Business owners across Brooklyn are rallying against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s planned shutdown of G train service in December, according to Spectrum News NY1. The protests come as local merchants warn the disruption will hurt their bottom lines during the critical holiday shopping season.
The G train, which runs between Brooklyn and Queens, is scheduled for a multi-week closure in December for infrastructure work. Community members and elected officials have joined the business owners in opposing the timing, arguing that cutting off transit access during the busiest retail period of the year will drive customers away, Spectrum News NY1 reports.
The shutdown has also created problems for cyclists, according to Streetsblog New York City. Citi Bike stations in Greenpoint have been left without bikes or docking spaces during the closures, stranding riders who rely on the bike-share system as an alternative to the subway. The report says the bike network has not been able to absorb the extra demand created by the G train outage.
Greenpointers reports that small business owners have formally asked the MTA to move the December shutdown to a less disruptive time. The request has gained traction among local leaders, with BKReader noting that elected officials joined protesters at a rally to demand a schedule change. PIX11 also covered the community demonstrations, which have highlighted the repeated nature of G train closures in recent months.
The MTA has not yet publicly responded to the calls to reschedule the work. The agency has previously said the closures are necessary for long-overdue track and signal repairs, according to the reports.
What to watch next: Whether the MTA agrees to shift the December shutdown to a different month, and how the agency plans to address the Citi Bike capacity gaps during any future service interruptions.
