At the request of Governor Kathy Hochul, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has paused plans for the $2.1-billion LaGuardia AirTrain to review different alternatives to connect the airport with mass transit.
“At Governor Hochul’s request, the Port Authority is undertaking a thorough review of potential alternative mass transit options to LaGuardia Airport," reads a statement released by the Port Authority. "The agency will work in close consultation with independent experts and stakeholders, and will complete its work as expeditiously as possible, consistent with the need for the review to be thorough and rigorous. During the review, the Port Authority will pause further action with respect to the LaGuardia AirTrain project.”
LaGuardia Redevelopment Plan
According to amNY, the announcement comes just one week after Hochul asked the agency to explore different options than AirTrain, which was championed by her disgraced ex-Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The proposed AirTrain system called for the construction of a new elevated guideway connecting airport's Delta Airlines terminal and Willets Point, where passengers would be able to transfer to the 7 train and the Long Island Rail Road. The Port Authority has previously estimated that the overall trip between LaGuardia and Manhattan would take 30 minutes.
The project has been criticized due to its growing price tag and a belief that its impacts will be felt most severely by the disadvantaged communities along the alignment, who would not enjoy the project's benefits. Likewise, others have pointed out that the alignment would not offer a one-seat ride to Manhattan.
