Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Big men dream big

From the Observer:

Appearing with Vice President Joseph Biden Jr. today, Gov. Andrew Cuomo vowed to dramatically reshape the city’s two aging airports and turn two other little-known airports in major economic hubs.

The vice president and governor touted the value of infrastructure investment, with Mr. Biden providing the sweeping rhetoric and Mr. Cuomo the nuts-and-bolts of what could come to the airports: a Long Island Rail Road and ferry link to LaGuardia Airport, tax free zones at small airports in the city’s suburbs and a speedier transit option for John F. Kennedy Airport on the southern tip of Queens.

Mr. Cuomo was vague on details. Tax free zones, a favorite tool of Mr. Cuomo’s, would be established at Stewart and Republic Airports to encourage business investment and take on some of the traffic that LaGuardia and JFK now absorb. He touted the idea of a rail link, with no apparent means of funding it, to LaGuardia, along with a ferry. He would also increase the speed and efficiency of transportation to JFK, now served by a rail link from an LIRR hub in Jamaica, Queens, and add food and retail options to the airport.

He did not tell reporters how the cash-strapped state, Port Authority or Metropolitan Transportation Authority would pay for these upgrades, but told reporters all options “were on the table,” including new tolls on bridges.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh great, let me translate: These bums want to bring in double decker jets of people from every oozing 3rd world sore into Queens faster.
Why cant these democrats looking to build monuments, legacy's and street signs to themselves understand PEOPLE DON'T WANT THIS SHIT!

Anonymous said...

Great more noise and spent jet fuel over our homes and we have to pay for it !

r185 said...

This site is getting seriously bizarre and ugly, when an item about airport transportation becomes a forum on bigoted rants.

Anonymous said...

I'd like to see the N extended to LGA.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, ferries, right. We've been down this road millions of times already. It's an election year folks. Cuomo the phony knows how dumb NY voters are. They will fall for this bogus airport proposal hook, line, and sinker.
How about Cuomo doing a live televised debate instead so we can see his true colors?

Anonymous said...

There was one comment that could be considered a bigoted rant. If this scares you, well democracy is scary. That's why dictators hate it.

Queens Crapper said...

If I recall correctly, it was Biden who called LGA a third world airport.

Anonymous said...

Trains to the airports-- like every other airport in the world has...an idea since the 1930s, yet to be accomplished.

Anonymous said...

Extend Airtrain...where???

J.Biden said...

What I meant to say was that the ENTIRE Borough of Queens is a 3rd world craphole...not just the airport. The press never gets it right.

M Katz said...

Revised signage:

Welcome to Queens
The World's Craphole

Anonymous said...

And the sheeple will absolutely not mind paying $22 round trip to cross the city's bridges. As long as we have good ol' Andy Boy representing us up in Albany, we will pay. Oh boy, will we pay!

Anonymous said...

Major assholes...the only way to reshape La Guardian is to close it

Anonymous said...

So youre telling me no more stubborn, complaining, dispicable and nosy neighbors?
Sign me up for this 3rdworldifiction.
At least they dont call the cops everytime you fart or leave your car double parked.

Anonymous said...

Never mind accommodating out-of-town travelers... JFK and LaGuardia are inadequate to meet the needs of travelers who live in New York City. There's no easy way to get either to or from them quickly. If you drive or take an expensive taxi, you're talking about a 20-40 minute drive each way from central Queens to JFK. It's even longer if you live in the other four boroughs. JFK needs rail access, but they'd rather build a freakin park where a rail line used to be.

Anonymous said...

LGA has the M60 and Q70. Between them you connect to the 1234567ACEBDFMNQR subways ( everything except JZLG) LIRR and metro north. Speed up the buses where possible even if it means taking roadspace from cars and increase frequency if ridership demands it. JFK has the airtrain connecting to many queens buses, the EJZA subways and the LIRR. Don't waste the few dollars available for transit expansion on the airports.

ron s said...

Not sure why we have to reconstruct an entire airport based on Joe Biden's stupid quote. We could either a) do some repairs and make it nicer, or b) spend 10 trillion dollars, disrupt travel for 5 years, create a giant mountain range of construction trash and inconvenience everyone in Queens and beyond.
And the final result-a newer looking terminal that Joe Biden will approve of?
In anticipation of other comments:
1) Yes, I fly from there often
2) It's a transit terminal, not a work of art

Anonymous said...

A "new LGA" and a "new JFK" is a fantasy. Expand LGA? Billions to buy up East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and Woodside, Relocate St. Michael's Cemetery? Where?

Where's my jetpack?

Anonymous said...

Help stop the noise and pollution over our neighborhoods caused by JFK and LGA airports by reading and signing the petition by Evelyn Schechter on change.org !
There is a link to the right on Queens Crap's page.

Ms. Tsouris said...

You can't even wait for arriving passengers at La Guardia! It's a ghetto airport. Only taxis are allowed to wait along the walkway for passengers. If we're picking up our son from his flight from Buffalo, it's always an experience. We pull up and then get told to move, we can't stay there; it's only for taxis. Screw LGA! And all those closed-off parking lots? I don't get it. LGA is absolutely user-unfriendly!

Anonymous said...

Did you see the artistic rendering of the new terminal? with the undulating roof. All glitz and glamour. Note to Architect; there is a four story parking garage blocking the view.

Anonymous said...

LGA is finished. JFK can expand into the water. Multimodal transport like light rail and aerial tramways is wasteful because it requires duplicated maintenance facilities and staff. Force everything to conform, then link it all up. Use existing digs, like the Hellgate Bridge. Look at Narita - so far from Tokyo but connected by high speed rail. It may make more sense (and less likely to encourage another 9/11) to build one super airport for the entire northeast then link it with maglev to the many cities of BosNYWash.

Anonymous said...

lga is a dump but jfk is consistently building new terminals. air train connects to subways and LIRR. term 2 is closing soon to make way for another new terminal where 2 and 3 stood. you can't close airport and re do it. its nyc. things take time.