BMT Franklin Avenue Line
BMT Franklin Avenue Line | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
600V DC third rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The BMT Franklin Avenue Line (also known as the Brighton–Franklin Line) is a
The line was originally part of the Brooklyn, Flatbush, and Coney Island Railway, which was created to connect
In 1913, the line was acquired by the
The line's condition deteriorated in the 1980s and 1990s, and as a result it was nearly abandoned. One station,
History
Origins
What is now the Franklin Avenue Line was part of the modern-day
This portion formally opened on August 19, 1878, about six weeks after the rest of the Brighton Line opened.
The Kings County Elevated Railway (KCER) wanted to link the Brighton Beach Railroad, running west of Franklin Avenue, to its elevated railway above Fulton Street. However, there was a problem: the LIRR's Atlantic Branch right-of-way, running along Atlantic Avenue, separated the Brighton Beach Railroad's Bedford Terminal to the south and the Fulton Street Line to the north. The LIRR vigorously defended its right to prevent any other railroad companies from crossing its right-of-way, and it only backed down after the KCER brought litigation against the LIRR. Moreover, store owners on Franklin Avenue and Fulton Street opposed the creation of an additional elevated link between the Brighton Beach Railroad and the Fulton Street elevated.[5]: 115 The BF&CI won its lawsuit against the LIRR in 1889, but the victory was largely symbolic since the Brighton Beach Railroad had replaced the BF&CI.[5]: 91
In February 1896, the railroad was leased by the KCER.[11] On August 15, 1896, the railroad gained a connection with it by means of a ramp and short elevated railway.[12] The connection linked to the Fulton Street Elevated, which ran from Downtown Brooklyn to City Line at the border with Queens County at Liberty and Grant Avenues and had been completed in 1893. From there the line bridged over Atlantic Avenue, where the LIRR was still operating at-grade.[5]: 113 As part of the Atlantic Avenue improvement program, this portion of the LIRR was placed in a tunnel between 1903 and 1905.[7] Additionally, provisions were provided for a future two-track connection in Downtown Brooklyn near the current Atlantic Terminal, leading from the Atlantic Branch to the Brighton Line.[9]
Also in 1896, a new entity, the
The first
A series of leases and mergers at the beginning of the 20th century ended the independent existence of a number of elevated and suburban railroads, including the Kings County Line and the bankrupt Brooklyn and Brighton Beach. Brooklyn was consolidated into the City of Greater New York in 1898. The new city turned its attention to subway building and the Interborough Rapid Transit Company had a leg up in landing the first two contracts. The Brooklyn interests, represented by the BRT, sought to win new subway contracts to integrate its system of elevated and suburban roads into new subways to be built. One such subway connection would bypass the Franklin Avenue route by funneling the Brighton Line through a direct subway route under Flatbush Avenue as part of Contract 4 of the Dual Contracts of 1913.[13] Construction for the connection required the Coney Island-bound track to be diverted in a new tunnel to cross over the new subway connection and enter the rebuilt four-track Prospect Park station as an outside track. This track has a sharp curve that, coming from the north, has a sharp S-curve to the right and then to the left.[14]
The construction of this new connection directly contributed to the
Brighton subway connection
On August 1, 1920, the Brighton Beach Line was connected to the Broadway subway in Manhattan via the Montague Street Tunnel under the East River, as well as a tunnel connection underneath Flatbush Avenue.[18][2] At the same time, track connections to the Fulton Street Elevated were severed so that through service to Brooklyn Bridge was no longer possible. Subway trains from Manhattan and elevated trains from Franklin Avenue shared operations to Coney Island.[2][3] A connection and cross-platform interchange between the Brighton Beach and Franklin Avenue Lines was made at Prospect Park, where Franklin Avenue trains used the outer tracks and Brighton Beach trains used the inner tracks. South of Prospect Park, there are switches between all four tracks, allowing southbound trains from either line to run either local or express to Coney Island, as well as permitting northbound local and express trains from Coney Island to access either line. On the four-track Brighton Beach main line south of Prospect Park, the inner pair of tracks are for express trains, and the outer pair of tracks are for local trains.[6][15]: 97
