AirTrain LaGuardia

AirTrain LaGuardia
Company type	Proposed transportation project
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	2015
Founder	Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Fate	Cancelled in 2023
Headquarters	New York City, United States
Area served	LaGuardia Airport and Willets Point, Queens, New York City
Key people	Governor Andrew Cuomo (announced project), Governor Kathy Hochul (cancelled project)
Products	People mover and elevated rail system
Owner	Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Metropolitan Transportation Authority

AirTrain LaGuardia was a proposed people mover and elevated rail system in New York City, designed to provide a direct connection between LaGuardia Airport in Queens and the New York City Subway as well as the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) at Willets Point. Its concept was based on the existing AirTrain JFK, which links JFK Airport terminals with the LIRR at Jamaica station and various subway lines, alongside the AirTrain Newark, which connects Newark Liberty International Airport to NJ Transit and Amtrak services.

The initiative was developed through a partnership between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), the operator of LaGuardia, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). The project was publicly announced by Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2015, and subsequently received approval from the New York State Legislature in 2018. Construction was initially planned to commence in 2021 with an anticipated opening in 2024; however, later that year, the project was postponed indefinitely. In March 2023, the plan was officially terminated following a cost escalation to $2.4 billion—approximately five times the original budget.

The AirTrain proposal generated considerable debate. Proponents emphasized benefits such as enhanced transit access to the airport, decreased traffic congestion, and reduced environmental impact in East Elmhurst. Conversely, critics—including local community members and transit experts—objected to its indirect routing toward Midtown Manhattan, excessive financial demands, and fears that it might obstruct future rail connections serving LaGuardia.

Context

When AirTrain LaGuardia was first proposed in 2014, LaGuardia Airport did not have any direct rail service. Public transportation options primarily consisted of several bus routes (Q47, Q70 SBS, Q72, M60 SBS, and the older Q48), all of which connected passengers to subway stations. The Q70 also provided a link to the LIRR at Woodside station, while the M60 SBS offered connections to Manhattan and Metro-North at Harlem–125th Street station, as well as access to multiple subway lines. At that time, only 8% of LaGuardia’s 27 million annual travelers used bus services, compared with 12% of JFK’s 53 million passengers who utilized AirTrain JFK. In 2008 data showed that approximately 75% of LaGuardia passengers depended on taxis or car services, whereas just 16% relied on buses or vans.

In contrast, other major airports in New York had already established rail links: AirTrain Newark—a monorail system serving Newark Liberty International Airport—opened in 1996 and connected to commuter rail by 2000. AirTrain JFK began operations as a people mover system at JFK Airport in 2003. The proposed AirTrain LaGuardia aimed to replicate this model by creating a similar people mover system to improve airport accessibility.

Description

The planned AirTrain LaGuardia would have featured two internal stops within LaGuardia Airport before crossing over the Grand Central Parkway to terminate at Willets Point near Citi Field and Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. This terminus would provide transfers to both the New York City Subway’s Flushing Line at Mets–Willets Point station and the Long Island Rail Road’s Mets–Willets Point station. The entire AirTrain journey was estimated to last approximately six minutes, followed by a roughly twenty-minute LIRR ride into Manhattan.

As part of the project, Mets–Willets Point subway station was set for reconstruction with $50 million allocated for planning and design within the 2015–2019 MTA Capital Program. Similarly, a $75 million renovation was planned for the LIRR stop to integrate both stations with adjacent bus services, thereby improving intermodal connections. The station complex was also intended to accommodate airport-related operations including employee parking and a Consolidated Rent-a-Car facility. To enable construction of the Willets Point AirTrain station, relocation of the Casey Stengel Bus Depot was necessary; $50 million was designated for property acquisition under the same capital program.

Initial Concepts

Proposals for rail connections to LaGuardia Airport date back to 1943, beginning with plans to extend the BMT Astoria Line from Ditmars Boulevard. Over twenty different ideas for direct rail service to the airport were introduced over time but were eventually abandoned.

In 1990, the MTA suggested a federally, state, and city-funded rail route linking Midtown Manhattan with both LaGuardia and JFK airports. This line was designed to run along the lower deck of the Queensboro Bridge, stopping at Queens Plaza before following the path of Sunnyside Yards and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway toward LaGuardia. It included stops at Willets Point—providing a connection to the Flushing Line—and Jamaica, connecting to the Long Island Rail Road, then continuing nonstop to JFK Airport via the Van Wyck Expressway. Although the Port Authority commissioned an environmental impact study and seriously evaluated this concept, escalating expenses led to its cancellation by May 1995.

Prior to AirTrain JFK’s development in 1997, Mayor Rudy Giuliani opposed the project due to unresolved financial disagreements among state, city, and Port Authority officials. Instead, he promoted exploring an extension of the BMT Astoria Line to LaGuardia. Later that year, Giuliani endorsed AirTrain JFK and supported a feasibility study for a comparable connection to LaGuardia. By 2003, $645 million had been allocated for extending the Astoria Line to the airport; however, community resistance in Queens halted progress on construction.

Project Planning

On January 20, 2015, Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled a proposal for a people mover akin to AirTrain JFK. This system would span approximately 1.5 miles along the Grand Central Parkway, ending at Willets Point, near Citi Field and Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. The route was planned to interchange with the New York City Subway's at Mets–Willets Point station and connect via an existing pedestrian bridge to the Long Island Rail Road's Mets–Willets Point station on the Port Washington Branch. Initial cost projections stood at $450 million but later escalated to $1.5 billion. Unlike other AirTrain proposals requiring private land acquisition, this Willets Point alignment utilized publicly owned property.

