Watching the empty G train rumble by

Yesterday, I ventured out to Coney Island from Park Slope. To a subway expert, this trip can be a bit of a dilemma. Do I take the Q from 7th Ave. on the north side of the Slope? The F from 7th Ave. on the south side? Or maybe finagle a ride on the D or N?

I opted for the F. It’s a bit quicker than the Q, and as an added bonus, the F train I rode on didn’t have the front window all blocked up as the newer cars do. So I got to stand at the window at stare as the scenery approached. I saw many of the switches that should be used for express service on the F line.

But while that plan and the petition gain political and MTA support, I wanted to revisit something from November. As I waited on the platform at 7th Ave. yesterday, not one, not two but three G trains went by. They were heading to the turnaround at Church Ave., and they were all empty.

Now, these trains didn’t go by in express tracks with no platform access. Instead, they zipped past a crowd of people at 7th Ave. and another crowd at Church Ave. These trains turn around just past Church Ave. and then skip those two same stops before going back into service at Smith-9th Sts.

My question then is this: Why can’t these trains stop at 7th Ave. and Church Ave., picking up and discharging passengers? The platforms are in perfectly fine conditions, and the tracks are too, as evidenced by the passing trains.

Furthermore, in November, the MTA’s budget for FY07 revealed plans to extend the G train service to Church Ave. While this service extension may be temporary, there is no reason for these empty trains to bypass stations they should be serving.

Brooklyn needs and deserves adequate subway service. Right now, those of us in New York’s most populous borough are getting subpar subway while witnessing trains running routes that, with a two-minute adjustment, could better serve us all. Open those doors, G train. Let us in.