The line continued to operate elevated train service on the Brighton Beach main line until 1928, after which similar services were continued with steel subway cars. For the summer excursion season of 1924, the Franklin Avenue Line was upgraded for the operation of six-car subway trains, and was assigned the BMT number 7.[6][15]: 98 This service used the Brighton Line during most daytime hours. During warm weather, express service ran to Coney Island on weekends during the day.[15]: 98
In the 1920s, transportation officials discussed the possibility of an extension of the line. It was proposed that the line would be extended beyond Fulton Street, run across central Brooklyn, and link up with other BRT lines in Long Island City. Provisions for this line were made in the elevated structure at Queensboro Plaza, but no other parts of the line were built as the plan never left the talking stages.[15]: 98 A crosstown line would eventually be built in the 1930s; however, it was part of the city-operated Independent Subway System, not the BRT.[19]
The Fulton Street Elevated, to which the Franklin Avenue line was originally connected, closed in 1940 and was replaced by the IND Fulton Street Line. A free transfer was instituted between the Fulton Street subway and the Franklin Avenue elevated.[15]: 100
In 1958, a new switch was installed north of Prospect Park, allowing trains to reverse ends at the easternmost track at Prospect Park, which had formerly served northbound Franklin Avenue Line trains. This eliminated a traffic bottleneck in which southbound Franklin Avenue Line trains, arriving on the westernmost track at Prospect Park, reversed directions by crossing over two active Brighton Line tracks to the northbound Franklin Avenue Line track, thereby delaying train traffic. As a result, most trains avoided negotiating the sharp S-curve where the Malbone Street Wreck had occurred.[20]: 77 Trains that are being taken out of service continue to use the old route.[15]: 98
Prior to the Brooklyn Dodgers' relocation to Los Angeles for their 1958 season, the Franklin Avenue Line was one of the busiest routes to their games at Ebbets Field, located in Flatbush near the southern end of the line.[21][3] A 1982 New York Times article described the line as the "gateway to Ebbets Field".[22]
Decline
After the city gained ownership of the line in 1940, Brighton-Franklin services gradually declined. A major blow to the viability of through-service occurred in 1954 when the D train of the IND Division was extended to Coney Island via the Culver Line, deprived the Franklin of a major source of transfer traffic, consisting of passengers from Harlem and the Bronx, who now had a more direct route to Coney Island. Brighton-Franklin express service ended in 1954,[15]: 98 and the Franklin Avenue Line became a full-time shuttle in 1963. On November 1, 1965, when R27 subway cars started going into service, this service was named SS. In 1985, when the practice of using double letters was eliminated, this service became the S.[15]: 98 [23]
On December 1, 1974, a southbound shuttle train of
In January 1977, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s Emergency Financial Control Board proposed abandoning the severely deteriorated line due to cutbacks in city funding. The local community was outraged at the plan and was successful in saving the shuttle for the meantime. A coalition of about 5,000 passengers, including local businessmen, the Jewish Hospital and Medical Center, staff workers of the Bureau of Child Welfare and representation from local high schools, showed up to a meeting on January 5 to protest the planned cut. They were aided by Congress members Shirley Chisholm and Fred Richmond, who issued a statement in support of the riders of the shuttle, including 2,000 students.[24][25]
In 1981, the MTA proposed abandoning the severely deteriorated line under the failed Program for Action. At the time, only 10,000 daily passengers used the line. It was proposed that bus service along nearby Franklin Avenue could substitute for the line.[15]: 100 During the winter, the line would often be closed because there was fear that trains would derail. Stations were in horrible condition; portions of the wooden platforms were sealed off because they had burned or collapsed.[26][27] From January to March 1982, the line needed to be closed for emergency repair work because a retaining wall along the line was in danger of collapse.[22] An MTA spokeswoman said that the repairs would only last for three years and $38 to $60 million would be needed to rebuild the line. She said that the MTA was considering ending service on the line permanently.[28]
In 1986, the New York City Transit Authority launched a study to determine whether to close 79 stations on 11 routes, including the entire Franklin Avenue Line, due to low ridership and high repair costs.[29][30] Numerous figures, including New York City Council member Carol Greitzer, criticized the plans.[30][31]
By the 1990s the Franklin Avenue Shuttle was known as the "ghost train" and the Franklin Avenue Line was very dilapidated. Shuttle trains' lengths were shrunk from four to two cars, and the platforms were so poorly maintained that they were literally crumbling.
