Squadron/dilan-Requested Full Line Review Will Lead to Major G Train Improvements

Review Conducted for Senators and Advocates Recommends 25% More Evening Rush Trains, Station Improvements to Address Notorious G Train Sprint

Squadron, Dilan, MTA, Riders Alliance Celebrate Big Win for Growing Brooklyn & Queens Neighborhoods

BROOKLYN -- Today, State Senators Daniel Squadron and Martin Malavé Dilan, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), and the Riders Alliance announced that the G train Full Line Review requested by Squadron and Dilan earlier this year will lead to major improvements along the line, including recommendations of a 25 percent increase in evening rush trains and new station improvements to end the notorious "G Train Sprint."

In January, Squadron and Dilan urged the MTA to conduct a Full-Line Review of the G train's performance and to improve overall rider experience. 

The review of the G train was completed last week and includes several important recommendations:

• Increase G train service by 25% in the afternoon and evening, contingent on funding, from approximately 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.;
• Run trains at more even intervals, rather than having some bunched together and some with long waits in between;
• Stop the 4-car train at the same place on the platform at all times and clearly mark where on the platform the train will stop, as well as rearrange benches and other station elements so that riders wait at the right place for the train -- addressing the notorious "G Train Sprint";
• Add public announcement systems at the 12 G train stations that currently lack them, so the MTA can update customers in real time when there are service changes; and
• Make changes to train operations, for example letting trains wait at Court Square with all the doors open longer so that passengers can spread throughout the train instead of bunching together near the one open door

The G train is a lifeline for residents and businesses throughout Brooklyn and Queens, and ridership has significantly increased in recent years. Last year, the MTA made permanent the line’s extension to Church Avenue. These additional recommendations will come as welcome relief to G train riders.

In recent years, Senator Squadron worked with the MTA to create the first-of-their-kind Full-Line Reviews of the F and the L trains. Those reviews resulted in more frequent and on-time trains and newer and cleaner subway cars along the F line beginning in 2009, and increased service along the L line beginning in the summer of 2012. 

Senator Dilan is the ranking member of the Senate Transportation Committee.  In his role as ranker he has strongly advocated for funding parity to New York City Transit and the continued investment in transit infrastructure. He has also supported efforts to mitigate service cuts and fare increases.   

"Now G train riders will be en route to much-needed relief that may one day lead to the G meaning great," said Senator Squadron.  "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.   Increased frequency, shorter wait times, and better communication will go a long way for many riders. I'm looking forward to working with the MTA, Senator Dilan, and Riders Alliance to quickly implement these recommendations."

"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. 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. I look forward to working together with riders and the authority as the scope of this report is fully realized," said Senator Dilan.

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