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Read the press release here.

How Would You Fix Public Transportation in Williamsburg and Greenpoint?

By Serena Dai | October 1, 2014 2:37pm
 L train ridership for the Bedford Avenue train stop has increased over the past few years, according to the MTA.
L train ridership for the Bedford Avenue train stop has increased over the past few years, according to the MTA.
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DNAinfo/Meredith Hoffman

WILLIAMSBURG — The L train is a zoo at rush hour, and the G train is almost all that stands between Greenpoint and a transit desert — and things might be about to get worse as residential complexes continue to spring up across north Brooklyn, advocates warn.

In hopes of getting feedback from locals about what could be better about their daily commutes, neighborhood advocacy group Neighbors Allied for Good Growth is launching a survey about what's needed in the area.

"The neighborhood is growing, but transit capacity hasn't grown with it," said board member Alan Minor, whose group has previously focused on environmental and development issues in North Brooklyn and now also wants to focus more on transit issues.

The survey, which can be filled out here, is open to those who live, work or play in the neighborhood to better focus its advocacy efforts. Fifty people had filled it out by Wednesday, officials said.

Among the complaints that have already come in include the overcrowded G train and L train during rush hour, Minor said. Average weekday ridership for the Bedford L train stop has increased about 36 percent between 2008 and 2013, according to the MTA, from nearly 19,000 to nearly 26,000.

Others who filled out the survey noted that pedestrians and bicyclists trying to cross Meeker Avenue, under the BQE, are in danger because of vehicular speeding.

The results of the survey will be presented to a working group of officials, including representatives for Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, State Senator Daniel Squadron, State Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, Councilman Stephen Levin and the Department of Transportation.

Others who have filled out the survey made positive suggestions. One survey respondant pointed to a real estate honcho's idea for an East River Skyway — an elevated tram system between Brooklyn and Manhattan — as a potential solution for an increasing population.

"Perhaps that can be one of the things that we work on," Minor said with a laugh, calling it an "interesting" and "zany" idea.

Other ideas included expanding the number of CitiBike stations north of Metropolitan Avenue, adding more stairways into the Bedford L train stop, connecting the East River Ferry service into the MTA and building a light rail along Kent Avenue connecting Long Island City to Red Hook.

While all ideas are welcome, the advocacy group plans to be realistic about what changes it can lobby for, Minor said.

The group may not be able to push officials to improve L train service in the short-term, he said, but maybe adding bus shelters or creating slow zones for drivers could improve how people get around in Williamsburg and Greenpoint.

"We just want to bring more transit options to the area," he said.