People are still reeling from the L Train shutdown after news of its closure in 2019 became official last week, but the MTA has decided to throw in some good news in the mix this week. Plans are now underway to increase the capacity on the G Train from its existing four cars to eight cars by the time the shutdown gets into effect, the New York Times reports. In addition, the agency is also planning upgrades to the Court Square station with the addition of two new stairways to improve overall service and flow.
Increased service on the G Train was one of the suggestions put forth by the agency and suggested by many commuters on the L Train during several months of meetings earlier this year where the MTA presented plans for the closure and allowed commuters to provide suggestions.
Weekday ridership on the G Train is now about 150,000, compared to the L which is 225,000 per weekday, according to the Times. However the G has seen a major uptick in ridership — 17 percent in the last six years. And not just has it seen an increase in commuters, but apparently its losing some of the continued criticism leveled against it as well. Several people the Times interviewed expressed their changed opinions on the train, the only full scale subway line that doesn’t connect to Manhattan.
Amid all this flurry of transportation news, Mayor Bill de Blasio questioned the 18-month closure of the Canarsie Tunnel last week, DNAinfo reported. He wondered if the agency had fully explored all the other alternatives, and was concerned that the MTA hadn’t yet announced concrete plans, like the G Train service increase mentioned above, to mitigate concerns about the closure.
- Short Trains. Frequent Disruptions. Once Mocked, the G Train Is Now Cool [NYT]
- De Blasio Questions MTA's Plan to Shut the L Train For 18 Months [DNAinfo]
- L Train Shutdown Between Manhattan and Brooklyn Will Officially Begin in 2019 [Curbed]
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