East River Streetcars

The Brooklyn Historic Railway Association
East River Bridges
The Construction of the East River Bridges predate the widespread adoption and the
maturation of the automobile. Their primary function was to transport people between the
boroughs by means of mass transportation. At the time of their construction rail transportation
was the predominate form of transportation and all of the bridges carried electric streetcars
and elevated subway lines by the early 20th century. The figure below* shows the carrying
capacity of the bridges peaked in the years when the bridges were still supporting a high level
of mass transit service. This indicates that removing car lanes can actually decrease traffic and
move people more quickly than the current automobile centered arrangement.
* "Managing the East River bridges in New York City", Proc. SPIE 4337, Health Monitoring
and Management of Civil Infrastructure Systems, 60 (August 3, 2001);
doi:10.1117/12.435629
599 East 7th Street, Suite 5A Brooklyn, NY 11218

Tel: (718) 552-7048 Email:rdiamond@brooklynrail.net
The QueensboroBridge
At its peak the Queensboro Bridge had 6 tracks for both elevated rail service and streetcar
service.
On the upper level, the 2nd Avenue elevated line spurred off second ave after the 57th street
station and was routed on the bridge to Queens Boro Plaza as seen below.
The current station at Queens Boro plaza is only half its original size. The other half of the
station was torn down after the 2nd ave elevated was demolished, although some remnants
remain visible.


Four Streetcar tracks also crossed over the bridge. One in each outer lane of the lower level
and two on the main deck of the lower level. The pedestrian walk ways which now occupy the
outer lane were originally on th upper level adjacent to the elevates subway. The tracks can be
seen in the following picture which was taken before the installation of the 2nd ave elevated.
The inner tracks on the main lower deck were serviced by streetcars of the Third Avenue
Railway (TARS). These cars ran from Jackson Avenue in Queens, across the river then down third
avenue, and finally went crosstown on 42nd street. This service ended in 1919.

On the outer roadway Steinway Lines and Manhattan & Queens Transit Companies ran lines to
the underground terminal on 59th Street and 2nd Avenue which is still extant. The terminal had
5 loops which supported 5 streetcar lines. The 5 lines that ran into the terminal from Queens
were: the Astoria Line, the Corona Line, the Flushing and College Point Line, the Queens
Boulevard Line, and the Steinway Line. Today some of these lines still exist as the
Q102,Q101,Q66/65,and Q60 buses. Below is a picture of a streetcar on the bridge.
There were actually two stations on the bridge itself, one on Vernon Blvd and the other on
Roosevelt Island. These stations were accessed via elevator. This remained one of the only
ways to access the island until the construction of a small bridge further north.

The Location of the underground terminal was marked by 5 kiosks on the Manhattan side of
which only 1 still stands.

Williamsburg Bridge
Like the Queens Borough Bridge the Williamsburg Bridge supported 6 tracks. Two for the
Broadway elevated which still exist today and carry the J,M, and Z trains and four for
streetcars.
The Streetcar tracks were on both sides of the elevated tracks. Only the outermost roadways
carried automobile traffic.
Two tracks on the South side of the bridge carried street cars from Brooklyn into an 8 loop
underground terminal in Manhattan adjacent to the Essex Street Subway Station. The terminal
can still be seen from the subway platform. The following Brooklyn lines owned by the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit crossed the bridge:Nostrand Ave, Nostrand-Prospect, Nostrand-Culver ,
Reid Ave ,Wilson Ave ,Ralph Ave , Ralph-Rockaway , Bushwick Ave, Tompkins Ave , Grand St ,
Franklin Ave , Broadway , and Sumner Ave. Some of these survive as the following bus lines :
Q24, Q59, B15, B42, B43, B44, B47,B48, B60.

The 8 loop layout can be seen below
Image of underground Terminal:

Nostrand Avenue Trolley on the Williamsburg Bridge:

The North Side tracks on the Williamsburg Bridge carried Manhattan Streetcars to an above
ground terminal in Brooklyn. This still exist as well as a bus terminal.
There were 4 loops at this aboveground terminal for 4 lines owned by the Metropolitan Street
Railway. Bus lines that follow these routes include the M8,M10, and M14.

Manhattan Trolleys at the Williamsburg Bridge Plaza Terminal:

The Manhattan Bridge

The Manhattan Bridge had 8 tracks 4 for subway service and 4 for streetcar service. The
Subway tracks are on the lower level and still extant while the streetcar tracks were located
above the subway tracks.
Only two trolley lines utilized the Manhattan Bridge the Manhattan Bridge 3 Cent line and the
the Brooklyn and North River Railroad (a joint operation with Brooklyn Rapid Transit, New York
Railways, and TARS operating streetcars over the Manhattan Bridge). Both followed similar
routes. Their goal was to connect the Desbrosses Street Ferry on Manhattans West Side to the
LIRR Atlantic Avenue Terminal.

Map of the 3 Cent Line Route:
3 Cent Trolley on Bridge:

Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge had 4 tracks 2 for elevated subways and 2 for street cars. The elevated
tracks converged on the Park Row terminal in Manhattan while streetcars used loops below
the terminal. The Terminal was used by Brooklyn Manhattan Transit lines (BMT).
The terminal was the final stops on the now demolished 5th Avenue elevated, Myrtle Avenue
elevated, Fulton elevated, and Lexington elevated lines.
Park Row Elevated Terminal:

Inside view:

Elevated train heading for the Brooklyn Bridge:
The following streetcar lines operated over the Brooklyn Bridge: Graham Avenue, DeKalb
Avenue, Fulton, Erie Basin, Flushing Avenue, Seventh Ave, MacDonald-Vanderbilt Aves. Some
now survive as bus routes: B25, B38, B43, B57, B61, B67

Trolley entering the Park Row Terminal:

Streetcar on the Bridge:


East River Streetcars

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The Brooklyn Historic Railway Association

East River Bridges

599 East 7th Street, Suite 5A Brooklyn, NY 11218

599 East 7th Street, Suite 5A Brooklyn, NY 11218

599 East 7th Street, Suite 5A Brooklyn, NY 11218

599 East 7th Street, Suite 5A Brooklyn, NY 11218

599 East 7th Street, Suite 5A Brooklyn, NY 11218

599 East 7th Street, Suite 5A Brooklyn, NY 11218

599 East 7th Street, Suite 5A Brooklyn, NY 11218

The 8 loop layout can be seen below

Image of underground Terminal:

599 East 7th Street, Suite 5A Brooklyn, NY 11218

Nostrand Avenue Trolley on the Williamsburg Bridge:

599 East 7th Street, Suite 5A Brooklyn, NY 11218

599 East 7th Street, Suite 5A Brooklyn, NY 11218

Manhattan Trolleys at the Williamsburg Bridge Plaza Terminal:

599 East 7th Street, Suite 5A Brooklyn, NY 11218

The Manhattan Bridge

599 East 7th Street, Suite 5A Brooklyn, NY 11218

Map of the 3 Cent Line Route:

3 Cent Trolley on Bridge:

599 East 7th Street, Suite 5A Brooklyn, NY 11218

Park Row Elevated Terminal:

599 East 7th Street, Suite 5A Brooklyn, NY 11218

599 East 7th Street, Suite 5A Brooklyn, NY 11218

Elevated train heading for the Brooklyn Bridge:

599 East 7th Street, Suite 5A Brooklyn, NY 11218

Trolley entering the Park Row Terminal:

599 East 7th Street, Suite 5A Brooklyn, NY 11218

Streetcar on the Bridge:

599 East 7th Street, Suite 5A Brooklyn, NY 11218

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