Why are their no mta buses or trains that travel across the Brooklyn Bridge

[kingal11234]

I know that they used to be buses running across the Willliamsburg Bridge, and Manhattan Bridge,but i never heard of any MTA bus over the Brooklyn Bridge. I also heard of a train line that used to go over the Brooklyn Bridge. So i am curious to know why it stopped running, and if any bus ever ran across. Please respond with your thoughts.

[KeystoneRegional]

I believe there is a weight limit on the Bridge that prohibits vehicles over a certain weight to use the roadway.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

Yes there is.

[Eric B]

I guess the question then, is with the rebuilding of the bridge over the past few decades, why wasn't it done to handle the weight again? (In early East River Crossings study options from the 90's, buses were proposed, though certain ramps would have to be modified, probably for the height).

 

I had also always said they should try mini-buses, then. It would really be nice to have the direct sprint between Boro Hall and City Hall.

[Quill Depot]

I guess the question then, is with the rebuilding of the bridge over the past few decades, why wasn't it done to handle the weight again? (In early East River Crossings study options from the 90's, buses were proposed, though certain ramps would have to be modified, probably for the height).

 

I had also always said they should try mini-buses, then. It would really be nice to have the direct sprint between Boro Hall and City Hall.

 

 

Nehh... Mini-Buses will never handle the the crowds. It is more worth it to use a 40ft bus. You would need a lot more minibuses to handle the crowds than you would need of 40ft's or artics. Plus you need more B/Os. My guess is that they get payed the same amount of money to drive a minibus than they do to drive a 40ft.

[checkmatechamp13]

Nehh... Mini-Buses will never handle the the crowds. It is more worth it to use a 40ft bus. You would need a lot more minibuses to handle the crowds than you would need of 40ft's or artics. Plus you need more B/Os. My guess is that they get payed the same amount of money to drive a minibus than they do to drive a 40ft.

 

 

If you're not expecting the route to get a ton of ridership, maybe minibuses would be worth it. (I mean, there's already a bunch of subway lines between Downtown Brooklyn & Lower Manhattan).

[Eric B]

Nehh... Mini-Buses will never handle the the crowds. It is more worth it to use a 40ft bus. You would need a lot more minibuses to handle the crowds than you would need of 40ft's or artics. Plus you need more B/Os. My guess is that they get payed the same amount of money to drive a minibus than they do to drive a 40ft.

I wonder if it is possible to manufacture a 40 ft bus that falls under the weight limit.

[youngblaze]

It would require a lot and I mean a whole lot of aluminum parts lol, no sound deadening material etc...

[QM1to6Ave]

It would require a lot and I mean a whole lot of aluminum parts lol, no sound deadening material etc...

 

 

The irony is that one of the reasons the Brooklyn bridge has weight limits is that the metal cables have been developing a unique type of rust. The cables are made of a relatively lightweight metal alloy that is not covered adequately, so it is open to the environment.

[qjtransitmaster]

basically brooklyn bridge was poorly designed which is why no buses can use it safely that is.

[KeystoneRegional]

Really, MiniBuses can't handle the crowds between Downtown Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn, the B51 is even jam packed the times I rode it before the massive service cuts of 2010. As for the bridge, it's old and indeed rusting, but replacing cables, nuts and bolts might work, however probably the bridge deck might need to be replaced and much more, so I wouldn't advocate "modernizing" the Brooklyn Bridge to a point where only the stone structure and pedestrian walkway remains as old.

 

basically brooklyn bridge was poorly designed which is why no buses can use it safely that is.

 

 

It is not poorly designed, it was perfect for the era it was built in, but it's not suitable for nowdays when vehicles got somewhat heavier and much bigger than before and there are more and more traffic too.

[Eric B]

It would require a lot and I mean a whole lot of aluminum parts lol, no sound deadening material etc...

What I figured. In the late 80's, before low floors had caught on like now, Denver had these foreign-made low floors, and those are what gave me the idea that those might be good for the Brooklyn bridge (both weight and height. I had hoped that someone would buy those to start up a service on the Brooklyn Bridge!) They looked light enough. But now, of course, the modern low-floors look totally bulky; especially the hybrids.

The irony is that one of the reasons the Brooklyn bridge has weight limits is that the metal cables have been developing a unique type of rust. The cables are made of a relatively lightweight metal alloy that is not covered adequately, so it is open to the environment.

 

Maybe, with all the work they've been doing on the bridge, they should do or should have done a cable replacement. Didn't they do that on the other bridges?

[Quill Depot]

A cable replacement may "ruin" the original bridge. The city want's to keep the bridge original.

