Myrtle Avenue (BMT Fourth Avenue Line)

The Myrtle Avenue station was a local station on the Manhattan Bridge subway tracks () in Brooklyn, New York City, at the southern end of the bridge.

History

This station opened on June 22, 1915, along with the rest of the BMT Fourth Avenue Line. The Myrtle Avenue station was sometimes called Gold Street in some early planning documents, and in the ''Brooklyn Daily Eagle'' when the station opened.

The city government took over the BMT's operations on June 1, 1940. The station closed on July 16, 1956 for the reconstruction of the flying junction north of DeKalb Avenue to increase capacity for the entire BMT Division. The Brooklyn-bound platform was removed completely, but the Manhattan-bound platform still exists. 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.

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.

The entrance to the station was from the inside of a building, and after the station was closed up, the connection was blocked off with a cinderblock wall. In 2007, the City allowed a developer that purchased the block above the station to demolish the access point to the station. A thick concrete wall now exists at the entrance to the platform.

''Masstransiscope''

In 1980 the ''Masstransiscope'' zoetrope artwork by Bill Brand was installed in the station. The artwork consists of 228 hand-painted panels that are behind a long slit light box. The artwork stretches for the full 300 feet of the platform. On September 17, 1980, passengers could start seeing the completed work from trains. This allows riders on the Manhattan-bound trains (and D trains during late nights when they stop at DeKalb Avenue) right before the bridge to look to their right and experience the illusion that the paintings are moving. By the mid-1980s, despite Brand's efforts to maintain the artwork, it fell into a state of disrepair. It was briefly repaired in about 1990, but it was soon covered in graffiti. After falling into a state of disrepair, graffiti was removed in 2008 and the artwork was restored. ''Masstransiscope'' was again covered by graffiti during the complete subway shutdown during Hurricane Sandy and again restored after that.

Originally, Brand came up with a more ambitious plan using blown up photographs to create a virtual film strip–these would have been regularly swapped out.

Station layout

When open, this underground station had four tracks and two side platforms. The southbound local side platform is demolished.

References

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BMT Fourth Avenue Line stations
Defunct Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation stations
Railway stations in the United States opened in 1915
1915 establishments in New York City
Railway stations closed in 1956
Former elevated and subway stations in Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn
Articles containing video clips
New York City Subway stations located underground
1956 disestablishments in New York (state)
Defunct New York City Subway stations located underground