On April 8, 2008, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President Carl Hum appeared before the Committee on Transportation of the New York City Council regarding Resolution 1262 affecting the "G" line subway. Below is his testimony in support of improvements to this subway line:

Good afternoon Chairman Liu and members of the Committee on Transportation.

My name is Carl Hum and I am the president of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.  The Chamber is the borough’s leading business assistance and economic development organization with over 1,500 Members representing virtually every business sector throughout the borough.

The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce supports Resolution 1262 calling upon the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to immediately improve service on the G-line subway and to avoid implementation of any additional service cuts.

The Chamber regards transportation as an economic development issue.  For a city as dense and economically diverse as New York, it is particularly of crucial importance.  Public transportation in most parts of Brooklyn is simply an afterthought.  Yet it is the way that hundreds of thousands of our residents get to and from work.  

The proposed cuts for the G-line subway service will undoubtedly be a hardship upon the employees of some of the Chamber’s largest employer-Members.  From Greenpoint to Red Hook, over 125 Chamber Member businesses are located within the service area of the “G” line throughout Brooklyn.  Major employers such as Woodhull Hospital, Pratt Institute, St. Joseph’s College and Sweet-n-Low – not to mention the companies housed within the Brooklyn Navy Yard – will be severely affected by any proposed service cuts.

It is already a challenge to commute on the "G" train with its length of only four cars and abbreviated service into Queens.  The proposed service cuts will only exacerbate the overcrowding during rush hours and add to the commute time. 

In Brooklyn, many of the G-line service stations are the only ones available in the immediate vicinity, particularly Clinton-Washington Avenues, Classon Avenue and Myrtle-Willoughby Avenues – train stations that some of the aforementioned companies rely on for commuting.  It is time to increase the availability of service to our residents and businesses alike, not reduce service. 

We feel strongly that it is time to support our workers and residents with improved service.  We cannot function as a major economic vehicle to our borough and beyond when commuting to work or home becomes a major burden. We urge the Transportation Committee to adopt this resolution.  Thank you for your time and consideration.

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