LaGuardia (LGA): AirTrain or Astoria Line (N, W) Train plus IBX Interborough Express

An Astoria line extension to LGA seems like a no brainer....

nyrmetros wrote: ↑Wed Jan 11, 2023 12:26 am An Astoria line extension to LGA seems like a no brainer....

A no brainer indeed. However as previously discussed, the NIMBYs have the political clout (and the brains) to prevent it.

I have been to that area and I see their point, why would anyone who lives there want to see a wide street with plenty of light, "covered over" by an elevated structure. We won't even think about something underground in that area.

Actually modern el structures don't shut out as much light as the original elevated lines of the 19th century and are much quieter, but try telling that to people who will automatically think "Third Avenue El."

I think elevated rail is now seen as a blight. New York demolished quite a few and each area saw a revival. The likelihood of an elevated being built anywhere is none, unless it's in a highway median.

Jeff Smith wrote: ↑Thu Jan 12, 2023 5:44 am I think elevated rail is now seen as a blight. New York demolished quite a few and each area saw a revival. The likelihood of an elevated being built anywhere is none, unless it's in a highway median.

I doubt even that now. I'm now of the opinion that if you want access to LGA, you're tunneling a line from 125th Street (1), ditto (A/B/C/D), Ditto (2/3), ditto (4/5/6), ditto (T/Q), under Randalls and Wards Islands and I-278/Grand Central Parkway (xfer Astoria Blvd (N/W)) until you get to Mets-Willets Point (7). If you want to go down even further, switch to the Van Wych and end at Jamaica (E/J/Z). If you want to be evil, end it *at* JFK.

No matter what, you're tunneling.

Agreed. I think the A is already pretty close, isn't it?

Statement from Governor Kathy Hochul on Mass Transit Access to LaGuardia Airport | Governor Kathy Hochul - "I accept the recommendations of this report" without a link to the report itself, or any details about its contents.

Plans to Build AirTrain to La Guardia Are Officially Scrapped - The New York Times -- "Ballooning costs help doom what had been a pet project of former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo."

Gov. Kathy Hochul has abandoned plans to build a light-rail link to La Guardia after a review found that the project’s cost had ballooned to $2.4 billion, more than five times initial estimates.

When Ms. Hochul’s predecessor, Andrew M. Cuomo, first announced the pet project in 2015, he placed the cost at $450 million. After Mr. Cuomo resigned in disgrace in 2021, the plan faced mounting opposition from elected officials and community groups. Ms. Hochul halted the project and ordered the review several months after taking office.

Releasing the results of the assessment on Monday, a panel of transportation experts is recommending the less-expensive option of increasing public bus service to La Guardia and the addition of a shuttle between the airport and subway stations in northern Queens to reduce air travelers’ dependence on taxis and private cars.

About extending a subway line to LGA,

The panel agreed that extending the subway to provide a “one-seat ride” from Midtown was “the optimal way to achieve the best mass transportation connection.” But they added that the engineers that reviewed the options could not find a viable way to build a subway extension to the cramped airport, which is hemmed in by the Grand Central Parkway and the East River.

Even if a way could be found to extend the subway that would not interfere with flight operations at La Guardia, the analysis concluded, it would take at least 12 years and cost as much as $7 billion to build.

LaGuardia AirTrain NYC: Hochul scraps plan and MTA, Port Authority improve bus service - ABC7 New York

The new nonstop shuttle service would be between the airport and the last stop on the N/W subway line at the Astoria-Ditmars Blvd station. It would include the exclusive use of electric buses and dedicated bus lanes.

Also proposed improvements to the Q70 bus between Woodside and LGA.

Q70 (New York City bus) - Wikipedia and q70sbs Route: Schedules, Stops & Maps - LaGuardia Link +Select Bus Terminals C & B (Updated)
The Q70 bus stops at LIRR's Woodside station and subway-train stations at 61st Street–Woodside and Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street. It is essentially an express to LGA, stopping only at those two stations and at LGA itself.

Port Authority, NY Gov. Hochul Toss LaGuardia AirTrain Plan | Engineering News-Record
Has a map of the proposed shuttle-bus route: Astoria - Ditmars Blvd station - 31th St. - 19th Ave. - LGA

Why not just have the PA run the bus?

Jeff Smith wrote: ↑Tue Mar 14, 2023 8:51 am Why not just have the PA run the bus?

The PA will want to charge some kind of fare, negating the free transfer from subway to bus (and vice versa) one would get from the MTA.

New York Can't Build: https://pedestrianobservations.com/2023 ... l-edition/

Interborough Express IBX as a possibility?

PDF: https://new.mta.info/document/87606

• Why doesn’t the Interborough Express go to LaGuardia Airport? The IBX project’s goals include improving transit service for residents and workers taking trips throughout Brooklyn and Queens, while making use of an existing major rail corridor. As we understand that the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey is currently evaluating options for transit access to LaGuardia Airport, the IBX project will not preclude the ability to provide some manner of airport connection in the future.

Interestingly, Ameristar Rail, the gadfly of Amtrak, has proposed a "grand solution" in several steps.

Scroll down for the summary: https://ameristarrail.com/proposals

AMERISTARRAIL’S NEW AIRTRAIN LAGUARDIA SOLUTION

Improving Northeast Corridor connections to airports in the Northeast is an important strategy to growing Amtrak ridership. In conjunction with James Corner Field Operations, landscape architects and urban designers with headquarters in Manhattan and Foit-Albert Associates, an engineering firm with an office in Queens, we are pleased to propose an innovative solution to extend rail service to LaGuardia Airport and dramatically increase the number of transit trips to LGA and JFK for airport workers and air passengers from Manhattan and the New York region. Read the full proposal.

