Third and Lexington Avenues Line

File:Lex Av E 92 St 03.jpg-bound M98 Limited at Lexington Avenue/East 92nd Street. This bus is retired.]]

The M98 operates between Hunter College at East 68th Street on the Upper East Side and Fort Tryon Park in Inwood near West 192nd Street. The M98 operates northbound via Third Avenue, and southbound via Lexington Avenue. At East 120th Street, southbound service shifts from Park to Lexington Avenues, while at East 127th Street, the M98 northbound service shifts onto the Harlem River Drive. The M98 exits the Harlem River Drive via the Interstate 95/Amsterdam Avenue exit. The M98 travels westbound along West 179th Street and eastbound along West 178th Street between Amsterdam Avenue and Fort Washington Avenue, where the M98 turns north on Fort Washington Avenue until its terminal at the entrance to Fort Tryon Park.{{Cite NYC bus|M98}}

File:NYC Transit 6069 - Flickr - njt4148.jpg

The M101 spans between Cooper Square in the East Village and Fort George Avenue in Fort George. The M101 runs northbound along Third Avenue from Astor Place to East 125th Street, while southbound buses use Lexington Avenue north of East 24th Street. The M101 continues crosstown on 125th Street to Amsterdam Avenue, running north towards West 193rd Street after Amsterdam Avenue becomes Fort George Avenue. To begin the southbound trip, the M101 makes its first stop at Fort George Avenue and Fort George Hill, then turns south onto Saint Nicholas Avenue, then left (east) onto West 190th Street, followed by a right (south) back onto Amsterdam Avenue. Some northbound buses terminate at 125th Street & Amsterdam Avenue or in both directions at 96th Street.

The M101 runs as a limited-stop service during the day south of East 116th Street, with no other local service. Local service is provided by the M102 and M103 buses, during that time. Overnight and weekend morning service runs local.{{Cite NYC bus|M101}}

{{Main|Lenox Avenue Line (surface)}}

File:50th St 3rd Av td 21.jpg

The M102 begins at Cooper Square and follows the M101 until East 116th Street in East Harlem. The route travels west across 116th Street to Lenox Avenue, where it continues north to the Harlem–148th Street subway station.[https://new.mta.info/document/7676 MTA Regional Bus Operations. "M102 bus schedule"]

File:2012 Novabus LFSA Articulated (5887) lays up at Park Row & Beekman Street.jpg

The M103 begins its route at City Hall and travels north via Park Row and the Bowery. At Astor Place, it continues north alongside the M101 and M102 along Third to East 125th Street, where it terminates. Southbound service uses Lexington Avenue from East 125th to 24th Streets, then uses Third Avenue, Bowery, and Park Row.{{Cite NYC bus|M103}}

The Third Avenue Railroad opened a line in 1853, from Astor House at Broadway and Park Row to 86th Street, running north along Park Row, Bowery, where it shared tracks with the Second Avenue Line, and Third Avenue. In 1859, an extension to East Harlem opened. Using the 125th Street Crosstown Line and tracks along Amsterdam Avenue, Third Avenue cars were also operated to Fort George. A trolley park called the Fort George Amusement Park operated at that end of the line from 1895 to 1914.{{cite web | last=Martens | first=Victoria | title=Fort George Amusement Park | website=Museum of the City of New York | date=August 1, 2019 | url=https://www.mcny.org/story/fort-george-amusement-park | access-date=September 2, 2019}}

New York Railways' Lexington Avenue Line streetcar was replaced by New York City Omnibus Corporation (NYCO) bus (M21 - 3/4) on March 25, 1936.{{Cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=29R4MyhnVb4C&pg=PA75|title=Big Town, Big Time: A New York Epic : 1898-1998|editor-last1=Maeder|editor-first1=Jay|date=1999|publisher=New York Daily News|isbn=9781582610283|pages=75|language=en}} In 1936, the NYCO and Fifth Avenue were placed under common ownership. In 1941, Surface Transportation Corporation began operating former Third Avenue Railway routes. The Third Avenue Railway's Third Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue Line streetcar was replaced by the M101 bus operated by the Surface Transportation Corporation on May 18, 1947.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1947/05/16/archives/buses-on-3d-ave-sunday-gay-nineties-group-to-make-trip-on-last.html|title=Buses On 3d Ave. Sunday; ' Gay Nineties' Group to Make Trip on Last Trolley Car|date=May 16, 1947|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 30, 2018|language=en}}

