Brooklyn Congresswoman Wants MTA to Re-Do F Train Express Plan

BROOKLYN, NY — Brooklyn Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez has added her name to the list of officials against the F train express plan the MTA rolled out earlier this year.

In May, the MTA released a study recommending that during rush hour, half of the F trains in service should run express from Church Avenue to Jay Street-MetroTech, with a stop at 7th Avenue.

That means express trains would skip Fort Hamilton Parkway, Prospect Park, 4th Avenue-9th Street, Smith-9th Street, Carroll Street and Bergen Street.

The other half of F trains would make regular local stops, along with the G train. If implemented, the change would go into effect in the fall of 2017.

The study concluded that 52 percent of riders would see their commute times increase slightly, while 48 percent would save time. Even so, on balance, the savings would win out, to the tune of 27,000 minutes during the morning rush, and 13,000 minutes in the evening.

In a July 19 letter to MTA chairman Tom Prendergast, however, Velázquez argued that the plan would unduly hurt Red Hook residents, as well as those who regularly use the bypassed stations.

"MTA’s 'F Express Proposal' is not only unfair, but it can also disrupt the quality of life for riders and harm the economic health of affected communities," she wrote.

"Therefore," she continued, "before making any final changes, I urge you to engage in a public dialogue with the people that will be most affected. This should include town hall meetings and other outreach efforts to take the community’s input into account."

In May, the MTA's study was quickly opposed by Councilmembers Brad Lander and Stephen Levin, as well as Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

And in early July, Lander circulated a petition asking the MTA to come up with a new F train express plan, one that would be "thoroughly vetted by the community"

That effort was supported by Councilman Carlos Menchaca, State Senators Daniel Squadron, Jesse Hamilton and Velmanette Montgomery, and Assembly members Jo Anne Simon and James Brennan. The petition had garnered 3,569 signatures as of July 22.

The MTA, meanwhile, has said it is merely "in the early stages of an extensive deliberative process" concerning the F train, "which includes considering all affected communities and the impact of such a service change on other lines throughout the system."

In May, spokesman Kevin Ortiz told Patch that public meetings would be scheduled to discuss the issue. Ortiz repeated that earlier this month, saying that the MTA "will meet with impacted stakeholders before the MTA Board makes a final determination" on the train.

While those public meetings haven't been announced yet, you can comment on the F train proposal using the MTA's public comment website.

Top photo courtesy of m01229/Flickr