|
About NYC Transit
New York City Transit History
 |
| In 1898 the five boroughs
were administratively united as the City of New York. At that time
the Brooklyn Bridge was the only physical connection between Brooklyn
and Queens to Manhattan. In the above view of the Brooklyn Bridge
we see (center) a train of cable railway cars heading toward Manhattan.
The trackage joining at the right is for electric powered elevated
trains. |
Although MTA New York City Transit
is in charge of all subway service and most bus service in New York City
today, rapid transit routes and surface lines were originally managed
by private companies. Local public transportation debuted for America
in 1827 when Abraham Brower began operating a twelve seat stage-coach
along Broadway from the Battery to Bleecker Street. The city's first elevated
railway was operated in regular service on February 14, 1870. The El ran
along Greenwich Street and Ninth Avenue in Manhattan. On September 24,
1883 a Brooklyn Bridge cable powered railway was opened between Park Row,
New York City and Sands Street in the City of Brooklyn.
New York City's first official
subway system opened in Manhattan on October 27, 1904.
The Interborough Rapid Transit
Company (IRT) operated the 9.1-mile long subway line which consisted
of 28 stations from City Hall to 145th Street and Broadway. IRT service
was extended to the Bronx in 1905, to Brooklyn in 1908 and to Queens
in 1915. The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT), began subway service
between Brooklyn and Manhattan in 1915. The Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit
Corporation (BMT) took over BRT operations a few years later.
Private companies also operated
the city's earliest motor buses. On July 13, 1907, the Fifth Avenue
Coach Company began passenger service between Washington Square and
90th Street with gasoline-powered buses and open-top double-deckers.
In 1932, the city's Board of
Transportation completed construction of the Eighth Avenue line and
created the Independent Rapid Transit Railroad (IND), the first city-run
subway service. When the city purchased the BMT and IRT in 1940, it
became the sole owner and operator of all New York City subway and elevated
lines. In addition to bus and trolley routes formerly run by the BMT,
the city acquired three other bus companies in the late 1940's which
had served Queens and Staten Island.
On June 15, 1953, the New York
State Legislature created the New York City Transit Authority (now MTA
New York City Transit) as a separate public corporation to manage and
operate all city-owned bus, trolley and subway routes.
Key Events:
|
June 15, 1953
|
The
New York City Transit Authority establishes its headquarters at 370
Jay Street in Brooklyn. |
|
July 25, 1953
|
Tokens
debut in the subway. |
|
October 30, 1954
|
A
track connection opens between Brooklyn's Church Avenue and Ditmas
Avenue stations. This establishes single-route service (on the D)
from the Bronx at 205th Street to Brooklyn's Coney Island. |
|
May 12, 1955
|
The Third Avenue "El," the last elevated line in Manhattan, closes. |
|
December 1, 1955
|
A
track connection opens between the 60th Street tunnel and the Queens
Boulevard line, linking former BMT and IND lines in Long Island City,
Queens. |
|
June 28, 1956
|
Subway
service to Rockaway Park and Wavecrest in Queens begins. |
|
October 31, 1956
|
New
York City Transit's last two full-length trolley lines (along Brooklyn's
McDonald Avenue and Church Avenue) are discontinued. |
|
January 16, 1958
|
Subway
service is extended to Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue in Queens.
|
|
March 19, 1962
|
The
New York State Legislature forms the Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit
Operating Authority (MaBSTOA), a non-civil-service subsidiary of New
York City Transit, to take over bus service for the bankrupt Fifth
Avenue Coach routes. |
|
November 26, 1967
|
The
Christie Street connection opens, enabling BMT lines that cross the
Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges to stop at Broadway-Lafayette (an
IND station). The Grand Street station also opens to serve trains
using the Manhattan Bridge (B D and Q routes). |
|
March 1, 1968
|
The
New York State Legislature creates the Metropolitan Transportation
Authority to oversee transportation operations in 12 counties. The
MTA becomes New York City Transit's parent agency. |
|
July 1, 1971
|
After
the city purchases the Staten Island subsidiary of the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad, the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority
(now called Staten Island Railway) is created to operate New York
City Transit-managed rail service on Staten Island. |
|
July 1, 1976
|
The Transit Exhibit (now called the New York Transit Museum) opens
in the former Court Street shuttle station in Downtown Brooklyn.
|
|
Jan. 1, 1982
|
To rescue the nation's largest public-transit system from years of
undercapitalization and deferred maintenance, New York City Transit
launches the first of its five-year Capital Improvement programs.
