B51 (New York City bus)

The B51 was a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, running mostly along the Manhattan Bridge between City Hall, Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn. Originally the Manhattan Bridge Three Cent Line, it was replaced by a bus route, but no longer operated.

Description
Work In Progress

As a streetcar line
The B51 was originally the Manhattan Bridge Three Cent Line, which operated cars over the Manhattan Bridge between the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan in New York City. As the name implied, the fare was only 3 cents per ride. The line operated as a shuttle across the bridge using the south tracks of the bridge.

When the Manhattan Bridge was opened on December 31, 1909, it had tracks which were intended to be used by the subways of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT). There were no tracks on either side to connect them to, however. The MBTCL began to run streetcars in 1912, and until 1915 was the only operator of transit over the bridge. In 1915, the trolleys were moved to the upper roadways of the bridge, and the BRT subway lines were connected to the former MBTCL's tracks. The trackage was shared by the Brooklyn and North River Railroad MBTCL intended to sue the B&NR January 1916 over alleged franchise violations.

The MBTCL operated from Fulton Street and Flatbush extension in Downtown Brooklyn to a three track loop at Bowery and Bayard Street in what is today part of Chinatown. The two track terminal at Fulton Street was shared with the Third Avenue Railway System cars that used the north tracks of the bridge. When the bridge first opened, the streetcars used what are now the subway tracks. When the BMT subway was ready to use the bridge, the streetcar tracks were relocated to the upper level, where auto roadways are over the subway tracks today.

The MBTCL continued operating trolleys over the bridge until November 13, 1929, by which time patronage had declined due to the popularity of the automobile, as well as rapid transit.

As the B15
Buses were substituted for streetcars on November 13, 1929. It was designated the B15, running on the same route as the Manhattan Bridge Three Cent Line. It was discontinued between 1969 and 1977.

As an extension of the B63
When the B15 designation was finally discontinued on 1977, it became an extension of the B63.

As the B51
On September 9, 1985 service over the Manhattan Bridge was restored and re-designated as the B51, replacing the portion of the B63.

On November 14, 2005, bus service was restored on Park Row between Chatham Square and City Hall. Buses had been running on Frankfort St and St. James Place.

It was finally discontinued on June 27, 2010 due to a budget crisis.