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TheIRT Third Avenue Line, commonly known as theThird Avenue Elevated,Third Avenue El, orBronx El, was anelevated railway inManhattan andthe Bronx,New York City. Originally operated by the New York Elevated Railway, an independent railway company, it was acquired by theInterborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and eventually became part of theNew York City Subway system.
The first segment of the line, with service at most stations, opened fromSouth Ferry toGrand Central Depot on August 26, 1878.[1] Service was extended toHarlem in Manhattan on December 30.[2][3] In 1881 this line already began 24/7 service.[4][5] Service in Manhattan was phased out in the early 1950s and closed completely on May 12, 1955. The remaining service in the Bronx was designated as part of the8 route until it was discontinued on April 29, 1973.
The Third Avenue El was the last elevated line to operate in Manhattan, other than the1 train on theIRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line (which has elevated sections between 122nd and 135th Streets and north ofDyckman Street), and was a frequent backdrop for movies. Service on theSecond,Sixth, andNinth Avenue elevated lines were terminated in 1942, 1938, and 1940, respectively.
In 1875, the Rapid Transit Commission granted theNew York Elevated Railway Company the right to construct the railway fromBattery Park to theHarlem River along theBowery andThird Avenue.[6] At that time the company already operated theNinth Avenue Elevated, which it acquired in 1871 after the bankruptcy of the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway.[7] The Third Avenue El opened in 1878, running fromSouth Ferry to129th Street.[2][3] TheManhattan Railway Company took control of the New York Elevated Railroad in 1879. In 1886, theSuburban Rapid Transit Company commenced operations with a railway line over theHarlem River (via a double-deckedswing bridge located between theThird Avenue Bridge andWillis Avenue Bridge with the upper deck carrying the express tracks, the lower one the local tracks, and a pedestrian walkway) from the Manhattan Railway's northern terminal at 129th Street to 133rd Street in the southern Bronx, known then as the "Annexed District".[8][9] The Manhattan Railway assumed operations of the Suburban in 1891 as an extension of the Third Avenue Line, and through service between the Bronx and Manhattan began in 1896.[10] A 999-year lease of the Manhattan Railway was brokered by theInterborough Rapid Transit Company in 1902, for which rapid transit services in the Bronx, of which the Third Avenue Line was a part, would eventually be coordinated alongsidethe new subway.[11] Around this time, the line waselectrified.[3]
As part of theDual Contracts, this line was triple-tracked. The project, which caused minimal disruption to the line itself while works were ongoing, allowed for weekday peak direction express service and increased train capacity on the line. For New York City's transportation system, the project was "a more important engineering feat than the building of thePanama Canal" according to the IRT.[12] The center track of the Bronx portion opened on January 17, 1916;[13] in Manhattan it was opened on July 9, 1917.[3][8]
As of 1934, the following services were being operated:[citation needed]
In December 1937, some weekday midday and evening, Saturday midday thru evening local-expresses, and all Sunday and late-night locals were extended to 241st Street, replacing shuttles except northbound in the AM peak and southbound in the PM peak.
In 1943, Sunday evening local trains were rerouted to City Hall, with shuttles from Canal Street running to South Ferry. On November 5, 1946, service to Freeman Street was stopped, and all weekday and Saturday morning peak locals were routed to South Ferry. In 1947, Saturday service was further reduced. 129th Street local trains were eliminated, as were morning peak thru-expresses, which were changed to local-expresses. Saturday midday and evening local-expresses ran from South Ferry or City Hall toTremont Avenue–177th Street, and locals from South Ferry or City Hall to Bronx Park. On April 22, 1950, Saturday morning local-expresses were converted to locals. On April 30, 1950, all Sunday locals were routed to South Ferry, with a shuttle connection from Canal Street to City Hall. However, on December 22, the line from Chatham Square to South Ferry was closed, with all trains running to City Hall except weekday peak locals that ended at Chatham Square.[14] In addition, weekday peak service north ofGun Hill Road was eliminated, as were weekday locals to 129th Street.
On March 14, 1952, service south of 149th Street was reduced to weekday daytime only, with Gun Hill Road to 149th Street locals at other times. On May 29, 1952, weekday midday local-expresses were eliminated. On June 26, 1952, thru-expresses were cut back to Gun Hill Road. On November 21, 1952, morning rush hour locals were cut back from Chatham Square to Canal Street, and PM rush hour locals were cut back from Fordham Road to 125th Street.[15] However, this resulted in severe overcrowding, so local service to Fordham Road in the PM peak direction was resumed on December 3, 1952. On December 31, 1953, the Chatham Square to City Hall portion of the line was closed.[16] Service then consisted of local trains from Tremont Avenue or 129th Street and Canal Street in the weekday morning peak, Gun Hill Road and Chatham Square midday, and Chatham Square and 129th Street or Tremont Avenue in the PM peak. Local-expresses and thru-expresses operated between Gun Hill Road and Chatham Square southbound in the AM and northbound in the PM peak hours. Evening, all-night, and weekend service was Gun Hill Road to 149th Street locals. When the El was closed in Manhattan in 1955, the East Side was left with the overcrowdedIRT Lexington Avenue Line as the only subway east ofFifth Avenue.
