Williamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal

Not to be confused with the Williamsburg Bridge Plaza Bus Terminal, the former trolley terminal on the Brooklyn side of the bridge.
Williamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal
Streetcar terminal
The now-closed trolley terminal in 2013.
General information
LocationDelancey Street & Essex Street
New York, NY 10002
United States
Coordinates40°43′07″N 73°59′18″W / 40.71851°N 73.988199°W / 40.71851; -73.988199
Owned byCity of New York
Operated byBrooklyn Rapid Transit Company (1908–1923)
New York City Department of Plant and Structures (1923–1931)
Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (1931–1940)
New York City Board of Transportation (1940–1948)
Platforms7
Tracks8
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
History
OpenedMay 19, 1908 (1908-05-19)
ClosedDecember 6, 1948 (1948-12-06)
Services
None (abandoned)

The Williamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal, also called the Essex Street Trolley Terminal or Delancey Street Trolley Terminal,[1][2] was a trolley terminal located underground adjacent to the Essex Street subway station in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Passenger trolley service operated through the terminal from 1908 until 1948 when trolley service over the Williamsburg Bridge ended. The station was constructed with balloon loops for turning around streetcars after they crossed over the Williamsburg Bridge to send them back to Brooklyn.[3][4][5]

In 2011 a proposal was made to turn the Williamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal into the Lowline park.[5][6][7]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference BklyEagle-EssexBMT-Jan1908 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Subway Terminal Test Is In To-Night's Rush". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. May 19, 1908. p. 5. Retrieved October 21, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Underground Bridge Terminal in New York for Brooklyn Surface and "L" Lines". Street Railway Journal. 31 (15): 592–596. April 11, 1908. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  4. ^ "Bridge Subway Loops Are Formally Opened". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. May 19, 1908. p. 11. Retrieved October 21, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b "The Low Line". New York magazine. September 26, 2011.
  6. ^ Foderaro, Lisa W. "Inspired by High Line, Park Is Envisioned With Sights Set Low", The New York Times, November 21, 2011. Accessed November 21, 2011.
  7. ^ Plans for Delancey Underground presented to Community Board 3