[Gorgor]

There used to be local bus routes operating between Brooklyn and Manhattan. One over the WIlliamsburg Bridge, and the other over the Mannhattan Bridge. If the MTA felt the need to cut those routes due to budget issues, what makes you think that a route over the Brooklyn Bridge would be successful?

 

There's already so many subway lines that run between the exact same spots.

[Threxx]

There used to be local bus routes operating between Brooklyn and Manhattan. One over the WIlliamsburg Bridge, and the other over the Mannhattan Bridge. If the MTA felt the need to cut those routes due to budget issues, what makes you think that a route over the Brooklyn Bridge would be successful?

 

There's already so many subway lines that run between the exact same spots.

 

 

*coughEssexStreetisnotADAaccesiblecough*

[Gorgor]

*coughEssexStreetisnotADAaccesiblecough*

 

 

Yeah, Essex Street isn't ADA accessible yet the MTA still decided to cut the B39.

[Threxx]

Yeah, Essex Street isn't ADA accessible yet the MTA still decided to cut the B39.

 

 

If you weren't under a rock, they were having budgetary problems/Walder was Chairman. They cut the routes that would affect the least amount of people, but that dosen't mean they were useless.

[NY1635]

What's stopping the MTA from making Essex Street ADA accessible?

[Fresh Pond]

There's a 4 ton weight limit on the bridge plus a height restriction. The only trucks/other large vehicles all owed on the bridge is emergency vehicles (i.e fire trucks), and the trucks being used by the bridge workers.

 

But also, if a fire truck can fit on the bridge (some of those are about 11' tall), I'm pretty sure a RTS could since they a little bit shorter.

 

What's stopping the MTA from making Essex Street ADA accessible?

 

 

The station is too complex

[QM1to6Ave]

Maybe, with all the work they've been doing on the bridge, they should do or should have done a cable replacement. Didn't they do that on the other bridges?

 

 

From what I've read, my understanding is that they would need to take off all the cable and put in new cable that has some sort of wrapping/covering over the wires. They didn't do it initially because of budget problems, but it would be really complex to do it now.

 

Also, OP: please fix the grammar in the title!

[Cait Sith]

basically brooklyn bridge was poorly designed which is why no buses can use it safely that is.

 

 

Open up a history book will ya...

 

There used to be local bus routes operating between Brooklyn and Manhattan. One over the Williamsburg Bridge, and the other over the Manhattan Bridge. If the MTA felt the need to cut those routes due to budget issues, what makes you think that a route over the Brooklyn Bridge would be successful?

 

There's already so many subway lines that run between the exact same spots.

 

 

This was mostly about why there were no buses running across the bridge, not if they'd be successful.

 

At one point in time, we had cable cars (or trolleys) go over the Brooklyn Bridge many moons back, but was replaced by subway service IIRC.

[MHV9218]

Just wanna point out that while there is a weight limit on the bridge, MTA buses have seen use over the bridge, even relatively recently. During the mass (debated legality) NYPD arrests on OWS last year, RTSes were pulled from service and sent over the bridge in police service.

 

The bridge wasn't poorly designed or badly built, it was built for a time when we had 400 pound horses, not 6,000 pound Escalades.

[Trainmaster5]

Didn't the Myrtle, Lexington, Fulton, and 5th Ave els use the bridge between Sands St and Park Row? When that BMT service was stopped they probably discovered the damage to the bridge, hence the weight restrictions. I'm not sure but they might have let trucks use the bridge back then in the el era. Remember those were wooden train cars the els used in those days so if they damaged the bridge imagine what a fleet of present day buses could do over time. As MHV9218 pointed out, the bridge wasn't designed for it.

[Fresh Pond]

Just wanna point out that while there is a weight limit on the bridge, MTA buses have seen use over the bridge, even relatively recently. During the mass (debated legality) NYPD arrests on OWS last year, RTSes were pulled from service and sent over the bridge in police service.

 

The bridge wasn't poorly designed or badly built, it was built for a time when we had 400 pound horses, not 6,000 pound Escalades.

 

 

Makes sense for RTSs then since they are 10' 6". I wonder what the height limit on the bridge is then

[AndrewJC]

*coughEssexStreetisnotADAaccesiblecough*

 

 

Lots of stations aren't ADA accessible. That doesn't mean that they all have special bus service. A standard bus can't even hold more than two wheelchairs.

 

That said, the B39 is coming back. But there won't be a new bus line over the Brooklyn Bridge - when the MTA has money to expand bus service, it should be expanded where there's significant demand.