Fulton Street Line (elevated)
The Fulton Street Line, also called the Fulton Street Elevated or Kings County Line, was an elevated rail line mostly in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. It ran above Fulton Street from Fulton Ferry, Brooklyn in Downtown Brooklyn east to East New York, and then south on Van Sinderen Avenue (southbound) and Snediker Avenue (northbound), east on Pitkin Avenue, north on Euclid Avenue, and east on Liberty Avenue to Ozone Park, Queens. The portion in Brooklyn has been torn down, but most of the line in Queens has been connected to the New York City Subway and is now part of the IND Fulton Street Line (a portion of the A and C), an underground line that replaced the elevated line in Brooklyn. The structure was the main line of the Kings County Elevated Railway, first opened in 1888.
History
The Kings County Elevated Railway opened the line, from dual western terminals at Fulton Ferry and Brooklyn Bridge (Sands Street)[1][3] east to Nostrand Avenue, on April 24, 1888.[4] Construction on this line started in the fall of 1885, when ground was broken at the corner of Fulton Street and Red Hook Lane.[5] It was extended east to Albany Avenue on May 30, 1888; Albany Avenue was an eastbound-only station, and the westbound station just beyond at Sumner Avenue had yet to be completed, so it temporarily served both directions.[6] The line was further extended to Ralph Avenue on September 20, 1888[7] and completed to BMT Fulton Street Line at the west end of East New York in early November.[citation needed]
The Fulton Elevated Railroad was incorporated on July 6, 1888 to build a disconnected line from Greenpoint south through Williamsburg to Kent and Myrtle Avenues, and to extend the Kings County Elevated east beyond Rockaway Avenue to the city line.[8][9] The former was not built, but construction soon began on the latter. The first piece, over Fulton Street and Williams Place, opened on July 4, 1889, connecting with the Long Island Rail Road's Manhattan Crossing station at the new terminal at Template:Nycs.[10] It was extended further, over Snediker Avenue and Pitkin Avenue, to Van Siclen Avenue on November 18, 1889; due to a shortage of wood for a storage yard, a temporary shuttle was operated between Pennsylvania Avenue and Van Siclen Avenue until mid-December.[11][12][13][14] Construction above Pitkin Avenue progressed to Linwood Street on February 22, 1892[15] and Montauk Avenue on March 21, 1892.[16] The line was completed to Grant Avenue at City Line on July 16, 1894, with the opening of a structure above Pitkin Avenue, Euclid Avenue, and Liberty Avenue.[17]
The Kings County Elevated leased the Brooklyn and Brighton Beach Railroad on February 5, 1896.[18] A two-block elevated connection between Template:Nycs station and the Brighton Beach Line's Bedford station, including a new station at Template:Nycs, opened on August 15, 1896, and the Kings County Elevated began operating trains between the Brooklyn Bridge (Sands Street) and Brighton Beach.[19][20]
The final extension, from Grant Avenue east to Lefferts Avenue, was built under the Dual Contracts and opened on September 25, 1915.[21] In 1917 the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce started fighting for the removal of the Fulton Street El.[22] The Dual Contracts also triple-tracked the line, which also led to the reconstruction, replacement, and elimination of some stations. The Public Service Commission received a petition on December 9, 1916 from a large number of civic and business organizations to restrict the third tracking to a point in the vicinity of Cumberland Avenue.[23] Trains last ran on the line west of Rockaway Avenue on May 31, 1940, and these stations were closed the following day.[24] The total cost of demolition of the Fulton Street Elevated was $2,000,000.[25]
On June 1, 1940 a free transfer was provided to the IND Fulton Street Line at Template:Nycs and a new "Fulton–Lexington Avenue" service via the Lexington Avenue Elevated west of East New York was introduced.[26][27] The line west of Template:Nycs was closed on April 26, 1956, and IND Fulton Street Line (Template:Nycs) trains began using the line east of Hudson Street on April 29.[citation needed]
Service patterns
The primary service pattern was a simple one-end-to-the-other operation, until May 31, 1940, when the 13 was cut back to Template:Nycs, and the BMT 12 took over operations from downtown Brooklyn to Lefferts Boulevard.
Station listing
Most Fulton Street trains left the line at Sands Street and ended at Template:Nycs rather than Fulton Ferry.
