NEW YORK DIVISION BULLETIN - MAY, 2005
The Bulletin
New York Division, Electric Railroaders’ Association Vol. 48, No. 5 The Bulletin Published by the New York Division, Electric Railroaders’ Association, Incorporated, PO Box 3001, New York, New York 10008-3001. For general inquiries, contact us at nydiv@ electricrailroaders.org or by phone at (212) 9864482 (voice mail available). ERA’s w e b s i t e i s www.electricrailroaders. org. Editorial Staff: Editor-in-Chief: Bernard Linder News Editor: Randy Glucksman Contributing Editor: Jeffrey Erlitz Production Manager: David Ross
©2005 New York Division, Electric R a i l r o ad e r s’ As soci atio n, Incorporated
In This Issue: BMT Broadway Line—Track Plans ...Page 2
May, 2005
THIRD AVENUE “L” QUIT 50 YEARS AGO When the last Third Avenue “L” train ran express service resulted in an increase of south of 149th Street on May 12, 1955, it nearly 14 million passengers from 1916 to marked the end of an era of rapid transit in 1917. Passenger traffic reached a maximum Manhattan. The elevated was the sole form of 158,557,789 in 1917. When the Lexington of rapid transit until the First Subway opened Avenue Subway was extended to the Bronx in 1904. The subway was extremely popular on August 1, 1918, everyone knew that Third and the extensions gradually siphoned the Avenue “L” traffic would decline. Passenger traffic from the old elevated lines, most of total for 1919, the first full year of Lexington which were discontinued at Unification in Avenue Subway operation, was 20 million less than the 1940. The Third 1917 total. Av e n u e “L,” The extension of which was the the elevated to busiest, became W hite Plains a rarity and manRoad on October aged to survive 4, 1920 and the in Manhattan beginning of eveuntil May 12, ning express ser1955 and in the vice in 1923 Bronx until April helped boost rid28, 1973. ing 3 million in This article will 1921 and again analyze the rise in 1924. Howand fall of pasever, these insenger traffic on creases were this line from only temporary 1908 to 1955. Manhattan Railway, Chatham Square, 1880. and the decline Before World Bernard Linder collection in riding averWar I, New aged 1½ million York’s population was increasing and “L” riding increased riders a year during the 1920s. New York City’s transit riding fell appreciaabout 3 million passengers a year between 1908 and 1916. A partial rush hour express bly during the Depression and the Third Aveservice north of 42nd Street had been operat- nue “L” was no exception. The decline avering for several years. To increase the capac- aged 10 million passengers per year from ity of the line, the third track was made con- 1930 to 1935. Improved business conditions tinuous between Chatham Square and Ford- during the next five years helped reduce the ham Road. Extended rush hour express ser- average annual decline to 2 million passenvice in the Bronx and all-day express service gers. The closing of the Second Avenue “L” (Continued on page 4) in Manhattan was begun in 1917. This new 1