Plan for High-Speed Rail to Kennedy Airport

[Kris]

High-Speed Rail Plan Set For Unveiling

By Errol A. Cockfield Jr. and Joshua Robin
Staff Writers

February 3, 2004, 10:23 PM EST

Officials Wednesday are expected to release a plan for linking lower Manhattan and Kennedy Airport via high-speed rail.

Building on a connection from Jamaica to Kennedy that was established in December with the opening of the Air Train, the project would extend the Air Train route to the Long Island Rail Road terminal in Downtown Brooklyn.

From there, four alternatives are being considered, ranging from running the AirTrain from Brooklyn to Manhattan through the A and C subway tunnel, to jetting commuters through a new tunnel under the East River.

State and city officials are slated this afternoon to announce the plans, which could cost as much as $6 billion, but a final option will not be chosen until April.

The proposal has been on the drawing board for months and has triggered a range of reaction in a city that has a lengthy list of unfunded transportation priorities.

Business interests that back improved access to lower Manhattan say the district needs the link to tap into the labor pool on Long Island.

"If you made it easier for people to get to lower Manhattan from Long Island they would accept jobs," said Steven Spinola, president of the Real Estate Board of New York.

But community groups and fiscal watchdogs argue the plan is a waste of money because commuters can already get to lower Manhattan in minutes after leaving the LIRR at Pennsylvania Station or the Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn.

There are no commuter rails to lower Manhattan, but 11 subway lines stop south of City Hall. Officials also are planning ferry routes across the East River and expanded rail access to Manhattan's East Side via Grand Central Terminal.

Additionally, the Port Authority has said it wants to run ferries from lower Manhattan to Kennedy Airport by 2005. Service to LaGuardia is slated to begin by the end of the year.

It remains unclear whether any of the rail plans would offer a one-seat ride because doing so would require AirTrain cars to travel on both subway and LIRR tracks.

Early details about the competing proposals also have drawn criticism from city transit activists who worry that the new commuter train would displace subway riders by forcing them to transfer more frequently because of links to the new service.

"If you're reading a book or a Bible or a newspaper, you really don't want to get up and start in the Darwinian struggle on a new train," said Gene Russianoff, staff attorney of the Straphangers Campaign.

There is also concern that the project will tap into and possibly exhaust federal funds set aside for economic development in lower Manhattan. While business groups say improved transit is a top priority, community groups say officials should funnel money into affordable housing, job growth and neighborhood revitalization.

"If people are not able to get jobs and there is no place for people to live ... that will be a real waste of money," said Margaret Fung, a member of Community Board 1.

Copyright © 2004, Newsday, Inc.

[Ninjahedge]

What they need is a direct line from teh airports to lower Manhattan.

ALL THREE AIRPORTS!

Make the WTC a transit link where you can stop, or zip through to get over to the boroughs without clogging NYC streets.

I, for one, would welcome the increased accessability of certain areas in Brooklyn to my humble Jersey wanderings....

[TLOZ Link5]

PATH Train to Newark, ferry to LaGuardia along with the prospect of an N train extension, ferry and LIRR to JFK.

[Kris]

February 5, 2004

Four Options Presented for Airport Rail Link

By MICHAEL LUO

In a presentation that was high in lofty ambitions but short on important details, officials unveiled four options yesterday for a rail link to connect Lower Manhattan to Kennedy Airport and Long Island.

The release of the proposals at the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, coupled with the declaration that a final design would be picked in April, may help catapult the commuter rail, once seen as a pipe dream of a few powerful downtown landlords, to near the top of a long list of proposed transportation megaprojects for the region that are competing for money and attention.

But few details were shared yesterday about how much the project would cost and how it would be paid for. Officials said they would address the financing issue when the final design is selected.

"We think we can do all the projects we're talking about," Peter S. Kalikow, chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said yesterday.

Mr. Kalikow said the authority was prepared to make a "significant contribution" from its next capital plan, scheduled for 2005 to 2009. Others, however, wondered how the authority could afford it while also pursuing its two main priorities: connecting the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Terminal and building a Second Avenue subway.

"It's not at all clear where the next capital plan is coming from, how much it's going to be," said Andrew B. Albert, a nonvoting member of the transportation authority board and president of the Transit Riders Council, a group that represents passengers. "And there's a lot of big, important projects in the hopper right now." Many, he added, would serve far more riders than the airport link.

Politicians have suggested various ways to pay for the project, including using money left over from the $4.55 billion in federal aid set aside for transportation needs after 9/11 and raiding the coffers of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Deputy Mayor Daniel L. Doctoroff mentioned yesterday that as part of its new lease agreement with the city for Kennedy and La Guardia Airports, the Port Authority had promised to put up $560 million toward a downtown airport access project.

In each proposal, trains would run from the AirTrain station in Jamaica, Queens, along existing L.I.R.R. tracks. But they differ in how they would get under the East River. The first option, undoubtedly the most expensive, is to dig a new tunnel.Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg first suggested this possibility last year, citing a $4 billion price tag, but officials said yesterday that more study was needed to determine an accurate figure.

A second option is one promoted soon after 9/11 by the Downtown Alliance and Brookfield Financial Properties, downtown's biggest landlord. It involves appropriating the Cranberry Street tunnel used by the A and C subway lines, but it would require rerouting the C line to the F line tunnel, a prospect that has upset commuter groups. Brookfield quoted a $1.9 billion cost at the time.

A third option would be to use the Montague Street tunnel that now serves the M, N and R subway lines.

The final option is to use both the Cranberry and Montague Street tunnels, borrowing one for commuter service from Long Island and the other for service from Kennedy.

Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company

[Kris]

Next Step in Rail Commuting

Linking Jamaica, Manhattan

By Errol A. Cockfield, Jr.
Staff Writer

February 4, 2004, 9:21 PM EST

http://www.newsday.com/media/photo/2004-02/11277512.jpg
Map of the proposed plan for a train from downtown Manhattan to JFK Airport Wednesday.

State and city officials Wednesday unveiled four alternate plans for direct, one-seat rail access to Lower Manhattan from the Long Island Rail Road's Jamaica Station and Kennedy Airport, calling it the top economic development priority for Lower Manhattan.

The options -- designed to bolster the economy by easily shuttling thousands of workers downtown -- build on the Air Train service established in December that takes riders directly from Jamaica Station to Kennedy. State and city officials will jointly choose a plan in April.

Under the alternatives, which could cost up to $6 billion, passengers would board trains at Kennedy or Long Island Rail Road's Jamaica Station and ride through Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn. The plans differ in how riders would be sped from Brooklyn to Manhattan. They include building and enhancing tunnels under the East River:
The construction of a new East River tunnel.

The use of the Montague Street Tunnel which now serves the M, N, and R subway lines.

The use of the Cranberry Street Tunnel which serves the A and C subway lines.

Combined use of Cranberry and Montague depending on capacity.
Improving rail links from Long Island and Kennedy to Lower Manhattan, the third-largest business district in the country, has long been a goal of business groups, who say lengthy, circuitous commutes limit economic growth in Lower Manhattan.

"Transportation has been the biggest detraction," said Kathryn Wylde, president and chief executive of the Partnership for New York City, a business group.

Critics however, say the plan would only improve commuting times by minutes, at a time when the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is working on projects to add more East River ferry service and an LIRR link to Grand Central Terminal.

Lower Manhattan Development Corp. President Kevin Rampe said the rail link "will ensure that Lower Manhattan will have easy access to the Long Island labor pool."

But Mitch Pally, vice president for government affairs of the Long Island Association business group, said the Island faces more important priorities than a new rail link, including an LIRR link to Grand Central Station, a third track on the LIRR's main line for freight, and the redevelopment of the Nassau Hub area.

"The Long Islanders that work in the city already have the LIRR," he said. "We just think it's misguided to spend billions of dollars to provide any additional access."

At a news conference Wednesday in Lower Manhattan by representatives from the city, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the MTA, and the Port Authority, officials said they would release the initiative's possible cost when they decide on a single option.

For now, the various agencies said they will study how many people would use the new service and what effects it might have on current subway ridership. The only disruption in the four plans would be a diversion of the C train to another tunnel, but officials were unable to say if it would slow that line.

Gene Russianoff, staff attorney of the Straphangers Campaign, said the new service will have to be justified against other pressing transportation initiatives, including a new Second Avenue subway line.

"No one's going to build a $7 billion line that only moves 5,000 people during rush hour if that's what the numbers show," Russianoff said.

Copyright © 2004, Newsday, Inc.

[Kris]

March 21, 2004

Grants and Rails, and the Debate in Between

By DAVID W. DUNLAP

http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/2004/03/20/nyregion/met_REBUILD_040321.gif

There is only $1,163,955,348.58 left.

Though that sounds like a lot, it is not enough to cover the many claims on the federal grants for rebuilding Lower Manhattan.

These competing claims expose something of a divide between the established downtown, an unalloyed business hub, and the emerging downtown, with its residential overlay. It is not that businesses and residents disagree on the broad goal of creating a lively mixed-use area. But they may struggle over the spending needed to get there.

As the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation decides how to allocate the rest of the federal community development block grants in coming months, perhaps the biggest battle will involve a proposed rail link from downtown, along the tracks of the Long Island Rail Road, to Kennedy International Airport and Long Island.

"This project must be treated as priority one," said Thomas A. Renyi, chairman and chief executive of the Bank of New York, which has been in Lower Manhattan for 220 years. In a speech on Wednesday to the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association, he said the link would open downtown to a "most underserved" pool of potential workers on Long Island.

But 51 percent of 646 Lower Manhattan residents surveyed three weeks ago by the Pace Poll at Pace University said they opposed construction of a rail link between downtown and Kennedy Airport if it used up all the federal grants. (The question did not mention the rest of Long Island.) Forty-two percent agreed with supporters.

And the rail link emerged as priority No. 5 in an informal poll of 150 New Yorkers at a meeting on Tuesday sponsored by the Regional Plan Association and the Fiscal Policy Institute. Those who attended put housing at the top of their lists.

"There is clearly a consensus forming in Lower Manhattan that the remaining rebuilding funds should support neighborhood projects, not a rail link to the airport," said David Dyssegaard Kallick, senior fellow at the institute, which assesses city and state budgets and economic issues.

Lower Manhattan is not alone in wrestling with the potential costs and benefits of ambitious transportation projects. Others under debate include the Second Avenue subway line, the westward extension of the No. 7 subway line and the opening of Grand Central Terminal to L.I.R.R. trains.

In the case of the Long Island-Lower Manhattan rail link, much depends on a study to be released next month that will recommend an actual route, which will in turn suggest the cost. Choices include digging a new tunnel under the East River or using the existing subway tunnels.

The issue downtown is not so much opposition to the link as it is a question of whether that project should be financed, even in part, by a block grant from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation was awarded $2.783 billion in grants, of which, the corporation said, it has now allocated $1,619,044,651.42.

That leaves the $1,163,955,348.58 in unallocated grants. A $50 million housing subsidy plan is currently going through public review. Aside from that, the rest of the money is not yet earmarked.

