Periodically politicians revisit an old idea, direct public transportation access to LaGuardia Airport.
This has been discussed off and for decades.
Now it is New Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s turn. He made his promises once again at a recent joint press conference with Vice President Joe Biden.
Remember Biden’s infamous quote that the current LaGuadia Airport was of a third world nation standard.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is overly optimistic concerning building a train to the plane for LaGuardia Airport.
Success for this project is dependent upon the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Metropolitan Transportation Authority working well together. Fourteen years after 9/11, the Cortland Street World Trade Center No. 1 IRT subway station is still three more years away from being back in service sometime in 2018.
The PANYNJ & MTA fought for years over budget, funding sources, scope and schedule. The MTA finally earlier this year awarded a contract for construction to proceed.
To build a train to the plane from Mets – Willets No. 7 subway and Long Island Rail Road station to LaGuardia Airport within five years for $450 million is a planners dream.
In reality could end up being a nightmare for both taxpayers and riders. You can count on cost overruns in the hundreds of millions and multiyear delays in construction before reaching beneficial use.
One old recycled concept is to extend the N & Q subway lines from their current Queens terminus at Astoria/Ditmars Boulevard to LaGuardia Airport.
This died due to local community opposition. Everyone has long forgotten that the successful Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Air Train, which currently runs between the Long Island Rail Road Jamaica Station and Kennedy Airport was supposed to continue proceeding north along the Van Wyck Expressway to connect with LaGaurdia Airport.
The PANYNJ did not have suffecient funding to complete the original full scope of the project. This extension to LaGuardia Airport (depending upon the final selected route) could also have connected with the Long Island Rail Road and No. 7 subway line at the Mets-Willets Point Station. It could have been built within blocks of downtown Flushing.
Construction primarily within existing highway right of way would have eased any local community opposition from those who owned homes and or businesses adjacent to the route.
Too bad the PANYNJ choose instead to spend billions in non transportation investments during this same time period instead of completing the Air Train to LaGuardia Airport.
Many of the estimated costs for these types of proposed projects are based upon planning feasibility studies and/or environmental documents with little design and engineering efforts necessary to validate any actual construction costs. They will be refined as projects progress beyond the planning and environmental phases into real and final design efforts.
Value engineering which is a process used to reduce costs will be used during the final design phase. Unfortunately, history has shown that estimated costs for construction usually trend upwards as projects mature toward 100 percent final design.
Progression of final design refines the detailed scope of work necessary to support construction. The anticipated final potential cost for many of these projects will never be known until completion. Costs will be further refined by award of construction contracts followed by any unforeseen site conditions and change orders to the base contracts during the course of construction.
History has told us that construction of most major new transportation system expansion projects take decades until completion of feasibility studies, environmental reviews, planning, design, engineering, real estate acquisition, permits, procurements, construction, budgeting, identifying and securing funding to pay for all of the above.
Construction of other options via the Sunnyside Storage Yards to LaGuardia Airport could easily cost a $1 billion or more.
Good luck trying to proceed with this concept. You would have to coordinate with the Long Island Rail Road East Side Access project. In addition, the yard is used for mid day storage by other transit operators. Previous pilot ferry connections from the LaGuardia Airport to various Manhattan locations failed. This was due to the costs which failed to attract sufficient ridership to support the service.
Great Neck, New Hyde Park, Herricks, Williston Park, Albertson, Mineola, Searingtown, Garden City, Manhasset, Plandome and Roslyn neighbors along with residents from other communities in Nassau and Suffolk counties along with neighboring Queens County use public transportation when traveling from home or business to LaGuardia Airport.
They save between $50 and $100 each way in car service or even more using long term airport parking. Those in the know ride the Long Island Rail Road to Woodside and transfer to the New York City Transit Q70 bus. Why not patronize both the LIRR and Q70 Limited (which is equipped with luggage racks) from Jackson Heights which provides limited-stop bus service between Woodside, Jackson Heights and LaGuardia Airport (Terminals B, C and D).
Service operates non-stop between Jackson Heights and LaGuardia Airport. Connections can be made with the E,F,M,R and 7 trains at Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue/74 St-Broadway and with the Long Island Rail Road and 7 train at Woodside-61 St.
Travel time between Woodside and LaGuardia Airport is approximately 10-15 minutes and between Jackson Heights and LaGuardia Airport is approximately 8-10 minutes.
Free transfers between any bus or subway are available if you pay your fare with MetroCard.
Larry Penner
Great Neck
