Various options proposed to link downtown to JFK

Lower Manhattan came one step closer to establishing a direct rail link to JFK International Airport this week with the unveiling of four transit plans now being studied. Officials from City Hall, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey outlined the four options in a press conference Wednesday, calling them the most feasible of many alternatives examined since the study launched in September 2003.

"Today's announcement represents an early but important step in a long process that will result in high-speed access from JFK Airport and Long Island into Lower Manhattan," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. "This train will become as much a part of the fabric of New York City's transportation network as the subway, the Staten Island Ferry, and the Brooklyn Bridge."

All four "short-list" options would use part of the Long Island Rail Road between the Jamaica and Atlantic terminals as a means to extend the recently opened JFK AirTrain to downtown Brooklyn. The plans differ in their proposals for the leg connecting Brooklyn's Atlantic station with downtown Manhattan, offering the following four alternatives:

• "New Tunnel" -- This option would create a new tunnel between Brooklyn and Manhattan beneath the East River.
  
• "Montague Tunnel" -- Using the Montague Street Tunnel below the East River, which is currently used by the M and N/R subway lines, this option would require new tunneling in Brooklyn.
  
• "Cranberry Tunnel" -- This option would also require new tunneling in Brooklyn and would connect to the Cranberry Street Tunnel under the East River, now used by the A/C subway line.
  
• "Montague and Cranberry Tunnel Combination" -- Both the Cranberry and Montague Street Tunnels would be used to link Lower Manhattan to the Atlantic station for this option, and new Brooklyn tunneling also may be needed.

Once in Manhattan, the line will stop at the proposed Fulton Street Transit Center or the World Trade Center's transportation hub. (Those two terminals will be connected by an underground pedestrian walkway.)

Airport access to JFK may use subway, LIRR, and AirTrain lines

Officials agree that a one-seat ride between Manhattan and JFK will have a significant positive impact on the entire city's economy. LMDC President Kevin Rampe went as far as to call it "the single most important project" for the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan.

Rampe also noted the new line's potential to ease the commute into Manhattan from the fast-growing counties of Long Island and said that it will give Lower Manhattan firms a better "connection to the world."

Officials underscore significance of rail link to downtown redevelopment

The Port Authority is funding the multi-faceted $90 million study as part of the lease agreement it signed with the city to operate JFK and LaGuardia Airports. Costs and timing for each of the four options will be announced this spring at the conclusion of the study, which is being conducted by Parsons/Systra.

The next phase of the study is to examine the four options in detail and gather information on potential ridership, environmental impact, construction costs, station locations, and alignment between different rail systems.

Of greater concern to many subway and LIRR riders is the potential impact the new service could have on existing transit lines. LMDC and MTA officials say they are acutely aware of those concerns. A primary objective in the line's construction is "to minimize regular commuter service disruptions," said Stefan Pryor, coordinator of the study for the LMDC, who pointed out that future service changes -- such as the February 22 rerouting of the N train across the Manhattan Bridge -- may benefit the line's final service plan.

Officials also said there will be a series of community meetings to collect public feedback about the proposed service as the studies progress. "This is a very exciting project, and you [the public] are invited into the process at a very early stage," said Peter Kalikow, chairman of the MTA.

As for why the study focuses solely on rail access to JFK and not to LaGuardia Airport as well, Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff explained, "It's a question of being realistic about what already exists. We already have the AirTrain connecting the Long Island Rail Road to JFK, and JFK has more capacity than LaGuardia. Plus, tying Lower Manhattan to a large international airport makes particular sense for the redevelopment of this business district."

Though most information about the new service will not be available until the study findings are announced this spring, officials have loosely slated its operation to begin by 2013.

Click here for more details about the study and here to learn about existing airport transportation options.