Miles from Fulton Ferry | Name | Location | Opened | Closed | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
0.00 | Template:Nycs | Fulton Ferry | April 24, 1888[1] | June 1, 1940[24] | |
N/A | Template:Nycs | Fulton Street and Sands Street | April 24, 1888[1] | June 1, 1940[24] | |
0.52/0.68[1] | Clark Street (eastbound) Tillary Street (westbound) Clark–Tillary Streets |
Fulton Street, Clark Street, and Tillary Street | April 24, 1888[1] | ||
0.74[1] | Court Street (eastbound) Myrtle Avenue (westbound) Court Street – Myrtle Avenue |
Fulton Street, Court Street, and Myrtle Avenue | April 24, 1888[1] | June 1, 1940[24] | |
0.91[1] | Template:Nycs | Fulton Street and Boerum Place | April 24, 1888[1] | June 1, 1940[24] | |
1.18[1] | Template:Nycs | Fulton Street, Elm Place, and Duffield Street | April 24, 1888[1] | June 1, 1940[24] | |
1.37[1] | Template:Nycs | Fulton Street and Flatbush Avenue | April 24, 1888[1] | June 1, 1940[24] | |
1.63[1] | Template:Nycs | Fulton Street and Lafayette Avenue | April 24, 1888[1] | June 1, 1940[24] | |
1.88[1] | Template:Nycs | Fulton Street and Cumberland Street | April 24, 1888[1] | June 1, 1940[24] | connection to Greene and Gates Avenues Line streetcars |
2.14[1] | Template:Nycs | Fulton Street and Vanderbilt Avenue | April 24, 1888[1] | June 1, 1940[24] | connection to Vanderbilt Avenue Line streetcars |
2.48[1] | Template:Nycs | Fulton Street and Grand Avenue | April 24, 1888[1] | June 1, 1940[24] | connection to Putnam Avenue Line streetcars |
2.81[1] | Franklin Avenue | Fulton Street and Franklin Avenue | April 24, 1888[1] | June 1, 1940[24] | connection to Brighton Beach Line trains and Franklin Avenue Line streetcars |
3.15[1] | Template:Nycs | Fulton Street and Nostrand Avenue | April 24, 1888[1] | June 1, 1940[24] | connection to Nostrand Avenue Line, Lorimer Street Line, Marcy Avenue Line, and Ocean Avenue Line streetcars |
3.44/3.47[1] | Brooklyn Avenue (eastbound) Tompkins Avenue (westbound) Brooklyn–Tompkins Avenues |
Fulton Street, Tompkins Avenue, and Brooklyn Avenue | May 30, 1888[6] | June 1, 1940[24] | connection to Tompkins Avenue Line streetcars |
3.78[1] | Albany Avenue (eastbound) Sumner Avenue (westbound) Albany–Sumner Avenues |
Fulton Street, Albany Avenue, and Sumner Avenue | May 30, 1888[6] | between 1912 and 1924[citation needed] | connection to Sumner Avenue Line streetcars |
Template:Nycs | Fulton Street and Troy Avenue | mid-1888[citation needed] | June 1, 1940[24] | ||
4.15[1] | Template:Nycs | Fulton Street, Reid Avenue (now Malcolm X Blvd), and Utica Avenue | mid-1888[citation needed] | June 1, 1940[24] | Connection to Reid Avenue Line streetcars. Originally named Utica Avenue, but renamed between 1912 and 1924.[28][29] |
4.60[1] | Template:Nycs | Fulton Street and Ralph Avenue | September 20, 1888[7] | June 1, 1940[24] | Connection to Ralph Avenue Line streetcars. Service made redundant to Ralph Ave subway station at the same location. |
Template:Nycs | Fulton Street and Saratoga Avenue | December 3, 1888[30] | June 1, 1940[24] | ||
5.18[1] | Template:Nycs | Fulton Street and Rockaway Avenue | early November 1888[citation needed] | April 26, 1956[31] | Connection to Wilson Avenue Line streetcars. Service made redundant to Rockaway Ave subway station at the same location. |
Template:Nycs | Fulton Street and Sackman Street | July 4, 1889[10] | remainder of complex still exists as Template:Nycs serving the A C J L Z trains | ||
Template:Nycs | Williams Place, Snediker Avenue, and Atlantic Avenue | July 4, 1889[10] | present | still serves the L train connection to Long Island Rail Road at East New York station | |
Template:Nycs | Snediker Avenue and Eastern Parkway (old alignment, currently Pitkin Avenue) | November 18, 1889[13] | between 1912 and 1924[citation needed] | ||
Template:Nycs | Pitkin Avenue and Hinsdale Street | between 1912 and 1924[citation needed] | April 26, 1956[31] | connection to Bergen Street Line streetcars | |
