Throughout the ages, the development of transportation to Coney Island greatly impacted the area’s visitors. An increase in transportation led to the development Coney Islands tourist facilities. In 1829, the Coney Island Hotel was built followed by other hotels, turning Coney Island into an upscale resort town for those escaping the city. Hotel owners seeked a way to bring visitors to their resorts. After the building of the pavilion at what become known as Norton’s Point far west, a little side-wheeler steam ship brought people from Manhattan to the Gravesend Bay, making the trip much fast than the half day ferry.
Below is a timeline from the construction of the first railroad to reach Coney Island to the modern day subway and bus:
1860– The first railroad to reach coney island in 1860 was actually pulled by horses!
1864– The Brooklyn Bath and Coney Island Railroad line extended from Bath Beach to Coney Island. This steam railroad that laid along the current New Utrecht Ave become known as the West End Terminal.
1875– Andrew R. Culver developed the terminal at Culver Plaza on Surf Avenue for the Prospect Park & Coney Island Railroad offering speedy transportation for 35 cents.
1876– Ocean Parkway was constructed from Prospect Park to Coney Island, making it easier to reach Coney Island by road.
1878– William Enegeman and August Corbin develop their respective properties and construct New York and Manhattan Beach Railway bringing visitors to Coney in an hour from uptown New York.
1879– The New York and Sea Beach Railroad was built and at the Sea Beach Palace terminal, several blocks west of the Culver terminal, offering lower priced services.
1880– The Iron Pier Company built the New Iron Pier where they brought tourists from Manhattan on side-wheeler steamships in twenty minute intervals during the summer season.
1888– The Fulton Street El line opened routing trains downtown via Fulton street but did not yet connect Bedford to Fulton street until 1896.
1900s– Growth of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit company which acquired a series of mergers of railroad lines elevated and streetcars into a public transport system.
- 16 electric street car lines
- 5 elevated trains
- 2 steamboat services from Manhatten
1913-1915- the Sea Beach line was built providing the fastest route to Manhattan. The line connected to the 4th ave subway and the 1st on the Manhattan Bridge.
1918– A horrible transit accident resulted in the death of 97 passengers and over 100 severely injured survivors. This led to the bankruptcy of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company.
1919– The completion of the subway in New York city to Stillwell Avenue terminal ushered in the Nickel Empire.
1923– BRT reorganized as Brooklyn Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT)
1940’s- 50’s Four lines reached Coney Island: Brighton Beach, Culver, Sea Beach, West End line. And four streetcars: Neptune/ Surf Avenue, McDonald Avenue, Coney Island Line, Stillwell Avenue/ West end.
Today– Most common way to reach Coney Island is via the subway to Stillwell Avenue by the D, F, N and Q 
lines. One can also take the B68 bus all the way down Coney Island Avenue until Stillwell terminal.
For more information:
http://web.mta.info/nyct/bus/schedule/bkln/b068cur.pdf
http://m.mta.info/mt/web.mta.info/nyct/service/
Works Cited
“Coney Island – Development of Rail & Steamboat Lines to the Resort.” Coney Island History -Development of Rail and Steamboat Lines to the Resort. Jeffrey Stanton, 1998. Web. 21 May 2017.
