Fifth Avenue Coach Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Fifth Avenue Transportation Company |
| Founded | 1896 |
| Defunct | 1954 |
| Fate | Operations assumed by New York City Omnibus Corporation |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | Manhattan, The Bronx, Queens, Westchester County, New York |
| Products | Bus transportation services |
The Fifth Avenue Coach Company provided bus transportation services across Manhattan, The Bronx, Queens, and Westchester County, New York from its inception in 1896 until 1954, when operations were assumed by the New York City Omnibus Corporation. This company was the successor to the Fifth Avenue Transportation Company.
History
Established in 1896 through the acquisition of the bankrupt Fifth Avenue Transportation Company, the firm initially operated horse-drawn omnibuses along Fifth Avenue between Bleecker Street and 89th Street. Fifth Avenue was distinct within Manhattan for never having streetcar lines, a result of local residents opposing rail track installations. By 1898, the company had introduced electric buses and was subsequently purchased by the newly organized New York Transportation Company in 1899.
In 1907, Fifth Avenue Coach unveiled its own fleet of 15 motorbuses serving Fifth Avenue and select crosstown routes. The company regained independence from New York Transportation Company in 1912.
By 1925, under the ownership of The Omnibus Corporation, Fifth Avenue Coach secured a controlling interest in the New York Railways Corporation. When New York Railways began transitioning streetcar routes to bus service during 1935–36, these new bus lines were operated by the New York City Omnibus Corporation, which had been established in 1926 and shared management with The Omnibus Corporation. New York Railways ceased operations in 1936.
Additionally, Fifth Avenue Coach owned subsidiaries that replaced trolley lines: the Madison Avenue Coach Company, Inc. took over routes from the New York and Harlem Railroad, while the Eighth Avenue Coach Corporation succeeded trolley services on Eighth and Ninth Avenues. Both subsidiaries were merged into New York City Omnibus in November 1951.
In 1954, The Omnibus Corporation sold Fifth Avenue Coach to New York City Omnibus Corporation, which rebranded itself as Fifth Avenue Coach Lines in 1956. That same year, it expanded by acquiring the Westchester Street Transportation Company, formerly affiliated with the Third Avenue Railway, along with the Surface Transportation Corporation, which was reorganized as a subsidiary under a new identity.
Following a labor strike in 1962 and a control struggle involving financier Harry Weinberg, municipal authorities assumed control of operations. Bus services in Westchester continued until they were acquired by Liberty Lines Transit in 1969.
Routes
The principal routes operated by Fifth Avenue Coach Company included:
| Route | Terminal A | Major Streets | Terminal B |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington Square Park | Fifth Avenue | Harlem (5th Avenue/138th Street) |
| 2 | Madison Square | Fifth Avenue, Seventh Avenue (now Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard), Edgecombe Avenue | Washington Heights (Broadway/167th Street) |
| 3 | Washington Square Park | Fifth Avenue, St. Nicholas or Convent Avenue (Hamilton Heights), St. Nicholas Avenue (Washington Heights) | Washington Heights (St. Nicholas Avenue/193rd Street) |
| 4 | New York Penn Station | Fifth Avenue, Central Park North/Cathedral Parkway, Riverside Drive, Broadway, Fort Washington Avenue | The Cloisters |
| 5/19 | Washington Square Park | Fifth Avenue, West 57th Street, Broadway, Riverside Drive (Upper West Side and Hamilton Heights) | Washington Heights (Broadway/167th Street) |
| 6 | Upper West Side (West 72nd Street/Central Park West) | Broadway, West 57th Street, Fifth Avenue, East 72nd Street | Yorkville (East 72nd Street/York Avenue) |
| 9 | Washington Square Park | Fifth Avenue, West 57th Street, Broadway | Upper West Side (West 72nd Street/Central Park West) |
| 15 | Madison Square | Fifth Avenue, Queensboro Bridge, Queens Boulevard, Roosevelt Avenue |
or
|
| 16 | Jackson Heights (Northern Boulevard/81st Street) | 81st/82nd Streets, Baxter Avenue, Broadway | Elmhurst (Broadway and Queens Boulevard) |
| 20 | Hell's Kitchen (12th Avenue/West 55th Street) | 57th Street Crosstown | Sutton Place (Sutton Place and East 59th Street) |
See also
- Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority, which took over FACCST operations in New York City
- Liberty Lines Transit, Inc., the entity that assumed FACCST routes within Westchester County