B (New York City Subway service)

Sixth Avenue Express

A train made of R68A cars in B service at Kings Highway, bound for Manhattan.

Note: dashed line shows rush hour only service
Northern end Bedford Park Boulevard (rush hours) or 145th Street
Southern end Brighton Beach
Stations 37
Rolling stock 48 R68s (6 trains)
152 R68As (19 trains, AM rush)
136 R68As (17 trains, AM rush)
Depot Coney Island Yard
Started service December 15, 1940 (1940-12-15)

The B Sixth Avenue Express is a rapid transit service in the B Division of the New York City Subway. Its route emblem, or "bullet", is colored bright orange since it uses the IND Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan.[1] The B only operates on weekdays from approximately 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. On middays and evenings, the B operates between 145th Street in Harlem, Manhattan and Brighton Beach in Brooklyn via Central Park West Local, the north side of the Manhattan Bridge, and Brighton Express. During rush hours, the B is extended to and from Bedford Park Boulevard in the Bronx via Concourse Local.

History

 
B

6TH AVE
 
BB

6TH AVE
Original R1 to R38 end rollsigns
Sixth Avenue Subway Will Be Opened to the Public at 12-01 A.M. Sunday, Dec. 15, 1940

The designation B was originally intended to designate express trains originating in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan and operating in Midtown Manhattan on the IND Sixth Avenue Line. However, the original B service, beginning with the opening of the Sixth Avenue Line on December 15, 1940, ran as a rush-hour only local service between 168th Street–Washington Heights and 34th Street–Herald Square. This service was designated BB as the Independent Subway System (IND) used double letters to indicate local services.[2][3]

Chrystie Street

The bullet used from November 26, 1967, to June 1979

The Chrystie Street Connection and the express tracks of the Sixth Avenue Line opened on November 26, 1967, radically changing service. BB trains were combined with the former T service, which ran on the BMT West End Line in Brooklyn and the BMT Broadway Line in Manhattan. This created a through service from 168th Street to Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue via the Sixth Avenue Line express tracks and the Manhattan Bridge.[4] This service was initially to have been signed BT but was simply signed B instead. However, during late night hours and Sundays B service did not operate, and TT shuttles continued to operate on the West End Line. Starting on July 1, 1968, the B was rerouted to terminate at 57th Street in Midtown Manhattan during non-rush hour daytime hours, extending to 168th Street only during rush hours; also, the West End Line shuttles were now run under the B designation.

Service Adjustment on BMT and IND Lines Effective 1 A.M. Monday, Aug. 30
New York City Transit Authority Service Adjustment Poster 1977

B service began running between 57th Street and Coney Island during all times on August 30, 1976. Also on this date, during rush hours, alternate B trains began to operate between 168th Street and Coney Island.[5] Beginning on August 27, 1977, during late nights, B service only ran between 36th Street and Coney Island via the West End Line. A B shuttle also operated during late nights, running between 47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center and 57th Street.[6]

The bullets used from April 13, 1986, to December 11, 1988, for BMT Broadway Line service; the diamond was for rush-hour service to Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard.

Manhattan Bridge reconstruction

The reconstruction of the Manhattan Bridge between 1986 and 2004 affected B service as the Bridge's north side tracks, leading to the Sixth Avenue Line, were closed multiple times. These closures severed the connection between the northern and southern portions of the route. On April 13, 1986, the B was split into two different services. The northern B service ran via Sixth Avenue, using an orange bullet, between 34th Street-Herald Square and 168th Street, rush hours only. The southern B service ran via the Bridge and BMT Broadway Line, using a yellow bullet. It ran from Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue and terminated at Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard rush hours, Queensboro Plaza middays, 57th Street–Seventh Avenue evenings and weekends and 36th Street late nights as a shuttle. The closure of the Bridge's north side tracks essentially caused the return of pre-1967 service patterns, before the opening of the Chrystie Street Connection: The orange B more-or-less duplicated the former BB ervice, and the yellow B imitated the old T service.[7]

