The (G) train’s biggest problem? It doesn’t actually (G)o.
At least not to Forest Hills, where weekend service has been MIA for nearly fifteen years. If the G stood for anything lately, it’d be “grounded.”
That may finally change. A surprisingly wide-ranging coalition, including various advocacy groups, and yes, the New York Mets, has fired off a formal plea to Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and MTA Chair Janno Lieber, asking for one very specific fix: bring weekend G service back to Forest Hills–71st Ave.
🚆 The Impact
Right now, the G calls it quits at Court Sq–23rd St in Queens, a shortened route locked in since 2010, when budget cuts and capacity constraints forced the line to pull back. The result is a transit dead end for riders who actually rely on the G for inter-borough travel.
There are a lot of them. The line serves roughly 166,000 riders a day, many of whom are left juggling slow, crowded Manhattan transfers just to reach key destinations.
Extending the G would cut out that detour, speeding up trips to places like Elmhurst Hospital, LaGuardia Community College, and high-traffic cultural spots such as Forest Hills Stadium.
The address stated:
Restoring weekend G service to Forest Hills represents an opportunity to fundamentally change New York City’s transportation landscape by prioritizing the direct connections that outer borough residents desperately need.
🚅 The Future
At a budget hearing on February 3rd, MTA Chair Janno Lieber was asked about restoring weekend G service to Forest Hills—a move complicated by already packed E, F, and R trains and track capacity limits.
Lieber noted that past G service saw 80% of weekend trains canceled for maintenance, and surveys show just 3% of weekend riders travel solely within Queens, with most headed to Manhattan.
While he acknowledged the demand, restoration isn’t currently feasible. A potential fix lies in the QueensLink proposal, which would extend the M line along the dormant Rockaway Beach Branch, boosting local train frequency by a third and potentially freeing space for G service to return.
The near future of the G train remains uncertain, with capacity constraints, weekend ridership patterns, and ongoing infrastructure work all complicating its return to Forest Hills. One thing, however, is clear: riders are passionate, which is a testament to the many things that make our city so remarkable.