Restoration
The civic groups ultimately convinced the New York State Assembly to force the MTA to rebuild rather than abandon the line, and at its April 26, 1996 board meeting, it announced that the shuttle would be closed for eighteen months so that the line could be rehabilitated for $63 million.[36] As a result, most of the supporting infrastructure and stations were completely rehabilitated for eighteen months, between July 1998 and October 1999 at a cost of $74 million.[6][37][38] Closing the shuttle full time was estimated to save time and $22 million.[36] While the closure of the line started in July 1998, work began in September 1997.[39] The contract on the bid was out in February 1997. During the renovation, a temporary shuttle bus and the B48 bus replaced train service. The line reopened on October 18, 1999, three months ahead of schedule.[40]
As part of the rehabilitation, three stations were rebuilt, elevators were installed at the Fulton Street station, tracks and bridges were replaced, and security cameras and new artwork were added. 0.4 miles (640 m) of unnecessary double track was removed, and 1.4 miles (2,300 m) of track was replaced. The signal system between the Botanic Garden and Franklin Avenue stations was replaced and rehabilitated.
Once the line was reopened there were still calls to restore the Dean Street station, and there were complaints that the Botanic Garden and Prospect Park stops were not made ADA accessible. Prospect Park was made accessible in a later project.[40]
Description
At Fulton Street and Franklin Avenue, where the
The line then crosses a bridge over Park Place.[7] Park Place was placed at a lower elevation in 1905 in order to eliminate the grade crossing. To allow vehicular traffic to pass under the line, the street descends to as much as 3 feet (0.91 m) below its elevation on either side of the Franklin Avenue Line overpass. Since the sidewalk remains at the same elevation as on either side, stairs are provided between the road's curb and the sidewalk.[7]
After Park Place, the line broadens from one to two tracks[14][44] Between Park Place and Sterling Place, the line descends to an open cut along a ramp that opened in 1896 as part of the Fulton Street Elevated connection project and enters the near-original 1878 right-of-way, including the original railroad-style tunnel under Eastern Parkway. The south end of the tunnel contains the rehabilitated Botanic Garden station, originally built in 1928. All three stations between Franklin Avenue and Botanic Garden were rebuilt or renovated with elements such as distinctive artwork, masonry and ironwork funded by New York City Transit's "Arts in Transit" program. From Botanic Garden, the line continues on its original 1878 roadbed and connects with the main part of the Brighton Line at Prospect Park. Before entering Prospect Park, trains switch to the northbound track, which continues straight and enters a tunnel. The shuttle terminates on the northbound outer track of the four-track Prospect Park station.[7][14] The rarely used[a] southbound track (where the Malbone Street Wreck took place) also enters a tunnel, curving sharply west and then south to swing around the Brighton Beach Line tracks, which approach Prospect Park from the northwest and feed into the station's two inner tracks. The southbound Franklin Avenue Line track then connects to the southbound outer track at Prospect Park.[7][14]
The line's signals are controlled by the DeKalb Avenue Tower, located at the
Station listing
Station service legend | |
---|---|
Stops all times | |
Time period details | |
Station is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act | |
↑ | Station is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act in the indicated direction only |
↓ | |
Elevator access to mezzanine only |
Neighborhood (approximate) |
Station | Services | Opened | Transfers and notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bedford–Stuyvesant | Franklin Avenue | S | August 15, 1896[12] | A C (IND Fulton Street Line) | |
Bedford | August 19, 1878[6][10] | Replaced by Franklin Avenue in 1896. The location was then served by Dean Street (now closed). Track connection and some facilities retained until disconnected during 1904–1905 rebuilding. | |||
Crown Heights | Dean Street | August 15, 1896[12] | Closed c. 1899;[b] re-opened October 28, 1901.[48] Closed again in 1995;[34] now demolished[33] | ||
Park Place | S | June 19, 1899 | |||
Botanic Garden (2nd iteration) | S | September 30, 1928[49] | 2 3 4 5 (IRT Eastern Parkway Line at Franklin Avenue–Medgar Evers College) | ||
Consumers Park | June 19, 1899 | Renamed Botanic Garden (1st iteration) c. 1924. Closed and demolished in 1928 and replaced by the second iteration of Botanic Garden[49] | |||
Flatbush
|
Prospect Park | S | July 1, 1878[4] | B Q (BMT Brighton Line); normally uses northbound platform | |
merges with BMT Brighton Line to become its local tracks (no regular service) |
Notes
- Prospect Park. In addition, on the rare occurrence that the northbound track has to be taken out of service for work, the southbound track will become an absolute block the entire length of the line, with one train operating in both directions. Signals will be bagged, and stop armswill be held down for this operation.
