BMT Myrtle Avenue Line

Extent and service

The following services use part or all of the BMT Myrtle Avenue Line:

The Myrtle Avenue Line is served by the service. The line begins at Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village, Queens. It heads southwest along a private right-of-way, eventually joining an elevated structure above Palmetto Street in Ridgewood and Myrtle Avenue in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bushwick. Just before reaching Broadway (on which the BMT Jamaica Line operates), the line curves to the left and merges into the Jamaica Line tracks just east of the Myrtle Avenue station. The still-existing upper level of the station, which was called "Broadway", opened in 1889 and closed on October 4, 1969.

History

Opening

The first section of the line ran over Myrtle Avenue from Johnson and Adams Streets to a junction with what was then known as the Main Line at Grand Avenue. It opened on April 10, 1888, by the Union Elevated Railroad Company, which was leased to the Brooklyn Elevated Railroad for its operation. Trains continued along Grand Avenue and Lexington Avenue to Broadway, where the line joined the Broadway Elevated, and then along Broadway to East New York. On September 1, 1888, the line was extended westward along Adams Street and Sands Street, to a terminal at Washington Street for the Brooklyn Bridge. On April 27, 1889, the line was extended east along Myrtle Avenue to Broadway, and to Wyckoff Avenue (at the Brooklyn/Queens border) on July 20, 1889. However, the station at Knickerbocker Avenue did not open until August 15, 1889.

The west end of the line was extended north along Adams Street to an elevated station over Sands Street and High Street in 1896. The connection to the Brooklyn Bridge tracks opened on June 18, 1898, along a private right-of-way halfway between Concord Street and Cathedral Place. The first trains to use it came from the Fifth Avenue Elevated (using the Myrtle Avenue El west of Hudson Avenue).

In 1906 the eastern end of the el was connected via a ramp to the Lutheran Cemetery Line, a former steam dummy line to Metropolitan Avenue that had opened on September 3, 1881. On August 1, 1888, the Brooklyn City Railroad took over the Bushwick Railroad Company and on August 3, 1895 they converted the Lutheran Line to electric trolley cars which were less expensive to operate. This section was elevated as part of the Dual Contracts on February 22, 1915.

Connection to the Broadway Line

On July 29, 1914, the connection to the Broadway-Brooklyn Line was opened, allowing Myrtle Avenue Line trains to operate via the Williamsburg Bridge. Construction on this connection began in August 1913. This service became BMT 10 in 1924, and the original Myrtle Avenue Line service to Park Row became BMT 11, later referred to as M and MJ (although the MJ designation never appeared on any equipment used on the line).

As part of the Dual Contracts rebuilding of the Myrtle Avenue El, a third track was installed north of Myrtle Avenue. This track started from a point south of Central Avenue through Myrtle – Wyckoff Avenues to a bumper just south of Seneca Avenue. The only switches were at the southern end so the center track could only be used for layups (parking). It was never used in revenue service and was removed by 1946.

In Fiscal Year 1930, the platforms at Seneca Avenue were lengthened to accommodate an eight-car train of Standard subway cars.

Truncation and later years

On March 5, 1944, the line west of Bridge–Jay Streets was closed coincident with the end of elevated service over the Brooklyn Bridge. On January 21, 1953, the Grand Avenue station was closed so that it could be torn down and therefore complete the demolition of the BMT Lexington Avenue Line. The rest of the line from Broadway to Jay Street closed on October 4, 1969, and was demolished soon afterward, ending the MJ service. A free transfer to the B54 bus replaced the MJ, and service was increased on that bus. The free transfer at Jay Street was also replaced with a bus transfer.

In 1986, the New York City Transit Authority launched a study to determine whether to close 79 stations on 11 routes, including the remaining portion of the Myrtle Avenue Line, due to low ridership and high repair costs. Numerous figures, including New York City Council member Carol Greitzer, criticized the plans.

