By Philip Newman
Transit officials announced Monday plans to spend $18 million to bring back bus and subway service slashed during financial peril three years ago, including increasing G trains and restoring weekend service on the Q31 bus between Bayside and Jamaica and Q77 bus from Laurelton to Jamaica in Queens.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said the restorations have been made possible by more state money, increased toll and fare hikes and years of cost-cutting within the MTA.
The MTA said it would add more G trains on weekdays between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. and run them every eight minutes rather than the current 10-minute frequency.
M trains will operate from Queens to Delancey –Essex Street in Manhattan on weekends instead of terminating at Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn at present. This will reduce transfers and shorten waiting time for 37,000 straphangers.
Half-hourly service on weekends will be restored to the Long Island Rail Road’s Port Washington line, while six other LIRR lines will have improved service to Nassau and Suffolk counties.
“We have listened to our customers and we are responding with more bus, subway and commuter rail service as well as enhancements to make that service more reliable and more enjoyable,” said MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast as the agency announced its restoration plan.