Template:Nycs | Pitkin Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue (currently named Granville Payne Avenue) | November 18, 1889[13] | April 26, 1956[31] | ||
Template:Nycs | Pitkin Avenue and Van Siclen Avenue | November 18, 1889[13] | April 26, 1956[31] | Service made redundant to the IND's Template:Nycs and Template:Nycs subway stations. | |
Template:Nycs | Pitkin Avenue and Linwood Street | February 22, 1892[15] | April 26, 1956[31] | Service made redundant to Template:Nycs subway station. | |
Template:Nycs | Pitkin Avenue and Montauk Avenue | March 21, 1892[16] | April 26, 1956[31] | ||
Template:Nycs | Pitkin Avenue and Chestnut Street | July 16, 1894[17] | April 26, 1956[31] | Service made redundant to Template:Nycs subway station. | |
Template:Nycs | Liberty Avenue and Crescent Street | July 16, 1894[17] | April 26, 1956[31] | ||
Template:Nycs | Liberty Avenue and Grant Avenue | July 16, 1894[17] | April 26, 1956[31] | Replaced by the current underground Template:Nycs station, which serves the A train.[31] It has an entrance half a block away from the old elevated train entrance. | |
Template:Nycs | Liberty Avenue and 80th Street | September 25, 1915[21] | present | still serves the A train | |
Template:Nycs | Liberty Avenue and 88th Street | September 25, 1915[21] | present | still serves the A train | |
Template:Nycs | Liberty Avenue and Rockaway Boulevard | September 25, 1915[21] | present | still serves the A train IND service to the Rockaways splits from here[31] | |
Template:Nycs | Liberty Avenue and 104th Street | September 25, 1915[21] | present | still serves the A train | |
Template:Nycs | Liberty Avenue and 111th Street | September 25, 1915[21] | present | still serves the A train | |
Template:Nycs | Liberty Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard | September 25, 1915[21] | present | still serves the A train |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae "Trains to Run On The Kings County Elevated Next Tuesday". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. April 21, 1888. p. 6. Retrieved March 12, 2019. Cite error: The named reference "Nostrand" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Park Ave El (1885-1891), including Hudson Avenue Extension (The JoeKorner.com)
- ^ "Clipping from The Brooklyn Daily Eagle on Newspapers.com". Brooklyn Public Library.
- ^ Template:Cite BDE
- ^ "Clipping from The Brooklyn Daily Eagle on Newspapers.com". Brooklyn Public Library.
- ^ a b c Template:Cite BDE
- ^ a b Template:Cite BDE
- ^ Template:Cite BDE
- ^ Template:Cite BDE
- ^ a b c Template:Cite BDE
- ^ "Will Be Opened Monday: The Kings County Elevated Road's Extension". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 12, 1889. p. 6. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
- ^ Template:Cite BDE
- ^ a b c d Template:Cite BDE
- ^ Template:Cite BDE
- ^ a b Template:Cite BDE
- ^ a b Template:Cite BDE
- ^ a b c d Template:Cite BDE
- ^ Template:Cite BDE
- ^ Template:Cite BDE
- ^ Template:Cite BDE
- ^ a b c d e f g New York Times, New Elevated Line Opened for Queens, September 26, 1915, page 7
- ^ "Clipping from The Brooklyn Daily Eagle on Newspapers.com". Brooklyn Public Library.
- ^ "Clipping from The Brooklyn Daily Eagle on Newspapers.com". Brooklyn Public Library.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r New York Times, Last Train is Run on Fulton St. 'El'
- ^ "Clipping from The Brooklyn Daily Eagle on Newspapers.com". Brooklyn Public Library.
- ^ B.M.T. 'El' Lines to Shift Service; City to Close 2 Sections This Week, New York Times May 27, 1940 page 19
- ^ Broadway Junction Transportation Study (Part 1) (NYC.gov)
- ^ "www.nycsubway.org". nycsubway.org.
- ^ "www.nycsubway.org". nycsubway.org.
- ^ Template:Cite BDE
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "First Leg of Rockaways Transit Opened at Cost of $10,154,702". nytimes.com. The New York Times. April 30, 1956. Retrieved 29 June 2015.