NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT AND INFRASTRUCTURE THE G LOOP 1
THE G LOOP The G Loop will connect New York like never before, solving the L train closure by linking Williamsburg, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and Greenpoint to the rest of our city. Paul Massey Mayor de Blasio is shutting down the L train. He says he doesn t have a choice: damage from Sandy means the tunnels need to be rebuilt. But what about the people who rely on the L train to get to work, get to school, and connect to the rest of our city? From Canarsie to Williamsburg, the shutdown will affect over 400,000 daily riders, especially the 225,000 daily riders that travel between Manhattan and Brooklyn on the L. Shamefully, Mayor de Blasio has no real solution to the planned shutdown of the connection between Brooklyn and Manhattan, or the suspension of all L train service in Manhattan. Paul Massey has developed an immediate solution to the L train closure, paired with a long-term plan to improve access between Manhattan and Northern Brooklyn, by bringing the G train into Manhattan, minimizing increases in travel time and maximizing access to primary destinations. The G Loop will bring the G train from Long Island City into Manhattan from Midtown to Downtown, and back into Brooklyn. That means single-seat rides from Williamsburg, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and Greenpoint, and a solution to the L train closure. And that means one subway connecting New York City like never before. The G Loop is the highlight of a multi-faceted immediate mitigation plan targeted at minimizing increases in customer travel time, maximizing access to primary destinations, and creating a one-seat ride for as many passengers as possible. 2
THE G LOOP: IMMEDIATE SYSTEM MAP 3
THE G LOOP: PROPOSED IMMEDIATE ROUTE The G Train Loop Northbound from Lorimer Originating at Lorimer Street, Queens-bound G trains will continue past Court Square and cross over to Track D1 via track E5, stopping on the current Manhattan bound local platform at Queens Plaza. Forest Hills bound R trains will also stop here. o Forest Hill-bound R trains will switch from track GD2 to GD1 east of the split from the Astoria Line. o The E and M trains will stop on the express platforms in both directions and use track D3 to Manhattan and D4 to Forest Hills/Jamaica. o M trains will run express to 65th Street where they will switch to and from tracks D1 and D2 respectively east of Northern Boulevard Station. This will require new switches. G trains will continue to 36th Street where they will platform and reverse onto Track T1, merging with Manhattan-bound F trains into the 63rd Street Tunnel. o Forest Hills-bound R trains will switch back from Track D3 to D4 south of Steinway Street. North of 47 th -50th Streets/Rockefeller Center Station, the G train will follow local track B1 to West 4th Street where it will switch to local track A1 on the Eighth Avenue Line. After passing Jay Street-MetroTech, the G train will switch from track A3 to E2 West of Hoyt- Schermerhorn Station, where a new switch will be installed, and follow its normal route back to Lorimer Street. o Due to a 26 train-per-hour limit in the Cranberry Street Tunnels, during peak times G trains will also continue to follow track B1 of the F line past West 4th Street through the Rutgers Street Tunnel, switching to track A3 north of Jay Street-MetroTech and following the remainder of the route outlined above. The preferred routing of the G Loop will run local with the F and M trains in Manhattan, with flexibility built in to allow the G to run express along the B and D lines, locally along the C and E lines, or express along the A line in order to ease train congestion and meet rush hour needs. 4
The G Train Loop Southbound from Lorimer Originating at Lorimer Street, Downtown Brooklyn-bound G trains will continue past Hoyt- Schermerhorn Station and move to Track A4 west of the station, where a new switch will be installed, connecting with current Manhattan-bound A and C trains. South of West 4 th Street, G trains will switch to track B2 and follow the 6 th Avenue local. North of 47 th -50 th Streets/Rockefeller Center Station the G train will follow local track B6 to T2 into Queens. o Due to a 26 train-per hour-limit in the Cranberry Street Tunnels, during peak times G trains may switch to follow track B2 of the F line North of Jay Street-MetroTech, through the Rutgers Street Tunnel, past West 4 th Street, and following the remainder of the route outlined above. In Queens, G trains will switch from track T2 to D2, platforming at 36 th Street Station and reversing direction. o Jamaica-bound F trains will follow normal routing from track T2 to D4. o Manhattan-bound R trains will switch from track D1 to D4 south of Steinway Street. o The E and M trains will stop on the express platforms in both directions at Queens Plaza and use track D3 to Manhattan and D4 to Forest Hills/Jamaica. o M trains will run express from 65 th Street where they will switch to/from tracks D1 and D2 respectively east of Northern Boulevard Station to Queens Plaza. Brooklyn-bound G and R trains will platform on the current Forest Hills-bound local platform on track D2. G trains will switch back to track D1 south of Court Square Station via track E5, and continue their normal route back to Lorimer Street. o R trains will switch from track GD2 to GD1 east of the merge with the Astoria Line. The preferred routing of the G Loop will run local with the F and M trains in Manhattan, with flexibility built in to allow the G to run express along the B and D lines, locally along the C and E lines, or express along the A line in order to ease train congestion and meet rush hour needs. 5
