ICYMI: Proposal To Run F Trains Express Through Brooklyn Still 'Under Consideration,' MTA Says

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — The MTA said Tuesday that a proposal to run some F trains express through Brooklyn is still "under consideration," a plan that officials on the far end of the line are happy about but has those on the other end a bit miffed.

The state's transit authority released a study last year that recommended running about half of Brooklyn's F trains on the express track from Jay Street-Metro Tech to Church Avenue, with a stop at Seventh Avenue, during rush hour.

The trains would run local after Church Avenue to get people who live in South Brooklyn home from work quicker. G trains would continue to run normally.

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Under that plan, the MTA's study found, F express passengers would save 3.4 minutes on their commute, while F local passengers would lose 1.3 minutes, producing a "net travel time benefit of 27,000 minutes." The express trains, though, would be more crowded than usual, and the plan would cause more congestion at some local stations, according to the MTA study.

Hoping to re-start public discussion on the issue, City Councilman David Greenfield, whose district includes several South Brooklyn neighborhoods, held a rally Monday at the Coney Island stop, the end of the line for the F train.

"Bringing back the F Express will significantly shorten commutes and cut travel time for people currently living in transit deserts," Greenfield said at the event, according to the New York Daily News. "We were promised the F express after studies, repairs and improvements on other lines. Now it's time for the MTA to keep its promise to us. Our communities deserve fast and reliable transportation, too."

Officials on the other side of the F train in the borough, though, haven't been too happy with the plan.

City Councilman Brad Lander, whose district includes Windsor Terrace, Park Slope, Gowanus, Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill, joined a group of local lawmakers out against the plan last year.

His views haven't changed.

"The MTA’s proposal of eliminating half the trains from the 6 local stations will harm more F riders than it helps," Lander said in a statement to Patch on Tuesday. "It adds no service to the line – instead it simply pits Brooklyn residents against each other.

"What we actually need is a new plan that will improve service on the F line for all riders, at local and express stops that are thoroughly vetted by the community. We don’t need F service that’s even less dependable than it is now."

In response to Monday's rally, the MTA noted that the proposal was still just that, and no concrete plans have been made for a permanent service change.

"The recommendation to restore F Express service is still under consideration," MTA spokeswoman Beth DeFalco told Patch in an emailed statement Tuesday morning. "However, there are several major F Line improvement projects underway or getting started and the timing of any decision must factor those in."

The L train shut down could also affect the MTA's plans for F trains, since more M and G trains will be needed to accommodate stranded North Brooklyn riders.

Image via Youngking11, used under Creative Commons

Editor's note: This story was originally published on Tuesday, April 11