Bush To Revive JFK-Downtown Rail Link

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$2B for JFK Rail Link In Bush Budget
By Associated Press
February 2, 2007

President Bush will propose giving $2 billion in tax incentives toward building a rail link between lower Manhattan and John F. Kennedy Airport, Senator Schumer said yesterday.

New York lawmakers have spent years pushing for the funding, only to see it repeatedly get stripped out of various congressional spending bills, most recently in legislation that passed in December. Its reappearance in the Bush budget gives new hope to the effort's backers, which include lower Manhattan real estate interests who want an express train directly linking the southern end of Manhattan to Queens and Long Island.

Mr. Schumer is one of the key boosters of the rail link. He said administration officials told him the tax incentives would be a part of the proposed budget for the upcoming budget year.

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I wish they would revive the "Train to the Plane" service on the A line.

On another note, I wish a better transit link can be established to LGA. Everyone on airliners.net always says its the "preferred" airport to fly into. However these are the ones who get limos and cabs to take them into the city for no less than 25 dollars, depending where you go.

I've done the 7-train to the Q47 and Q48 bus lines a few times because its cheap and I don't have to worry about traffic snarls on the BQE or GCP. It works, but it's time consuming. The 7 is slow, and you need to be on a local train to get to 74th Street or 111 street. The bus is also slow. From lower Manhattan it take about an hour plus to get to LGA this way. During PM Rush Hours, the 7 is packed to the gills, and with a bag it's horrible. I wish we could use that 2 Billion for a LGA connection and just bring back the super express on the A line to Howard Beach to the Air Train, but that's just me.

Thoughts?

Ok I'm sitting here confused... What was the point of the Air Train? Was it simply to blow public funds. The entire idea was to link Manhattan to JFK not Eastern Long Island. We are now going to spend 2 billion to link lower Manhattan to JFK??

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Originally Posted by T-Bird76

Ok I'm sitting here confused... What was the point of the Air Train? Was it simply to blow public funds. The entire idea was to link Manhattan to JFK not Eastern Long Island. We are now going to spend 2 billion to link lower Manhattan to JFK??

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The AirTrain was and is a complete and utter waste. It was one of the few major projects actually completed by Governor Pataki over his 12 years, and of course since it was Pataki, the whole thing was a mind bogglingly corrupt disaster. He and the Port Authority purposely had the cars designed below Federal Railroad Administration standards: this means if they ever found a plan and the money to physically connect AirTrain to the LIRR or subway, they wouldn't be able to. The motivation for this was never explained.

And by the way, $2 billion is just the tax incentives Bush is offering in the budget...the whole project is pegged at $6 billion, but even that sounds low when you consider the 3-mile-long 2nd Avenue Subway is budgeted at around $20 billion.

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Originally Posted by RDU-JFK

I've done the 7-train to the Q47 and Q48 bus lines a few times because its cheap and I don't have to worry about traffic snarls on the BQE or GCP. It works, but it's time consuming. The 7 is slow, and you need to be on a local train to get to 74th Street or 111 street. The bus is also slow. From lower Manhattan it take about an hour plus to get to LGA this way. During PM Rush Hours, the 7 is packed to the gills, and with a bag it's horrible. I wish we could use that 2 Billion for a LGA connection and just bring back the super express on the A line to Howard Beach to the Air Train, but that's just me.

Thoughts?

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Why take that route if you're coming from Manhattan? I do the 4/5/6 to the M60 and can get from Midtown to LGA in about 45 minutes barring any train delays or heavy traffic problems. The only thing with this route is that the M60 can get crowded at certain times (although they have a tendency to bunch at these times) and with luggage it can be a pain.

Personally I wish they would make the M60 a Manhattan-LGA service only, with no stops in Queens (except for the N train stop on Astoria Bldv).

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Originally Posted by RDU-JFK

On another note, I wish a better transit link can be established to LGA. Everyone on airliners.net always says its the "preferred" airport to fly into. However these are the ones who get limos and cabs to take them into the city for no less than 25 dollars, depending where you go.

Thoughts?

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I almost always take public transportation to the airports (usually JFK, then LGA, and occasionally EWR). JFK to me is the easiest. Hop on the A, read for a bit, then take the AirTrain. LGA is a mess--I take the 4/5 to 125th, which requires exiting the station, waiting for the bus, and hoping there's no major traffic on the way over to LGA.

JFK is great because the A always runs, whereas the bus from 125th to LGA starts running around 6, so no public transport is available for early morning flights.