Without commenting specifically on any potential use for the money, Kevin M. Rampe, president of the development corporation, said Friday, "Our overall philosophy has certainly been that if you use public dollars to build infrastructure, that will lead to a growth in private development that will be critical in moving Lower Manhattan forward."

"Obviously," Mr. Rampe said, "we're not going to solve all of Lower Manhattan's problems with the $1 billion we have left."

Customarily, community development block grants are used to provide decent housing and economic opportunities for people with low or moderate incomes, to eliminate blight or to meet recent threats to a community's health or welfare.

But the language of the appropriation act for Lower Manhattan confers broader discretion. It said the money was being awarded for "assistance for properties and businesses damaged by, and for economic revitalization related to, the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York City, for the affected area of New York City."

Gov. George E. Pataki said through a spokeswoman on Friday that "both short-term initiatives and long-term projects are critical to rebuilding Lower Manhattan as a central business district that is also a vibrant, 24-hour mixed-use community."

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's vision for Lower Manhattan includes improving Fulton Street and the East River waterfront and encouraging the development of cultural institutions. "We still believe that L.I.R.R.-airport access, enhancing the connectivity to Lower Manhattan, is absolutely critical to maximize the potential of Lower Manhattan," Deputy Mayor Daniel L. Doctoroff said on Friday. "But in addition, there are other investments that have to be made, truly creating the 24/7 community."

After the meeting Tuesday, Jeremy Soffin, the public affairs director of the Regional Plan Association, wrote in the association's newsletter, "The great irony here is that the best way to secure Lower Manhattan's place as a thriving business district may be to invest C.D.B.G. funds in creating nonbusiness activities - by investing in local economic development, civic amenities and arts and culture."

Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company

[Kris]

May 4, 2004

Rail Tunnel Is Considered for L.I. Link to Manhattan

By DAVID W. DUNLAP and AL BAKER

Searching for a rail link from Lower Manhattan to Kennedy Airport and Long Island, the Pataki administration is poised to choose between building a new tunnel or using the existing Montague Street tunnel on the M, N and R subway lines.

The cost of a Long Island-Lower Manhattan link using the Montague Street tunnel has been put by officials and business executives at $5 billion to $5.5 billion. A new tunnel might add $1 billion to the cost.

Gov. George E. Pataki may declare the choice tomorrow in his semiannual progress report on downtown reconstruction. In these speeches, he typically lists recent accomplishments, makes several announcements and sets timetables for pending projects.

Often, such matters are in flux until the last minute, so the reluctance of state officials to discuss the rail link yesterday could reflect either genuine indecision or their concern about pre-empting the governor.

All that Lynn Rasic, a spokeswoman for the governor, would say was that Mr. Pataki will "announce new initiatives that will help revitalize downtown."

Mr. Pataki may simply disclose the winnowing of choices for an East River crossing to bring trains into Lower Manhattan from Long Island, through Jamaica in Queens and Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn. Using a new tunnel or the Montague Street tunnel would eliminate the idea, central to two alternatives, of sharing the Cranberry Street Tunnel on the A and C lines.

Four plans have been under study since February by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the city Economic Development Corporation. They had said they would announce their choice and a financing plan by the end of last month.

The State Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver, a Democrat who represents much of Lower Manhattan, does not know which tunnel idea is favored, said a spokeswoman, Eileen Larrabee. But she added he had been pushing the governor, a Republican, for such a link to Long Island, "knowing it will be a real boost to rebuilding efforts."

Gene Russianoff, staff attorney of the New York Public Interest Research Group Straphangers Campaign, said, "It looks like the governor is leaning toward building a new under-river tunnel, but would not rule out using the existing tunnel." He said his group questioned the cost and benefit of a new tunnel, and opposed using the Montague Street tunnel because it would compromise subway service.

Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company

[ZippyTheChimp]

http://www.newsday.com/

Pataki to support new LIRR tunnel

By Errol A. Cockfield and Joshua Robin
Staff Writer

May 3, 2004, 10:48 PM EDT

Gov. George Pataki in a speech Wednesday is expected to throw his support behind a $7 billion plan to build a new tunnel under the East River to bring Long Island Rail Road trains into lower Manhattan.

Pataki intends to make the announcement during remarks before a luncheon sponsored by the Association for a Better New York, a business and civic organization, at The Ritz-Carlton New York, sources familiar with the project said Monday.

Pataki also is expected to offer an alternative $5.8-billion plan that calls for LIRR trains to run through the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Montague Street tunnel, which now serves the M and R subway lines, sources said. Pataki is looking at a combination of federal and state funding, sources said.

But MTA officials favor building the new tunnel because such a project would prove less disruptive for existing service, the sources said.

If a new tunnel is created, it would be the authority's first underwater tunnel built since the 63rd Street tunnel was completed in 1989. That tunnel, which now carries subways, is slated to be a conduit for the East Side Access project, which will bring LIRR trains to Grand Central Terminal. .

People in "downtown Manhattan have complained about having a lack of commuter rail access since Grand Central Terminal opened in 1913," said one person briefed on Pataki's plan.

MTA spokesman, John McCarthy, declined to comment. Long Island Rail Road officials referred questions to the MTA.

A Pataki spokeswoman, Lynn Rasic, said, "No final decision has been made" about the governor's selected route.

Pataki's decision whittles down the options for linking the Island with lower Manhattan from four proposals to two. Originally, the governor proposed building a new tunnel, using the Montague Street tunnel, using the Cranberry Street tunnel now serving the A and C subway lines, or another option in which both the Montague and Cranberry street tunnels would be used.

The goal of the proposals is to provide a one-seat ride to lower Manhattan from Kennedy Airport as well as from the Jamaica Long Island Rail Road terminal.

Lower Manhattan business leaders have aggressively pushed for the rail link, arguing it is crucial for them to tap into the Long Island labor market through a proposed connection at Jamaica station.

"This project must be treated as priority one," Bank of New York chairman and chief executive Thomas Renyi told the Downtown Lower Manhattan Association in March.

But the proposal has drawn fire from critics who argue it could draw funding away from other important transportation initiatives, such as the Second Avenue Subway line and the East Side Access plan.

During his speech, Pataki also is expected to address the status of efforts to fund the building of a memorial at the World Trade Center site.

There will be a two-pronged effort to raise money for the memorial and other related activities. While a foundation will raise money to build the site, September's Mission, a victims family group, has been leading the 9/11 Campaign, to raise money for cultural programming.

Copyright © 2004, Newsday, Inc.

[GowanusGuy]

I wish they would consider tunneling across the east river at the end of Atlantic Avenue. There's already an old freight tunnel under the avenue, and I believe it ends up pretty close to the LIRR Flatbush Ave station.

And as a bonus, maybe they will be able to build an elevator from this new east river tunnel to Govenor's Island, giving folks some access to the island at last.

[TLOZ Link5]

Perhaps the old freight tunnel is being considered as part of the cross-harbor project.

[Gulcrapek]

The old freight tunnel is not much of anything... it's the one Diamond planned on using in one of the stages of his trolley project. It's like 3 blocks longand might not be suitable for modern use (it was the first subway tunnel in the city)

[Kris]

May 6, 2004

Pataki Backs New Tunnel Under the East River

By DAVID W. DUNLAP

Gov. George E. Pataki threw his political weight yesterday behind a plan to dig a new tunnel under the East River as part of a $6 billion rail link from downtown to Kennedy Airport and points east along the Long Island Rail Road.

Mr. Pataki said the rail link would offer travelers a "one-seat ride to their terminal at J.F.K. in just 36 minutes" from Lower Manhattan. As an economic and political matter, the link would be even more important as the downtown gateway for up to 100,000 Long Island commuters, greatly expanding the capacity of businesses in the financial district to attract suburban workers who now live at least two train rides away.

In his semiannual progress report on Lower Manhattan, the governor set July 4 for groundbreaking at the 1,776-foot Freedom Tower at the World Trade Center site. He said he and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg would create a Lower Manhattan construction command center next month to lessen what is sure to be a decade's worth of disruption.

Mr. Pataki told the Association for a Better New York in a lunchtime speech at the Ritz-Carlton New York in Battery Park City that the design of the new Fulton Street Transit Center would be unveiled May 26, that a pedestrian promenade would be constructed along West Street and that he hoped that a downtown community center could be created under the operation of the 92nd Street Y.

The governor then joined the developer Larry A. Silverstein for a tour of the 13th floor of 7 World Trade Center, which Mr. Silverstein is now building across Vesey Street from ground zero. It amounted to a demonstration of solidarity 219 feet in the sky.

Mr. Silverstein has lost a series of legal battles with his insurers that have reduced by about a third the $7.1 billion he had hoped to receive on the main trade center site, where he holds a 99-year lease. His setbacks have raised doubts about his ability to complete all six trade center office buildings.

But the governor said, "Larry's been a great partner from the beginning."

Barely audible over the din of work on the open steel structure, Mr. Pataki continued: "We're not going to let the vagaries and uncertainties of the court litigation process determine the future of the site. We're going to continue to move forward."

Mr. Silverstein added, "With the governor by my side, we'll get this done." He also allowed that it would take a "feat of financial engineering."

The highlight of the governor's speech was his embrace of a proposal for a new tunnel between Manhattan and Brooklyn to link Long Island and the city. An alternative being studied by state officials would be to use the existing Montague Street subway tunnel, through which M and R trains run.

Under the project favored by the governor, to be completed in 2013, travelers headed downtown from Kennedy would begin their journey on the existing AirTrain tracks that loop around the central terminal area and then along a viaduct in the middle of the Van Wyck Expressway to Jamaica, Queens.

There, a new 1,500-foot elevated connector would carry the train from the AirTrain tracks to the existing tracks of the L.I.R.R. Atlantic Branch, permitting the journey to continue almost as far as Atlantic Terminal on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn.

Just shy of the existing Atlantic Terminal, and joined to it through a new underground station, the three-mile tunnel would begin. It would burrow under Brooklyn and the East River into Lower Manhattan about 100 feet below ground. The tunnel would come close to Hanover Square, the intended terminus of the Second Avenue subway, and the World Trade Center, the existing terminus of the E train.

"The boring of this tunnel will create the capacity to extend additional rail lines - such as the Second Avenue subway and existing services such as the E train - across the East River from their endpoints in Lower Manhattan to Brooklyn and beyond," Mr. Pataki said.

Holding out something for subway riders whose journeys begin and end in Manhattan or the Bronx, the governor said that direct Long Island Rail Road service to downtown would reduce congestion on the No. 2 and No. 3 lines between Pennsylvania Station and the financial district.

Mr. Pataki said that both the new tunnel and the Montague Street tunnel options would be thoroughly analyzed in an environmental review process beginning this summer and that by the time the review was finished, "we will have secured the financing necessary to begin construction."

That would include at least $560 million from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; unspecified amounts from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, through its federal community development block grant, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority; and what may be as much as $2.5 billion in unused tax credits from the federal relief package for New York.

Senator Charles E. Schumer, who told the Regional Plan Association last month that he would fight to obtain transportation financing from unused tax benefits, said yesterday that he thought the cost estimates for the tunnel projects were high.

