New York, NY – On Thursday, August 20, New York State Senator Kristen Gonzalez (D-59) rallied with Shop Small Greenpoint, Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, and the Deputy Borough president to talk about the impact G train service disruptions have on local small businesses in Greenpoint. They also called on the MTA to reschedule or cancel the planned 3 full weekends of G train shutdowns in December. 

In July, Shop Small Greenpoint released a report finding that small businesses in the neighborhood lose an average of 22% of their regular business on weekends when the G train is shut down for maintenance or planned improvements. 91% of businesses reported a loss in revenue every time the G train shuts down, and 39% of businesses said they had to cut employee hours or even close on weekends. The typical time it takes for a business to replace the lost revenue is 1-2 weeks.

This report shows how important the G train is to the economy of Greenpoint. It is a lifeline for residents and businesses alike. As it stands, there will be no G train service for the first 3 weekends of December, during the holiday season which is the busiest time of year for businesses. Many businesses rely on the revenue from the holiday season to make it through the year. In some cases, that holiday revenue pays for their storefront’s rent for the next 6 months. 

At the rally, small business owners, elected officials, and residents called on the MTA to move this work to a time that would have less impact on the community. 

State Senator Kristen Gonzalez said: “There have been more than a dozen weekend shutdowns of the G train this year alone. Greenpoint small business owners and residents have been patient with the MTA as they make signal upgrades and modernize the track, but the frequent service disruptions have taken a toll on the community. Small businesses are losing an average of 22% of their revenue during these shutdowns, and workers and residents alike are facing difficulty getting around their own community. I’m proud to stand with small businesses, and I appreciate the MTA’s willingness to engage with our community to find a solution that gets this critical infrastructure work done while minimizing community impact.”

Assemblymember Emily Gallagher said, "The G-train is the lifeline of Greenpoint. When it shuts down, our community suffers—small businesses lose customers and our neighbors have a harder time getting to work, visiting friends, and connecting with their city. Shutdowns on the weekends in December, as the holiday season approaches, are particularly harmful to our small businesses and residents alike. The MTA listened to our community in the past, and I am hopeful they will do so again and revise their shutdown schedule this December."

Council Member Lincoln Restler said, ““The MTA is shutting the G train down for 40% of weekends this year, including three weekends during peak holiday shopping in December. It’s unacceptable and deeply harmful to local businesses. This G is a lifeline for Greenpoint residents and small businesses, particularly during the busiest shopping season of the year. More than 90% of Greenpoint's small businesses have reported a significant drop in sales during weekend G train closures, forcing many to cut staff hours. The MTA should limit closures to overnight hours to minimize these negative impacts. I’m grateful to Shop Small Greenpoint, Senator Kristen Gonzalez and countless neighbors for their strong advocacy for our community.” 

Perri Salka, Owner of The WonderMart and Volunteer Lead Organizer of Shop Small Greenpoint said, "At The WonderMart alone, holiday shopping in the month of December brings in a quarter of our annual revenue — enough to cover four to six months of rent. That is not revenue we can afford to lose this year. Running a small business is hard enough without the MTA making it harder — and we deserve to thrive, not just survive."

Janine Sopp, Owner of Clay Space said, "For us, if our patrons have a negative experience due to the G train closures, this will result in them not registering for a class again or leaving their membership for another studio altogether."

Natalie Como, Owner of Jesus Christ Vintage said, “Greenpoint couldn’t be closer to central Manhattan, and we’ve become, like, a mythical place, a far-off land that no one can get to because of this G train that is infamously bad."

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