One-Seat Ride to JFK a Long Shot, But Other Possibilities Exist

Gov. Andrew Cuomo talked last year about a one-seat train trip to Kennedy International Airport. But a recently released $13 billion upgrade plan for JFK did not mention this, and Larry Penner says it is unlikely to come to fruition:

It is a safe bet that there never will be a one-seat train ride to JFK. Creating one from Penn Station by extending either the LIRR [Long Island Rail Road] using AirTrain tracks or extending the AirTrain using LIRR tracks will not work: LIRR and AirTrain equipment are not compatible.

Since the 1960s numerous ideas have been floated, says Penner, but they lacked the political support needed to push them through. Still, possibilities exist to improve travel to the airport. Better direct shuttle bus service from transit stations, easier transfers to the AirTrain, and extension of the AirTrain are all viable alternatives, says Penner.

An even better solution, suggests Penner, is to bring back the E line in Brooklyn. This would encourage people to take the AirTrain to Howard Beach, and then they could more easily get to Brooklyn and Manhattan.