The association itself withheld an endorsement until there are more details but did say in a statement, "We are gratified that the favored alternative will utilize a new tunnel and not impact subway riders or existing service."

The New York Public Interest Research Group Straphangers Campaign said the new tunnel "makes sense only if it moves enough riders to be worth its high price tag" and called the ridership projections "weak or questionable."

The Labor Community Advocacy Network to Rebuild New York said community development grants intended to create jobs and housing "should not be sucked into a tunnel that, if it makes sense at all, needs a real comprehensive financing plan."

Mayor Bloomberg endorsed the idea of a new tunnel in December 2002. "To make Lower Manhattan a global center," he said at the time, "our first priority must be direct, one-seat airport access."

Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company

[ZippyTheChimp]

A surprising but refreshing example of thinking big and long-term.

[Kris]

May 9, 2004

Seeing One Tunnel Too Many

By VIVIAN S. TOY

MARK HUDAK is an insurance defense lawyer from Uniondale who travels to Lower Manhattan at least three times a week for court appearances.

Like many commuters, he has tested different railroad and subway combinations to try to shave as many minutes as possible from his travel time. His current favored option takes about 70 minutes and involves changing trains at Jamaica and switching to a subway at the Long Island Rail Road's Atlantic/Flatbush terminal in Brooklyn.

Even though the last leg of his morning journey is the shortest, he said, "waiting for the subway is when I consider my work day beginning, because it's the toughest part of the trip. The rest is more relaxed and predictable."

So, like other commuters destined for Lower Manhattan who were interviewed last week at the Mineola train station, Mr. Hudak said he welcomed a plan proposed by Governor Pataki on Wednesday that would finally create a one-seat ride from Lower Manhattan to Kennedy Airport and the Jamaica terminal of the Long Island Rail Road.

"Anything that takes us anywhere near downtown without having to switch to a subway would make perfect sense," Mr. Hudak said. He added, though, that he would reserve final judgment until he determined how much time and money he would save from the proposed train link.

Mr. Pataki proposed a $6 billion plan to build a new tunnel under the East River that would link Lower Manhattan to Kennedy Airport and Long Island. He said the new rail link could cut 15 minutes from a Long Islander's commute to downtown Manhattan and could handle up to 100,000 passengers a day.

"Long Islanders as well as Queens and Brooklyn commuters will experience a more direct and more comfortable trip to Lower Manhattan," Mr. Pataki said. He said the new link would reduce congestion on subways that carry Long Island riders from Penn Station or the Atlantic Terminal and would also strengthen the competitiveness of the airport by giving air travelers a 36-minute connection from Kennedy to Manhattan.

The plan would allow riders to get to Lower Manhattan from the airport and the Jamaica railroad terminal in Queens in a newly designed hybrid vehicle that would travel on the tracks of the AirTrain and altered tracks of the Long Island Rail Road. The new train would travel from the airport, through Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn and then through the new tunnel into Manhattan.

The proposal is also supported by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, but perhaps the loudest and most persistent lobbyists for the new connection have been downtown business leaders, who feel that Lower Manhattan has for too long been at a competitive disadvantage to Midtown because it lacks one-seat access to the suburbs.

But there has been no corresponding clamor for the rail link from Long Islanders. Indeed, business leaders, transit advocates and planning experts have questioned the need for the project, particularly when limited transportation dollars are needed for other projects they deem more pressing, particularly the East Side Access plan to connect the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Terminal.

Transit advocates said last week that they were skeptical of the estimate that the downtown link would cut a commute by 15 minutes, and noted that only those Long Islanders who are headed to the World Trade Center area, where the train would stop, would actually achieve those savings. Others who work farther downtown or uptown would still have to walk or take a subway to get to their jobs, reducing any time savings.

"The downtown link is not the highest priority for Long Island, from our perspective," said Mitchell H. Pally, the vice president for government affairs at the Long Island Association, the Island's largest business group. "We're not opposed to it, but there are more important projects that we want to make sure are implemented and finished."

Beverly Dolinsky, executive director of the Long Island Rail Road Commuter's Council, agreed. "We don't support downtown access because it's very, very expensive and the case has not been made that enough people would use it and we're dealing with scarce dollars," she said. The Regional Plan Association, a nonprofit agency that focuses on 31 counties in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, estimated that only 5,000 to 8,000 riders might use the new link during peak hours, based on current ridership figures. The association did its analysis prior to the governor's announcement, which relied on recommendations made in a joint study done by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the city Economic Development Corporation.

"In terms of cost benefit and the number of riders it would benefit, it just doesn't make sense," Ms. Dolinsky said. "You're going to spend $6 billion for 5,000 riders at rush hour?" Estimates for the proposed $17 billion Second Avenue subway anticipate 220,000 riders on its first day.

Mr. Pataki said last week that the Port Authority had already committed $560 million for the downtown rail link and that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation would also kick in some funding. There also is an estimated $2.8 billion left from the $21 billion federal relief package designated for Lower Manhattan after Sept. 11 that could be tapped.

But opponents of the downtown link fear that the governor ultimately will also have to seek federal transportation dollars, and the downtown link will then come in direct competition with other Long Island transportation projects, particularly given the governor's timetable for the new tunnel. Mr. Pataki said he expected to begin the formal environmental review process for the downtown rail link this summer. He said he hoped to see construction begin in 2006 and have service begin in 2013.

Senator Charles E. Schumer said he supports the idea of a rail link to downtown, but only if the federal relief package for Lower Manhattan can cover the bulk of its cost. "I think this is a good idea for downtown and for Long Island, but we should not use transit bill money to build it," he said. "That money should go to East Side Access and other transportation projects."

Mr. Pally said that other Long Island railroad projects that should have higher priority include the East Side Access project, which is scheduled for completion in 2012, and a third track on the railroad's Main Line, which would allow a significant expansion of service between Bellerose and Hicksville and is supposed to be completed in 2016. Even longer-range projects like transportation alternatives in the Nassau Hub, the expansion of Route 347 on the North Shore of Suffolk County and the building of a new freight tunnel under New York Harbor, which would reduce truck traffic on Long Island, should take precedence, he added.

"All these projects would impact more people and provide additional options for Long Islanders," Mr. Pally said. "With the limited amount of state and federal funding that's out there, these other projects should definitely take priority."

Gene Russianoff, staff attorney of the New York Public Interest Research Group Straphangers Campaign, said the M.T.A. and the federal government would be hard-pressed to come up with additional funding to help pay the $6 billion price tag for the downtown rail link. "How do you do that while still progressing the Second Avenue subway and East Side Access, which in our view are the region's top priorities?" he asked. "The M.T.A. already has big capital needs to fix and maintain the existing system and is already challenged to find resources for new projects."

Jon Orcutt, an associate director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, a nonprofit transit advocacy group, said he was pleased that the governor last week expressed a clear preference for a new tunnel over proposals to use existing subway tunnels. "That takes away the political problem of having to battle subway riders and disrupting their service," he said. "But then it just becomes another one of these big-ticket projects in search of funding."

He and other transit advocates warned that while planning for East Side Access is complete, the $6.3 billion needed to finish the project has not yet been secured. "The Long Island Rail Road's entire network strategy for the 21st century revolves around it," Mr. Orcutt said. "And it's already unclear how they're going to pay for it."

Planning for the East Side Access project began about 30 years ago. A two-level tunnel connecting Manhattan to Queens at 63rd Street was completed in 1989, but it only extends to Second Avenue in Manhattan and does not connect to existing rail lines in Queens. The subway system has been using the upper level of the tunnel for the last decade, but the lower level was intended for the Long Island Rail Road and has never been used.

John McCarthy, a spokesman for the M.T.A., said work to finally connect the empty tunnel to the railroad began last winter, including the building of a rail yard in Long Island City and the opening of a hole in Sunnyside to eventually complete the tunnel connection. The project involves building 3.5 more miles of tunnel and a new station that would go beneath the existing Grand Central concourse. The M.T.A. so far has committed $1.5 billion to the project and M.T.A. officials hope to have the federal government foot half of the total $6.3 billion cost.

The Regional Plan Association has long been an advocate for East Side Access, because some 60,000 Long Island commuters would save up to 22 minutes in travel time each way once Long Island Rail Road trains can stop at Grand Central. "It would strengthen the economy of Long Island by making it a much more attractive place to live for commuters who work in the city," said Jeffrey Zupan, a transportation expert with the association.

But the group has been more circumspect about the downtown rail link because it would end at the World Trade Center transportation center, and does not offer other stops in Lower Manhattan. The group has also recommended that any new tunnel be connected to the proposed Second Avenue subway, which then could be extended into Brooklyn. "The tunnel then would have a huge value for people in Brooklyn who now have very limited options for getting into the East Side of Manhattan," Mr. Zupan said. "The only way for a new tunnel to make sense is to connect it to the rest of the system."

Last week, Mr. Pataki stressed that while the proposed downtown link would end at the World Trade Center Transportation Center, it eventually could be extended to the Second Avenue subway or other existing subway lines. He and other proponents for the new tunnel said they did not believe it would compete for federal dollars with East Side Access or other projects.

"East Side Access is moving ahead as it should," said Carl Weisbrod, president of the Alliance for Downtown New York. "And the downtown rail link is a project that complements and supports East Side Access because it will strengthen the Long Island labor market and the Long Island economy's connection to the New York City region."

Mr. Weisbrod played down estimates for ridership on the new link that are based on current commuter statistics. "This is a different kind of transportation project and you have to view this more as an economic development project," he said.

The estimated 5,000 Long Island commuters who now come into Lower Manhattan during each peak travel hour "are hardy souls who make a very, very difficult commute to Lower Manhattan," Mr. Weisbrod said. New Jersey residents, on the other hand, have a much easier trip and as a result make up 25 percent of the downtown workforce, he added.

"Long Island ridership will increase dramatically once the opportunity for a much easier commute is available," he said. "That's why we have to view this project not just from the viewpoint of how it serves existing riders, but as a way of creating opportunity for the region as a whole."

Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company

[TonyO]

It's not just about Long Islanders coming downtown, a direct link to JFK would be equally about the thousands of people coming through the airport. They never mention those numbers.

[billyblancoNYC]

Yes, and the fact that every damn major city has a rail to the airport. This is important, especially for business travellers.

[BrooklynRider]

I'm still wondering why they don't build an elevated monorail track down the middle of the Belt Parkway from Lower Manhattan. The Airtrain was completed quickly and even residents in the vicinity of its path said construction was well-managed and minimally disruptive.

[Ninjahedge]

What about just continuing the tunnel across the Hudson?

It would be nice to have a more direct link between B, Q and LI and NJ WITHOUT having to go through all the schtuff in between......

45 min to go 10 miles is a bit frustrating sometimes....

[JMGarcia]

The various unions involved are different on the different sides of the Hudson. They would go ballistic at such a thought.

It why there is currently no through service at Penn Station.

