Myrtle Avenue (BMT Fourth Avenue Line)
Encyclopedia
Myrtle Avenue is an abandoned local station
on the Manhattan Bridge subway tracks ( trains) south of the bridge in Brooklyn
, New York City
, United States
. The station was opened in 1915, and closed in 1956 for the reconstruction of the flying junction
north of DeKalb Avenue to increase capacity for the entire BMT subway line.
The Brooklyn-bound platform was removed completely, but the Manhattan-bound platform still exists.
In 1980 the Masstransiscope zoetrope
artwork by Bill Brand was installed. In 2008 the graffiti
was removed and the artwork restored.
This artwork and the station can be seen by looking out the right window of Manhattan-bound trains (and D
trains during late nights when they stop at DeKalb Avenue) right before the bridge.
There was a plan to build a loop just north of this station to turn back Fourth Avenue local trains from 95th Street. The bellmouths for the un-built loop can be seen just north of this station where the bypass tracks join the bridge tracks that stop at Dekalb Avenue.
This station was a casualty of the rebuild. A new track had to be added on the west side to allow for a grade-separated crossing. The original southbound "local" track at the platform had to be depressed to a lower grade to cross under, and the new track wiped out the southbound platform. The northbound platform was left in place but no longer operated for passenger service.
Myrtle Avenue station was sometimes called Gold Street in some early planning documents.
Metro station
A metro station or subway station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as "metro", "underground" and "subway". It is often underground or elevated. At crossings of metro lines, they are multi-level....
on the Manhattan Bridge subway tracks ( trains) south of the bridge in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, 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...
. The station was opened in 1915, and closed in 1956 for the reconstruction of the flying junction
Flying junction
A flying junction or flyover is a railway junction at which one or more diverging or converging tracks in a multiple-track route cross other tracks on the route by bridge to avoid conflict with other train movements. A more technical term is "grade-separated junction"...
north of DeKalb Avenue to increase capacity for the entire BMT subway line.
The Brooklyn-bound platform was removed completely, but the Manhattan-bound platform still exists.
In 1980 the Masstransiscope zoetrope
Zoetrope
A zoetrope is a device that produces an illusion of action from a rapid succession of static pictures. The term zoetrope is from the Greek words "ζωή – zoe", "life" and τρόπος – tropos, "turn". It may be taken to mean "wheel of life"....
artwork by Bill Brand was installed. In 2008 the graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
was removed and the artwork restored.
This artwork and the station can be seen by looking out the right window of Manhattan-bound trains (and D
D (New York City Subway service)
The D Sixth Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored orange on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map, since it uses the IND Sixth Avenue Line through Manhattan....
trains during late nights when they stop at DeKalb Avenue) right before the bridge.
There was a plan to build a loop just north of this station to turn back Fourth Avenue local trains from 95th Street. The bellmouths for the un-built loop can be seen just north of this station where the bypass tracks join the bridge tracks that stop at Dekalb Avenue.
This station was a casualty of the rebuild. A new track had to be added on the west side to allow for a grade-separated crossing. The original southbound "local" track at the platform had to be depressed to a lower grade to cross under, and the new track wiped out the southbound platform. The northbound platform was left in place but no longer operated for passenger service.
Myrtle Avenue station was sometimes called Gold Street in some early planning documents.