We’ve been pretty concerned lately about the looming black hole of public transit that will be Greenpoint this Summer. As you may remember, we found out back in March that the G will be suspended for 5 weeks (July 26th through Sept. 1), between Nassau and LIC, due to Sandy-related repairs under Newtown Creek. In addition, the India Street ferry doesn’t seem any closer to being repaired, leaving Greenpointers to depend on shuttle busses for their commutes during the month of August.
Today it seems that the city has figured out at least one solution to ease the pain… well “solution” is a strong word, so let’s just say they put a half-hearted bandaid on it. During the G closure, riders will be able to transfer to the JM train at the Broadway G stop. According to the Daily News, the new system will allow riders to exit the G at Broadway and walk a few blocks to the J/M stop at Lorimer for a free transfer. That’s nice for people who live near the Broadway G stop or further south along the G and need an efficient way to get to Midtown (those who would normally take the G to Court Square), but there’s still a major hole in the system: how do people who live near in North Greenpoint get to Broadway if they have no access to the G??
Commence press-worthy positive statements:
“We realize this vital work is going to be an inconvenience for our customers and we’re happy to provide this service to make it easier for people in those affected neighborhoods,” MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg told the Daily News.
“Free transfers will mean that a serious shutdown doesn’t strand riders and businesses,” said state Sen. Daniel Squadron (D-Brooklyn). “I praise the MTA for doing this.”
Again, this a great transfer option for people commuting from other Brooklyn neighborhoods via the G to Manhattan. However, it doesn’t really help anyone in Greenpoint. It would probably be easier to walk/bike/bus to the L train than to walk/bike/bus to the Metropolitan G, only to exit at Broadway and get on the JM. Just writing that made me stressed out.
To be fair, not of all of Greenpoint is losing all G service. Our southern stop, Nassau Ave, will be alive and kicking, if only with service in the southbound direction.
It is something of a saving grace that Greenpoint residents will be able to walk down to the functioning Nassau Ave/Bedford stops or head up to the 7 train, but walking those extra 10 or so blocks in the brutal summer heat will be pretty gross. Let’s hope the replacement bus service is top notch.
While the Nassau Ave stop will be in service, that’s going to be the #1 reroute for everyone who normally uses the Greenpoint Ave spot. The Court Square bound side gets more and more congested every year and that influx will hit the Nassau station and onward to the L Train which has gotten better, but it still packed for commutes.
I think the solution for Northern Greenpointers are:
1. Use the Nassau Ave to the L route but leave much earlier for work during the Sandy Repair period.
2. Walk across the Pulaski Bridge to the 7 Train like many of us did the weeks after Sandy.
3. Quit your job on 7/25 and stay in Greenpoint the rest of the summer!
Thanks for the report! The graphic shown in inaccurate. It appears to show the transfer to the Hewes Station, rather than the Lorimer station.
FWIW, transferring to the Hewes would actually be better since it is equidistant or closer than the Lorimer Stop. But that doesn’t seem to be in the plan.
The repairs have to be made. They are doing them during the lowest ridership month of the year. There will be buses to replace service in north Greenpoint. You can ride a bike, take the bus, walk or call a car if you must get to LIC. What is your suggestion for a fix more effective than this “bandaid”?