PROPOSED G TRAIN IMPROVEMENTS ANNOUNCED TODAY

UPDATE, July 22, 2013: The amount of money allocated to the MTA in the state budget has been increased, and all of these proposed improvements will become reality.

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The MTA's G Line Review of service on the entire line--21 stations in Brooklyn and Queens--was released today. It proposes these useful improvements:

• To expedite travel during peak hours--approximately 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.--G trains would run every 8 minutes instead of every 10 minutes, giving passengers more trains to board in a more timely manner. Funding this increase means putting $700,000 more into the MTA's budget.
• To decrease crowding on the platforms and in the trains, trains would run at more even intervals. Gone would be the frustration of having trains arrive one right after the other, followed by a long wait for the next one.
• Trying to guess correctly where the train will stop when it pulls into the station--followed by running for it before the four-car train leaves without you--would no longer qualify as an Olympic sport. On each platform, a marking would indicate where the trains will stop.
• For customer convenience, station elements, including benches, would be rearranged so they're near the spot where the train stops.
• Updates would be shared with passengers concerning service changes and other important information. Public announcement systems would be installed in the 12 stations that don't have them. It'll be nice to know what's going on.

The review's appendices show the number of entries per G train station; comparisons between the G and the rest of the system for litter, floor and seat cleanliness, and graffiti in the stations and cars; studies on the stopping position of the trains and bench position; and more.

Many thanks are extended to the grassroots organization Riders Alliance for its vision, planning, and persistence on behalf of subway and bus riders.