In the 1930s and 1940s, as part of the integration of the different subway companies in New York City—the IRT along withBrooklyn–Manhattan Transit (BMT) andIndependent Subway System (IND)—the Third Avenue elevated and its counterparts onSecond,Sixth, andNinth Avenues came under criticism from New York mayorFiorello La Guardia and his successors. The elevateds were regarded as blights on their communities and obsolete, since the subways were being built or were planned to replace them.
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TheIND Sixth Avenue Line and theIND Eighth Avenue Line rendered the Sixth and Ninth Avenue elevateds obsolete, except for a small shuttle that served thePolo Grounds on the Ninth Avenue Line. They were closed by 1940 and demolished by 1941. The Second Avenue elevated was also gradually demolished from 1940 to 1942. When the Second Avenue elevated was closed on June 13, 1942, the weekday and Saturday Chatham Square to Freeman Street via the West Farms line service was rerouted via the Third Avenue Line, running express south of 129th Street. The Third Avenue elevated was kept open because it was intended to stay in use until theSecond Avenue Subway was built to replace it. Pressure against the elevated from real estate interests soon began, with the creation in 1941 of the Third Avenue Elevated Noise Abatement Committee, which consisted of whatThe New York Times described as "men in the real estate business." The committee initially sought a decrease in train service, saying the noise from the elevated "constitutes a menace to health, comfort and peaceable home life."[17]
The system was closed in sections from 1950 to 1973. First, theSouth Ferry spur, which connected South Ferry toChatham Square, was closed on December 22, 1950. This permanently closed the South Ferry elevated station, which had previously served all four IRT elevated lines that originally ran in Manhattan.[14] Free transfers were provided to theM13 bus to make up for the loss in service.[18]
The Bronx Park terminal station was closed on November 14, 1951, with morning peak and midday locals thenceforth running to Gun Hill Road, and afternoon peak locals running toFordham Road. Morning peak local-express trains started at Fordham Road, while PM peak local-express trains were extended to Gun Hill Road.[19] On March 14, 1952, evening, nighttime and weekend and holiday service was discontinued south of 149th Street.[20]
Next to close was theCity Hall spur in 1953, which started atPark Row in Manhattan and then connected with the South Ferry spur at Chatham Square.[16] On May 12, 1955, the main portion of the line closed from Chatham Square to East 149th Street in the Bronx, ending the operation of elevated service in Manhattan.[21][22][23] The removal was a catalyst in a wave of new construction, addingproperty values on the East Side, while bringing increased isolation and hastened decline throughout much of the Bronx.[24] The head of theReal Estate Board of New York suggested that Third Avenue be renamed "the Bouwerie" to symbolize the transformation.[25]
In 1967, the remaining service in the Bronx was formally given the8 route designation.[26][27] However, the 8 bullet was only marked on maps and station signs; cars always displayed SHUTTLE and the terminal destination.
Under the MTA's 1968Program for Action, plans were made for demolition of the remaining line as part of the city's effort to remove "obsolete elevated railway structures", which also saw the razing of portions of theBMT Jamaica elevated inQueens.[28] It was to be replaced with a parallel line along theMetro-NorthHarlem Line's right-of-way, part of theSecond Avenue Subway plan.[29] Local residents and business owners also sought similar revival seen following the closure of the line's sections in Manhattan.[30] However, the line was cancelled after the defeat of a $2.5-billion transportation bond issue in November 1971.[31] The remaining portion in the Bronx from East 149th Street to Gun Hill Road finally closed on April 29, 1973[32][33] and demolition started on March 9, 1977.[34] Demolition was completed by the end of 1977, along with the condemned portion of the Jamaica Line.[30][35]
Work on the plannedSecond Avenue Subway was suspended, due to the1970s fiscal crisis.[36] In the Bronx, the Third Avenue el was replaced by the Bx55 bus making only the stops the train made. This bus route was one of the first to have free transfers to and from the subway, with the three transfer points at theThird Avenue–149th Street and Gun Hill RoadIRT White Plains Road Line stations, and the161st Street–Yankee Stadium station.[33] The other two bus-subway transfers were from the B35 and B42 in Brooklyn, which replaced theBMT Culver Line andBMT Canarsie Line, respectively. With the introduction of free bus to subway transfers systemwide in the 1990s, the three routes lost their special status, although the B42 terminates in a loop inside fare control at Rockaway Parkway.[26][37] In 2013, the Bx55 was eliminated with the introduction of theBx41 Select Bus Service. It was partially replaced by the Bx41 SBS and theBx15 Limited, which runs toWest Harlem via125th Street, but does not extend past Fordham Plaza to Gun Hill Road.[26]