[Kris]

http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/transportation/20040521/16/986

[krulltime]

JFK link will build downtown

Published on June 07, 2004

The signs that downtown is being rebuilt after the terrorist attack of Sept. 11 are many and uplifting. The first new office tower, 7 World Trade Center, is rising swiftly and will be followed by a second, the Freedom Tower. Plans for a memorial proceed apace, and soon three institutions will begin work on cultural facilities for Ground Zero. New housing is being built more rapidly than anyone expected. A series of architecturally striking designs offers the chance to substantially boost the appeal of downtown.

None of this will matter much, however, if downtown can't hold on to the companies that make it the nation's third-largest business district. Doing so almost certainly requires creating a new transit link to JFK Airport, with a stop in Jamaica, Queens, to connect to the Long Island Rail Road.

The problem is that people known as transit advocates object to the project because they fear it will divert money from their cherished plans for improving midtown transit. The MTA, which would build and run the link, is lukewarm at best.

The idea of a downtown-JFK link originated with the lower Manhattan business community. Those executives believe firms need a new reason to remain or locate downtown. The rail link would provide it in two ways: fast access to JFK for firms needing overseas air connections, and a better way to tap the Long Island labor market.

The obstacle is that transit advocates and the MTA focus almost exclusively on improving transportation for current riders. Downtown business leaders, the New York City Partnership and city officials want the needs of the economy to carry the greatest weight. If the economic growth of the city comes first, then the downtown link should be pushed to the top of the agenda, next to an extension of the No. 7 line to the far West Side.

Supporters of the JFK link have made progress in identifying the money needed. A plan being pushed by the city to convert unused Sept. 11 tax credits could provide $2.5 billion. The Port Authority, Lower Manhattan Development Corp. and MTA could each add $500 million. That's a lot of money, and a good start.

Yet to be decided is whether to use existing subway tunnels or dig a new rail tunnel. With a price tag of about $5 billion, the first option is clearly cheaper and could be completed more quickly. It also generates more opposition and faces a slow death from the MTA bureaucracy. At a cost of $6 billion, the new tunnel is more expensive, but has greater long-term benefits.

An environmental impact statement is under way. Building support for this crucial project can't wait.

Copyright 2004, Crain Communications, Inc

[krulltime]

None of this will matter much, however, if downtown can't hold on to the companies that make it the nation's third-largest business district. Doing so almost certainly requires creating a new transit link to JFK Airport, with a stop in Jamaica, Queens, to connect to the Long Island Rail Road.

I totally agree.

At a cost of $6 billion, the new tunnel is more expensive, but has greater long-term benefits.

Yes. Years after it will be a good thing for Downtown. No more Taxis charging an amount of money and no more airtrams complications.

[tmg]

I don't know where to begin.

This article mischaracterizes the reason for opposition to this project, and willfully distorts the issues at hand.

Transit advocates do not favor midtown over downtown. And they want more than anybody to expand the system in ways that boosts the city's economy.

The main debate here is whether we (1) build a very expensive new link to downtown that very few people will ride, (2) build a very expensive new link to downtown that many people will ride, or (3) invest the money in different projects that are believed to provide greater benefits to the city.

The issues and choices are complex. If you build a new tunnel for a self-contained shuttle that terminates in Lower Manhattan, it will serve dramatically fewer passengers than a new tunnel that serves a new subway line that is integrated with the larger subway system. But that latter choice is apparently not under consideration, because of pre-conceived assumptions about the interests and biases of the people they want to attract to the service.

The Regional Plan Association has a far better proposal that would link the new airport service and the Second Ave Subway:
http://www.rpa.org/projects/transportation/metrolink.html

Crain's has done the public a misservice by reducing the critics' arguments to a straw man.

[BigMac]

Downtown Express
June 11, 2004

Rampe hoping rail link money comes from other sources

By Elizabeth O’Brien

http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_57/kevin.jpg

The president of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation gave few clues last week about how the agency might distribute its remaining $1 billion, telling Downtowners only that officials hoped little, if any, would go toward the proposed rail link to J.F.K. airport.

During a June 3 talk on the rebuilding efforts, Kevin Rampe told residents at the Downtown Information Center that the L.M.D.C. was actively seeking separate federal funding for the rail link that would connect Lower Manhattan to J.F.K. International Airport and the Long Island Rail Road.

His remarks signaled a shift in the public discussion of the remaining $1 billion community development block grant. While the L.M.D.C. board has not yet announced how it will allocate this federal 9/11 aid, statements by Governor George Pataki as recently as last month indicated that a portion would go toward building a new tunnel for the rail link.

During a May 5 speech on Lower Manhattan rebuilding, Pataki said the L.M.D.C. and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority “will each allocate significant funding” to help construct the rail link, which is expected to cost as much as $6 billion.

“We’re very hopeful that it won’t be used toward that,” said David Dyssegaard Kallick, a senior fellow with the Fiscal Policy Institute. Kallick said he had recently noted a change in how officials have approached funding for the proposed rail link.

The governor’s office did not return two calls for comment.

In public workshops and polls over the past year, many Downtowners have said they do not want the rail link to detract from the creation of new public schools, cultural spaces, housing and other priorities.

Kallick and other advocates called Rampe’s remarks a good first step towards an equitable distribution of funds.

“I hope they can go further with that,” said Margaret Hughes, executive director of the Good Old Lower East Side, a community organization that has pressed for the creation of affordable housing and jobs with the money.

Many community and cultural organizations have applied for a piece of the $1 billion pie. At the June 3 event, Rampe deflected a question about which projects are the most worthy.

“I think at the end of the day, my point of view will be irrelevant,” Rampe said. Rampe does not have a vote on the L.M.D.C. board, which will ultimately decide how to spend the funds. Rampe said he did not know when the board would announce its highly anticipated allocation.

Rampe offered a more concrete timeline for other phases of the rebuilding process. He said redevelopment reached a “pivotal moment” last week when the L.M.D.C. approved an environmental impact study that clears the way for construction to begin next month on the Freedom Tower.

In addition, Rampe said environmental consultants are currently studying the best way to dismantle the Deutsche Bank building, a process that is expected to begin across the street from the World Trade Center site this fall.

Community Board 1 chairperson Madelyn Wils will appoint one community liaison to keep residents updated on the status of the Deutsche Bank deconstruction, Rampe said. She will appoint another community representative to the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center, a body that will facilitate inter-agency cooperation on all Lower Manhattan projects, Rampe added.

Downtowners spoke to the importance of regulating construction in a recent poll sponsored by Friends of Community Board 1. Fifty-two percent of the approximately 800 residents polled named limiting the number of parking spaces occupied by government and construction worker vehicles as their top transportation priority or a very important priority. The second transportation priority was for improved east/west access for pedestrian and vehicular traffic, followed by the rail link to J.F.K. at third, with 46 percent of respondents strongly favoring the plan.

While many Downtowners support the idea of a direct ride from Lower Manhattan to J.F.K., most do not believe the rail link should receive the lion’s share of the remaining $1 billion in L.M.D.C. funds, according to the poll. Asked about their top priority for the money, 26 percent named new public schools; 18 percent named a community recreation and cultural center like the 92nd St. Y; 18 percent named East and West Side waterfront and park renovation; 17 percent named new retail, housing and cultural facilities around Fulton St.; 13 percent named a direct transit ride to J.F.K, and four percent named a vehicular tunnel under West St.

Many don’t want to wait any longer for the L.M.D.C. board’s decision on who will get money intended to help the city recover from the terror attack of Sept. 11, 2001.

“Taking due time to think about projects is very appropriate,” Kallick said, “but it’s been two and a half years.”

Elizabeth@DowntownExpress.com

Copyright 2004 Community Media LLC.

[STT757]

The Port Authority is already in the planning/enginering process to build an extension to the PATH's World Trade Center- Newark PENN Station line from Downtown Newark to Newark Airport, it's about 1-2 miles of new track that needs to be layed next to Amtrak's NEC.

The estimated cost is $500 Million which the Port Authority will pay for through Port Authority funds, it accomplishes the goal of a direct connection for Lower Manhattan to a Major International Airport at a fraction of the price of the JFK-Lower Manhattan rail link.

However I can understand the wishes of NY Politicians to support JFK-Lower Manhattan services since they have been trying for years to get JFK's passenger numbers back up to par with EWR's which have been the highest of the 3 NYC Airports for the last 7 years, thanks mostly to Jetblue JFK surpassed Newark Airport last year by 1 million passengers.

However they really need to think hard about how many people will benefit from a direct connection to JFK from Lower Manhattan in relationship to the cost, for the number of people who would likely use a direct rail link from Lower Manhattan ( about 4-5,000 daily rides) $500 Million sounds better than $6 Billion.

[BPC]

However they really need to think hard about how many people will benefit from a direct connection to JFK from Lower Manhattan in relationship to the cost, for the number of people who would likely use a direct rail link from Lower Manhattan ( about 4-5,000 daily rides) $500 Million sounds better than $6 Billion.

I vote for both links. Also, the focus on the JFK Link should not be entirely on Lower Manhattan. One of the main benefits no one ever talks about is the boon to Downtown Brooklyn. All of the designs for the JFK Link show one Brooklyn stop. Fast, one seat train service to JFK would do much to accelerate the Brooklyn renaissance that is already taking place. It would help restore Downtown Brooklyn's role as a business center. Six billion dollars is a lot of money, but when the cost benefit analysis is done, the benefit to Brooklyn should be included.

[billyblancoNYC]

I vote for no Newark link since the PA has favored this airport too much for the past decade. Link to JFK and extend the N to LGA.

[STT757]

I vote for no Newark link since the PA has favored this airport too much for the past decade

Do you have anything to back this up?..

Because the facts say different, $3.8 Billion spent on Newark Airport since 1994.

Over $9 Billion spent on JFK since 1994.

The Newark Airport Airtrain System cost $600 Million Dollars, JFK's Airtrain system cost $3 Billion.

So if you have some facts put up.

[Zoe]

I totally agree with extending the N to LGA. There must be some kind of payoffs happening, because common sense says that link should have been done YEARS ago. The N is above ground and from where it terminates at Ditmars is right up the street from LGA.
Newark services not only certain parts of NYC but also over half the state of NJ and is Continentals main hub. Given that NJ is the most densely populated state in the country and that northern NJ is not a vein of the city but a central artery, that airport link should be completed. Saying that you should skip completing the Newark link could only come from someone who does not fly much. I fly every week for work and use all 3 airports depending on my schedule and destinations.
The link to JFK is a good idea, but not as critical as one to LGA since there is now the one connection. If they were to dig a new tunnel and create additional subway stops and service to Brooklyn, that would be well worth it.

[TonyO]

If you look at the statistics, JFK and EWR are very comparable. LGA services fewer passengers as you would assume. That is probably why there is rarely a push for the N train extension.

http://www.panynj.gov/aviation/traffic/monthlysummary2004.html

[normaldude]

I totally agree with extending the N to LGA. There must be some kind of payoffs happening, because common sense says that link should have been done YEARS ago. The N is above ground and from where it terminates at Ditmars is right up the street from LGA.

$645 million has already been allocated for the N train extension to LaGuardia. However, 2 blocks of Astoria NIMBYs have been perpetually blocking this project from moving forward.
http://mta.info/mta/capital/cap-network.htm#lag

For me, if I had to rank the airport rail projects, in terms of which ones I'd like to see happen..

