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Commuters who transfer from the J to the G subway lines are sore over having to pay twice to take one trip, and think the MTA should pick up the bill. But transit officials say such a move is unlikely due to budget woes and the existence of alternative routes — no matter how inconvenient.
South Bushwick resident Chris Glazier has recently started taking the J to Lorimer and walking the half-block to the Broadway G station. He compared the transfer situation to the G-7 link in Long Island City, which is an outside transfer but is free. “The only trick is that the G-7 transfer may be because the G directly connects to the E/V line at the same stop. But maybe they’d be into a PR boost.”
Graphic designer Pedro Martinez connected to the G for two years. He thinks it’s unfair to have to pay to transfer between the lines, “especially with it being so close to the Lorimer station.”
“Also, the G is more like a shuttle than a full line in my opinion…” he added. “Just like the Franklin Shuttle, which is a free transfer.”
Web designer Eric Shephard lives near the Myrtle-Broadway JMZ hub and transfers to the G often. While he has an unlimited card, making the transfer free for him, he thinks one fare should take riders anywhere in the system. “It irks me that the MTA screws people that don’t have a lot of money and pay per ride.”
The MTA maintains a free transfer is neither likely nor necessary. “NYC Transit does not intend to implement any external walking transfers,” said MTA spokesperson Deirdre Parker. “It is possible for our customers to travel conveniently on almost every conceivable path within Brooklyn.” Parker added that over half of transit customers use time-based (unlimited) MetroCards. This makes the affected ridership even slimmer.
None of this should surprise commuters; over half a million of the city’s kids may soon be without free or reduced-fare rides to school due to transit budget cuts.
NattyB March 19th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
This is just insane on the part of the MTA.
They have a free outdoor transfer at 59/63rd street on the UES and that’s a tremendous time saver and it’s a further switch then the JMZ – Broadway (G) transfer.
I live in the LES by the Essex JMZ, and I have to do the outdoor switch to the G to visit friends in Greenpoint, Long Island City, and Sunnyside. How else should I get to those places according to the MTA from my place?
Take the F to the G and add about 10 extra stops and go about 5 miles out of the wya.
Get some congestion pricing, east river bridge tolls, and stop F-cking over Mass Transit users who don’t get the unlimited every month.
Jimmy Legs March 19th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
i want to find out more about the history of the free transfer for the 7 in queens. even though it made sense and was all but required since the E/V is about the same distance but features an underground physical connection (not to mention the spiffy moving sidewalks). but it’s hard to believe the MTA offered the 7 transfer without being asked. maybe there’s something to investigate there.
still, the MTA of our time is not something we equate with reason or customer sevice. but they did just extend the g …
disembodied cat head March 20th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
the reason the 7 & G only connect outside i believe is because they were originally part of two different systems – the IRT & BRT/BMT – when the lines were built. the two companies also had different-length trains & different-length platforms if i recall correctly. they don’t connect conveniently because if the commuter paid to enter the IRT at whatever station the BMT wouldn’t have gotten paid if he switched lines at Court Sq. i forget which company had the numbered lines & which had the letters though.
mopar March 24th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
I didn’t even realize the two lines were within a half block of each other. Hm, is this a faster way to go to Fort Greene or Williamsburg than transferring to the AC or the L?
FormerRidgewoodite April 5th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
disembodied cat head, what is the Broadway El and what is now the G line was also two different companies at one time. The G was the IND system (the city run subway), and the Broadway El was the BMT, a privately run transit line.
Bunkerlabs April 5th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
That’s how I usually go if I’m trying to get to either Ft. Green or Gowanus
Jason April 5th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
“Out of system” transfers were implemented on the Upper East Side and in Long Island City *only* because the creation of the (V) line and subsequent rerouting of the (F) line caused riders in Queens to lose certain transfer options depending on what line they took. For instance, (F) riders used to have a one-seat ride to transfer to Lexington Avenue Line service at Lexington Avenue – 53 Street, but no longer have that now that the (F) services Lexington Avenue – 63 Street. Therefore, the free “walking transfer” was implemented at that location.
Same thing between the (7)(E)(G) and (V) in Long Island City. With the (G) cut back to Court Square because of the new (V), the outside transfer was implemented there so the (G) riders could still directly connect to the (7).
There was never a free connection between the (J)(M) and (G) in Brooklyn, and none was built originally because of the competition between the IND and the BMT back then. With the budget the way it is now, they won’t be implementing a new transfer which could cause them to lose money, wouldn’t be utilized enough, and would cost them regardless simply to implement.
what April 5th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
A free transfer would not cause them to lose money, these are people transferring between two train lines… One of which they already paid for, and also which you could transfer to all the other lines for free anyway.