A construction fence marks the start of the lengthy Culver Viaduct rehab. (Photo for Second Ave. Sagas by Twitter user JeffreyNYC.)
The Culver Viaduct work and the extension of the G train deeper into Brooklyn are two stories near and dear to my heart. I first reported on the potential for increased G service in one of the very first posts on Second Ave. Sagas, and when it looked as though the Culver Viaduct rehab would start in 2007, I examined how the G train extension could just be a temporary service upgrade.
In November 2007, after months of agitating for F express service partly on the basis of the extended G service, I delved into the viaduct plans. At that point, the project had been delayed considerably and was scheduled to start in the fall of 2008.
As budget woes have plagued the MTA and the project has since been pared down, its fate seemed up in the air. Up in the air until this week, that is. As one of my readers noted late last week, a construction fence has gone up on the Viaduct, and starting in July, the G train will finally be extended along the Culver line to a new terminus at Church Ave.
Both The Post and Urbanite reported on this change earlier this week. According to the amNew York blog, the MTA Board has to approve this $2.5 million service extension in advance of the viaduct rehab project.
For now, this move is still billed as a temporary one. The G will gain stops at 4th Ave.-9th St., 7th Ave., 15th St.-Prospect Park, Fort Hamilton Parkway and Church Ave. as well as a transfer to the M and R at 4th Ave.-9th St. The extension will allow for a one-seat ride from Williamsburg and Greenpoint to Park Slope and Windsor Terrace, and if successful, the MTA will consider making it a permanent service extension. Sign me up for that one.
9 comments
Big question: will they be adding more frequent service to accompany the extension, or will headways increase even more than the excruciating ones the G train already has?
Aha! Figured it out. As noted in the Post article linked above, the G has to run further because the crossover tracks will be under construction, and the trains physically won’t be able to turn around at Smith-9th.
It doesn’t seem like they’ll have to do very much to maintain headways. As it is, many G trains already go all the way to Church Avenue, i.e. between shifts or when the F is running express due to Jay Street reconstruction. Even when they turn around at 4th Ave they tend to sit there for a while. But I’m guessing the $2.5 million accounts for the need for what is probably one or two extra trips per day.
Poor backwards G train. Only on this beleaguered line can construction cause the line to be extended!
Now about that de facto elimination of the line between Court Sq and Forest Hills (“until further notice” my foot)…
If only people whined about the G back when the IND was proposed in the 1920s, the city might have redesigned it to maximize rather than minimize connections.
The “G” is sort of the Staten Island subway line of Brooklyn.
Cool, another train I can actually transfer to from the R! Hm, this might actually help me visit friends in Fort Greene.
This is necessary because the G trains relay on the viaduct, and since that is out the next closest interlocking where the G trains can be relayed is church avenue.
(MTA NYCT Tower Operator)
[…] more on the Culver Viaduct project, check out my old posts here, here and here. After the jump, a video from the MTA about the rehabilitation […]