1) N train extension to LaGuardia Airport. Currently, LGA is the only NYC airport without rail access. The money has already been allocated. Just build it already. It would help get some cars/buses/taxis off the roads/tunnels/bridges. Less road traffic, less pollution. Currently, if you want to go to/from LaGuardia airport, you are FORCED to increase road traffic & pollution.

2) PATH extension to Newark Airport. The current Newark Airtrain setup relies on NJ transit trains, which has up to hour long gaps in service. Example: Sat/Sun morning from NYC to NWK airport: 9:08am, 9:14am, 10:08am, 10:14am, 11:08am, 11:14am, etc. Hour long gaps are not acceptable. Extending the PATH train to connect to the Newark Airtrain will cost $500 million.

3) JFK one-seat-ride to Manhattan. I place this last because I think it's redundant, unnecessary, and incredibly expensive ($6 billion!). JFK already has rail access with frequent service, and the E train is express to Manhattan.

I do think the current JFK Airtrain schedule is a bit confusing (3 different routes!), and should be simplified to one route (Howard Beach > Terminals > Jamaica/Sutphin/Archer). That way, you get off your plane, and get on an airtrain either heading to Jamaica/Sutphin/Archer (E train) or Howard Beach (A train).

My hope is that one day a person can just use their unlimited ride metrocard to go to/from any of the 3 airports (assuming the airtrain and PATH systems can be included under the MTA metrocard). Whether it's a tourist with a 1-day unlimited metrocard, or a resident with a 30-day unlimited metrocard.

[TLOZ Link5]

They should also resume ferry service to LaGuardia. They used to run ferries to the Delta Marine Air Terminal up until 2000. Bring it back, and advertise it a lot more.

[NewYorkYankee]

They should also resume ferry service to LaGuardia. They used to run ferries to the Delta Marine Air Terminal up until 2000. Bring it back, and advertise it a lot more.

ferries are slooowwwww.....anyone agree? I wouldnt want to ride one.

[BPC]

[quote=Zoe]My hope is that one day a person can just use their unlimited ride metrocard to go to/from any of the 3 airports (assuming the airtrain and PATH systems can be included under the MTA metrocard). Whether it's a tourist with a 1-day unlimited metrocard, or a resident with a 30-day unlimited metrocard.

Good point, but I would not stop there. One of the big problems with New York's regional rail network always has been the way it is broken up into various semi- or completely independent operators -- subway, Path, MetroNorth, LIRR, NJT, Amtrak, and now AirTrain -- which, for the most part, do not accept each other's tickets. This is a problem that should not take billions of dollars and years to solve. With MetroCard technology, I would hope that all of these rail systems will soon offer a unified rail pass, a card that can get you on to any train in the NYC metro area.

[Zoe]

Agreed. Only the WTC Path station takes MTA cards and Path cards. I was told it is a pilot and if all goes well that they will roll out the same card readers to all Path stations. It's still not a unified card system, but at least you can use multiple card types. A beginning...

[tmg]

There's a fourth airport access proposal on the table as well, although it hasn't been discussed much recently. Original plans for the Airtrain included a one-seat ride into Midtown. The new Penn Station being planned for the Farley Post Office was originally intended to serve airport-bound passengers as well. The project would be low-cost because it would use existing rights-of-way, perhaps on some combination of LIRR and the E line. [One complication that may be difficult to overcome is that "transit" vehicles (e.g. subway, airtrain) are not permitted to run on "railroad" (e.g. LIRR) tracks].

I don't know the status of this proposal, but in principle, this service could begin after 2011, once the Moynihan Station and East Side Access projects are complete. If it is still under consideration, the question shifts from whether or not Manhattan need a $6 billion link to JFK, but whether Lower Manhattan needs it in addition to a lower-cost link in Midtown.

[STT757]

The Airtrain to NY Penn is going ahead, however not untill the East Side Access project relieves the congestion at NY Penn. The Airtrain to Lower Manhattan proposal is in addtion to the connection of Airtrain service to NY Penn, all that's needed to bring the Airtrain to NY Penn is to physically connect the lines in Jamaica and bridge the technology gaps between the LIRR and Airtrain's signaling and vehicles.

[billyblancoNYC]

The Airtrain to NY Penn is going ahead, however not untill the East Side Access project relieves the congestion at NY Penn. The Airtrain to Lower Manhattan proposal is in addtion to the connection of Airtrain service to NY Penn, all that's needed to bring the Airtrain to NY Penn is to physically connect the lines in Jamaica and bridge the technology gaps between the LIRR and Airtrain's signaling and vehicles.

This is pretty damn exciting. Why is there so little talk of this?

[tmg]

This is pretty damn exciting. Why is there so little talk of this?

I think the answer is that support for the Lower Manhattan proposal would decline if more people know about this.

The Airtrain to NY Penn is going ahead, however not untill the East Side Access project relieves the congestion at NY Penn. The Airtrain to Lower Manhattan proposal is in addtion to the connection of Airtrain service to NY Penn, all that's needed to bring the Airtrain to NY Penn is to physically connect the lines in Jamaica and bridge the technology gaps between the LIRR and Airtrain's signaling and vehicles.

Thanks for the update, STT757. I'm sure there are technical solutions to the problems of differing signal, power, and train control systems. (My guess with the latter is that AirTrain couldn't operate driverless on the busy LIRR tracks). But the LIRR tracks handle freight, and Federal Railroad Administration rules prohibit the operation of light rail vehicles on tracks also used by freight trains. How will this issue be resolved?

(see http://www.railwayage.com/dec99/intransit.html)

[STT757]

I had saved on my favorites list a link to a RFP ( Request for Proposals) from the Empire State Development Corp for a Company to do the design and enginering work for the JFK-NY Penn connection.

It listed some of the physical, enginering and even political challenges in bridging the two systems.

Basically it called for the design for a Check-in area at the Farley Station, and associated work on merging the systems and developing a "hybird" Airtrain vehicle to operate across both systems.

LIRR MU cars cannot operate on the Airtrain system, and Airtrain cars cannot operate on the LIRR system. A Hybrid vehicle and drive/signaling system needs to be developed, it also has to meet FRA crash standards.

[tmg]

Thanks again, STT757. Could you post the link? I can only find a press release.

[TLOZ Link5]

[quote=TLOZ Link5]
ferries are slooowwwww.....anyone agree? I wouldnt want to ride one.


A lot of people do. We often fail to notice that New York is a city of islands. Ferries don't get caught in traffic, they don't have unavoidable delays save for a breakdown, and they're in many cases more reliable and convenient than other forms of mass transit. Plus the views are superb ;-)

[billyblancoNYC]

[quote=TLOZ Link5]
ferries are slooowwwww.....anyone agree? I wouldnt want to ride one.


A lot of people do. We often fail to notice that New York is a city of islands. Ferries don't get caught in traffic, they don't have unavoidable delays save for a breakdown, and they're in many cases more reliable and convenient than other forms of mass transit. Plus the views are superb ;-)

I agree. It would make more sense for the MTA, or whoever, to take this over, as they do buses and trains. This is a viable form of transport that will truly add to the experience of being in NYC. Look at the SI Ferry...it's a major tourist attraction. So are the cruises. It only makes sense. NYC has over 500 miles of waterfront, for God's sake. This should, and looks like it may be some day, one of the more waterfront oriented cities around. Transport, rereation, etc. are a must for the city to continue to evolve and improve. Maybe they'll get faster ferries one day, too.

[STT757]

GARGANO, ESD SOLICIT INTEREST FOR "ONE-SEAT" RIDE TO CONNECT MID-TOWN MANHATTAN AND JOHN F. KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Empire State Development (ESD) Chairman Charles A. Gargano today announced that ESD issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for a "one-seat" rail access link between Midtown Manhattan and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The service would ultimately provide a 25-minute direct train link between the new Farley-Pennsylvania Station and JFK.

"In 1996, Governor George Pataki unveiled his Masterlinks program, a comprehensive and integrated transportation plan geared towards improving access to the region's airports," Chairman Gargano said. "The program has already led to the AirTrain project to improve JFK's transportation services, and now another tremendous milestone is being reached.

"Today we are advancing efforts to provide the traveling public with a high quality, state-of-the-art "one-seat" rail ride between one of the nation's busiest international airports and America's busiest transportation center.

"Our redevelopment of Penn Station is bringing back its spectacular grandeur and dramatically improving travel services to Mid-Town Manhattan. A "one-seat" ride, similar to the highly successful Heathrow Express in London, would be another monumental achievement. It would demonstrate the power of the public-private partnership while providing long-overdue train-to-plane travel services," Gargano said.

ESD will solicit proposals for a public-private partnership to develop the "one-seat" rail ride. The RFEI is an important first step in creating a public-private partnership to provide "one-seat" service, and serves as the foundation for issuing specific requests for proposals in the near future.

Donald J. Carty, Chairman and CEO of American Airlines, endorsed the "one-seat" ride concept recently at the groundbreaking of America Airlines $1.2 billion new terminal project at JFK. Mr. Carty said, "Governor Pataki and Chairman Gargano are to be commended for launching this bold and innovative project. The one-seat ride will be a terrific boon for air travelers to and from Manhattan. When completed, passengers will be able to check in themselves and their luggage at Penn Station, board a train, and be at JFK in 25 minutes."

JetBlue Airways CEO David Neeleman said, "JetBlue is all about providing New Yorkers with a better travel experience for a very affordable price. Jetblue, New York's new low fare hometown airline, congratulates Governor George Pataki and Empire State Development Corporation Chairman Charles Gargano on this bold initiative in pursuit of a one-seat ride between JFK and Manhattan. The vision of the Governor and the ESD in planning the next steps for the JFK light rail project is critical for the efficient transportation of all New Yorkers."

JetBlue airways is New York's new low fare home town airline based at JFK starting service on February 11th to Fort Lauderdale and Buffalo, New York the week following. By the end of 2000 JetBlue will serve 11 cities with 10 brand new Airbus A320 aircraft.

The RFEI seeks to build upon two major transportation initiatives designed to provide improved rail and airport access, the AirTrain project and the redevelopment of Pennsylvania Station. A timeline on both projects is attached.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is responsible for the AirTrain project, which will provide rail service between JFK and Jamaica Station. The Port Authority would operate in tandem with a direct one-seat ride service. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) operates the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) from Penn Station to Jamaica Station.

The Pennsylvania Station Redevelopment Corporation is transforming the existing Penn Station into a world-class intermodal transportation and commercial facility inside the James A. Farley Post Office Building.

The Farley-Penn Station project includes flagship facilities for Amtrak intercity rail and is designed to incorporate fully integrated one-seat ride service between Farley and JFK. The project includes airline ticketing and baggage check-in, saving "one-seat" passengers valuable time and effort for domestic and international air travel.

Responses to the RFEI are due by 5:00 p.m. local time on March 17, 2000.