PDF: https://ameristarrail.com/s/ASR-AirTrai ... 172021.pdf

Contents of letter to Governor Kathy Hochul (public domain exception):

Dear Governor Hochul,

AmeriStarRail (ASR) has developed a private sector initiative to improve Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and Empire Corridor services with expanded high speed, higher frequency, high performance service as detailed on our website www.AmeriStarRail.com.

Improving Northeast Corridor connections to airports in the Northeast is an important strategy to growing Amtrak ridership. For this reason, AmeriStarRail has been studying solutions to bring rail access to LaGuardia Airport (LGA).

In conjunction with James Corner Field Operations, landscape architects and urban designers with headquarters in Manhattan and Foit-Albert Associates, an engineering firm with an office in Queens, we are pleased to propose an innovative solution to extend rail service to LaGuardia Airport and dramatically increase the number of transit trips to LGA and JFK for airport workers and air passengers from Manhattan and the New York region.

AmeriStarRail’s AirTrain LGA/JFK system proposal can start to be implemented immediately and completed in three phases:

Phase 1 - AirTrain LaGuardia Express Trains from Manhattan in Spring 2022: Operating within the available track capacity of the N route, dedicated AirTrain LaGuardia trains can provide express service from City Hall to Astoria - Ditmars Blvd. From there, AirTrain Shuttle Buses can provide nonstop service to each LaGuardia Terminal. Phase 1 uses existing trains, tracks, stations and buses.

Phase 2 - Build (i) AirTrain LaGuardia from the N/W Astoria - Ditmars Blvd. station to LGA/ East Elmhurst, (ii) a new neighborhood station (Louis Armstrong - East Elmhurst), (iii) a new Amtrak/Metro North station (New York Astoria Exchange Station) overhead of the Astoria AirTrain station on the Hell Gate Bridge approach and (iv) the AirTrain SkyTrail linear park: The new AirTrain LaGuardia, using the same train technology as AirTrain JFK, will run on newly built elevated tracks above 31st Street and 19th Avenue in Queens to serve all LGA terminals and a new neighborhood station: Louis Armstrong - East Elmhurst at Ditmars Blvd. and Astoria Blvd. In addition, a new station complex, Astoria Exchange Station, (the first new intercity railroad station in New York since 1913) will serve NYCT trains, all Amtrak Northeast Corridor trains and Metro North Penn Station Access trains to provide rail access to AirTrain LaGuardia from Southern Connecticut, Westchester County and the Bronx and a nonstop connection to Penn Station. Residents of Queens will benefit from service at the new Amtrak/Metro North and AirTrain stations and the construction of the AirTrain SkyTrail linear park above the AirTrain tracks. Elevators will provide trail access for hikers, runners, bikes, strollers and wheelchairs.

Phase 3 - Extend AirTrain LaGuardia over the Van Wyck Expressway to connect with the existing AirTrain JFK at Jamaica: The AirTrain connection at the new Astoria Exchange Station, will provide Amtrak/Metro North passengers with rail service directly to JFK Airport. All Long Island Rail Road passengers will also have rail service to LaGuardia. The New York region will also have rail service to Citi Field and Mets games. Queens neighborhoods along the route will have transit benefits from three new AirTrain stations to be built in Phase 3 at Mets - Willets Point, Jewel Avenue and Briarwood. The entire community will also be able to enjoy the recreational benefits of the extension of the AirTrain SkyTrail to Jamaica above the AirTrain tracks. In Phase 3 airlines will have the flexibility to arrange connections for passengers and employees between LaGuardia domestic flights and international flights at JFK via AirTrain LaGuardia/JFK.

AmeriStarRail has devised our AirTrain LGA/JFK network in phases as a system solution to provide world-class rail transit access for the New York region to the world-class airports of LaGuardia and JFK International.

The attached AmeriStarRail AirTrain LGA/JFK maps illustrates how each phase can be developed and implemented to create the full AirTrain LGA/JFK system with the new Amtrak/ Metro North/AirTrain/NYCT Astoria Exchange Station, the AirTrain SkyTrail for communities along the route and the other new stations contemplated as part of the AmeriStarRail AirTrain LGA/JFK solution. The costs and completion dates of each phase are subject to design and engineering evaluation.

ASR has begun discussions with the Ditmars Blvd. Block Association and other concerned groups to detail how the AmeriStarRail AirTrain LGA/JFK solution will reduce car traffic and increase transit connectivity to both airports for workers and air passengers. We understand that neighborhood participation and support is key to the success of this proposal.

These AirTrain system solutions are the result of significant time, effort and resources and are the intellectual property of AmeriStarRail. ASR, James Corner Field Operations and Foit-Albert Associates would be technical advisors for the MTA and the Port Authority in connection with the development and completion of the AmeriStarRail AirTrain LGA/JFK solution on terms to be discussed and agreed.

This letter is simply an introduction to the AmeriStarRail AirTrain LGA/JFK solution. We recognize that this proposal contemplates a complex, forward-thinking infrastructure project that will take time to analyze and consider. In that regard, we are available to discuss it in greater detail with you and your staff, the MTA and the Port Authority. We look forward to hearing from you and working with all stakeholders to implement this project.

These proposals remind me of all the grand ideas MTA had for extending various subway lines in the early 1970's. And very little of that ever got done.