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Thursday, July 26, 2018

July 27, 1960: Last Day of Regular Electric Surface Transit in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The picture above was taken from the nycsubway.org web site from their Trolleybus section.  This is a Brian Cudahy  picture from 1954 showing a Lorimer Street trackless trolley near the Myrtle Avenue El .  58 years ago service was stopped on the small ( 200 unit? ) trolleybus system for which mainly lasted ( most routes except Cortelyou Road) for only 12 years (1848-1960).

Today. chances are getting smaller for New York City to see a trolleybus system or a regular streetcar/light rail system.  Overhead technology is becoming obsolete and an "electric bus" does not require wires anymore.  Just a good battery or charging station.  Light rail, no way because it is expensive and will take away parking spaces.

I thought that trolleybus or light rail service will return to Brooklyn  in:

1961 because a report came out explaining about diesel bus pollution, but I was wrong.
I though that trolleybuses and streetcars might come back because of the 1960's environmental movement.  But I was wrong.

I though they would come back due to oil embargos in the 1970's and 1980's, but I was wrong.

I thought they would come back because of high oil prices, but I was wrong.
I thought they would come back because diesel bus fumes is the cause of lung diseases in Harlem and upper New York, but I was wrong.

I thought they would come back due to peak oil, but I was wrong.
I thought they would come back due to global warming, but I was wrong.
I thought they would come back to Second Avenue around 1992 because the MTA was interested in setting up a Select Bus Service using trolleybuses, but I was wrong.
I thought streetcars would come back on 42nd Street after various attemps, but was not signed off by the mayor.  But I was wrong.

I thought that streetcars would come back on the Brooklyn - Queens waterfront, but I was wrong.  Where will we park our cars and it is too expensive!

I guess I just was wrong!

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