Politicians, straphangers rally to protest G train service cuts

[Trainspotter]

The train as we know it is dead - or close to it.

 

Politicians and transit rider advocates rallied Tuesday in the Court Square subway stop at Hunters Point, Queens, to protest proposed cuts in train service that could inconvenience thousands of commuters.

 

With the dirge of bagpipe music in the background and a funeral wreath in view, they mourned the possible demise of the subway line and called on Gov. Paterson to find new funds to "raise it from the dead."

 

"The G train has for decades been neglected in terms of resources provided," said Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn), a Bible in hand for the mock funeral ceremony.

 

"If G train service is cut off, thousands of Brooklyn and Queens riders will be left out in the cold," he said. "They deserve better treatment."

 

Faced with a $1.2 billion operating deficit for 2009, the Metropolitan Transit Authority has proposed slashing Queens-bound service on the at Court Square to save money.

 

But despite the doom and gloom, there were signs of life to be found.

 

"Let's take today as an opportunity to raise the dead," said Assemblyman Joseph Lentol (D-Brooklyn), adding that the budget crisis has put subway concerns on the back burner. "We will get a plan down that saves the subway system, but we have to save the ."

 

The event was organized by the Straphangers Campaign, a transit riders advocacy group. The MTA's proposed cuts would lop off 13 stops in Queens from the line, which now ends in Forest Hills. The cuts would affect other subway and bus lines with crowding.

 

A Transit Authority study found that the cuts to the line would result in extra walking, longer waits and additional transfers for thousands of passengers in Brooklyn and Queens each day.

 

Aaron Donovan, a spokesman for the MTA, said the agency was hoping to avoid the cuts and prefers that Albany find other ways to cut the budget.

 

Daily riders on the line as well as politicians also expressed their outrage at the plan.

 

Jose Cortez, 35, a cook on his way to work in Manhattan, said, "It's difficult now to get where I got to go. So just imagine if they cut the service."

 

BY Michael E. Miller

DAILY NEWS WRITER

February 18th 2009

[Donis]

Well the riders are not happy because they only have 4 cars and don't get what they want so that's why they are even madder at the .

 

The should have 8 cars back.

 

I remember back in the 2000 and the oldest day they use to treat the good until the came.

 

The should be rextend to Forest Hill 71 Ave and have 8 cars back.

 

The was the one causing all the problems on the Queens Blvd Line.

 

The may be useful for access to 6th Ave line but no one even rides it that much.

 

the riders also lost connection access to the Lexington Avenue IRT.

 

the made things worst for the (F)/(G) riders even if the controls ridership on the and has direct access to the 6th Avenue line and everything,but it's useless.

[KeystoneRegional]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[Eric B]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 1.1; en-us; dream) AppleWebKit/525.10+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0.4 Mobile Safari/523.12.2)

 

Yeah; but they'll extend the to cover the other end of the in Brooklyn, though!

[MTR Admiralty]

Well the riders are not happy because they only have 4 cars and don't get what they want so that's why they are even madder at the .

 

The should have 8 cars back.

 

I remember back in the 2000 and the oldest day they use to treat the good until the came.

 

The should be rextend to Forest Hill 71 Ave and have 8 cars back.

 

The was the one causing all the problems on the Queens Blvd Line.

 

The may be useful for access to 6th Ave line but no one even rides it that much.

 

the riders also lost connection access to the Lexington Avenue IRT.

 

the made things worst for the (F)/(G) riders even if the controls ridership on the and has direct access to the 6th Avenue line and everything,but it's useless.

While the V may seem all that terrible, ridership is actually increasing. And that is for a fact.

[Y2Julio]

Hasn't it been stopping at Court Square for years?? I can't remember the last time I've ridden on the that's gone passed Court Square.

[Urbanfortitude]

A few times over the last couple of months I've seen the in Forest Hills but it was only during the weekend and a time where they didn't have a service change for it to not go into Queens.

[N-Trizzy2609]

I was going to call a protest for the too. I'm glad! Straphangers, unite! Protest! Let those voice be heard! Tell Eliot Sander that we New Yorker are going to put up with his cheap crap anymore!!!!

[MTR Admiralty]

Hasn't it been stopping at Court Square for years?? I can't remember the last time I've ridden on the that's gone passed Court Square.

 

It rarely runs to Forest Hills on weekends and late nights... because of a "G.O" they are apparently working on. It's just an excuse to cut service.

[Shortline Bus]

All i say is this. If the ran in affluent neighborhoods like the upper east side, park slope or forest hills for instance this proposed cut would never happen.

[Y2Julio]

 

All i say is this. If the ran in affluent neighborhoods like the upper east side, park slope or forest hills for instance this proposed cut would never happen.

um, the G DOES run in Park Slope.

[MTR Admiralty]

um, the G DOES run in Park Slope.

 

Probably meant... running to Church

[eli]

don't worry were not alone some other transit system are in budget crisis as well.

 

Also will there be weekend service on the ?

since the is getting cut back to Court Square all times.

[MTR Admiralty]

Also will there be weekend service on the ?

since the is getting cut back to Court Square all times.

 

No. That is not happening.