Through B service on the Sixth Avenue Line resumed December 11, 1988, when the Manhattan Bridge's north side tracks reopened. B trains now also terminated at 168th Street on middays and evenings to partially replace the discontinued K service. During late nights, the B continued to operate as the West End Shuttle, running from 36th Street to Coney Island. B service operated to 57th Street during weekends. N service was increased to replace B service to Ditmars Boulevard.[8][9]

On October 29, 1989, the IND 63rd Street Line opened; B service was extended along the new line from 57th Street to 21st Street–Queensbridge on weekends. Starting on September 30, 1990, evening service was rerouted from 168th Street to Queensbridge to replace Q service; evening A service started running local between 145th and 168th Streets to replace the B. Also on this date, because of N trains running via the Manhattan Bridge, B trains began skipping DeKalb Avenue.[10]

On April 30, 1995, the north side of the Manhattan Bridge closed on middays and weekends until the following November. During this time, B trains ran only between Pacific Street and Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue, running local on the BMT West End Line and express on the BMT Fourth Avenue Line. To let the B terminate there, midday N express trains in Brooklyn ran local for the duration of the closure.[2][11]

On February 22, 1998, B service was temporarily cut to 57th Street on evenings and weekends as a result of the reconstruction of the IND 63rd Street Line. Service on that line was replaced by a shuttle to the BMT Broadway Line.

The bullet used from June 1979 to May 2005 for rush-hour service

On March 1, 1998, the B and the C switched northern terminals, ending the connection between the B and Washington Heights. The B was now routed onto the IND Concourse Line to Bedford Park Boulevard during rush hours. Midday service terminated at 145th Street.[2][12]

In 2000, B service was taken off of the IND 63rd Street Line for signal and track work. It now ran along Central Park West to 145th Street (Bedford Park Boulevard during rush hours) at all times except late nights.

On July 22, 2001, the Manhattan Bridge's north side tracks closed and B service over the Manhattan Bridge was split into two services once again, similar to the 1986 changes. However, this time the southern half of the route, running on the Broadway Line, was named the W. B service ran weekdays only, from 34th Street to Bedford Park Boulevard during rush hours and from 34th Street to 145th Street during middays and evenings.[13]

On February 22, 2004, the Manhattan Bridge was fully reopened to subway service. B trains were once again extended through Grand Street station and over the north tracks of the Manhattan Bridge into Brooklyn. Now service operated weekdays only, between Brighton Beach and Bedford Park Boulevard during rush hours and between Brighton Beach and 145th Street on middays and evenings. The B now served the BMT Brighton Line in Brooklyn as the express (replacing the <Q> there), instead of the West End Line, which it had served in some form since 1967 to combine two weekday-only services.[14][15][16][17]

From September 14, 2009, to October 3, 2011, B trains ran local in Brooklyn due to station renovations on the Brighton Line.[2][18]

Route

Service pattern

The following table shows the lines used by the B, with shaded boxes indicating the route at the specified times:

Line From To Tracks Times
week
days		 rush
hours
IND Concourse Line Bedford Park Boulevard 155th Street local    
145th Street all  
IND Eighth Avenue Line 135th Street 59th Street–Columbus Circle local
IND Sixth Avenue Line Seventh Avenue Broadway–Lafayette Street express
Chrystie Street Connection Grand Street all
Manhattan Bridge north
BMT Brighton Line DeKalb Avenue Brighton Beach express

Stations

For a more detailed station listing, see the articles on the lines listed above.

