LaGuardia (LGA), long hampered by lack of comprehensive public transportation options for travelers, may be getting a rail link connecting the Queens airport to Manhattan and other parts of New York City.
This week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed the construction of an elevated AirTrain to LaGuardia, a key component in a larger plan to overhaul New York City’s two main airports. Last January, Cuomo announced in his State of the State address that the state would assume management responsibility for construction at LGA and John F. Kennedy International (JKF) to help break gridlock and make necessary improvements.
The AirTrain will be constructed by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and the city’s Metropolitan Transit Authority at a projected cost of $450 million. The governor did not reveal any proposed timing for the construction.
Cuomo’s plan also calls for the exploration of high-speed ferry service between Manhattan and LaGuardia, among other routes.
Patrick Foye, executive director of PANYNJ, and Thomas Prendergast, chairman and CEO of the MTA, issued a joint statement in support of the project, saying the infrastructure improvement is “absolutely essential for the New York region to compete successfully in the global economy.”
“The Port Authority and the MTA are working closely to establish the scope, schedule and management of the LaGuardia AirTrain, just as they worked closely to create the successful JFK AirTrain,” the statement says. “We will build this project in a cost-effective way that minimizes disruptions to nearby communities as well as airport operations, and we can get it done within five years of obtaining all necessary approvals.”
Cuomo announced the AirTrain plan as part of his 2015 “opportunity agenda” titled “Restoring Economic Opportunity.” He also took the opportunity to give an update on the master plan design competition launched last year to “reimagine” LaGuardia and JFK.
Final design submissions are due this month. Cuomo this week announced the formation of a seven-member panel with expertise in business, planning and the local community, to advise him and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey on the top airport redesigns.
Also as part of the agenda, Cuomo directed PANYNJ and Empire State Development to grow cargo capacity at Stewart International (SWF) in New York’s Hudson Valley, making it a regional cargo distribution hub. The New York Department of Transportation is also working in conjunction with Empire State Development to identify a new operator for Republic Airport on Long Island, the governor said.
