In efforts to facilitate convenient and efficient means of traveling for people amid a massive construction project in NYC’s only international airport, Port Authority may be making JFK’s AirTrain free to passengers for the Summer.
On Tuesday, Rick Cotton, the Port Authority Executive Director, said that he is considering alleviating the $8.50 fare for the AirTrain stopping at JFK terminals while the airport prepares for a projected record-breaking number of travelers this season.
Reportedly, JFK is expecting 18 million travelers this Summer, or 700,000 more than the same period last year in 2023, which was the airport’s busiest year ever, according to officials.
This influx of travelers is expected as the airport undergoes a $19 billion construction project of two brand new terminals.
Cotton expressed that he would “pray” JFK avoids the gridlock that took place at LaGuardia Airport during major construction that started in 2016, which made traffic so dense that some travelers bailed on their cabs on the way to their gate and instead opted to walk to the airport via the Grand Central Parkway. As a means of avoiding these levels of congestion this time around, Port Authority will have staff at JFK constantly monitoring traffic, according to Cotton.
Though he still argues that mass transit may be the most productive way to minimize traffic in the streets.
“We’re going to consider every option,” Cotton said to the Gothamist regarding whether or not he would make the AirTrain free. “We’re going to watch over the early parts of the Summer peak and if we need to take more aggressive action, we will.”
In defense of the public transit route to the airport, Cotton also argued that at the cost of $34, the AirTrain is still less expensive for a family of four than an Uber ride. He also pointed out that the train is already complementary for riders at the Lefferts Boulevard station, and that the Port Authority will open the parking lot at that station for free pickups and drop-offs starting next month.
Although a significant portion of AirTrain riders get on at the Howard Beach station, which connects to the subway, or Jamaica station that connects the subway and the Long Island Rail Road.
As a preemptive caution, the Port Authority urged people who have to drive to allow for extra travel time, and encouraged people to reserve parking spots in advance.
Construction of the two new terminals is expected to be completed by 2030, with 33 new gates and a giant international terminal in the place of three former ones.
