NY: Advocates, Business Leaders, And The Mets All Agree: Extend G Train Service To Forest Hills
Photos: YouTube Screenshots A diverse coalition of more than 30 advocacy organizations, business leaders, major destinations, and the New York Mets are calling on Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and MTA Chairman Janno Lieber to restore weekend G train service to Forest Hills, citing the urgent need for better transit connections between Brooklyn and Queens. In a letter sent and made public today, the coalition argues that extending weekend G service would be a transformative improvement for outer borough residents who have long been underserved by a transit system focused primarily on Manhattan commutes. Instead of waiting until 2030 for the next major transit expansion to open, the signatories argue that the G train extension would offer immediate results to riders most in need—an argument made recently in an op-ed in Streetsblog NYC. “The G train has experienced remarkable growth since weekend service to Forest Hills was eliminated in 2010, with weekday ridership surging to 166,000 passengers—an increase of 50,000 riders and one of the fastest growth rates in the entire subway system,” the letter’s signatories state. “Despite this growth, traveling between Brooklyn and Queens remains unnecessarily difficult.” The coalition includes major advocacy groups like Tri-State Transportation Campaign, Riders Alliance, Transportation Alternatives, New Yorkers for Parks, and Open Plans, alongside neighborhood organizations, environmental groups, and prominent Queens business entities including the Queens Chamber of Commerce, Queens Economic Development Corporation,and the New York Mets. Supporters also include popular venues along the route, like Forest Hills Stadium and Under the K Bridge. “For too long in our city, transit planning has focused primarily on getting people into and out of the core of Manhattan,” said Jaqi Cohen, Director of Climate and Equity Policy at Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “Restoring weekend G service to Forest Hills would demonstrate a commitment to the direct connections that residents of Brooklyn and Queens alike desperately need. This would benefit restaurant workers, healthcare workers, retail employees, and countless others who need efficient ways to reach jobs, visit family members, and access opportunities across Brooklyn and Queens, not just in Midtown.” The proposed service would create critical connections to major destinations including LaGuardia Community College, the Museum of the Moving Image, LaGuardia Airport, Elmhurst Hospital, and Forest Hills Stadium. It would also expand transfer opportunities at major bus hubs like Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue, Elmhurst Avenue, Grand Avenue-Newtown, and Woodhaven Boulevard, allowing buses like the Q52 SBS, Q53 SBS, Q59, Q60, and Q70 SBS (LaGuardia Link) to connect with a north-south subway spine through western Brooklyn. “This is how world-class transit systems should work: buses and subways should reinforce each other to create a seamless citywide network, rather than operating as disconnected alternatives,” the letter’s signatories continue. “New Yorkers have waited long enough for better transit connections between Brooklyn and Queens. Weekend G service to Forest Hills is achievable, affordable, and urgently needed.”
Black News 
Photos: YouTube Screenshots
A diverse coalition of more than 30 advocacy organizations, business leaders, major destinations, and the New York Mets are calling on Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and MTA Chairman Janno Lieber to restore weekend G train service to Forest Hills, citing the urgent need for better transit connections between Brooklyn and Queens.
In a letter sent and made public today, the coalition argues that extending weekend G service would be a transformative improvement for outer borough residents who have long been underserved by a transit system focused primarily on Manhattan commutes. Instead of waiting until 2030 for the next major transit expansion to open, the signatories argue that the G train extension would offer immediate results to riders most in need—an argument made recently in an op-ed in Streetsblog NYC.
“The G train has experienced remarkable growth since weekend service to Forest Hills was eliminated in 2010, with weekday ridership surging to 166,000 passengers—an increase of 50,000 riders and one of the fastest growth rates in the entire subway system,” the letter’s signatories state. “Despite this growth, traveling between Brooklyn and Queens remains unnecessarily difficult.”
The coalition includes major advocacy groups like Tri-State Transportation Campaign, Riders Alliance, Transportation Alternatives, New Yorkers for Parks, and Open Plans, alongside neighborhood organizations, environmental groups, and prominent Queens business entities including the Queens Chamber of Commerce, Queens Economic Development Corporation,and the New York Mets. Supporters also include popular venues along the route, like Forest Hills Stadium and Under the K Bridge.
“For too long in our city, transit planning has focused primarily on getting people into and out of the core of Manhattan,” said Jaqi Cohen, Director of Climate and Equity Policy at Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “Restoring weekend G service to Forest Hills would demonstrate a commitment to the direct connections that residents of Brooklyn and Queens alike desperately need. This would benefit restaurant workers, healthcare workers, retail employees, and countless others who need efficient ways to reach jobs, visit family members, and access opportunities across Brooklyn and Queens, not just in Midtown.”
The proposed service would create critical connections to major destinations including LaGuardia Community College, the Museum of the Moving Image, LaGuardia Airport, Elmhurst Hospital, and Forest Hills Stadium. It would also expand transfer opportunities at major bus hubs like Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue, Elmhurst Avenue, Grand Avenue-Newtown, and Woodhaven Boulevard, allowing buses like the Q52 SBS, Q53 SBS, Q59, Q60, and Q70 SBS (LaGuardia Link) to connect with a north-south subway spine through western Brooklyn.
“This is how world-class transit systems should work: buses and subways should reinforce each other to create a seamless citywide network, rather than operating as disconnected alternatives,” the letter’s signatories continue. “New Yorkers have waited long enough for better transit connections between Brooklyn and Queens. Weekend G service to Forest Hills is achievable, affordable, and urgently needed.”
