Brooklyn Car Rentals and the Brooklyn Bridge

Interesting Facts about the Brooklyn Bridge

When the Brooklyn Bridge was first opened in 1883 it was 50% longer than any bridge previously built
When the bridge officially opened on May 24, 1883 a total of 1,800 vehicles and 150,300 people made the landmark crossing
Just a week after the Brooklyn Bridge was opened a rumor that the bridge was going to collapse caused a massive stampede which crushed twelve civilians
On June 17, 1977 the Brooklyn Bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, while in 1983 the bridge was designated a National Historic Engineering Landmark

The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in all of the United States, spanning a distance of 6018 feet across the East River. Built between 1869 and 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first steel-wired suspension bridge in the world. Built to encourage development in the mostly rural Brooklyn borough, the Brooklyn Bridge was designed by architect and firm owner John A. Roebling. Roebling was a successful bridge builder, designing and overseeing the Waco Suspension Bridge in Waco, Texas and the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge in Cincinnati, Oho. Sadly, Roebling died from tetanus during the planning stages of the bridges development in 1869. His son, Washington Roebling immediately took over where his father had left off, vowing to make the Brooklyn Bridge a reality.

The Brooklyn Bridge Today

Today the Brooklyn Bridge is a true American icon, handling thousands of vehicles per day. The Brooklyn Bridge is no longer the largest span in the world, but it is certainly one of the most beautiful, boasting traditional gothic architecture and breathtaking views of the East River. If you’re interested in visiting the Brooklyn borough of NYC, All Car Rent-A-Car strongly encourages you to utilize this engineering wonder in your Brooklyn car rental. With six lanes of traffic and a separate pedestrian pathway, the Brooklyn Bridge is perfect for an afternoon stroll or leisurely nighttime drive, so be sure to check it out in your Brooklyn car rental! The Brooklyn Bridge is safe and secure, thanks to a variety of rehabilitations programs which have included a re-decking project, retrofitted steel arches, the Brooklyn Bridge Park project and the rehabilitation of existing freeway approaches.

Believe it or Not – Strange Happenings on the Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge has a long and exciting history filled with plenty of Brooklyn car rentals… and even a few elephants! Read on to learn more about strange happenings on this American icon!

In 1884 P.T. Barnum of the Barnum and Bailey Circus demonstrated the strength of the Brooklyn Bridge by parading a gigantic heard of 21 elephants across the suspension bridge!
1895 saw the first woman to jump of the Brooklyn Bridge – Clara McArthur. Clara weighted her socks with close to 20 pounds of sand in order to ensure that she would fall feet first. She did, and survived because of it.
In 1974 a young man by the name of Jimmy Weber decided to imitate a popular comic book character, Spiderman, one afternoon along the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge. Police pursued Weber on a strange chase across the steel-wires, which are located 120 feet above the road bed.
1974 was also the year that Elvis Presley attempted to jump of the Brooklyn Bridge – in handcuffs! Mario Manzini, dressed as the legendary King of Rock, cuffed his hands together in order to prove that he was the greatest escape artist since Houdini. Manzini would never have the chance to prove his cunning – police apprehended him before he had a chance to jump off the bridge.

There is currently no toll to cross the Brooklyn Bridge in your Brooklyn car rental, so don’t worry about packing any extra change. If you have any questions concerning the Brooklyn Bridge please feel free to visit the New York City Department of Transportation’s Bridges website at http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/bridges.html for more details.