I recently had to go to both JFK and Newark and found some notable differences.
(from Manhattan)
JFK-
1. Subway access. You can take the A, J and E train to the airtrain. This makes it a lot more convenient for ppl that don't feel like waiting on the LIRR. It's also cheap. (as opposed to newark....if only the path train were extended)
2. LIRR. Lirr is a lot more comfortable than NJ Transit. Quick 15 minute trip between Penn station and Jamaica.
3. Airtrain. The ride is a bit longer on JFK's airtrain as opposed to Newark's Airtrain but is more comfortable. More spacious and smoother ride.
4. Terminal Access. This is the only thing i found inferior to Newark. Once you hop off the airtrain, theres no direct connection to the terminal.
Newark-
1. Subway access. No path train. I hope you don't have a weekend trip. You might have to wait 30 minutes for a NJ transit train.
2. NJ Transit. I think the LIRR is better. about 15 minute ride between newark liberty and Penn.
3. Airtrain. I thought the monorail was kind of crappy in comparison to JFK airtrain. But considering the distance, it serves it's purpose.
4. Terminal Access. I found this to be better in newark than jfk. You come out of the airtrain and you walk right in.
(considering i've been to la guardia many times i'll give my two cents on that too!)
La Guardia-
1. Subway access. No subway access. You have bus service that may take you to Roosevelt ave (74th street) with connections to the E,F,R,V and 7 trains.
2. No commuter rail.
3. No airtrain.
4. Terminal access. This becomes annoying when traveling between terminals. Better have your walking shoes on.
After helping in picking up my brother and his girlfriend at LaGuardia today, I've just realized how bad LaGuardia really is. No direct rail connections, poor access between terminals, bumpy roads, the list goes on! I only wish the city would demolish the complex and build a modern facility.
Worst thing about LGA is poor access. Thank the NIMBYs for that.
Demolish Laguardia?.. Fine but what do you do with the 300 plus flights, everyday, until the new one built...
LaGuadia is easily the best of the three.
ditto BPC. Laguardia is so easy and fast - though a subway connection would obviously help.
Yes it would. Both the 7 and the N/W run so damn close to the airport, I never understood why one or the other (or, God forbid, both), could not be linked to it. What exactly is the big deal?
NIMBYs.Originally Posted by BPC
Yes, correct.
At one time, the city wanted to run subway extensions over to LAG but NIMBYs fought it and so the idea was scratched.
Geez. That's not how it works. They do it piece by piece, one by one...just like other forms of reconstruction such as roadwork or bridge repair.
There's already been considerable new construction at the airport, at least in the 15 years I've been using it. While the terminals are much nicer from the inside, at least the main new terminal blocks those lovely old brick hangers that you can still see along the western part of the airport. As I recall, they used to run the distance of the airport.
GEEEEEZZZZZZ... I was just commenting on "demolish idea" by strattonport...
It will happen...
It will happen soon, both JFK and LaGuardia is going to have rail-link in the near future.. But I think JFK will come sooner...JFK Air Train runs on Mono-rail. The existing rail tunnels under the East River is strictly for the Subway.. They do not have the room to add the mono-rail into them.. What the city will have to do is dig a new tunnel just for the mono-rail. When that is finished, JFK will be rail connected to the city, Downtown to be exact. I have heard by 2015, but I think 2020 is more likely..
That's bad news for me but hey, most likely I'll be retired by then..
From your mouth to God's ears.
I hate to say this but everything you said is wrong.It will happen soon, both JFK and LaGuardia is going to have rail-link in the near future.. But I think JFK will come sooner...JFK Air Train runs on Mono-rail. The existing rail tunnels under the East River is strictly for the Subway.. They do not have the room to add the mono-rail into them.. What the city will have to do is dig a new tunnel just for the mono-rail. When that is finished, JFK will be rail connected to the city, Downtown to be exact. I have heard by 2015, but I think 2020 is more likely..
1.) The JFK Airtrain is not a monorail, it's a light rail using linear induction motor. It operates on a standard track, and while technically it could operate over heavy rail with the LIRR it does not meet FRA rules for crash worthiness.
Thus they originally wanted to build a hybird Airtrain vehicle that could operate over both the Airtrain and LIRR right of way, however they abandoned that idea. Here's a article refering to the then plan to use Hybrid Airtrain vehicles to access NY Penn via the LIRR's ROW.
http://www.nylovesbiz.com/Press/2000/oneseat2.htm
2.) The new plan is to build a brand new Tunnel under the East River from Lower Manahattan to Downtown Brooklyn where it would link with the LIRR's Atlantic Ave branch, the LIRR would no longer serve the Atlantic Avenue Branch, instead the Airtrain would run Lower Manhattan-Downtown Brooklyn-Atlantic Ave-Jamaica-JFK.
LIRR passengers heading downtown would have to transfer from the LIRR to Airtrain at Jamaica, JFK passengers heading for Mid-Town would also transfer at Jamaica from Airtrain to the LIRR to Penn Station.
The Newark Airport Airtrain is a Monorail, perhaps you were thinking of that system. The Newark Airport Monorail is different than the JFK Airtrain in that the Newark system is more of a people mover, the Newark Airtrain unlike the JFK Airtrain goes right inside all the Terminals at EWR. It then crosses Route 1&9 to the Newark Airport Rail Link Station where passengers transfer to NJ Transit or Amtrak, eventually the PATH train will be extended the 1.5 miles from it's current terminus at South Street in Downtown Newark to the Newark Airport Rail link station. This would connect the World Trade Center PATH hub being designed by Santiago Cavalatrava directly with Newark Airport.
As for Laguardia rail access, forget it. There was a chance during the Giulianni Administration however new priorities and too few funds means that the LGA rail link is at the bottom of a long "to do" list for the MTA/Port Authority.
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