Should the G be Extended to Forest Hills?

The G extension back to Forest Hills is one of the most popular proposals, both among politicians and railfanners. So let's see whether this extension is justified.

Sources/Further Reading

Pictures

[jointransitassociation]

Extending the G is not about "options" or "one seat rides, " it is a conversation on whether the MTA should forever hardwire the G/M/R train frequencies. The G/M/R trains are some of the most complained about services in the systems, and the MTA is trying to increase service on all three of them. So in the event fumigation is reformed, or Queenslink is built, wouldn't you want to add more service to the R train? I am pretty sure Bay Ridge would like the R to run every 4-5 minutes. Same deal with the M, if Myrtle Junction gets grade separated, where would the extra M trains go? To QBL. Finally, extending the G to Forest Hills would also cut into G train frequencies. Remember, you are sharing tracks with the M and R trains, two services that need to be boosted.

I am open to a conversation to send the G somewhere else. Astoria would be my first pick. But sending the G to Forest Hills invites some huge consequences to the future of the G/M/R trains.

[mia]

The M and the R running down Queens Boulevard is absolute torture. They get backed up and can’t turn back fast enough sometimes you’ll have 4 trains a station away. You watch like 5 express trains pass you and you still haven’t moved one station. I just need to get off at 67th Ave to visit my aunt !!! I think it actually runs smother in the weekend when the M is not running in Queens. Going forest hills bound on queens Blvd I think the Q60 bus might be faster

[stevenroshni]

Getting from Brooklyn to Astoria is annoying having to transfer at Court Sq just to transfer again one station later. Also if the Astoria Line gets extended to the airport, taking the G to a combined Queens Plaza Queensboro Plaza station would give Brooklyn riders a better way.
The G actually going to Astoria would be ideal, but that's trying to build new tunnels and stations.

[TranscendentAzure]

I've always been curious about the viability of a G train extension project along 21st Street in Queens but then also going further north into the Bronx and terminating at 161st St - Yankees Stadium myself. In all the maps I ever tried doing, it was always one of my favorite "this is silly but I think there's something there" concepts as it would give the G more utility/attractiveness being a true link between boroughs and secondary cores. Another much older idea saw it turn east to be the Harlem 125th Street crosstown line but I've only relented on that concept because by design the G is built to avoid the city core and such a maneuver might make for weird inconsistency with its initial design.

[TheLiamster]

I’m excited for the next part of transit with the us military budget. So many projects could be completed with that level of funding

[theforgottenone]

Remember guys: East of Roosevelt Avenue, people favor the express. It won’t make any difference if you have the G train on QBL. More connections, yes, but if you want to put another train on the line, it has to make a difference.

There’s a reason 53rd Street loads are inbalanced.

[samuelitooooo]

Relieving the post-pandemic overcrowding on the G seems like a more pressing need than connecting Queens and western Brooklyn in this way. So I also agree that the G probably should not be extended back to Forest Hills. MTA should *boost frequencies on the current, mostly-deinterlined G* instead.

They do have room to do this. According to schedules, the G (8 TPH) runs less frequently than the F (12 TPH) at peak, despite interlining. That probably doesn't mean that much today because the F reportedly experiences abominable bunching. But *matching G train frequencies to F train frequencies would boost capacity by about 50%*, even while keeping 5-car trains. This is is something that can be done *today*, because the infrastructure and rolling stock are already there.

A Franklin Ave branch would make frequencies even better, to the point that re-extension to Forest Hills is impossible. I'm still a fan of having hyper-frequent service on both Culver local and express to fully deinterline the G, but that'll only work well with other large builds (yeah, I know lol), including:

1) Extending the M from Myrtle Ave-Broadway to the lower level of City Hall, making it a Broadway local service instead of 6th Ave and replacing the W. But this depends on improvements on the Astoria line anyway; otherwise riders would be stuck with 6 TPH instead of 8 or better. Combining this with an extension beyond Metropolitan Ave would help connect NE Queens with downtown Brooklyn — arguably in ways better than extending the G to Forest Hills can, by not taking valuable QBL capacity, and by paralleling the Q58, the #2 ridership bus citywide in 2022.

2) Sending your proposed V train east via Linden Blvd, as the Culver line south of Church Ave doesn't have high demand, and Coney Island is a low-capacity terminal. (Meanwhile, the B35 and B15 are hella busy.)

3) Whichever train terminates at WTC as part of CPW and Queens Blvd deinterlining could be extended down to the Franklin Ave shuttle instead and then also run along Linden Blvd, maybe running express and finally fulfilling that SE Queens-South Brooklyn demand.

[g]

0:19 - I am a bit confused. . . . Some Subway advocates want more one-seat rides, others want less inter-lining -- We can't please both of them.