Charles A. Gargano is Chairman of Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC), the lead economic development agency for the State of New York. Mr. Gargano also serves as the Vice-Chairman of the New York-New Jersey Port Authority, as well as the Chairman of the Pennsylvania Station Redevelopment Corporation.

The RFEI will solicit broad proposals from the respondents on their approach to achieving the following objectives:

A safe, clean, comfortable travel experience for airport bound passengers;

Utilization of existing MTA LIRR mainline and proposed AirTrain railroads to create a direct rail connection between Farley-Penn Station and JFK (approximately 17 miles);

Provision of a direct, one-seat ride service that would allow for (a) the necessary AirTrain light rail service between Jamaica Station and JFK, (b) the future implementation of a one-seat ride subway connection at Howard Beach, and (c) a stop at Jamaica Station;

Resolution of issues involving MTA LIRR tunnel and mainline peak hour capacity in the context of both current LIRR service and after the 63rd Street East-Side Access to Grand Central Terminal becomes available.

Build-out of airline baggage sorting room and airline baggage conveyor system at the Farley Station;

Operation of a direct service that offers a 25-minute connection time between Farley-Penn Station and JFK, regular schedule with dependable 15-20 minute head-ways between train departures, the availability of high level of passenger service and amenities including airline ticketing and baggage check-in services, automated ticketing, on-board passenger information systems, and other customer services.
If interested in receiving a copy of the RFEI, please call 212-803-3741.

###

Timeline Leading To One-Seat Ride Proposal

May, 1996. Governor George E. Pataki proposes the Masterlinks program, outlining a comprehensive transportation plan to provide New York City and the region with the finest, integrated transportation network in the world. A component of the Masterlinks calls for the state, local, and regional authorities to work together towards reaching this goal and emphasizes improved access to the region's airports.

July, 1998. As part of the Masterlinks program, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) concerning New York airport access is signed by New York State, New York City, the Borough of Queens, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the Port Authority. The MOA commits to the construction of a light rail system, AirTrain, for providing access to JFK. The MOA further directs that the AirTrain be compatible with a future one-seat ride to Midtown Manhattan.

Summer, 1998. The Port Authority begins construction on the $1.825 billion AirTrain system. Service is expected to begin in 2003.

May, 1999. Plans unveiled for the new $565 million Pennsylvania Station in the James A. Farley Post Office in New York City, expected to create 7,600 new jobs and $65 million in tax revenues during its construction phase.

The current Pennsylvania Station is already the nation's busiest transportation facility, and the project will transform the post office into the world's premier intermodal train station. The new station is expected to create 1,600 new, permanent jobs, opening the West Side of Manhattan for further economic growth.

The Grand Opening of the Farley-Pennsylvania Station facility is expected in 2004.

January, 2000. RFEI issued to solicit interest for a "one-seat" ride between JFK and Farley-Penn Station.

Spring, 2000. Projected date to issue Request for Proposals (RFP) for the "one-seat" ride.

Summer, 2000. Projected date to select team to develop, build, and operate the "one-seat" ride.

Fall, 2001. Estimated completion of engineering and regulatory review for the "one-seat" ride.

2004. Projected start of the "one-seat" ride revenue service between JFK and Farley-Penn Station.

http://www.nylovesbiz.com/Press/2000/oneseat2.htm

[billyblancoNYC]

Nice. The Penn to JFK link should be up within months. Excellent planning.

[tmg]

Unfortunately, the Midtown project appears no closer to fruition than it was then this RFP was issued 4 years ago.

[krulltime]

Am I having flashbacks? yeah I am afraid is old news. It is just talking about how it is important. I know it is and so do many people. What I want to hear is that they are about to do something in creating the possible. :roll:

[Kris]

June 30, 2004

Pataki Asks Bush for City Rail Aid

By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ

WASHINGTON, June 29 — Gov. George E. Pataki has asked President Bush to allow New York to use billions of dollars in unspent Sept. 11 aid to build a rail link connecting the former World Trade Center site to the Long Island Rail Road and Kennedy International Airport, according to the governor's aides.

In a rare direct appeal to the president, Mr. Pataki urged Mr. Bush, a fellow Republican, to provide cash in place of unused parts of a $5 billion tax-incentive package that Washington allocated to help spur construction of new office towers, residential buildings and retail shops in Lower Manhattan.

Mr. Pataki has yet to specify the precise amount that he is seeking from the federal government. But his aides say that he may ask the president and Congress to convert about $2 billion in unused tax breaks into hard cash for the $6 billion project. The money, if approved, would provide significant financing for the rail link, which has been promoted by the governor as a way to reinvigorate downtown while solving the riddle of providing direct access to the airport from Manhattan.

The tax breaks the governor wants to forsake, known as the Liberty Zone package, have been controversial from their inception, with some New York politicians, economists and real estate experts questioning their value and arguing that Lower Manhattan has been in desperate need of a large infusion of actual dollars from the federal government.

In a letter sent to Mr. Bush on Monday, Mr. Pataki said that he and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg "would like to work with your administration to determine if and exactly how much of the unused tax package is available" to be converted into cash to pay for the rail link and other revitalization projects in Lower Manhattan."

"The proposed Long Island and J.F.K. rail service will help re-attract tens of thousands of jobs lost after September 11th and will result in growth across the metropolitan region," the governor said in the letter. "Redeploying these untapped federal funds will contribute substantially to the revitalization of Lower Manhattan and the broader area."

The Bloomberg administration's representatives did not respond to a request yesterday for a comment on the governor's proposal.

Politically, the timing of Mr. Pataki's request is intriguing, coming two months before national Republicans gather in New York City to nominate Mr. Bush in a party convention that is scheduled to coincide roughly with the third anniversary of the Sept. 11 attack.

As one of the main hosts of the event, Mr. Pataki appears to have some leverage with the White House, though the governor's aides dismissed such assertions, saying that the president had already been extremely helpful in New York's recovery effort. The governor has also been a major fund-raiser for the president, traveling the country in recent months on his campaign's behalf.

Last night, the White House indicated that it was open to Mr. Pataki's proposal.

"We are receptive to the governor's idea of redeploying unused tax incentives to support the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan," said Claire Buchan, a White House spokeswoman. "We are working with the governor's office, the mayor's office and the Congress on the specifics."

In May, Mr. Pataki first announced that he would throw his support behind a plan to dig a new tunnel under the East River as part of a rail link from downtown to Kennedy Airport and points east along the Long Island Rail Road. It would, among other things, greatly expand the ability of businesses in the financial district to attract workers from Long Island who now have to take both the city subway and suburban rail lines to get downtown.

In his letter to the president, Mr. Pataki said the rail link would both accommodate as many as 100,000 Long Island commuters each day and "offer a one-seat ride from downtown to J.F.K. Airport."

"The critical new rail line would provide Lower Manhattan with dramatically improved access to one of the region's most important labor pools and the region's premier international gateway," the letter said.

The project envisioned by the governor would be completed in 2013. It would allow travelers heading downtown from Kennedy Airport to begin their trip on existing AirTrain tracks that loop around the central terminal area and then along a viaduct in the middle of the Van Wyck Expressway to Jamaica, Queens.

There, a new 1,500-foot elevated connector would carry the train from the AirTrain tracks to the existing Long Island Rail road tracks heading toward Brooklyn.

Just before the Atlantic Terminal, and joined to it through a new underground station, the three-mile tunnel would begin. It would burrow under Brooklyn and the East River into Lower Manhattan. The tunnel would come close to Hanover Square, the intended terminus of the Second Avenue subway, and the World Trade Center, the existing terminus of the E train.

Mr. Pataki said in his letter to Mr. Bush that financing for the $6 billion project would include at least $560 million from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and unspecified amounts from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and other sources.

The Liberty Zone tax-incentive package that the governor is seeking to convert to cash has long been one of the biggest question marks in the $21.4 billion that the president and Congress pledged to aid New York's recovery from the Sept. 11 attack, which destroyed the trade center and killed more than 2,800 people.

A host of New York politicians in both parties have called into question the actual value of the Liberty Zone tax breaks. In 2002, for example, the Bloomberg administration commissioned a report that concluded the tax benefits were worth less than $3.8 billion, not the $5.029 billion projected by federal officials.

Beyond that, some state and city officials say the package was an ill-conceived way of addressing the damage that was done to the city's economy by the terrorist attack. The value of the tax breaks, they say, is entirely dependent upon the willingness of people to invest in office buildings and other business opportunities at a time when the future of downtown, and especially the market for office space, is in serious doubt.

Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company

[Kris]

July 1, 2004

Mayor Backs Pataki on Converting 9/11 Aid

By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg will support Gov. George E. Pataki's proposal to use billions of dollars in unspent Sept. 11 aid on building a rail link to connect the former World Trade Center site to the Long Island Rail Road and Kennedy International Airport, the mayor's aides said yesterday.

Mr. Pataki has personally lobbied President Bush, a fellow Republican, to provide hard cash in place of a $5 billion tax-break package that Washington established to help spur construction in Lower Manhattan after the terrorist attacks.

In a news conference at City Hall yesterday, Mr. Bloomberg, also a Republican, told reporters he welcomed the governor's efforts. He also noted that other New York officials - including Deputy Mayor Daniel L. Doctoroff and Senator Charles E. Schumer - had already been urging Congress to convert about $2 billion in unused tax breaks into cash.

"I'm glad to see that he's on board," Mr. Bloomberg said, referring to Mr. Pataki. "This is a coordinated effort from everybody and my hope is that down the road, Congress will do it."

Mr. Bloomberg's aides noted that the mayor himself had raised the issue of converting the tax breaks into cash with Vice President Dick Cheney on Tuesday night when the two men attended a political dinner in Manhattan.

The project envisioned by the governor would be completed in 2013. It involves digging a tunnel under the East River as part of a rail link from downtown to Kennedy Airport and points east along the Long Island Rail Road.

In a letter to Mr. Bush on Monday, Mr. Pataki argued that the project would help revitalize Lower Manhattan by enabling businesses there to attract workers from Long Island who now have to take both a train and a subway to get downtown. He also said it would provide direct access to the airport from Manhattan.

Mr. Pataki's decision to make a personal appeal to Mr. Bush drew praise even from New York Democrats, who have often accused the governor of refusing to publicly fight on behalf of New York when the state's interests came in conflict with the goals of his Republican allies in Washington.

In a statement, Mr. Schumer, a Democrat, suggested that Mr. Pataki's direct appeal to the president could bolster the efforts that he and city officials have undertaken to secure dollars in place of the tax breaks. "We're glad that the governor has written the White House, and we are hoping the president will now support increasing that amount," he said.

Mr. Schumer noted that the Senate had already passed a measure that would convert about $200 million in tax breaks for Lower Manhattan into cash. That measure was contained in a national economic stimulus package, the senator's aides said.

The House passed a similar package, but it did not include any provision to convert tax breaks into cash for Lower Manhattan, according to Mr. Schumer's office. The two chambers are seeking to reconcile the bills, and the fate of the New York provision is unclear.

The tax breaks, known as the Liberty Zone package, have been controversial from the start, with some New York politicians, economists and real estate interests questioning their value and arguing that Lower Manhattan has needed a large infusion of cash from Washington.

Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company

[Ninjahedge]

Breifly skimming the latest articles (sorry guys) I would like to post my own ALL ENCOMPASING OMNICIENT OPINION!!!!

j/k


Anyway.


I think the PATH extension is a good idea, but the card thing you were mentioning is a little difficult. The main reason being thatthe PATH costs $1.50 a trip, or $1.20 a trip for a "bulk" purchase of 20 or 40 trips. metro cards cost significantly more, $2 a trip or an additional 20% value on the card making a per trip cost of $1.67.

You can use a cash-card system to get ON either of these systems, but how would you integrate them? Should there be a nominal transfer fee to go from PATH to the subway? Or vice versa/both? Should the two systems be integrated?

Or should they still be handled as seperate entities even if tehy are integrated rather limitedly.

What was the line they wanted to connect the PATH to? If that was connected, it would be hard to keep the cash systems seperate, except for the fact that many people would not ride out to the East side (or wherever that line goes, sorry for the lack of information... :()just to save 40¢ on a subway ride (That line does not look like the most networked, or central of lines).

But building a 6 BILLION dollar extension? ouch!

The extension to LGA is reasonable, but I can also understand people not wanting an EL running through their neighborhood. If it is only a few blocks, then some consession might be made, but I have a feeling that a lot of people would prefer a subterranean solution to be made, and some of the EL to be removed. For $6B, I am sure you could do a lot.....

[krulltime]

I think the JFK link is not as important as the Long Island Rail Road to lower manhattan. I take the E train wich is express to manhattan from the jamaica/jfk connection station and I enjoyed. All they need to do is to spend the money on this train lines to make them more atractive that is all. I took the A train and they sure need to fix up the stations here as well.

The money should be use instead to fix up stations and put elevated trains underground. Well if they put all the elevated trains underground then that will be 10's of billions of dollars I guess. But the stations are important though.

[NewYorkYankee]

I think the JFK link is not as important as the Long Island Rail Road to lower manhattan. I take the E train wich is express to manhattan from the jamaica/jfk connection station and I enjoyed. All they need to do is to spend the money on this train lines to make them more atractive that is all. I took the A train and they sure need to fix up the stations here as well.

The money should be use instead to fix up stations and put elevated trains underground. Well if they put all the elevated trains underground then that will be 10's of billions of dollars I guess. But the stations are important though.

I agree, some stations need a major upgrade and clean up.

[debris]

I agree, fixing the cars comes first. I just took the Jamacia AirTrain to JFK, using the LIRR from Penn Station. Let me tell you, baggage is the problem. They *need* to fix this. I almost had a hernia lugging all that stuff around. They need to design the E train so that it looks like the Airtrain, with plenty of room for bags. Only problem is, this might restrict passenger capacity, which would be bad during rush hour.

Remember, this $6 billion project may come with additional benefits. If they send the E train out to JFK using a new tunnel, then the tunnel still has capacity for another train. You could send the second avenue subway (T train?) to Brooklyn as well, and do something creative with it. I believe in building this new tunnel because 20 years down the line, who knows what the MTA will use it for. Remember how big of a boon the Manhattan Bridge re-opening was. With Brooklyn booming, more East River tunnel capacity will definitely be needed...

[BigMac]

Newsday
July 12004

LIBERATE CREDITS TO PAY FOR RAIL LINK

Plan would benefit Lower Manhattan

As Lower Manhattan struggles to regain its status as a major employment center, it's obvious that better access to the place is a must. That's why Gov. George Pataki and Mayor Michael Bloomberg have strongly supported a rail line from downtown to the Long Island Rail Road's Jamaica Station and on out to Kennedy Airport.

There's just one problem: A one-seat ride to Jamaica and JFK will require the construction of a new tunnel under the East River at a cost of perhaps $6 billion. And who has the money to get the project started? Not the state. Not the city. And not the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Then New York Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff came up with an intriguing idea: Why not petition the White House for permission to devote as much as $2.6 billion in unused Liberty Zone tax credits to the rapid-rail project? Pataki sent his request off to Washington on Monday, and at least one insider says the Bush administration is open to the proposal.

The crucial point to remember is that Pataki's request isn't just a shakedown for a larger slice of pork. The federal government released new figures this week showing that by December 2001 the World Trade Center attack had cost the city 143,000 jobs and $2.8 billion in lost wages. Better access to Long Island and to JFK would help Lower Manhattan build a new economy that remains robust well into the future.

This being New York, the project still has enemies who think it'll siphon off cash from other worthy public works. A major chunk of Washington change might allay some of that fear. In any case, without dramatically better access to the region, Lower Manhattan will never reach its full potential.

Copyright © 2004, Newsday, Inc.

[BigMac]

NY1
July 21, 2004

Business Leaders Lobby White House For Lower Manhattan-JFK Rail Link

http://www.ny1.com/Content/images/live/65/129305.jpg

A group of local business leaders took their case for the proposed Lower Manhattan to JFK Airport rail link to the White House Wednesday.

The executives, hand-picked by Governor George Pataki, met with White House budget chief Joshua Bolten to ask that the remaining tax credits from the $20 billion September 11th aid package be converted to cash. Business leaders want that money to be used to build a train service from downtown Manhattan to JFK Airport in Queens.

The group says the link would entice more companies to make downtown their home and make it more appealing for companies already in Lower Manhattan to expand.

The rail link is expected to cost about $6 billion. The Port Authority has already said it will commit $560 million to the project.

Copyright © 2004 NY1 News

[Bob]

I have to laugh. High speed rail?! What is meant by "high speed?" 70 mph?

I'm sure we've ALL seen, by now, coverage of Shanghai's High Speed maglev link capable of top speeds of nearly 300 mph, which links its airport to downtown. Why aren't our people talking up something along these lines? Answer: for the same reason the Governor opposed widening I-287 through Westchester, why our legislators puts their fingers to the wind about building a new Tappan Zee Bridge, and why we're getting a poor substitute for the incredible Twin Towers.

OK, so I'm a skeptic. But if it's "high speed rail" we're going to get, I guess that's better than what we have now between JFK and downtown, virtually ZIP.

[TLOZ Link5]

Shanghai's maglev line actually has had much less ridership than its builders initially predicted. The airport is only 30 miles away from Pudong, which itself is not well-served by Shanghai's small but expanding metro. Maglev works well as intercity transit, but a 30-mile line that has no economic benefits aside from its speed is ham-handed, almost ludicrous. Seventy miles an hour works well from JFK, which is less than 20 miles from Lower Manhattan.

[ZippyTheChimp]

July 30, 2004

White House to Allow $2 Billion in 9/11 Aid to Be Used for Airport Link

By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ

The White House has agreed to let New York use $2 billion in Sept. 11 aid to help build a $6 billion rail link connecting the World Trade Center site to the Long Island Rail Road and Kennedy International Airport.

The decision by the Bush administration is a huge boost for Gov. George E. Pataki's efforts to get a direct rail connection from Manhattan to the airport. Such a link, common in most other large cities, has been a dream of urban planners for decades.

And advocates for downtown say putting the link at the World Trade Center site would significantly enhance Lower Manhattan's efforts to attract new business and recover economically from the terror attack.

The money for the rail project would come from unused portions of a multibillion-dollar tax-incentive package that Washington allocated in 2001 to help spur redevelopment of Lower Manhattan after the Sept. 11 attack, according to city, state and federal officials. The rail plan must still be approved by Congress.

Governor Pataki and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg had pushed the White House in recent weeks to redirect the funds, from the so-called Liberty Bond program, to the planned rail link.

The project is expected to be completed in 2013. It would allow travelers heading to Manhattan from Kennedy Airport to travel aboard new trains on existing AirTrain tracks that loop around the central terminal area and then run along a viaduct in the middle of the Van Wyck Expressway to Jamaica, Queens. There, a new 1,500-foot elevated connector would carry the trains from the AirTrain tracks to the Long Island Rail Road tracks heading toward Brooklyn.

Just before Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, and joined to it by a new underground station, a three-mile tunnel would begin, burrowing under Brooklyn and the East River into Lower Manhattan.

The tunnel would come close to Hanover Square, the intended terminus of the Second Avenue subway, and the World Trade Center, the existing terminus of the E train.

Once completed, officials say, the link would greatly expand the ability of businesses in the financial district to attract workers from Long Island, who now have to take both trains and subways to get downtown. It would accommodate up to 100,000 Long Island commuters a day, according to the governor's office.

The White House's decision to provide the money was detailed in a document prepared by the Office of Management and Budget as part of the midyear budget review that the Bush administration plans to submit to Congress today.

The document itself does not specify how the $2 billion is to be spent, other than noting that it is being set aside for "transportation infrastructure" in New York. But both the governor and the mayor have said that they will use the money to pay for the rail link.

The aid request must still go to Congress, where the Bush administration's support could go a long way toward quieting protests from Republican budget hawks who are increasingly concerned about the growing federal deficit, particularly in an election year.

In a statement, Mr. Pataki said the decision brought the rail project one step closer to reality.

"President Bush's support is a tremendous boost for the rail link project," he said. "Now, it is up to Congress and our state's Congressional delegation to ensure this proposal becomes law. I look forward to working with them to make the rail link a reality."

Mr. Bloomberg also praised the decision. "By improving regional access to Lower Manhattan," he said, "we can continue the area's dramatic rebirth from the attacks of Sept. 11 and ensure its future as an economic engine for the entire city."

The decision by the White House comes a few weeks after Mr. Pataki made an unusually direct appeal to President Bush, a fellow Republican, asking him to provide cash for the rail project in lieu of unused parts of the multibillion-dollar Liberty Zone tax-incentive package for Lower Manhattan.

Those tax breaks have been controversial from their inception, with some New York politicians, economists and real estate experts questioning their value and arguing that Lower Manhattan has been in desperate need of a large infusion of actual money from the federal government.

The Bush administration and New York officials are trying to figure out how the $2 billion will be doled out. The federal government could give the city and state hard cash, though that option would probably meet resistance in Congress, given the federal government's budgetary predicament.

But another approach is apparently being considered by all sides: permitting the city and state to raise the money needed for the rail project by selling tax credits on the open market that allow businesses to reduce their federal tax liability.

Charles E. Schumer, New York's senior senator, said allowing the city and state to sell federal tax credits was "an elegant solution" given the opposition that might arise in Congress to providing $2 billion in hard cash to the city and state. "There's more than one way to skin this cat," said Mr. Schumer, a Democrat.

Some New York City Democrats, while describing themselves as pleased with the news, said they would be keeping a close eye on how much political capital the White House was willing to expend in getting the $2 billion aid package approved in Congress.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Democrat of New York, suggested that the test of the Bush administration's commitment to the project would be its willingness to persuade Republicans to adopt the $2 billion aid package. "We have to be sure it's real," she said. "We need the administration to work very hard."

