Originally a streetcar line, it is now the B74 Mermaid Avenue bus route operated by the New York City Transit Authority.

The Norton's Point Line, operated by the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation, mostly ran along a private right-of-way north of Mermaid Avenue between elevated platforms at Stillwell Avenue adjacent to the BMT terminal and West 37th Street.

It first started operating on June 9, 1879 as a steam line to connect Norton's Point to the Culver Terminal, which allowed passengers traveling on ferryboats to and from New York City (which only consisted of Manhattan at the time) have easy access to the beach.

On December 1, 2022, the MTA released a draft redesign of the Brooklyn bus network.

As part of the redesign, the B74 would retain its route, but closely spaced stops would be eliminated.