By Philip Newman
The G train, which serves only two stations in Queens but vast areas of Brooklyn, turned over a new leaf Monday with improvements long campaigned for by two Brooklyn lawmakers, including a 25 percent increase in afternoon rush hour service.
New York City Transit reported the new running times, public address announcements and train positions at stations took effect as scheduled, according to Graham Parker, spokesman for state Sen. Martin Malave Dilan (D-Brooklyn). An estimated 125,000 people ride the G train during an average weekday.
“Some signage as part of the upgrades has yet to be completed,” Parker said.
Dilan and state Sen. Daniel Squadron (D-Brooklyn) had worked for more than a year in efforts to improve service on the G line. Some riders referred to what they called the G Sprint. It was about passengers seldom knowing where the four-car G trains would stop and thus having to run in the event they stopped far away.
One of the improvements is signs informing motorman and passengers where the train would stop.
Changes also include increased 25 percent afternoon rush hour service
Both Dilan and Squadron thanked the transit advocacy agency Riders Alliance for its help in promoting the improvements.
The 11.4-mile G train stops at Court Square and 21st Street in Queens and at 21 stations in Brooklyn.
