Wikipedia

B63 (New York City bus)

This article is about the bus route that replaced the BMT streetcar line. For the former elevated rapid transit line, also owned by the BMT, see Fifth Avenue Line (Brooklyn elevated).

The B63 is a bus route in Brooklyn, New York City, running mainly along Fifth Avenue and Atlantic Avenue between Fort Hamilton and Cobble Hill. Originally a streetcar line called the Fifth Avenue Line, it is now operated by the New York City Transit Authority as the Fifth/Atlantic Avenues bus.

b63
Fifth Avenue Line
A 2017 XN40 (773) on the B63 in Downtown Brooklyn at Atlantic Terminal in March 2019
Overview
SystemMTA Regional Bus Operations
OperatorNew York City Transit Authority
GarageJackie Gleason Depot
VehicleNew Flyer C40LF CNG
New Flyer Xcelsior XN40
Began serviceAugust 28, 1860
Route
LocaleBrooklyn, New York, U.S.
Communities servedFort Hamilton, Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Park Slope, Downtown Brooklyn, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill
StartBrooklyn Bridge Park – Pier 6
ViaFifth Avenue, Atlantic Avenue
EndBay Ridge – Shore Road
Length5.8 miles (9.3 km)
Other routesB37 Third Avenue
Service
Operates24 Hours[1]
Annual patronage2,671,618 (2023)[2]
TransfersYes
TimetableB63
← B61  {{{system_nav}}}  B64 →

Route description

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Across from the bicyclists is a B61 Park Slope/B63 Cobble Hill bus stop at Atlantic Avenue/Court Street, hidden in this photo

The B63 bus route begins at Shore Road and Fourth Avenue in Fort Hamilton, and heads north on Fourth Avenue, splitting onto Fifth Avenue at 94th Street. Fifth Avenue is followed through Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, and Gowanus to Park Slope, where buses turn northwest on Flatbush Avenue and west on Atlantic Avenue to South Ferry. Along the way, connections with the New York City Subway can be made at Bay Ridge–95th Street, Fourth Avenue–Ninth Street, and Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center, as well as the Long Island Rail Road's Atlantic Branch at Atlantic Terminal.[1]

History

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As a streetcar route

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The Brooklyn Central and Jamaica Railroad opened the line along Fifth Avenue, from its Atlantic Avenue Line south to 24th Street at Greenwood Cemetery, on August 28, 1860.[3][4] The Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Rail Road opened on October 5, 1863, running steam dummies from Fifth Avenue and 36th Street (the city line) south to 37th Street, and east on 37th Street and south towards Coney Island. At the same time, the Central Railroad extended its Fifth Avenue Line south to 36th Street.[5][6][7] The Atlantic Avenue Railroad, the Central's successor, gained control of the Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad, the BB&CI's successor, in January 1893, and soon changed it to an electric trolley line.[8][9]

The Nassau Electric Railroad was incorporated in 1893, and its plans included the east-west Church Avenue Line along 39th Street and a branch south along Fifth Avenue into New Utrecht.[10] The Nassau Electric leased the Atlantic Avenue on April 5, 1896, and opened their Fifth Avenue Line that day as an extension of the Atlantic Avenue's line all the way to Fort Hamilton; they also continued to operate West End Line cars via Fifth Avenue, and soon also ran cars to Coney Island over Fifth Avenue and the 86th Street Line.[11][12]

As a bus route

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Bus service numbered the B63 replaced streetcar service on February 20, 1949.[13]

In February 2011, the B63 became the first bus route in Brooklyn to test the tracking real time arrival system called MTA Bus Time.[14][15] The pilot program was implemented after similar technology had been tested on the M16 and M34 buses in Manhattan during 2010.[16] Following the success of MTA Bus Time on the B63, the program was expanded to all bus routes in the city.[17]

On December 1, 2022, the MTA released a draft redesign of the Brooklyn bus network.[18][19] As part of the redesign, the B63 would maintain its existing routing, but closely spaced stops would be eliminated.[20]

References

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  1. ^ a b MTA Regional Bus Operations. "B63 bus schedule".
  2. ^ "Subway and bus ridership for 2023". mta.info. April 29, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  3. ^ "New Railroad Route". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 23, 1860. p. 3.
  4. ^ "The Brooklyn Central Railroad". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 29, 1860. p. 3.
  5. ^ "The Dummy Engines". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 11, 1863.
  6. ^ "Railroads". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. October 5, 1863. p. 1. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020. Brooklyn, Bath, and Coney Island Railroad - Will commence running on and after Monday October 5th ... Leave Bath 8, 10 and 12 A.M., and 2, 4 and 6 P.M. Leave Thirty-sixth street and Fifth avenue 6:40, 9 and 11 A.M., and 1,3 and 5 P.M.
  7. ^ "Opening of a New Railroad - Another Route to Coney Island". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. October 5, 1863. p. 2. the Brooklyn Central railroad company have extended their track through the Bath plank road, making a most delightful road to the city line. At the city line the passengers take the dummy engine cars which convey them to New Utrecht, bath, Unionville and Coney Island in a half hour
  8. ^ "Another Railroad Sold". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 17, 1893. p. 12.
  9. ^ "Will Move Down Town Soon". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 21, 1893. p. 10.
  10. ^ "Financial Brooklyn". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 1, 1894. p. 22.
  11. ^ "New Railroad Conveniences". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. April 3, 1896. p. 1.
  12. ^ "Run by the Nassau Now". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. April 5, 1896. p. 9.
  13. ^ "Public Notice Fifth Avenue Line". Flickr.com. New York City Board of Transportation. 1949. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  14. ^ Donohue, Pete (October 26, 2012). "MTA Bus Time coming to the Bronx, second borough to get popular program that sends info to riders' gadgets". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  15. ^ Sedon, Michael (January 11, 2012). "New service will tell Staten Island commuters where their bus is". Staten Island Advance. Staten Island, New York. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  16. ^ Donohue, Pete (December 10, 2012). "MTA has given up on bus countdown clocks in favor of Bus Time program". Daily News. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  17. ^ Whitford, Emma (June 5, 2015). "MTA's Bus Tracker Is Now Available As An App". Gothamist. Archived from the original on November 13, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  18. ^ Brachfeld, Ben (December 1, 2022). "Draft plan for new Brooklyn bus network aims to finally end decades of slow, unreliable service". amNewYork. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  19. ^ Spivack, Caroline (December 1, 2022). "Brooklyn bus riders could finally get faster service under MTA redesign". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  20. ^ "Draft Plan: B63 Local". MTA. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
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