The first contracts for AirTrain work were awarded in May 2016, totaling $7.5 million for preliminary engineering at both Willets Point stations. STV Inc received $4.6 million for lengthening LIRR platforms and implementing ADA-compliant upgrades; HDR Architecture and Engineering PC was contracted for $2.9 million to handle subway station renovations and accessibility evaluations. Airport renovation efforts commenced on June 14, 2016. The Port Authority earmarked $1.5 billion for this rail link within its $29.5 billion capital plan spanning ten years. However, New York Commissioner Kenneth Lipper pushed to remove AirTrain funding due to fiscal concerns.

By January 2017, the PANYNJ incorporated AirTrain LaGuardia financing into its capital program, anticipating construction would begin in 2019 with passenger service launching by 2023. On February 6, 2017, a four-week request for proposals was issued seeking designs for three AirTrain stations—two located inside new airport terminals and one at Willets Point—as well as planning for the corridor between Willets Point and LaGuardia. WSP USA was awarded a $14.6 million contract in May 2017 to design the project. By November that year, planning funds were increased by $55 million by the Port Authority, bringing total allocations to $75 million.

In April 2018, following opposition from residents of East Elmhurst, the Port Authority decided against routing the AirTrain along Grand Central Parkway. Alternative routes under consideration included constructing a promenade adjacent to or spanning over Flushing Bay.

Environmental impact statement

In June 2018, the New York State Legislature passed legislation authorizing the AirTrain LaGuardia initiative, granting the PANYNJ authority to acquire public land and commence environmental assessments. Initially, construction was planned to begin in 2020 and reach completion by 2022. The Port Authority conducted evaluations of three potential AirTrain alignments to Willets Point as well as a no-build scenario. Opposition emerged from local residents and environmental advocates concerned about possible contamination of Flushing Bay, which had recently undergone cleanup efforts, and resistance increased regarding the proposed waterfront routing of the AirTrain. In May 2019, Governor Cuomo announced partial funding support from the MTA for the project. By late 2019, contracts were anticipated to be awarded in 2021 with an expected launch in 2024.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in August 2020, followed by a final version in March 2021, forecasting construction commencement in June 2021 and operational readiness by 2026. Nevertheless, in June 2021, the FAA postponed the project to conduct further review due to concerns that alternative options had not been adequately examined. After receiving approximately 4,200 public comments, the FAA granted approval in July 2021. Subsequently, several environmental lawsuits were filed in September 2021, leading the FAA to contemplate additional delays.

Postponement and cancellation

Following Kathy Hochul’s succession of Cuomo as governor toward the end of 2021, calls intensified for her to terminate the AirTrain initiative. In October 2021, Hochul instructed the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) to investigate alternative solutions. By March 2022, the authority unveiled fourteen alternatives, including a potential extension of the BMT Astoria Line directly to LaGuardia Airport. Simultaneously, Hochul announced that beginning May 1, 2022, the Q70 bus service to LaGuardia would temporarily operate fare-free while these options were explored.

The AirTrain LGA project was formally canceled in March 2023 after its estimated cost escalated to $2.4 billion—more than five times the initial $450 million projection. A panel of transportation experts recommended improving current bus services instead, such as increasing Q70 frequency and providing a shuttle connection from LaGuardia to the Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard station. They also suggested converting part of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway into a dedicated bus lane. Panel member Janette Sadik-Khan estimated these enhancements would require an investment near $500 million.

Reception

Transit advocates strongly criticized the proposal for being slower than existing transportation options and potentially exacerbating congestion on already saturated lines like the , which operate at full capacity. Although automation on the IRT Flushing Line trains could have allowed for more frequent service and somewhat alleviated this issue, the proposed AirTrain transfer at Willets Point was located twenty stations from the line’s western terminus—considerably farther than alternatives such as the Q70 LaGuardia Link bus stopping at 61st Street–Woodside. Furthermore, only riders on the Port Washington Branch of the Long Island Rail Road would directly benefit from access at Willets Point.

Critics contended that even with increased capacity, the route’s distance from major city destinations resulted in longer travel times compared to current transit options. Many described the project as an inefficient allocation of funds within a city whose transit infrastructure is already under strain. The complexity of the route design and location of terminals drew widespread skepticism, with some advocating for extending the BMT Astoria Line to LaGuardia as a superior alternative. The $2.05 billion construction price tag was deemed excessive by opponents who favored dedicated busways as more straightforward and cost-efficient.

In January 2020, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez challenged the FAA’s dismissal of 46 alternative routes and highlighted that over 60% of public feedback opposed the proposed alignment. Local officials criticized the FAA’s approval process for circumventing necessary land use reviews. Residents and business owners along the planned path protested against construction activities.

Despite these objections, several officials and proponents supported the initiative. In 2017, Newsday endorsed AirTrain LaGuardia by referencing increased airport mass transit usage at locations like JFK. Port Authority executive Rick Cotton emphasized attention on practical considerations including neighborhood impacts, disruptions during construction, passenger experience, and costs. In 2020, former New York City transportation commissioners strongly advocated for the final plan as the sole feasible option given that LaGuardia remains NYC’s only major airport without rail access.

External links

Rendering from Governor Andrew Cuomo's Office via Flickr