Transportation to New York City area airports
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
New York City is served by three major airports.
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
Both JFK and LaGuardia are located in Queens, New York City. Newark Liberty is located in Newark, New Jersey. Some travelers take advantage of low cost carriers that serve Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip.
One may get to all the area airports via various private bus services, most notably the New York Airport Service. These usually pick up outside major transit centers (including New York Penn Station, Grand Central Terminal and the Port Authority Bus Terminal) and tourist destinations.
JFK and Newark Liberty are served, respectively, by two short rail lines both known as AirTrain JFK and AirTrain Newark, connecting to other systems. AirTrain Newark is a light monorail whose railcars can never travel directly on the existing infrastructure of commuter or rapid transit lines, while AirTrain JFK is capable of handling heavy rail subway trains and could, in theory, send railcars onto rapid transit or commuter rail tracks. All three airports have connecting bus service to other transit. Public transportation is usually cheaper than taxi or direct bus service, but it is generally slower. However rail service can be faster at peak traffic times. MacArthur can be reached by shuttles that connect the airport with the nearby Long Island Rail Road station in Ronkonkoma, New York.
All costs and travel times given here are as of September 2006 unless otherwise stated.
- See also: Transportation in New York City
Contents |
[edit] John F. Kennedy International Airport
[edit] AirTrain JFK
AirTrain JFK provides rail service to JFK via two separate transfer stations. One branch of the AirTrain runs to Jamaica, and the other to Howard Beach.
[edit] Jamaica
The Jamaica AirTrain terminus is part of a large transportation complex that includes many connections:
- the Sutphin Boulevard–JFK station, on the New York City Subway's Archer Avenue Line
- Jamaica station, which is a major transfer hub on the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)
- numerous local buses, including the Q6, Q8, Q9, Q20A, Q20B, Q24, Q30, Q31, Q41, Q43, Q44, along with the Q60 bus running into Manhattan. In addition many more bus routes are in walking distance of Jamaica Station.[1].
From the subway, one can take either E service to midtown and lower Manhattan, or J Z service to Manhattan's Lower East Side. All LIRR trains, except those on the Port Washington Branch and some peak-hour express runs, stop at Jamaica and offer access to Penn Station in Manhattan and the Flatbush Avenue terminal in downtown Brooklyn as well as over 100 commuter rail stations on Long Island.
The LIRR provides faster service than the subway to Penn Station, where connections can be made to Amtrak and New Jersey Transit. However, Penn Station is on the West Side of midtown Manhattan, while many offices, shops and apartments are on the East Side. The E train makes 11 stops in Manhattan and its first stop, at the Lexington Avenue–53rd Street station, is particularly convenient to east side destinations, with connections to the Lexington Avenue subway line. It is also a few blocks from the northern entrance to Grand Central Terminal. The E train continues west along 53rd Street, stopping at Fifth Avenue–53rd Street and Seventh Avenue stations, and then heads south along 8th Avenue, with stops at 50th Street, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, Pennsylvania Station, 23rd Street, and 14th Street. Same-platform transfers can be made at Forest Hills in Queens from the E to the F train, which takes a different route through Manhattan. Many other subway connections are available.
[edit] Howard Beach
The Howard Beach AirTrain terminus is right above the Howard Beach–JFK station on the IND Rockaway Line of the New York City Subway. A service runs from there to downtown Brooklyn and along the length of Manhattan, as well as south to the Rockaways. In terms of travel time to Manhattan, the A train from Howard Beach is only faster than the E train from Jamaica at the first few stops in lower Manhattan, and there only by 10 or 15 minutes. Note that not all A trains from Manhattan go as far as Howard Beach. Only those marked Far Rockaway or Rockaway Park do. Also available at Howard Beach is the Q11 bus.
[edit] Accessibility, costs and typical travel times
All of these AirTrain connections and Penn Station are handicapped accessible; however many other area stations are not. For more information see New York City Subway accessibility and Long Island Rail Road accessibility.
AirTrain costs $5 per ride, the Subway costs $2 and the LIRR (to anywhere in New York City except the Far Rockaway station) costs $7 during peak hours, $5 at other weekday times and $3 on weekends (with the CityTicket pilot program). Fares can be paid with MetroCards, available from vending machines at the AirTrain termini. Costs and typical travel times are as follows:[2][3]
| Mode | Cost | Optimal Time to Manhattan |
|---|---|---|
| AirTrain and LIRR | $12 peak, $10 nonpeak, $8 weekends | 35 minutes (Midtown, west side) |
| AirTrain and E Subway | $7 | 45 minutes (Midtown, east side) |
| AirTrain and A Subway | $7 | 1 hour (lower Manhattan) |
[edit] City buses
Various city buses connect to the Subway and Long Island Rail Road, with free transfers provided for Subway connections. The buses are handicapped accessible, but connections may not be. All three bus routes provide 24 hour service.
