gained control of the Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad, the BB&CI's successor, in January 1893, and soon changed it to an electric trolley line.

The Nassau Electric Railroad was incorporated in 1893, and its plans included the east-west Church Avenue Line along 39th Street and a branch south along Fifth Avenue into New Utrecht. The Nassau Electric leased the Atlantic Avenue on April 5, 1896, and opened their Fifth Avenue Line that day as an extension of the Atlantic Avenue's line all the way to Fort Hamilton; they also continued to operate West End Line cars via Fifth Avenue, and soon also ran cars to Coney Island over Fifth Avenue and the 86th Street Line.

Bus service replaced streetcar service on February 20, 1949. This was the first bus route in New York City in February 2011 to test the tracking real time arrival system called MTA Bus Time.