Community Corner

Increased Service, Station Improvements Coming To G Train

This article was written by Caitlin Nolan.

Things are looking up for the train line so many commuters love to hate: Following a full G train line review by the MTA completed last week, the subway line will see major service and station improvements. 

Improvements along the line recommended in the review include increasing G train service by 25 percent during evening rush hours, as well as station improvements to end what so many strap hands not-so-affectionately refer to as the "G train sprint," or the mad dash made to catch a train that only takes up half the length of a platform. 

At a press conference Monday afternoon, the MTA, the Riders Alliance, and Senators Daniel Squadron (D-26) and Martin Malavé Dilan (D-18) announced the advancements to the line. Squadron and Dilan, who in January urged the MTA to conduct the review, said the improvements will go a long way to improve the quality of committing for many New Yorkers. 

"These recommendations will allow the G to keep pace with skyrocketing growth in Brooklyn and Queens -- and make the notorious G Train Sprint a thing of the past," said Squadron.

The review also recommended running trains at more even intervals, rather than having some bunched together and some with long waits in between. 

Several suggestions work to eliminate the run many commuters make to catch the four-car train, including stopping the train at the same place on the platform at all times, clearly marking where on the platform the train will stop and rearranging benches and other station elements so commuters wait at the right place for the train. 

The review recommended public announcement systems be dded to the 12 G train stations that currently lack them, so the MTA can update customers in real time when there are service changes. It also called for changes to train operations, including allowing trains waiting at Court Street to do so will all its doors open longer so that passengers can spread throughout the train instead of gathering together near one open door. 

"Overtime the recommendations outlined in the MTA's review of the G Line will greatly impact the quality of service for thousands of daily commuters," said Dilan. "These changes affirm what so many G riders had pointed out over the last six months and I applaud the MTA for a thorough assessment and for a plan of action that will almost immediately alleviate some of the difficulties riders had pointed out."


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