|
|
December 11, 1988
|
The Archer Avenue line opens, consisting of three stations and linking
the Jamaica (J) and Queens Boulevard (E) lines in Queens. Six southeast
Queens bus routes are rerouted to serve the city's first modern intermodal
(bus-rail) transfer facility at the new Jamaica Center (Parsons-Archer)
station. |
|
May 12, 1989
|
New York City Transit succeeds in its five-year goal of establishing
graffiti-free bus and subway fleets as the last graffiti-covered train
is taken out of service. |
|
October 29, 1989
|
Service begins to the 63rd Street Extension's three new stations:
Lexington Avenue, Roosevelt Island (Manhattan) and 21st Street ( Long
Island City ). |
|
October 30, 1992
|
The installation of Automated Fare Collection (AFC) turnstiles begins.
|
|
December 5, 1993
|
New
York City Transit introduces Request-a-Stop on Staten Island buses
for safety and convenience (customers can get off along a route between
10 p.m. and 5 a.m.). The program grows to include every New York City
Transit bus route in the five boroughs. |
|
January 6, 1994
|
Automated Fare Collection (AFC)
turnstiles go on-line at the Wall Street (4 5) and Whitehall Street
(N R) stations.
|
|
September 22, 1994
|
Construction
begins on the 63rd St. tunnel connector, which will link the 63rd
St. line to the Queens Blvd. line in Long Island City, Queens. |
|
March 8, 1995
|
New York City Transit's bus fleet becomes 100% accessible to customers
with disabilities. |
|
April 2, 1995
|
The
New York City and Transit Police Departments merge. |
|
September 28, 1995
|
New York City Transit buses in Staten Island start accepting MetroCard.
MetroCard is accepted on all New York City Transit buses by year's
end. |
|
November 12, 1995
|
Subway
and local bus fare becomes $1.50. A "Five Borough," token replaces
the "bulls-eye" design. |
|
January 7, 1996
|
The largest blizzard in almost 50 years dumps 20 inches of snow on
New York City. Underground sections of subway routes continue service.
|
|
July 2, 1996
|
The Transit Museum celebrates its 20th anniversary. |
|
September 19, 1996
|
Two reconditioned buses begin touring the city to promote and sell
MetroCard. MetroCard buses help senior citizens and people with disabilities
get Reduced Fare MetroCards, travelling to community centers, shopping
centers and other neighborhood locations. |
|
May 14, 1997
|
The
entire New York City Transit bus and subway system accepts MetroCard,
as the last AFC turnstiles go on-line. |
|
July 4, 1997
|
MetroCard
Gold debuts, allowing customers to transfer free bus to subway, subway
to bus, and bus to bus. |
|
January 1, 1998
|
A
new MetroCard offer lets customers get 11 rides for the price of 10. |
|
July 4, 1998
|
First
sales day for Unlimited-Ride 7-day and 30-day MetroCards, which let
customers take as many trips as they want for a fixed price. |
|
September
1, 1998
|
First
hybrid-electric buses enter service. |
|
October
12, 1998
|
Lenox
Avenue Invert completed. The $82 million project rebuilds the flooded
invert (floor) of the Lenox Ave (2 and 3) line between 110 and 116
Sts and restores the 116 St. station. Work finishes in less than eight
months. |
|
January
1, 1999
|
Fun
Pass introduced. This unlimited-use, One-day MetroCard is priced at
$4. |
|
January
25, 1999
|
MetroCard
Vending Machines (MVM) debut in two subway stations. By the end of
the year, 347 MVMs are in service in 74 stations. |
|
June
7th, 1999
|
A
Compressed-Natural-Gas (CNG) fueling station opens at the Jackie Gleason
Depot to fuel CNG buses. The new station can fuel a bus seven times
faster than the station it replaced. |
|
October
18th, 1999
|
The
Franklin Avenue Shuttle re-opens after a $74 million rehabilitation,
three months ahead of schedule. The 15-month major reconstruction
of the 113 year-old, 1.4-mile line rebuilt the Franklin Avenue and
Park Place stations virtually from scratch and restored the Prospect
Park and Botanical Gardens stations. Other improvements include: new
roadbed, track signals, bridges, installation of an elevator and escalator,
a new passageway to the A and C lines at the Franklin Avenue station,
P.A. systems, and closed-circuit TV equipment. |
 |
| Above, is a 1904 view
of the crowning jewel of New York City's first subway, City Hall Station. |
Early
Transportation Methods
New York
El Photos
Historic
Subway Photos
Trolley
Photos
Historic
Bus Photos
|
