Petition to Keep the G Train Running to Kensington

Let's not lose the stops from 4th Avenue-9th Street through Church Avenue when the Culver Viaduct project is done (spring 2012). Please sign the petition to keep those stations in use as G train stops.

Signed.

What exactly is the MTA achieving if it cuts the service back?

It saves lots of money.

Really - just cutting 4 stations off the line or whatever?

It shortens the overall run of the train, which allows more runs to be made by the same number of operators.

In turn, this allows them to run fewer trains and employ fewer people.

Hopefully, enough staff will be reduced thru attrition that the savings can be realized without having to implement layoffs.

When one looks at layoffs, they really don't save much money:

-there is litigation.

-The MTA has to pay Unemployment insurance.

-They have to counter media that accuses the execs of living high on the hog while putting some blue collar folks out of work.

...so, a shorter G train, and attrition it will be. Without such cost saving measures, they will have to raise fares in the future even more than forecast

Hmm.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't sign the petition.

It just means that compared to service cuts that eliminate service (like the elimination of bus route),

OR

Cuts that affect rider comfort (like how often a train is cleaned),

THIS CUT

merely eliminates often half empty G trains by having riders transfer to another often half empty train to complete their trip.

Signing petitions is good for people. It gives them the illusion of solving a problem.

Three online petitions have been created to give riders an opportunity to speak out against this cut in service. Information about them is here, such as the reasons riders have for wanting the extension retained.