In July 2017, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority started rebuilding two parts of the Myrtle Avenue Line, the 310 ft approaches to the junction with the BMT Jamaica Line (which lasted until April 2018, requiring suspension of service between Wyckoff and Myrtle Avenues), and the Fresh Pond Bridge over the Montauk Branch in Queens (which lasted from July to September 2017). This work was undertaken in preparation for a reconstruction of the BMT Canarsie Line tunnels under the East River, which took place between 2019 and 2020. Regular service resumed on April 30, 2018. The MTA began removing lead paint from the Myrtle Avenue Line viaduct in 2025.

Station listing

References

References

1. {{NYCS const. riderref. weekday
2. (October 19, 2011). "Remembering the Myrtle Avenue El". Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
3. {{NYCS const. serviceguide
4. {{NYCS const. trackref. trackbook3
5. (January 1, 1890). "Report".
6. (August 23, 2012). "The Wheels That Drove New York: A History of the New York City Transit System". Springer Science & Business Media.
7. (August 15, 1889). "The Fifth Avenue Elevated To Greenwood". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
8. "Lutheran Dummy Trolley".
9. "Article 11 -- No Title". The New York Times.
10. Senate, New York (State) Legislature. (1916). "Documents of the Senate of the State of New York". E. Croswell.
11. Senate, New York (State) Legislature. (January 1, 1916). "Documents of the Senate of the State of New York". E. Croswell.
12. New York (State). Transit Commission.. (1930). "Tenth Annual Report, 1930". Albany, N.Y. : J.B. Lyon Co..
13. (1944). "Brooklyn Bridge "El" Service... To Be Discontinued March 5th". New York City Board of Transportation.
14. (January 17, 1953). "EL' STATION TO BE RAZED; Grand Ave. Stop on Myrtle Ave. Line to End Wednesday". The New York Times.
15. (October 4, 1969). "1,200 on Last Trip On Myrtle Ave. El; Cars Are Stripped". The New York Times.
16. "Myrtle Ave El".
17. Brooke, James. (April 29, 1986). "Subway Aides to Weigh Cuts on 11 Routes".
18. Gordy, Margaret. (1986-04-29). "MTA Studies Citywide Cuts in Subway Lines, Stations". Newsday.
19. Finder, Alan. (May 4, 1986). "The Region; On Shrinking The Subways".
20. "mta.info {{!}} Myrtle Av Line Infrastructure Projects". [[Metropolitan Transportation Authority]].
21. Rivoli, Dan. (March 17, 2016). "M line to be shut down next year for repairs". [[New York Daily News]].
22. Brown, Nicole. (March 18, 2016). "MTA: M line will shut down for part of next year". am New York.
23. "Myrtle Avenue Line Infrastructure Projects". [[Metropolitan Transportation Authority]].
24. Kelley, Ryan. (April 25, 2018). "M Train on track to return to full service on Myrtle Ave in Ridgewood next week". QNS.com.
25. Martinez, Regina. (May 2, 2025). "Elevated Train Maintenance Frustrates Bushwick Locals".
26. Daly, Adam. (August 28, 2025). "MTA says Brooklyn lead paint removal off elevated line poses no risk amid local concerns".
27. (July 21, 1889). "Lost the Second Game". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
28. (August 14, 1889). "To Greenwood on Thursday". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
29. (1916). "Report of the Public Service Commission for the First District of the State of New York For the Year Ending December 31, 1915 Vol. I". New York State Public Service Commission.
30. (1918). "Report of the Public Service Commission for the First District of the State of New York For the Year Ending December 31, 1917 Vol. ii". New York State Public Service Commission.
31. (February 2005). "Myrtle Avenue "L Structure is 90 Years Old". New York Division, Electric Railroaders’ Association.
32. (April 25, 1889). "Will Open on Saturday". [[Brooklyn Daily Eagle]].
33. (April 24, 1889). "The Upper Myrtle Avenue Elevated". The Brooklyn Times Union.
34. (December 4, 1888). "Opening the Washington Avenue Station". [[Brooklyn Daily Eagle]].
35. (April 10, 1888). "A Start Made". [[Brooklyn Daily Eagle]].
36. (August 30, 1888). "To the Bridge". [[Brooklyn Daily Eagle]].
37. (March 5, 1944). "Brooklyn Bridge Train Service Ends Today -- Trolley Cars Stay On". [[The Brooklyn Daily Eagle]].