The recommendations issued by a panel of experts concluded that bus improvements could serve travelers sooner and more cost-effectively than the proposed AirTrain rail line.

A report from a panel of experts on how to best improve public transit connectivity to New York’s LaGuardia Airport does not recommend the controversial—and stalled—AirTrain plan, rendering it “effectively dead,” writes Eddie Small in Crain’s New York. The panel instead recommended improving the Q70 LaGuardia Link bus service and adding a nonstop shuttle from Astoria to the airport.
“Improvements to the Q70 bus line that they recommended included building a mile-long exclusive bus lane along the northbound Brooklyn-Queens Expressway between Northern Boulevard and Astoria Boulevard and creating an area specifically for bus pickups and dropoffs by Terminal C. The new shuttle service at the end of the N/W line would feature dedicated bus lanes on 31st Street and 19th Avenue to minimize travel time.”
The report was requested by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who said she accepts the findings and looks forward to their implementation. Although a subway line would be ideal, the panel noted that high costs and long timelines for subway extensions make bus service a faster, more cost-effective way to improve connectivity. Bus improvement costs are estimated at roughly $500 million, while light rail options were projected to cost as much as $6.2 billion.
FULL STORY: LaGuardia AirTrain plan scrapped in favor of bus improvements

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
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