By Patrick Clarke
Travelers who frequent New York’s LaGuardia Airport could soon get some relief.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed plans to build another elevated train link in Queens with the goal being to connect riders to LaGuardia Airport from the 7 train and Long Island Rail Road.
According to Michael M. Grynbaum of the New York Times, Cuomo proposed the construction of the AirTrain at a breakfast speech in Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday.
Grynbaum writes that “the proposed train would curve along the Grand Central Parkway for one and a half miles before connecting with the No. 7 subway line and the Long Island Rail Road at an expanded terminal in Queens, alongside Citi Field and the National Tennis Center.”
The AirTrain’s design would be similar to rail lines already used to transport travelers to John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport and could cost as much as $450 million to construct, according to the governor’s office.
As for how the project would be funded, Cuomo highlighted existing state resources.
Cuomo wouldn’t elaborate on a timetable for the project, but Grynbaum points out that a spokeswoman clarified that it would take about five years to complete.
“We need a couple of months to work up the design and then have some real estimates as to how long it will take,” said Cuomo.
According to the Times, a 2008 Port Authority survey revealed that three-fourths of travelers from Manhattan used a taxi or other car service to reach the airport, with only about 16 percent utilizing buses or sharing a van.
So far, the result has been immense congestion and traffic backups.
Cuomo’s proposal comes while LaGuardia Airport awaits a $3.6 billion makeover of its main terminal.
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