17th and 18th Streets Crosstown Line
Encyclopedia
The 17th and 18th Streets Crosstown Line was a public transit line in Manhattan
, New York City
, United States
, running mostly along 14th Street
, 17th Street
, and 18th Street from the West 14th Street Ferry in Chelsea
and Christopher Street Ferry in the West Village
to the East 23rd Street Ferry at Peter Cooper Village. It was not replaced with a trolley
line or bus route when it was abandoned in 1913.
The Central Crosstown Railroad was chartered March 28, 1873 and opened within a few years. The original line began at the Christopher Street Ferry and ran north on West Street (west of the Central Park, North and East River trackage), northeast on 11th Street, north on 7th Avenue (along Broadway and Seventh Avenue Railroad trackage), east on 14th Street
to Union Square, north on Broadway (also Broadway and Seventh Avenue Railroad trackage), east on 17th Street
(eastbound) and 18th Street (westbound), north on 1st Avenue (Central Park, North and East River Railroad trackage), and east on 23rd Street
. Another line opened later, continuing west on 14th Street, including Bleecker Street and Fulton Ferry Railroad trackage west of 9th Avenue.
The company leased the Christopher and Tenth Street Railroad, which also ran east from the Christopher Street Ferry, on May 28, 1890, and the Central Crosstown was acquired by the Metropolitan Street Railway in May 1897, though not leased until April 1, 1904. By 1907, the line to the Christopher Street Ferry was gone, and the 14th Street-Williamsburg Bridge Line used the 14th Street trackage west of Union Square. Instead, 17th and 18th Streets cars continued south from Union Square on University Place on a remnant of the original Broadway Line
, ending at 8th Street. Service was terminated in 1913.
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, running mostly along 14th Street
14th Street (Manhattan)
14th Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The street rivals the size of some of the well-known avenues of the city and is an important business location....
, 17th Street
17th Street (Manhattan)
17th Street is an east-west running street between First Avenue and Eleventh Avenue in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Traffic runs one way along the street, from east to west excepting the stretch between Broadway and Park Avenue South, where traffic runs in both directions.17th Street...
, and 18th Street from the West 14th Street Ferry in Chelsea
Chelsea, Manhattan
Chelsea is a neighborhood on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The district's boundaries are roughly 14th Street to the south, 30th Street to the north, the western boundary of the Ladies' Mile Historic District – which lies between the Avenue of the Americas and...
and Christopher Street Ferry in the West Village
West Village, Manhattan
The West Village is the western portion of the Greenwich Village neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The area is usually defined as bounded by the Hudson River on the west and either Sixth Avenue or Seventh Avenue on the east, extending from 14th Street down to Houston Street...
to the East 23rd Street Ferry at Peter Cooper Village. It was not replaced with a trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
line or bus route when it was abandoned in 1913.
History
14th Street (Manhattan)
14th Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The street rivals the size of some of the well-known avenues of the city and is an important business location....
to Union Square, north on Broadway (also Broadway and Seventh Avenue Railroad trackage), east on 17th Street
17th Street (Manhattan)
17th Street is an east-west running street between First Avenue and Eleventh Avenue in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Traffic runs one way along the street, from east to west excepting the stretch between Broadway and Park Avenue South, where traffic runs in both directions.17th Street...
(eastbound) and 18th Street (westbound), north on 1st Avenue (Central Park, North and East River Railroad trackage), and east on 23rd Street
23rd Street (Manhattan)
23rd Street is a broad thoroughfare in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is one of few two-way streets in the gridiron of the borough. As with Manhattan's other "crosstown" streets, it is divided at Fifth Avenue, in this case at Madison Square Park, into its east and west sections. Since...
. Another line opened later, continuing west on 14th Street, including Bleecker Street and Fulton Ferry Railroad trackage west of 9th Avenue.
The company leased the Christopher and Tenth Street Railroad, which also ran east from the Christopher Street Ferry, on May 28, 1890, and the Central Crosstown was acquired by the Metropolitan Street Railway in May 1897, though not leased until April 1, 1904. By 1907, the line to the Christopher Street Ferry was gone, and the 14th Street-Williamsburg Bridge Line used the 14th Street trackage west of Union Square. Instead, 17th and 18th Streets cars continued south from Union Square on University Place on a remnant of the original Broadway Line
Broadway Line (Lower Manhattan surface)
The Broadway Line is a public transit line in Manhattan, New York City, United States, running mostly along Broadway and Seventh Avenue from Lower Manhattan to Central Park. Originally a streetcar line, it is now the southbound direction of the M5 bus route, operated by the New York City Transit...
, ending at 8th Street. Service was terminated in 1913.