On July 17, 1960, Third Avenue north of 24th Street became one-way northbound, and southbound buses were moved to Lexington Avenue, and the two parallel bus lines were combined as a one-way pair, keeping the route number M101.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1960/07/12/archives/oneway-bus-schedules-given-for-lexington-and-3d-avenues.html|title=One-Way Bus Schedules Given For Lexington and 3d Avenues|date=July 12, 1960|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 30, 2018|language=en}}

After a strike in 1962, the entire Fifth Avenue system was transferred to the newly formed Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority on March 22, 1962.{{cite web|url=http://www.laguardiawagnerarchive.lagcc.cuny.edu/FILES_DOC/WAGNER_FILES/06.021.0058.060284.11.PDF#page=74|title=New York City Transit Facts & Figures: 1979|year=1979|website=La Guardia and Wagner Archives|publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York City Transit Authority|access-date=October 24, 2016}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lI5ERUmHf3YC&q=fifth+avenue+coach&pg=PT5716|title=The Encyclopedia of New York City: Second Edition|author1=Kenneth T. Jackson|author2=Lisa Keller|author3=Nancy Flood|date=December 1, 2010|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-18257-6}}{{cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1962/03/22/90157872.pdf|title=City Seizes Buses; Full Service Due 6 A.M. Saturday|last1=Sibley|first1=John|date=March 22, 1962|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 6, 2016}}

Route M101A, formerly NYCO Fifth, Madison and Lenox Avenues route 2, was started on March 2, 1969."Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Authority: The First Ten Years." Motor Coach Age, May 1972. This route was renumbered the M102 on July 1, 1974.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/06/20/archives/2-boroughs-buses-get-new-numbers-route-jumblie-ends-july-1-in.html|title=2 Boroughs' Buses Get New Numbers|date=June 20, 1974|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=October 2, 2016|issn=0362-4331}}

New M98 Limited Stop service running between 32nd Street and Washington Heights was introduced on September 14, 1987, as a rush hour-only service.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/127872292@N06/27283560400/ M98 pamphlets]{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/?spot=23110752|title=Limited-stop bus set for rush hour|date=September 3, 1987|work=New York Daily News|access-date=August 30, 2018}} A public hearing had been held on March 12, 1987 concerning the proposed introduction of the route. Service initially ran every 15 minutes between 6:30 and 9:30 a.m. southbound, and every 15 minutes northbound from 4 to 7 p.m.. with service every 30 minutes in the reverse-peak. Stops were added to the route in response to community requests at 187th Street, 125th Street, 116th Street and 107th Street. The route was designed to keep the number of stops to a minimum to attract ridership.{{Cite web|url=http://www.laguardiawagnerarchive.lagcc.cuny.edu/pages/FileBrowser.aspx?LinkToFile=FILES_DOC/Koch_FILES/08.005.0000.0000260.08.PDF#undefined|title=September 1987 Bus Changes|last=Gunn|first=David L.|date=August 18, 1987|website=laguardiawagnerarchive.lagcc.cuny.edu|publisher=New York City Transit Authority|access-date=March 21, 2019}}

Limited-stop service on the M101 began on October 14, 1991, with alternate buses running limited between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/?spot=22822947|title=M2 & M101 Buses Are Pulling Out The Stops Limited-Stop Service Starts October 14th|date=October 11, 1991|work=New York Daily News|access-date=August 17, 2018}}

On September 10, 1995, the M103 was created to improve reliability along Third and Lexington Avenues, curtailing the M101 and M102 south of Astor Place.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/?spot=22800465|title=On September 10, a new bus route, the M103, will be introduced. The M101 and M102 Lexington Ave. routes will end at East 6th Street, instead of City Hall.|date=September 14, 1995|work=New York Daily News|access-date=August 17, 2018}}

In 2009, buses along the corridor were involved in a total of 268 accidents. The number is attributed to both inexperienced operators and the number of "obstacles" along the route.{{Cite news|url=https://nypost.com/2010/10/24/m101-tops-bus-crash-courses/|title=M101 tops bus crash courses|last=Blau|first=Reuven|date=October 24, 2010|work=New York Post|access-date=August 30, 2018|language=en-US}}

On June 27, 2010, due to shortfalls in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's budget, the M98 was truncated from 32nd Street to 68th Street. At the same time, southbound M98 service into the George Washington Bus Terminal was discontinued. These two changes were estimated to annually save $800,000.{{Cite web|url=http://web.mta.info/mta/news/books/docs/NYCT_2010_Service_Reduction_Evaluation.pdf|title=Evaluation of 2010 Service Reductions|date=September 23, 2011|publisher=MTA New York City Transit|pages=B48–B49|access-date=May 15, 2017}}

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Category:1853 introductions

M098

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Category:Third Avenue

Category:Lexington Avenue