Saturday, January 29, 2011

Expanding Kennedy may harm Jamaica Bay

From the NY Times:

The New York region’s two largest airports, already choked with crowds and delays, may need to be radically reconfigured so they can make way for vitally needed additional runways that would help accommodate a projected increase of almost 50 million air travelers per year within two or three decades, according to a new study.

The study, from the Regional Plan Association, calls for as much as $15 billion to be spent at Kennedy and Newark Liberty International Airports. At Newark, all three terminals would have to be at least partially razed, then rebuilt; at Kennedy, part of Jamaica Bay might have to be filled to create space for one or more new runways.

The proposed expansions would amount to the most ambitious reshaping of any of the region’s major airports in several decades. They would require significant changes in the region’s airspace, a modernization of the system for controlling air traffic and at least one act of Congress.

If the proposals are accepted by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates Kennedy, Newark and La Guardia Airports, they would surely encounter stiff resistance from local and national advocates for the environment, the report admits. They would also have to survive the political tug of war between the governors of New York and New Jersey, who jointly control the Port Authority.

The cost estimates are preliminary and vary widely depending on which of several options for expanding Kennedy would be chosen, according to the report. The authors laid out seven proposals for adding runway space at Kennedy, some of which would require filling in more of the bay than others.

Getting approval for that option would entail not only overcoming opposition from environmental groups but also changing the federal law that created the Gateway National Recreation Area, which explicitly prohibits expanding the airport into the bay.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

First of all NYS should disband it's involvement in the Port Authority. The PA poured money into the Elizabeth container port wiping out our port jobs in NYC. Second, Liberty Airport has seen all of the air passenger and cargo growth at the expense of Kennedy Airport which is a pathetic airport for our visitors to arrive at.

Regardless of what environmentalist say about the bay reclamation, the water surrounding the airport is long been polluted - fill it in and grow this airport so that this Queens resident never has to go to Liberty airport ever to get a non-stop to my destination in the future!

Anonymous said...

Maspeth Mom says....

I dont like the fact that they will make the airport even bigger. Temporarily it will bring jobs to the area but are architects and construction workers (who make upward of $50 per hour) really living in Queens?? In the long term it will just add more pollution, more congestion to Queens and the only people who are going to benefit are airline exectives. No thanks - Queens needs more space - not more runways.

Anonymous said...

and will the creation of new runways at JFK and tinkering with how airspace is used free up some sky so more LaGuardia flights can use the "Coney climb" and impact many more mid Qns residents with noise?

Unknown said...

The last time they did work at LGA--the pay off was work restoring another local wet land (alley pond park)

there are millions of acres of wetlands that could be restored--
take 200 here, create/restore to more natural conditions there.

we are a city, we need both room to grow, and room for nature. it doesn't have to be a conflict.

Steve Anderson said...

My solution to the problem would be to shift freight air operations out of JFK to the unused Calverton (Grumman Airport). The airport would be tied into the LIRR and a new roadway connection between Exits 70 and 71 on the LIE (I-495).

In my opinion, it makes more sense than losing parts of Jamaica Bay or current plans to build a ski area at the Calverton/Grumman site.

Anonymous said...

Air travel is so horendus for the enviornmet. Why not just quintuple the price everywhere so as to suppress demand?

Big Hairy Balls said...

JFK's runways have long been a pressing issue. Expanding the airport facilities & its runways is a a step to accommodate the increased usage. Long live Israel! Long live my NYC teacher's pension! Death to the WTC bombing Palestinians!

Anonymous said...

Large Dangler said...
Anyone can have big, hairy balls if their cock is only an inch long! Just sayin'!

I agree!

Joe said...

Reclamation ?

Q:
How does a Person, State or City mob re-claim something that wasn't theirs in the first place ?

I say put the landing space it in Amsterdam, Beantown or Jersey. We don't need any more international aO's and floating freeloader's landing in Queens.

Joe said...

Shift freight to Calverton (Grumman Airport). The airport would be tied into the LIRR.

OF FU*K no ---FFFFUUU****K NO!!!!
Its bad enough with all the helicopters and Cessna's illegally crossing the Mattituck canal as a landmark shortcut to the winarys and Hamptons.
Big jumbo freight-liners coming in off the Atlantic air-breaking and taking off would be a nightmare.
Besides that Calverton runway (what left of it)is not long enough for them. I play private party's in those hangers and runway during the summer with the band.

Id be all for relocating the air freighters and road traffic associated with it to Otis on Cape Cod.
There are plenty of freight RR tracks, ROW's and Kennedy fans up there that are into "change".

Anonymous said...

"Air travel is so horendus for the enviornmet. Why not just quintuple the price everywhere so as to suppress demand?"

Spell check not working?