Greenpoint businesses brace for another month of G train weekend shutdowns
According to the MTA, G train service will be suspended all day on weekends throughout August as crews continue infrastructure work.
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Greenpoint business owners are voicing concerns over the MTA's plan to suspend G train service every weekend in August starting this weekend. They warn that the disruptions could further hurt local businesses that are still recovering from previous service outages.
According to the MTA, G train service will be suspended all day on weekends throughout August as crews continue infrastructure work. Riders will be directed to alternative transit options, including shuttle buses and nearby subway lines.
The G train is the only subway line that directly serves Greenpoint, and according to Council Member Lincoln Restler, it has been down for 40% of all weekends since signal upgrade repair work began in the neighborhood in 2024.
Members of Shop Small Greenpoint say the repeated disruptions have had a lasting impact on the neighborhood's commercial corridors.
The organization surveyed more than 30 local businesses and found that nearly all reported declines in sales during weekends when G train service was unavailable. On average, respondents said revenue dropped by approximately 20% during those periods.
Owners say the effects extend beyond customer traffic. Many employees rely on the G train to get to work, and alternative transportation can be costly and time-consuming.
"I had one waitress who said, 'Because the G train shut down, I don't know if I can work this day. How else am I going to get there?'" said Demieri Siafakas, owner of Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop. "They're going to take an Uber. They're going to spend $30 probably going from one place to another. It eats into their wages."
Local advocates have pushed the MTA to minimize the impact of the construction schedule. In May, the transit agency agreed to adjust some planned service changes so shutdown weekends would not occur consecutively. However, business owners say they have not yet seen those modifications reflected in the current August schedule.
Restler and Shop Small Greenpoint are now calling on the MTA to explore overnight construction options that would allow trains to continue running during weekend shopping hours, arguing that full-service suspensions place an outsized burden on small businesses and workers who depend on the line.
"To hear they are planning this, with no input, with no care to the impact, and then another outage for December which is the neighborhood's peak season, it's incredibly disappointing," CM Restler said.