Station service legend
Stops all times
Stops all times except late nights
Stops weekdays only
Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction
Stops rush hours only
Station closed
Stops weekdays in the peak direction only
Time period details
Stations Subway transfers Connections/Other Notes
The Bronx
Concourse Line
Bedford Park Boulevard D 
Kingsbridge Road D  Northern terminal for some afternoon rush hour trains
Fordham Road D  Bx12 Select Bus Service
182nd–183rd Streets D 
Tremont Avenue D 
174th–175th Streets D 
170th Street D 
167th Street D 
161st Street–Yankee Stadium D 
4  (IRT Jerome Avenue Line)
Manhattan
155th Street D 
145th Street D 
A  C  (IND Eighth Avenue Line)		 Northern terminal for all midday and evening trains
Eighth Avenue Line
135th Street C 
125th Street A  C  D  M60 Select Bus Service to LaGuardia Airport
116th Street C 
Cathedral Parkway–110th Street C 
103rd Street C 
96th Street C 
86th Street C  M86 Select Bus Service
81st Street–Museum of Natural History C 
72nd Street C 
59th Street–Columbus Circle A  C  D 
1  (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)
Sixth Avenue Line
Seventh Avenue–53rd Street D 
E  (IND Queens Boulevard Line)
47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center D  F  M 
42nd Street–Bryant Park D  F  M 
7  <7> (IRT Flushing Line at Fifth Avenue)
34th Street–Herald Square D  F  M 
N  Q  R  W  (BMT Broadway Line)		 M34 / M34A Select Bus Service
PATH at 33rd Street
West Fourth Street–Washington Square D  F  M 
A  C  E  (IND Eighth Avenue Line)		 PATH at 9th Street
Broadway–Lafayette Street D  F  M 
6  <6> (IRT Lexington Avenue Line at Bleecker Street)
Chrystie Street Branch
Grand Street D 
Brooklyn
Brighton Line
DeKalb Avenue Q  R 
Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center Q 
D  N  R  (BMT Fourth Avenue Line)
2  3  4  5  (IRT Eastern Parkway Line)		 LIRR Atlantic Branch at Atlantic Terminal
Seventh Avenue–Flatbush Avenue Q 
Prospect Park Q 
S  (BMT Franklin Avenue Line)
Church Avenue Q 
Newkirk Plaza Q 
Kings Highway Q 
Sheepshead Bay Q 
Brighton Beach Q 

References

  1. ↑ "mta.info - Line Colors". mta.info.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "NYCT Line by Line History". erictb.info.
  3. ↑ "The New Subway Routes". The New York Times. 1940-12-15. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
  4. ↑ "New Subway Routes Brochure". www.thejoekorner.com. New York City Transit Authority. November 26, 1967. Retrieved 2016-01-24.
  5. ↑ "Service Adjustment on BMT and IND Lines Effective 1 A.M. Monday, Aug. 30". Flickr. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
  6. ↑ "Service Adjustments on the BMT and IND Lines Effective Midnight, Saturday, August 27 New York City Transit Authority (1977)". Flickr - Photo Sharing!. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
  7. ↑ "If You Ride These Subway Lines, You Know Something Drastic Has To Be Done.". TheJoeKorNer.com. New York City Transit Authority. 1986. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
  8. ↑ "System-Wide Changes In Subway Service Effective Sunday, December 11, 1988". Flickr - Photo Sharing!. Retrieved 2016-06-17.
  9. ↑ Johnson, Kirk (1988-12-09). "Big Changes For Subways Are to Begin". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-10-30.
  10. ↑ "Service Changes September 30, 1990" (PDF). subwaynut.com. New York City Transit Authority. September 30, 1990. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  11. ↑ Ronald Sullivan (March 26, 1995). "Bridge Repairs to Disrupt Off-Peak Subway Service". The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  12. ↑ "March 1, 1998 B C Routes are switching places above 145 St". Flickr. New York City Transit. March 1998. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
  13. ↑ "B D S Manhattan Bridge Service Change Train Timetable" (PDF). mta.info. New York City Transit. April 2003. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
  14. ↑ "A Subway Map Remade, in Hopes of Matching Routes and Riders". The New York Times. February 20, 2004. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  15. ↑ "B D M N Q R W Weekday Service Manhattan Bridge Map" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. February 2004. Archived from the original on February 5, 2004. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  16. ↑ "MTA NYC Transit Manhattan Bridge Information". 2004-02-05. Archived from the original on 2004-02-05. Retrieved 2016-09-18.
  17. ↑ "More Service on the Manhattan Bridge B D M N Q R W New Subway Service! February 22, 2004". The JoeKorNer. New York City Transit. 2003. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  18. ↑ "B Train Timetable" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. January 18, 2010. Retrieved October 30, 2016.

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