Q103 to become permanent

From the Times Ledger:

Straphangers in Long Island City got their G train service restored Tuesday morning after a five-week shutdown.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority closed down the Greenpoint subway tube that runs under Newtown Creek and connects LIC with Brooklyn to perform critical work still needed after the tunnel was flooded by Hurricane Sandy in fall 2012.

Meanwhile, riders of the Q103 bus, which connects Long Island City with Astoria, is just one public hearing away from becoming permanent.

The agency introduced extended hours and weekend service on a trial basis this summer, taking riders past Socrates Sculpture Park, the Noguchi Museum, the Chocolate Factory theater and other cultural institutions as well as several waterfront parks along the East River.

The Q103 also provides transportation options for many who live far from the subway.