R (New York City Subway service)

Broadway Local
A train made of R46 cars operating on the R train at Bay Ridge Avenue bound for Queens.
Northern end	Forest Hills–71st Avenue, Whitehall Street–South Ferry (late nights)
Southern end	Bay Ridge–95th Street
Stations	45
Rolling stock	240 R46s (30 trains)
Depot	Jamaica Yard
Started service	January 15, 1916; 101 years ago (1916-01-15)

The R Broadway Local is a rapid transit service in the B Division of the New York City Subway. Its route emblem, or "bullet", is colored sunflower yellow since it uses the BMT Broadway Line in Manhattan. The R operates local between 71st Avenue in Forest Hills, Queens and 95th Street in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn at all times except nights when it short turns at Whitehall Street–South Ferry in Lower Manhattan from Brooklyn.

The service that later became the R was the BMT 2. When it entered service on January 15, 1916, it ran between Chambers Street on the BMT Nassau Street Line and 86th Street, using the Manhattan Bridge to cross the East River. Service on the BMT Broadway Line (which at the time was only between Whitehall Street and Times Square) began exactly two years later on January 15, 1918. On July 10, 1919 service may have been extended to 57th Street. The Montague Street Tunnel opened on October 1, 1920, and at that time it took its current shape, running local from Queensboro Plaza to 86th Street. Bay Ridge–95th Street station opened on October 31, 1925. During this time, rush-hour specials to Chambers Street were added and later removed, only to be added again. At one time, including 1931, additional midday service operated local between 57th Street and Whitehall Street–South Ferry. The 2 also used the Nassau Street Loop during rush hours, entering Manhattan via the Manhattan Bridge or Montague Street Tunnel and leaving via the other.