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Concerns of
LGA AirTrain
Port's Executive Director
responds
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
Port Authority Executive Director
Rick Cotton spoke with QNS about the
LGA AirTrain following recent comments
made against the project’s current
plan by Queens lawmakers, emphasizing
that the $2 billion that is
allocated for the project won’t cost taxpayer
money and is “within the authority
and power of the Port Authority.”
“Our funding is limited to the facilities
that we operate, so the money
that is going into the AirTrain and the
money that is going into LaGuardia
Airport, have both the requirements
and they meet the requirements for our
spending and our financing,” Cotton
said. “No no one has the ability to divert
that funding to other projects that
are not either owned or operated by the
Port Authority. So it is simply not accurate
to raise questions such as ‘Why
don’t we take that funding and apply
it to other potentially worthwhile projects?’
It simply is not legal to do that.”
Cotton’s response comes after Senator
Jessica Ramos and Councilman
Costa Constantinides said that the LGA
AirTrain needs a “comprehensive plan
for the people in our East Elmhurst
community” and a plan that won’t be
at the “expense of our already precious
ecosystem.”
In response , Cotton said that while
other projects “may very well be worthwhile”
the PA’s funding is “limited to
facilities that the Port Authority either
owns or operates and comes within the
mandate of the organization.” When
asked about possible subway alternatives,
Cotton said that those alternatives
had “multiple problems” that
involved “building in very densely populated
residential or commercial areas.”
Cotton added that PA is committed
to minimizing “to the maximum extent
the impact” of the project by taking
“robust steps” to improve the Flushing
Bay Promenade, plant trees and “minimize
the construction impact.”
The FAA is in the midst of their environmental
review and is developing a
draft environmental impact statement,
which is projected to be issued around
mid-year 2020. After that a public comment
period will follow. A final study by
the FAA is expected around their second
quarter in 2021. After that, Cotton
said construction will start “as soon
as possible if they approve the current
route” (Willets Point to LGA terminals).
Cotton added, “We recognize that
there will be some impacts but we are
working very hard to avoid them. But I
believe it’s also important to note that,
as we have done with the airport itself
we will do with the AirTrain, which is
to the maximum extent have benefits
accrue to the community.”
JFK stakeholders groups
Meetings offer ideas to Port
The JFK Airport stakeholders group
meet weekly to identify issues, concerns
and ideas in support of the Port
Authority’s continuing efforts to plan
for the least number of problems for
stakeholders, and passengers during
the five year JFK Airport redevelopment.
JFK stakeholders work together
to support the business partners and
workers at JFK. The JFK Airport redevelopment
stakeholders groups meet
to continue sharing information and
ideas with each other in the five stakeholder
groups of Airside, Airtrain,
Parking Traffic and Communications
The groups are deeply involved
sharing ideas, commenting on current
plans and providing other perspectives
on the impact that redevelopment
will have on the daily working
of the 50,000+ stakeholders. One would
think that the Port redevelopment architects
would have covered every base
but not necessarily so. While the Port
team has done an amazing job , the input
from the groups has been noteworthy
during the weekly meetings held
at the airport. The groups dive deeply
into concerns over passenger inconveniences
during AirTrain disruptions,
wheelchair passengers, hard stand fueling
, traffic pattern rerouting, employee
parking, and other areas where
the stakeholders have brought forth
good ideas which are being considered
as part of Port review. However, the
Port has been openly honest about the
challenges and instituted these groups
to do the best job in uncovering issues
for better service to the community.
According to the Port, many products
are not finalized so the input from the
groups is sought and appreciated.
Each new idea or suggestion can
add additional thought to the overall
program so there is bound to be some
frustration from stakeholders to seek
results is verbalized in some meetings.
But the leaders of the stakeholders and
Port are sifting through all these concerns.
When the redevelopment details
were initially made public, Port management
spoke of “ a high level view”
meaning a general overview. Now however,
the view is more granular, in that
the details are now being dissected and
being handled one-by-one with community
being involved in the process.
“We are at a 95% solution. We are tying
to piece it all together. We are trying
to develop a plan to make it work
for everyone, to present to the working
groups for a collaborative discussion,
“ As Port GM Everett has said. “Everything
has to be transparent, open
and with respectful conversations. We
are having open and transparent dialogues.”