I saw that post on A.net with everyone complaining about the AirTrain. I have no problem with it. To me, it's not worth it to taxi out there when the train is $7 and usually takes the same time and is more dependable.

There needs to be more of an effort to link NYC and area to LGA and EWR than JFK.

-Will

I've always wanted to try taking the M60 bus from LGA, but I'm worried about traffic and crowds. Is it really shorter than taking the queens buses? I might try it sometime. I come from the WTC area, so I just might try it next week.

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Originally Posted by RDU-JFK

I've always wanted to try taking the M60 bus from LGA, but I'm worried about traffic and crowds. Is it really shorter than taking the queens buses? I might try it sometime. I come from the WTC area, so I just might try it next week.

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Getting a seat from LGA should not be a problem. I can usually get a seat ex-LGA (trying to get one at 125th is a different story).

I have not taken the M60 enough to have a firm view of best times for traffic and such, but the ride can vary (as all MTA buses can).

Would you be taking the M60 to the A/C stop at 125th?

I've never taken the Queens bus, so I cannot compare the M60 to it.

-Will

I take the M60 a lot when I'm home either to LGA or to visit some friends I have around Steinway Street. If you take the bus at peak times to LGA, it can be hard to come by a seat at 125th and Lex. Like with most buses, the further up the route you board, the better chance you have of getting a seat. At peak times though, they run the buses every like 8 minutes I believe, so chances are if one comes really crowded, it is running late, and there will be another emptier one shortly behind it.

Is it quicker than the Queens buses? From Manhattan, definately. The buses in Queens go on all those local streets, which can be slow a lot of the time. Plus, even with no traffic, I don't think the M60 is any longer than the Queens buses. And the times I've riden the queens buses, they haven't been all that empty, certainly on average more crowded than the M60.

I have had no problem with the AirTrain JFK, I've used it combined with LIRR from Penn several times to meet clients at JFK and have always arrived at or before whenever I expected to. Of course, it's not ideal and sure it's a bit of a hassle during rush hour or with luggage, but so are alot of things in NYC.

It would be nice to have something like the Heathrow Express here, direct between the terminals and a city center rail hub in 15 minutes, but we just don't have the infrastructure to facilitate something like that and besides, the HEX was a private venture, not built or run by the government as transit systems are here.

In my opinion, the downtown JFK link is not necessary and another big diversion of public resources from important government services to a political pet project. Sounds a bit to me like someone throwing a bone to Sheldon Silver & co. I've got nothing at all against downtown, but given all the luxury condos being built and the subsidies for the local investment banks, the neighborhood doesn't need another taxpayer-funded project to boost its economy. And it is easily reached from Penn on the subway. I would file this project with the Jets Westside Stadium as more political vision than economic necessity.

I wish we had a train link making long island a little easier to get to LGA than I would just take the train to work. Forget JFK lets go LGA! My wishful thinking says Jamaica station to LGA that way there would be a rail link up between Long Beach and LGA. Much easier than I do not have to drive everyday to work. :roll:

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Originally Posted by Nonstop2AUH

It would be nice to have something like the Heathrow Express here, direct between the terminals and a city center rail hub in 15 minutes, but we just don't have the infrastructure to facilitate something like that and besides, the HEX was a private venture, not built or run by the government as transit systems are here.

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The problem with the Heathrow Express (from the public transport view) is the cost: it's nearly twice as expensive as the Tube.

As others have said, JFK is relatively set--it's LGA (and EWR) that need work.

-Will

I haven't tried it but does anyone know how long the M60 takes between LGA terminals and the N train at Astoria Blvd.? Because the N train between Astoria and Times Sq. doesn't really take that long.

don't forget, according to the PORT, JFK is underutalized (as most spotters can attest to) so they're trying to bring more people into JFK, making the rail link an incentive to business travelers. more travelers means more flying and hopefully less lulls at JFK.

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Originally Posted by Nonstop2AUH

I haven't tried it but does anyone know how long the M60 takes between LGA terminals and the N train at Astoria Blvd.? Because the N train between Astoria and Times Sq. doesn't really take that long.

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About 20-25 minutes, depending on which terminal you're going to. It passes the airport and rings back, starting with the Delta Terminal. Last stop is MAT.

Gotham: Thanks for the info, 25 min isn't bad, going to try it sometime and go have a meal at Olives or maybe the Italian place in the MAT. I can also just get the M60 from further up the UWS, I've taken it to Steinway St but it can take forever to get across 125th which is often severely congested. Wonder how many people have missed a flight because of that.