With G train shutdown pitched for third straight summer, Brooklyn officials urge MTA to rethink plan
A rally calling on the MTA to limit G train closures was held in Greenpoint. Photo Credit: John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr
As G train riders may face the third straight summer of service disruptions, Brooklyn officials on Tuesday called on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to limit future shutdowns to overnight hours. The agency last week shared plans with local lawmakers to shut down G train service for 10 weekends and overnight on more than two dozen weekdays. Commuters have endured repeated service disruptions in recent years as work to modernize the line’s antiquated signaling system continues to be delayed. Council Member Lincoln Restler and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso rallied with local businesses in Greenpoint on Tuesday to demand that the MTA find a better plan.
Only served by the G train, Greenpoint and its small businesses are the most affected by any service disruptions.
“I do not accept another summer of shutdowns for G train riders. Enough is enough,” Reynoso said.
“From the World Cup to Pride, this is going to be an extremely busy June for NYC. This should be a boon for the local economy, but that’s impossible if North Brooklyn and Greenpoint are cut off from the rest of the city.”
The plan includes closing service north of the Bedford-Nostrand station on three weekends in June, two in August, one in September, and three in December.
The $624 million modernization effort is replacing the line’s 1930s-era signal system with communications-based train control (CBTC) technology, which the MTA says will improve speeds by allowing trains to run closer together. The project requires 24/7 service outages to install the new system.
During the outages, the MTA also carries out upgrades to the line, including repairs and deep cleaning at G train stations, as well as the installation of 5G cellular service in underground sections of the line, as 6sqft previously reported.
Service was first suspended in 2024 for six weeks, forcing riders to rely on free shuttle buses making stops at G stations. The outages have a particularly significant impact on Greenpoint residents, as the G train is the only subway line serving the neighborhood.
Last year, the MTA again scheduled summer disruptions on the line, including shutdowns between Court Square and Bedford-Nostrand Avenues on select weeknights and weekends. According to Assembly Member Emily Gallagher, the MTA said the 2025 shutdown would be the last.
“These shutdowns impact social connections, weekend work shifts, and our wallets. They punish people for choosing to live in Greenpoint,” Gallagher said in a post on X.
“We were told that last year’s shutdowns would be the end. They made this schedule without communication, much less collaborative planning.”
An MTA representative told the New York Post that the disruptions are not confirmed and remain subject to change, and advised New Yorkers to monitor the agency’s website for updates.
While Greenpoint residents may look forward to the promised service improvements, they will have to wait longer than anticipated after the project’s initial 2027 completion date was pushed back.
In July, the MTA announced that work is scheduled for completion north of Hoyt-Schermerhorn by the end of 2027 and between Hoyt-Schermerhorn and Church Avenue by 2028, but the upgraded system will not be activated until 2029 due to delays in installing 5G radio technology in subway cars, which is required for CBTC to function across both trains and tracks.
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