[edit] B15 Marcus Garvey Boulevard/New Lots Avenue
The B15, operated by MTA New York City Transit, takes a long route including sections of Conduit Avenue and New Lots Avenue, ending at Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn. It passes the following stations (in order from JFK):
- Terminal 4 - end of the route
- Federal Circle on the AirTrain JFK
- New Lots Avenue (2 3 4 5) on the IRT Eastern Parkway Line
- New Lots Avenue (L) on the BMT Canarsie Line
- Sutter Avenue–Rutland Road (2 3 4 5) on the IRT Eastern Parkway Line
- Kingston–Throop Avenues (A C) on the IND Fulton Street Line
- Myrtle Avenue (J M Z) on the BMT Jamaica Line
- Flushing Avenue (J M ) on the BMT Jamaica Line – end of the route
[edit] Q3 Farmers Boulevard/JFK Airport
The Q3, operated by MTA New York City Transit, runs mainly along Farmers Boulevard and Hillside Avenue to Jamaica, accessing the following stations (in order from JFK):
- Terminal 4 - end of the route
- Locust Manor on the LIRR
- Hollis on the LIRR
- Jamaica–179th Street on the E F (IND Queens Boulevard Line)
- 169th Street on the F (IND Queens Boulevard Line) - end of the route
[edit] Q10 Lefferts Boulevard
The Q10, operated by MTA Bus Company, runs mainly via Lefferts Boulevard to Kew Gardens, with the following transfers along the way (in order from JFK):
- JFK terminal 4 – end of the route; stop is on the E side of the terminal only (not with the other MTA busses)
- Ozone Park–Lefferts Boulevard (A) on the IND Fulton Street Line
- 121st Street (J Z) on the elevated BMT Jamaica Line
- Kew Gardens on the LIRR
- Union Turnpike–Kew Gardens (E F) on the IND Queens Boulevard Line – end of the route
Limited stop service also runs weekdays and Saturdays from 7am to 8pm.
[edit] Taxicabs
New York City's yellow cabs, regulated by the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission, offer a flat rate service of $45 (as of 2006) from JFK airport to Manhattan, excluding tips and tolls. This flat rate is in effect either way between Manhattan and JFK.[4]
[edit] Helicopter
The fastest mode of travel between lower Manhattan and JFK airport is with US Helicopter which has scheduled helicopter flights every hour from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport to American Airlines Terminal 9 at JFK. The flights last less than 10 minutes and cost $159 each way. Included in the price is the luxury of avoiding long security screening lines at the airport. Passengers travelling by helicopter pass through X-ray and bomb-detection machines at a security checkpoint operated at the heliport.
[edit] Defunct transportation
JFK Express, advertised as The Train to The Plane, was a service of the New York City Subway from 1978 to 1990. It ran from midtown Manhattan (later Long Island City, Queens) to downtown Brooklyn, making stops along the way, and then made no stops between downtown Brooklyn and Howard Beach–JFK, where a bus connected to the airport.
[edit] LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia (LGA) is the only one of the three airports with no rail service, though early plans for AirTrain JFK would have taken it north past Jamaica to LaGuardia. Thus the only public transportation is provided by buses.
[edit] City buses
The following city buses connect to the New York City Subway and Long Island Rail Road, with free transfers provided for subway connections. The buses are handicapped accessible, but connections may not be.
[edit] M60 LaGuardia Airport via 125th Street
The M60, operated by MTA New York City Transit, runs from LGA to the Upper West Side, Manhattan via Astoria Boulevard, the Triboro Bridge and 125th Street, with the following transfers along the way (in order from LGA):
- All LGA terminals - end of the route
- Astoria Boulevard on the N W (BMT Astoria Line)
- 125th Street on the 4 5 6 (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)
- Harlem–125th Street on Metro-North Railroad
- 125th Street on the 2 3 (IRT Lenox Avenue Line)
- 125th Street on the A C (IND Eighth Avenue Line)
- 116th Street–Columbia University on the 1 (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)
- 110th Street–Cathedral Parkway on the 1 (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line) - route continues to 106th Street
[edit] Q33 82nd Street
The Q33, operated by MTA Bus Company, uses mainly 82nd Street and 83rd Street between LGA and Jackson Heights. The following transfers are available (in order from LGA):
- All LGA terminals but the Marine Air Terminal - end of the route
- 82nd Street–Jackson Heights on the 7 (IRT Flushing Line)
- 74th Street–Broadway on the 7 (IRT Flushing Line)
- Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue on the E F G R V (IND Queens Boulevard Line) - end of the route
[edit] Q47 74th Street
The Q47, operated by MTA Bus Company, uses mainly 73rd Street and 74th Street between LGA and Jackson Heights. The following transfers are available (in order from LGA):
- LGA Marine Air Terminal only - end of the route
- 74th Street–Broadway on the 7 (IRT Flushing Line)
- Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue on the E F G R V (IND Queens Boulevard Line) - end of the route
[edit] Q48 Roosevelt Avenue/Ditmars Boulevard/LaGuardia Airport
The Q48, operated by MTA New York City Transit, runs via Ditmars Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue to Flushing. The following transfers are available (in order from LGA):
- All LGA terminals - end of the route
- 111th Street on the 7 (IRT Flushing Line)
- Willets Point–Shea Stadium on the 7 (IRT Flushing Line)
- Shea Stadium on the LIRR
- Main Street–Flushing on the 7 (IRT Flushing Line)
- Flushing Main Street on the LIRR - end of the route
[edit] Q72 Junction Boulevard
The Q72 operated by the MTA Bus Company runs via 94th Street and Junction Boulevard through East Elmhurst to Rego Park. The following transfers are available (in order from LGA):
- All LGA terminals except the Marine Air Terminal (northern terminal)
- Junction Boulevard on the 7 (IRT Flushing Line) ( under construction)
- 63rd Drive–Rego Park on the E G R V (Queens Boulevard Line) (southern terminal)
[edit] Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Airport (EWR) has rail and bus service.
