Overview
- Local shop owners and elected officials gathered in Greenpoint to demand changes to recurring weekend shutdowns of the G train, highlighting a plan for three consecutive weekend closures in December.
- The MTA says the weekend work is required to modernize signals and repair damage found in the Newtown Creek tunnel and that shuttle buses and coordination with officials are being provided as alternatives.
- The G line has already been closed on multiple weekends this summer for signal upgrades and tunnel repairs, with shuttle buses replacing service between Bedford‑Nostrand Avenues and Court Square.
- A small, local survey cited by business owners found nine out of 10 merchants reported lost customers and an average sales drop of about 20 percent during each weekend shutdown, and owners say shuttles are slower and deter weekend foot traffic.
- Advocates and officials are pressing the city to add bus priority measures and the MTA to reschedule holiday closures, and the key next developments to watch are any official change to the December dates or new city plans to speed shuttle buses.