[RallyingforRail]

In terms of improvements to the G train, if you ask me the highest priority is adding a transfer to the J/M at Broadway. The map at 4:33 shows why. It looks like a lot of G train commuters work in Midtown on or near Sixth Avenue, which would be the M train. And a transfer at Broadway would provide another connection to the M (and perhaps a better connection with the M than at Queens Plaza, if the MTA ever consolidated the Lorimer and Hewes stations on the J/M into a single Union Avenue stop).

Extending it to Forest Hills is not a priority, in contrast, for the reasons you mentioned. Though Grand Av-Newtown, Woodhaven Blvd, and 63rd Drive on the Queens Blvd Line can get pretty busy on weekends leading up to Christmas because there are big malls near all three stations. So the MTA may want to consider enhanced weekend subway service on the Queens Blvd Local during December weekends leading to Christmas (whether it be more R service, having the M come to Forest Hills, or extending the G), much like it has enhanced service to the Rockaways on summer weekends.

[kweenah.dknight]

After seeing this video, all nostalgia and hope for G trains to return back to Forrest Hills have diminished. I think there are better chances the dead will return back to life than the G going through Queens Blvd and back to FH

[jacofromreallife-]

I think they should just fix QBL altogether before sending anymore trains on it

[RaySchwarz.]

Years ago the G train ran to 71st/Continental Ave. I used to take either the G or the R going to school where I would get off at Woodhaven Blvd-Slattery Plaza.

[jaimerosado]

One thing I think everybody can agree on is that the G train is the PATH of the NYC subway. By which I mean that the way most people don’t use PATH trains to go straight to their destination but to get to another rail line, most people use the G train merely to connect to another subway line.

[gxmball_]

When the M doesn't run on qbl on weekends, I feel like the G should compensate for that. The R with those 80 minute headways dont cut it

[activecity]

If it weren't for the 63rd St connector, G trains would still be running to Forest Hills. That's why after 2001, the V was introduced and having 3 services on one track was a no go so they decided to run G trains to Forest hills on weekends when the V wasn't running and rush hours. It's a shame they don't send G trains to 71st av on weekends cuz the R isn't really reliable.

[historyisthebestmyfans]

In my opinion, the G train should go to Forest Hills for these reasons:

1. G trains have 100% R160s and can now use the CBTC Queens Blvd line on the weekends

2. It makes no sense to get off at Court Sq and wait for a E train to take it one stop to Queens Plaza for the local service from the R. It is practical to extend the G for the one ride to Queens Blvd Lcl

3. Ridership has boomed on the G train since 2010

4. Many people shop at Queens Center Mall from Brooklyn, and the G train going directly to 71 Av, stops the unnecessary transfers at Court Sq.

[ianhardy]

The main problem with this is the 63rd Street connector which is not executed properly

[adannycamacho]

The argument that people don’t go to X or Y doesn’t really make sense to me. I think one of the main reasons why a lot of people don’t travel between Brooklyn and queens or The Bronx is BECAUSE there aren’t a lot of options available. Look at the Q58 bus; It’s always packed. And the Q53 SBS (I think this is only in Queens but it’s a similar route, mostly north/south).

If we had more options for people, eventually those options will gradually get used more as more and more people are aware of the option. Plus, it promotes using public transportation instead of private vehicles, and also promotes people traveling interboro instead of just Manhattan.

In conclusion, we should give people more options for public transportation routes, regardless if people are taking those routes *now*. As long as you’re connecting popular destinations and neighborhoods, people will eventually use it.

[nycli]

My thoughts about the (G) Train to extend to Forest Hills 71st Continental Avenue's via Queens Boulevard is have the (G) go Forest Hills 71st Continental Avenue's 7 days a week except late nights, and have the 6th Avenue (M) Train run via Queens Boulevard 24/7 and run via 63rd Street Tunnel, for Queens Link going on The Rockaway Beach Branch with the (A) Trian, to replace The Rockaway Park Shuttle Train. Have the (G) Train 10-cars 24/7. The (G) have run Queens Boulevard/Hillside Avenue Local with the (R) with 4 tracks end up to Queens Village Winchester Boulevard-222nd Street Station in Queens with 2 Island platforms for the (F) Train extension on the Hillside Avenue Line. The (G)/(R) shouldn't run QBL/Hillside Avenue Line on late nights. That's my opinion for the (G) Train. The (G)/(R) Train's should be extend to Queens Plaza Station for late night service only, to make it easy to transfer to the (E) Train and hopefully the (F) Train in the future for Queens Link for the (M) Train and run via 63rd Street Tunnel.

[BLETransitYT]

Most definitely, having the G train going back to Forest Hills, it's definitely a sight for sore eyes, as much as I respect the R train, but it cannot handle Queens Boulevard local on its own