[edit] AirTrain
AirTrain Newark originally served as a circulator between terminals, but on October 21, 2001, the extension to the new Newark Liberty International Airport station on the Northeast Corridor opened. As the station serves only airport traffic, AirTrain fare is included in rail fare, except for monthly pass holders, who pay $5.50 to ride AirTrain. New Jersey Transit and Amtrak serve the station, both going to various New Jersey points as well as New York Penn Station.
On December 8, 2005, the Port Authority announced that an extension of the PATH system to Newark Airport was included in its 2006–2015 Strategic Plan.[5] The estimated cost of $550 million is not yet budgeted.
[edit] New Jersey Transit buses
New Jersey Transit operates several bus routes via EWR.
[edit] 37 Newark–Maplewood
The 37 runs between EWR and Ivy Hill in southwestern Newark, passing the following rail stations and other major points (in order from EWR):
- EWR main terminals and North Area - end of the route
- Ivy Hill - end of the route
[edit] 40 Jersey Gardens–Kearny
The 40 runs between North Arlington and Jersey Gardens in eastern Elizabeth, passing the following rail stations and other major points (from north to south):
- North Arlington - end of the route
- Harrison on Port Authority Trans-Hudson
- Newark Penn Station on Amtrak, New Jersey Transit, Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) and Newark City Subway.
- EWR North Area only
- Jersey Gardens - end of the route
While the #40 bus does not directly serve the main terminals, it stops at the 'North Area' bus stop (on U.S. Route 1/9) which adjoins long-term parking lot P6. The free P6 shuttle bus connects from this parking lot to the terminals.
[edit] 62 Newark–Perth Amboy
The 62 runs between downtown Newark and downtown Perth Amboy, passing the following rail stations and other major points (from north to south):
- Newark Penn Station on Amtrak, New Jersey Transit, PATH and Newark City Subway - end of the route
- EWR - main terminals and South Area
- Elizabeth on New Jersey Transit
- Rahway on New Jersey Transit
- Metro Park on Amtrak and New Jersey Transit - only some buses
- Perth Amboy on New Jersey Transit - only some buses - end of the route
[edit] 67 Toms River–Lakewood–Newark
The 67 runs between downtown Newark (some trips extend to Journal Square, Jersey City and a few to Lincoln Harbor, Weehawken) and Toms River. Only some trips stop at EWR, passing the following rail stations and other major points (from north to south):
- Toms River - end of the route
- EWR - main terminals
- Newark Penn Station on Amtrak, New Jersey Transit, Port Authority Trans-Hudson and Newark City Subway - end of the route
- Journal Square on Port Authority Trans-Hudson
- Lincoln Harbor on Hudson-Bergen Light Rail
[edit] 107 South Orange–New York
The 107 runs between South Orange and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan. Only some trips stop at EWR, passing the following rail stations and other major points (from west to east):
- South Orange on New Jersey Transit - end of the line
- EWR - main terminals and North Area
- Port Authority Bus Terminal (and adjacent Subway stations)
NJ Transit does not allow travel from Airport Terminals to New York on this route. Passengers must use Olympia Bus Lines or take ground transportation to the North Area bus stop.
[edit] Helicopter
As of December 2006, US Helicopter is adding service between the Downtown Manhattan Heliport and Newark Liberty International Airport. 12 flights in each direction will be offered daily for the eight-minute flight, which will operate from a secured area at Gate 71 in Continental Airlines' Terminal C.[6]
[edit] Inter-airport transfers
Several private bus and limousine operators offer direct service between JFK, Newark and LaGuardia airports. Taxis may also be used, but can be quite expensive. Rail connections between Newark and JFK are possible via Pennsylvania Station, but the walk between New Jersey Transit and the LIRR can be long and is poorly marked. Travellers between LaGuardia and JFK can save money and possibly time by taking a taxi between LaGuardia and Jamaica station and completing their journey on AirTrain.
[edit] References
- ^ Queens bus routes, accessed July 25, 2006 - see Jamaica inset on bottom right of map
- ^ AirTrain JFK: How long does it take to get to the airport?, accessed July 25, 2006
- ^ MTA System Schedules, accessed July 25, 2006
- ^ Taxi & Limousine Commission: Passenger Information - Rate of Fare, accessed December 27, 2006
- ^ 2006–2015 Strategic Plan, accessed [[{December 27]], 2006
- ^ Airport Check-in: Speedy service from Newark to Manhattan coming, USA Today, December 10, 2006
