IND Crosstown Line
The IND Crosstown Line or Brooklyn–Queens Crosstown Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It provides crosstown service between western Brooklyn and northwestern Queens and is the only subway line that does not carry trains to and from Manhattan.
This article is about the subway line originally built by the Independent Subway System. For the former trolley line of the Brooklyn and Queens Transit, see Crosstown Line (Brooklyn surface).IND Crosstown Line
History[edit]
Development and 20th century[edit]
Plans for a crosstown subway line were floated as early as 1912.[4][5] In 1923, a plan for such a line, to be operated by the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) from the Queensboro Bridge under Jackson Avenue, Manhattan Avenue, Roebling Street, Bedford Avenue, and Hancock Street to Franklin Avenue at the north end of the BMT Franklin Avenue Line,[6] was adopted by the city.[7] However, the following year, Mayor Hylan announced his opposition to it.[8] In addition, residents of central Brooklyn, which was already heavily developed, opposed an elevated line because of noise and aesthetic concerns, but the BRT would not build a subway because an elevated was the cheapest option.[5]
Eventually, the line was moved and incorporated into the city's Independent Subway System (IND).[9] The junction with the IND Queens Boulevard Line in Long Island City was originally supposed to have a second wye, with service from Manhattan via the 53rd Street Tunnel planned to feed into the Crosstown Line. This would have been part of a loop service between the Crosstown and Eighth Avenue Lines.[9][10]