- ^ The exact date of closure is unknown, but by November 1899, one John Costello of Brooklyn had filed a complaint with the New York State Board of Railroad Commissioners.[46] According to a 1901 report, the Brighton Beach Railroad had applied for abandonment of the Dean Street station.[47]
References
- ^ "Annual Subway Ridership (2017–2022)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^
- ^ from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
The Brooklyn, Flatbush and Coney Island Railroad was formally opened for public travel yesterday [July 1, 1878]
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8232-2211-7. Archivedfrom the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g "The Third Rail - The New Franklin Shuttle - Preface". www.thethirdrail.net. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Walsh, Kevin (October 4, 1998). "The lore of the franklin Avenue Shuttle". forgotten-ny.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ a b c Anderson, Bob. "Joint LIRR / BRT Elevated/Rapid Transit Service". www.lirrhistory.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2000. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c d Huneke, Art. "Brighton Beach Line Part 2". www.arrts-arrchives.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Notice of Opening". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 18, 1878. p. 1. Archived from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2021 – via NYS Historic Newspapers.
top of column 2: The Brooklyn, Flatbush and Coney Island Railway Company Commencing at 6:30 A,M., Monday, August 19 ... regular schedule trains will be run from the Long Island Depot ... through to Brighton Beach
- from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
- ^ a b c * Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners of the State of New York. 1898. p. 800. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
- Street Railway Section of the Commercial & Financial Chronicle. Wm. B. Dana Company. 1896. p. 19. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
- (PDF) from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
- ^ OCLC 49777633 – via Google Books.
- ^ ISBN 9780823219322.
- ^ from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
- from the original on April 3, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- from the original on October 18, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
- ISBN 9780823267408. Archivedfrom the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ISBN 9780823216185.
- ^ "The Third Rail - The New Franklin Shuttle - page 5". thethirdrail.net. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
- ^ Bolden, Eric. "NYCT Line by Line History". www.erictb.info. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ Todd, George (January 8, 1977). "Controversy Over Franklin Ave. Shuttle" (PDF). Amsterdam News. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ "MTA Bows To Pressure On Franklin Ave. Shuttle" (PDF). Amsterdam News. January 22, 1977. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ "The fight to save the Franklin Avenue Shuttle". www.straphangers.org. Archived from the original on December 15, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- from the original on August 12, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ "Franklin shuttle reopen" (PDF). New York Recorder. March 6, 1982. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ Brooke, James (April 29, 1986). "Subway Aides to Weigh Cuts on 11 Routes". The New York Times. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Gordy, Margaret (April 29, 1986). "MTA Studies Citywide Cuts in Subway Lines, Stations". Newsday. pp. 3, 27. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ Finder, Alan; Connelly, Mary (May 4, 1986). "The Region; On Shrinking The Subways". The New York Times. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Abandoned Stations : Elevated Stations". www.columbia.edu. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- ^ "MTR 10, Franklin Ave Shuttle Site of Leafletting Action". www.tstc.org. Tri-State Transportation Campaign. November 9, 1994. Archived from the original on May 6, 1999. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ a b c Shelby, Joyce (May 26, 1996). "Shuttle Users: Pass Fixup St. Stop". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2008.
- from the original on August 12, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ "New Franklin Avenue Shuttle Makes Early Debut". www.mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on July 29, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ a b Liff, Bob (October 19, 1999). "New Franklin Ave. Shuttle Reopens After 74m Overhaul". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ "C33185 Rehabilitate Line Structure & Stations Franklin Ave Shuttle Over $10m". mta.nyc.ny.us. New York City Transit. February 2, 1997. Archived from the original on February 2, 1997. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ "About NYC Transit - History". October 19, 2002. Archived from the original on October 19, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ a b Shook, Jerry (January 6, 2006). "New York State Public Transportation Safety Board Rail Safety Bureau PTSB Case #8656 Investigation of a Derailment Involving the MTA – New York City Transit North of Prospect Park Station, Brooklyn, New York on September 7, 2005" (PDF). www.dot.ny.gov. New York State Public Transportation Safety Board Rail Safety Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 18, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ "Subway Service Guide" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 2019. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
- ^ Board of Railroad Commissioners of the State of New York (1901). Annual Report. Albany. p. 40. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- ^ Board of Railroad Commissioners of the State of New York (1901). Annual Report. Weed, Parsons and Company. p. 754. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- ^
External links
- Media related to BMT Franklin Avenue Line at Wikimedia Commons