THE G LOOP: PERMANENT IMPROVEMENTS The G Loop offers an immediate solution to the L train closure, offering new connectivity across Queens and Brooklyn. In order to streamline the long-term efficacy of the G Loop, it will be necessary to build a new connection easing switching procedures between G and F trains in Long Island City. As large parts of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Greenpoint, Fort Greene and Williamsburg rely solely on the G train for subway access, it is important to make the permanent improvements that will facilitate longterm use of the G Loop. In order to avoid the complex switching at Queens Plaza that facilitates the G Loop, a new two-track connecting tunnel will be built between tracks D1 and D2 on the G line north of Court Square, running under Dutch Kills Green and 41st Avenue to the existing tunnel bellmouth of track T2 on the F line, and merging with the F into the 63rd Street Tunnel. Upon the completion of this connection, the permanent G Loop system map will appear as follows: 6
THE G LOOP: PERMANENT SYSTEM MAP 7
SOUTH WILLIAMSBURG STATION Spearheaded by the Domino Sugar Factory development, the South Williamsburg Waterfront is growing rapidly and poised for even more development. But the closest existing subway station, Marcy Avenue, is a 15-minute walk away and approaching its capacity. The J, M, and Z trains pass directly over this neighborhood on the Williamsburg Bridge. By utilizing the existing Williamsburg Bridge walkways and city property underneath the bridge, a new JMZ station can be opened on Kent Avenue in South Williamsburg at minimal cost, bringing new opportunities to residents and connecting a thriving neighborhood to the rest of New York. Passengers will access the station from the existing NYC Department of Transportation facility which currently occupies the entire block bounded by Kent and Wythe Avenues, and South 5th and South 6th Streets. The brick structure on the west end of the block will be transformed into a state-of-the-art station, reminiscent of the Fulton Street Center with 20,000 square feet of new retail to further offset construction and operating costs. Current DOT office space will be preserved as well, and the entire facility will be linked by stair and elevator towers on either side of the bridge, which will also expand access to the Williamsburg Bridge pedestrian paths. 8
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ADDITIONAL L TRAIN CLOSURE MITIGATION Increased Z Train Service o Z trains run dual-destination service, similar to the 5 train in the Bronx, beginning at Broad Street and running Peak Direction skip-stop service to/from Jamaica Center, and regular service in both directions to/from Canarsie via tracks J1A and J2A East of Broadway Junction, connecting the Broadway and Canarsie Lines. o With the increased Z train service to cover the Canarsie Line, the Peak Hour Express routes between Jamaica and Broad Street can still bypass stations between Myrtle Avenue and Marcy Avenue, and not affect the travel time of regular passengers on that route, while still achieving increased service to Hewes Street, Lorimer Street and Flushing Avenue from the new Canarsie Z Line. L Train Brooklyn Shuttle o L train service will continue to operate between Bedford Avenue and Canarsie serving passengers at all intermediate stations and facilitating connections to the A, C, G, J, M, Z and 3 Trains. Free MetroCard Transfers o Implement a free MetroCard transfer between the L and proposed Z train extension at Livonia Avenue, and the 3 train at Junius Street. o Implement a free MetroCard transfer between the J and M trains at Lorimer Street, and the G train at Broadway. Re-opening Closed Station Entrances on the G, L, J, M, and Z Lines o Currently there are 27 closed station entrances on the G, L, G, M, and Z lines. These lines will see an increased service demand as part of this mitigation plan. o Restored entrances will allow for shorter walk times for passengers and more even distribution of platform and train loading, effectivity decreasing passenger wait time. o New entrances will provide additional egress to these stations, improving their overall safety. 13
Increased Service and Expansion of the M23 and B39 Select Bus Service (SBS) o Manhattan-bound B39 buses originating at Washington Plaza will run through its current Allen Street terminus, turning north on Allen Street and 1st Avenue to East 14th Street. o The B39 will then travel west on 14th Street making stops at every avenue. o The B39 will then turn north on 10th Avenue, east on 16th Street, south on 9th Avenue and begin its Brooklyn-bound route heading east on West 14th Street. o The B39 will then turn south on 2nd Avenue, continue to Chrystie Street, and turn east on Delancey Street back over the Williamsburg Bridge to the Washington Plaza terminus. o Dedicated bus lanes will be created on Delancey Street and the Williamsburg Bridge in each direction. o The B39 will share existing M15 SBS dedicated bus lanes along 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue, while those bus lanes will be extended to the southern portions of both streets as well as Chrystie Street and Allen Street, which will remain as a permanent improvement for the M15 SBS. o A dedicated bus lane will be created on 14th Street between 1st Avenue and 9th Avenue in both directions. o Increase frequency on the M23 SBS crosstown line to accommodate new ferry passengers at the East 23rd Street Pier. 14