Major Enhancements Underway At N.Y. Area Airports
<B>Major Enhancements Underway At N.Y. Area Airports</B>
By Frank Rosci
With the New York area's ever-evolving transportation needs, business travelers will find projects complete, as well as in progress, at New York's busy air terminals.
Among the key projects underway at New York JFK is AirTrain, a new train service intended to finally link Manhattan and the airport by rail. According to the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, "When complete, AirTrain will provide fast, dependable service to and from JFK Airport. A trip from midtown Manhattan to JFK, which can take more than two hours in either bad weather or unusually heavy traffic, will take about 36 minutes aboard AirTrain."
Key construction elements already completed include all five-plus miles of the on-airport elevated concrete guideway connecting terminals; the concrete support columns for the three miles of track within the median of the Van Wyck Expressway, which was the most disruptive aspect of AirTrain construction because of the traffic headaches created for passengers en route to JFK; delivery of the first two AirTrain vehicles; and the April start of construction of the AirTrain Terminal at Jamaica Station in Queens. In all, the entire AirTrain system will extend about eight miles, including the on-airport loop, plus links to stations in Howard Beach, Queens, and Jamaica. The on-airport portion of AirTrain, with service to and from the Howard Beach terminal, is expected to launch in the fourth quarter of 2002, followed by the opening of Jamaica AirTrain service in 2003. Fares haven't yet been set for service between the airport and the Howard Beach and Jamaica stations, but on-airport service will be free.
"Not only does this project serve a vital primary purpose--improving access to JFK Airport for travelers and employees, while alleviating highway traffic--but it also provides the added benefit of creating 4,150 construction jobs and generating $580 million in wages," said New York Governor George Pataki. "Moreover, AirTrain will continue to stimulate the New York economy in many ways, including, but not limited to, the $980 million it has generated in construction-related sales. And when AirTrain is complete, we will have in place the crucial first step to providing travelers with a one-seat ride to JFK." Initially service from Manhattan, which begins in 2002, will not be a one-seat ride; passengers will have to transfer at Jamaica Station to either the Long Island Railroad, or the city's network of subways and buses. Final word on when a one-seat ride could happen is not yet available.
To help pay for AirTrain's, $1.9 billion cost, the Port Authority is using $600 million in capital funds and $1.3 billion from the Federal Aviation Administration-authorized Passenger Facility Charge, a $3 fee collected from all departing passengers at airports across the country.
Elsewhere at JFK, where the overall renovations price tag is now $10.3 billion, the new International Terminal will open May 24th. It replaces the existing International Arrivals Building, which is being rebuilt.
"The level of passenger service will increase significantly at New York JFK, at LaGuardia, where $1 billion has been spent on main terminal renovation and expansion, and at Newark, where $3.8 billion is being invested in major improvements, such as the new monorail system with its direct links to trains operating in the Northeast Corridor," said Ted Kleiner, assistant director of capital programs for the Port Authority's aviation department.
In related airport transportation matters, ITT Industries Network Systems & Services has introduced advanced technology to allow Newark, JFK and LaGuardia to "overhaul their communications infrastructures to give travelers access to wireless devices, such as PDAs and laptop modems, while simultaneously enhancing cellular phone connections," said Jonathan Chauvin-Blitt, president of ITT Industries. The system already is operational at Newark, and is expected to be in place at JFK and LaGuardia by the end of July, Chauvin-Blitt said.
The system increases traveler satisfaction since they no longer need to go to a VIP lounge or find space at limited and expensive Internet-enabled phone booths to make changes to itineraries, hotel reservations or car services while on the go.