After a decades-long absence, the F Express will finally be returning to Brooklyn beginning this summer, thanks to the hard work of Councilman David G. Greenfield.

The program will begin on a limited basis in Summer 2016, with more regular express service expected to follow in Summer of 2017. When fully implemented, F express service will run during rush hour between Church Avenue and Jay Street-MetroTech. This will benefit hundreds of thousands of commuters every day who have up until now struggled with delayed and overcrowded trains. It is expected that this new service will save F train commuters, who currently experience some of the longest waits in the transit system, as much as 15 minutes per trip. Additionally, the restoration of F express service will reduce operational conflicts between the F and G trains, reducing congestion and unnecessary delays.

“In my very first campaign over six years ago, I literally ran on this issue. I will never forget standing at F train stations, asking people for their votes so I could fight to restore the F express. They were skeptical. However, six years later we got it done!” Greenfield said. “This is a huge victory for Brooklyn’s commuters, who for years have had to endure lengthy commutes and overcrowded trains.”

F express service was suspended in 1987 due to track work. It was assumed that the service would be restored after track work was completed, but that never happened. In the early 1990s, several plans were considered for restoring express service to the F line, but all were discarded due to budget constraints at the time. Over the years, F service has steadily deteriorated even as the population served by the line has grown.

Greenfield has been fighting for restoration of F express service ever since his election in 2010. It was the topic of one of the first questions he asked of MTA officials at one of the first transportation hearings he attended as a City Councilman, and he has never let up. Earlier this year, he authored a joint letter on the subject to MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast, signed by 14 lawmakers in the City Council and state legislature.

“For some time now, it has been clear that we cannot continue kicking this can down the road,” Greenfield said. “Today we are finally taking serious action to solve a problem that many had regarded as intractable. I want to thank MTA CEO Thomas Prendergast, President Ronnie Hakim, and all the legislators and community leaders who joined me in this fight, including Senators Simcha Felder, Kevin Parker, Martin Golden, Diane Savino, Assembly members William Colton, Dov Hikind, Jo Anne Simon, Steven Cymbrowitz, Pamela Harris, and Councilmembers Stephen Levin, Brad Lander, Mark Treyger, and Chaim Deutsch. Today we celebrate a great victory for Brooklyn.”

(YWN Desk – NYC)