| Station | Tracks | Opened | Closed | Transfers and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gun Hill Road | Express | October 4, 1920[8] | April 29, 1973[32] | White Plains Road Line |
| Williamsbridge–210th Street | Local | October 4, 1920[8] | April 29, 1973[32] | |
| 204th Street | Local | October 4, 1920[8] | April 29, 1973[32] | |
| 200th Street | Local | October 4, 1920[8] | April 29, 1973[32] | |
| Bronx Park Terminal | Spur | May 21, 1902[8] | November 14, 1951[19] | End of the line until October 4, 1920 |
| Fordham Road–190th Street | Express | July 1, 1901[8] | April 29, 1973[32] | NYCHarlem Line; originally Pelham Avenue |
| 183rd Street | Local | July 1, 1901[8] | April 29, 1973[32] | |
| 180th Street | Local | July 1, 1901[8] | April 29, 1973[32] | |
| Tremont Avenue–177th Street | Express | July 20, 1891[8] | April 29, 1973[32] | Originally 177th Street; servedBronx Borough Hall |
| 174th Street | Local | July 20, 1891[8] | April 29, 1973[32] | |
| Claremont Parkway | Local | September 19, 1888[8] | April 29, 1973[32] | Originally Wendover Avenue |
| 169th Street | Local | September 2, 1888[8] | April 29, 1973[32] | |
| 166th Street | Local | December 25, 1887[8] | April 29, 1973[32] | |
| 161st Street | Local | August 7, 1887[8] | April 29, 1973[32] | |
| 156th Street | Local | July 1, 1887[8] | April 29, 1973[32] | |
| 149th Street | Express | June 16, 1887[8] | April 29, 1973[32] | White Plains Road Line |
| 143rd Street | Express | May 23, 1886[8] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | |
| 138th Street | Express | January 1, 1887[8] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | |
| 133rd Street | Express | May 17, 1886[9] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | NYWBRR (1924-1937[38]);NYNHH Harlem River Line (1924-1931) |
| Willis Avenue | Spur | November 25, 1886[8] | April 14, 1924[39] | NYWB andNYNHHHarlem River Branch |
| 129th Street | Local | December 30, 1878[2] | July 1, 1950 | Second Avenue Line |
| 125th Street | Express | December 30, 1878[2] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | |
| 116th Street | Local | December 30, 1878[2] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | |
| 106th Street | Express | December 30, 1878[2] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | |
| 99th Street | Local | December 30, 1878[2] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | |
| 89th Street | Local | December 9, 1878[40] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | |
| 84th Street | Local | December 9, 1878[40] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | |
| 76th Street | Local | December 9, 1878[40] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | |
| 67th Street | Local | September 16, 1878[41] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | |
| 59th Street | Local | September 16, 1878[41] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | |
| 53rd Street | Local | September 16, 1878[41] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | |
| 47th Street | Local | September 16, 1878[41] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | |
| Grand Central | Spur | August 26, 1878[1] | December 6, 1923[42] | |
| Third Avenue | Spur | August 26, 1878[1] | December 6, 1923[42] | |
| 42nd Street | Express | September 16, 1878[41] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | Flushing Line,Lexington Avenue Line and42nd Street Shuttle atGrand Central–42nd Street |
| Third Avenue | Spur | July 14, 1930[43] | ||
| Second Avenue | Spur | July 14, 1930[43] | Second Avenue Line | |
| 34th Street Ferry | Spur | July 1, 1880 | July 14, 1930[43] | |
| 34th Street | Local | August 26, 1878[1] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | |
| 28th Street | Local | May 12, 1955[21][22] | ||
| 23rd Street | Express | August 26, 1878[1] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | |
| 18th Street | Local | May 12, 1955[21][22] | ||
| 14th Street | Local | August 26, 1878[1] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | |
| Ninth Street | Express | August 26, 1878[1] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | |
| Houston Street | Express | September 16, 1878[41] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | |
| Grand Street | Express | May 12, 1955[21][22] | ||
| Canal Street | Express | May 12, 1955[21][22] | ||
| Chatham Square | Spur | March 17, 1879[44] | December 31, 1953[16] | |
| City Hall | Spur | March 17, 1879[44] | December 31, 1953[16] | |
| Chatham Square | Express | September 16, 1878[41] | May 12, 1955[21][22] | Original station was north of an at-grade merge from the spur |
| Franklin Square | Express | August 26, 1878[1] | December 22, 1950[14] | |
| Fulton Street | Express | August 26, 1878[1] | December 22, 1950[14] | |
| Hanover Square | Express | August 26, 1878[1] | December 22, 1950[14] | |
| South Ferry | Express | August 26, 1878[1] | December 22, 1950[14] |
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)The demolition of the Third Avenue Elevated subway line set off a building boom and a white-collar influx...
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