Mr. Pataki's office says that financing for the $6 billion project will include at least $560 million from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and unspecified amounts from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and other sources.

http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/2004/07/30/nyregion/link2.gif

Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company

[Kris]

August 6, 2004

New York Rail Link

To the Editor:

The proposal to build a $6 billion rail link connecting the World Trade Center site to the Long Island Rail Road and Kennedy Airport ("Bush Approves Using 9/11 Aid for J.F.K. Link," front page, July 30) is a very expensive project, especially considering the anticipated ridership.

This project to Lower Manhattan, added to AirTrain between Jamaica, Howard Beach and Kennedy, makes the score $8 billion for J.F.K., zip for rail access to La Guardia.

The current M.T.A. Capital Program has a far less expensive $645 million proposal for La Guardia, but it has been left out of the 2005-09 M.T.A. program.

Floyd Lapp
New City, N.Y., July 31, 2004
The writer was transportation director of the New York City Department of City Planning, 1991-2000.

Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company

[ZippyTheChimp]

http://www.gothamgazette.com/

Getting to the Airport

by Joshua Brustein
September 09, 2004

Several times a day, Wen Yen does something that many New Yorkers dread doing several times a year: he goes to the airport.

Yen has been working as a driver for a car service since 1993, trading pointers about shortcuts with other drivers, and developing his own routes and alternative routes as he shuttles passengers to and from Newark, La Guardia, and JFK.

Mainly, though, he gets stuck in traffic.

JFK is the worst of the three airports, thanks to crowded highways and poor parking facilities, but he says they are all pretty bad.

People like Yen have no choice but to travel to JFK - he drives wherever his company dispatches him - but companies like Nippon Cargo Airlines have more and more alternatives. When it was faced with a decision to send some of its flights into JFK or into Chicago's O'Hare Airport, it looked at how easy it would be to get trucks to both destinations. The company chose Chicago.

"I've had several trucking companies tell me that sometimes... it takes four hours to get from Fort Lee [New Jersey] to Kennedy Airport," said Peter Disenbach of Nippon Cargo. "When you're paying a truck driver $20 an hour, that's pretty expensive."

Getting to and from the airports is the number one issue affecting airports that were once indisputably on top.

"We're competing with so many other airports... that it's no longer guaranteed that La Guardia and Kennedy will maintain their dominance in this industry," said Jonathan Bowles, research director of the Center for an Urban Future, a local think tank that has long been advocating for airport improvements.

There are promising signs, though. The Port Authority has increased its capital investments in New York's airports, and the city is looking into improving the airports, using them to spark economic growth. In what is being touted as a good first step toward addressing the airports' transportation needs, a new Airtrain to JFK opened last year.

Most recently, Governor George Pataki has been among those advocating for a $6 billion rail linking lower Manhattan with the Long Island Rail Road and JFK. The plan's supporters describe it as the long sought one-seat ride from the airport to Manhattan. But skeptics question whether the project is the best way to solve the airports' problems - or spend the city's cash.

STRUGGLING AIRPORTS

New York is regularly named one of the country's best tourist destinations. When tourists get to the city, however, they face what respondents to a readers' poll last year in Conde Nast Traveler magazine designated the worst airport in the country: JFK. The same poll found La Guardia to be the fourth worst.

Aging terminals, long delays, and, above all, terrible transportation to and from the airports, have marked the decline of New York's airports, once seen as some of the country's best. The conditions have driven away business: JFK, the seventh busiest airport in 1991, is now 11th. La Guardia dropped from being the 15th busiest to the 20th busiest airport in the nation.

Troubling trends at the city's airports were aggravated by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In the first year, 10,000 airport jobs disappeared - the worst job loss of any sector in the city's economy after 9/11. The drastic decline in the airline industry nationwide tightened the market, increasing competition and further exposing the shortcomings of the city's airports.

Doubtless, there will always be passengers for JFK and La Guardia airports. But as passenger airlines and air cargo industries grow, the city may lose the benefits of this growth to its competitors.

NEWARK AND NEW YORK: COOPERATING OR COMPETING?

In recent years, Newark International Airport has undergone a $3.8 billion renewal, which was topped off in October 2001 by the opening of the Newark Airtrain. The new system, by connecting to New Jersey Transit, allows passengers to get from Penn Station to the airport in 20 minutes, and then to individual terminals in another 10 minutes.

Obviously, this benefits New Yorkers, who can get to the airport much quicker than they were able to in the past.

"New York City benefits by having all three airports available, regardless of which state the passenger takes off from, just as New Jersey benefits from having the two Queens airports available to them," said Jeffrey Zupan, senior fellow for transportation at the Regional Plan Association.

But New York's neighbor is also its biggest competitor, and the city does lose out in the form of jobs and tax revenues if business goes to Newark instead of La Guardia or JFK.

Between 1989 and 1999, for instance, the Port Authority focused on improving Newark's terminals and transportation, allowing that airport to increase its workforce by 79 percent. Over the same decade, the number of jobs at La Guardia increased by only 14 percent, and JFK actually lost nine percent of its jobs.

Because the improvement of Newark has been accompanied by decline at JFK and La Guardia, many have accused the Port Authority - which manages all three airports - of playing favorites. Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani was so convinced that the Port Authority's approach was harmful to the city that he tried to seize control of JFK and La Guardia.

The Port Authority - which recently renewed its lease of JFK and La Guardia under terms that will give the city much more in rent - responds to accusations of favoritism by saying it spends its funds where they are needed most. In recent years, the agency has shifted capital investment back across the Hudson.

"I think it may be that things go in cycles. Newark had this great potential for growth, and the Port Authority had to help accommodate that growth. But in doing so, Kennedy and La Guardia were neglected," said Bowles. "The Port Authority has turned its attention to the New York airports."

IMPROVING TRANSPORTATION

In looking to improve the city's airports, the Port Authority's most obvious challenge is improving access. Public transportation to the airports is poor and underused; a 2002 report by the Federal Transit Administration found that only eight percent of JFK passengers used public transportation (in pdf format), while five percent of La Guardia passengers did. Most rely instead on congested highways.

JFK's problems are much worse than those at La Guardia, causing it to lose its spot at the country's top air cargo location.

The airport was the world's busiest air cargo hub until 1990; today it's the country's fifth. While transportation is not the only reason for this decline, many in the air cargo industry cite it as the most serious problem facing their businesses in New York City.

There have been calls for modest changes on the highways surrounding JFK for years: closing some exits at certain times of day, allowing commercial vans onto the Belt Parkway (all commercial traffic is currently banned), or adding a lane to the Van Wyck Expressway to reduce gridlock. Some advocates believe tolls on the Van Wyck, coupled with better public transportation, are the answer.

These changes would probably make personal travel from JFK more pleasant and commercial traffic more profitable. But no movement has been made on these proposals; there is little political will for any tampering with the city's highways.

More politically palatable are ideas that would create better rail lines, which would take riders off the highways and, theoretically, reduce highway congestion. As an ultimate solution to JFK's transportation woes, advocates have long called for the creation of a so-called one-seat ride, which would take passengers to Midtown without having to change trains.

The Airtrain

The Port Authority completed the JFK Airtrain in late 2001, a project that came after decades of debate and does not provide a one-seat ride to Manhattan. After almost a year in existence, the Airtrain is nearing its goal of 34,000 daily riders. The majority of these passengers use the Airtrain not to get to and from the airport, but to get around the airport itself. Those who connect to the subway pay five dollars to use the Airtrain; those who use it to travel around the airport itself do not have to pay a fare to do so.

This has fed the argument of those who say the Airtrain is irrelevant for Manhattanites, who have to take the subway to far-off stations in Queens and walk prodigious journeys before boarding it. This debate was one of many that raged over the project in the decades between its conception and completion. Besides being expensive - it cost $1.9 billion, paid for in part by the Port Authority and in part by a surcharge on airfare - the project generated rigorous opposition from local communities.

Such opposition is common for the ambitious transportation projects that many believe are the only way to solve the airports' transportation problems. In Astoria, Queens, community opposition caused a plan to extend the N or R trains to La Guardia to be scrapped entirely. The Airtrain itself barely passed the city's review process.

The project's supporters acknowledge that it alone cannot put a serious dent in the transportation problems at JFK.

"I know the project's been criticized for not being a one-seat ride to the airport and therefore less appealing to non-business travelers and the like," said Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Union, a transit advocacy group that backed the project. "But it's a good first step, and hopefully in the long run we'll see a one-seat ride, at least to midtown."

Rail Link to Lower Manhattan

Tapping the post 9/11 attention on lower Manhattan, Governor Pataki and downtown business interests have been pushing to build a rail link from JFK and the Long Island Railroad, through downtown Brooklyn, and into lower Manhattan.

Before 9/11, proposed one-seat rides always terminated in Midtown. Many do not see a connection to lower Manhattan as anywhere near as useful.

The plan calls for an expensive new tunnel under the East River, and will cost a total of $6 billion. The governor's idea of paying for the project from the pool of federal grant money for rebuilding after 9/11, met tough opposition from others who had believed those funds would be better used for other purposes. Pataki has since changed course, convincing President George Bush to support converting $2 billion in unused tax credits - also part of the federal post 9/11 aid - into cash for the project. Congress still has to vote on the funding plan, and even if it does approve it, it is unclear exactly where the remaining funding will come from.

Supporters of the plan see its major feature as connecting lower Manhattan to the LIRR, spurring the downtown economy; but also describe the one-seat ride to JFK as a way to bring the airport back to the cutting edge.

The rail link "will position New York alongside other world-class cities that already have such seamless global access," said Pataki in a speech this May.

But skeptics abound, saying that the likely number of riders doesn't justify the price, and that the project overstates the economic benefit for lower Manhattan. Some see a threat to the funds needed for a 2nd Avenue subway; others fear the deterioration of the existing transportation system as capital is spent on ambitious new projects.

Whether this skepticism can be turned into support may rest on how the rail link connects to existing transportation systems: if it can be made compatible with city subways; how well stops between JFK and the World Trade Center Site serve local areas; and whether it is built to connect to any future 2nd Avenue Subway. With the project in preliminary stages, the answers to these questions are still unclear.

BUILDING ON POTENTIAL

The airports' shortcomings haven't completely hampered the ability of airlines to succeed in Queens. JetBlue Airways, a low-cost airline that is now the leading carrier out of JFK, brushed aside high real estate prices and poor transportation to set up operations in New York City.

David Neeleman, the company's CEO, was met with skepticism when he decided to anchor his company in Queens. Today, JetBlue's success has been a rare one in an airline industry struggling in recent years.

"The remarkable thing when you look at JetBlue… is that we operate out of one of the most expensive airports in the world," Neeleman told investors this summer. "Being able to be in New York…the largest travel market in the world, and being able to be efficient and use those costly assets wisely is one of our greatest secrets."

The airline is currently looking to expand at both JFK and La Guardia.

Further, the Federal Aviation Administration projects that the air cargo industry will grow by five percent every year until 2014, with international shipping appearing particularly strong. Due to its extensive experience in international shipping, JFK is particularly well suited to capture this market. Improvements over the last few years have put it in an even better position.

Through the efforts of the Port Authority, the city, and individual airlines, JFK has undergone significant changes. Several terminals have been torn down and rebuilt, much-needed warehouse space has been added, and numerous aesthetic improvements have been made.

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