LGA AirTrain project EIS process continues
LaGuardia AirTrain Pros & Cons
Now that the FAA has approved
initial pans for the LGA
AirTrain, and public hearings
move forward throughout September,
the real impact of the
system on the area begins its
descent. The public will have
chances to comment on the
program as its proponents offer
substantial reasons for the
new transportation system servicing
the new LaGuardia Airport.
The $2 billion plan to build an
elevated train link connecting
New York City with LaGuardia
Airport through an intermediate
stop is the best alternative
to improve traffic delays, federal
regulators said in a preliminary
environmental impact statement
recently released.
Depending on final environmental
approval, construction
could begin as soon as next summer
and be completed by late
2025. The Port Authority of New
York and New Jersey has already
approved funding for the project.
Even if approvals are granted,
it’s unknown whether the project
will be delayed by funding
issues stemming from huge revenue
losses suffered this year by
the Port Authority due to the COVID
19 pandemic. The AirTrain
project is part of the ongoing $8
AIRPORT V 4 OICE, SEPTEMBER 2020
billion renovation of LaGuardia
Airport, which has been delayed
at least one or two years by the
pandemic. Port is seeking a $3
billion funding from Congress to
continue on infrastructure and
jobs in Queens.
The FAA report said it considered
dozens of other proposed
alternatives including ferry service,
improved bus service and
the extension of subway service
to the airport, and concluded the
Port Authority plan was the only
one “considered to be reasonable
to construct and operate.”
Some of the impacts to the
neighborhood could be significant,
however. The FAA report
concluded the neighborhood
would “disproportionately experience
high and adverse noise
and vibration impacts” during
construction and significant
light emissions once the link is
in operation. Critics have said
the Port Authority’s travel time
estimates are too optimistic and
that the price tag for the 1.5-mile
link is too high for the number
of people the link is anticipated
to serve. A Port Authority study
projected ridership at 17,000 people
per day in 2026 and slightly
over 18,000 by 2031; the FAA estimates
13,000 people by 2026 and
14,000 by 2031.
Port Authority Chairman
Kevin O’Toole and Executive
Director Rick Cotton issued
the following statement today
following the announcement
by the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) of the
availability of the Draft Environmental
Impact Statement
(EIS) for the proposed
LaGuardia Airport (LGA) Access
Improvement Project and
the AirTrain LGA project.
“We’re pleased to see the
federal environmental review
process for the LaGuardia
AirTrain project move
forward. We are one step
closer to realizing the benefits
of the project for the region.
AirTrain LGA will provide
millions upon millions of
air travelers with a reliable,
30-minute trip from midtown
Manhattan to the airport.
Getting people out of cars and
onto environmentally friendly
rail mass transit will reduce
traffic congestion for all motorists
and reduce greenhouse
gas emissions and air pollution
in the communities surrounding
the airport. In addition,
the project will provide
thousands and thousands of
good paying jobs and contribute
critically important economic
activity to help drive
the desperately needed recovery
from the Covid-19 crisis.
For more information on
the AirTrain LGA and the
public comment period please
visit: https://www.lgaaccesseis.
com/
UpComing FAA LGA
AirTrain events
To register goto: https://
www.lgaaccesseis.com/upcoming
events
Supplying Covid vaccines
Is JFK Airport Ready?
IATA says it will take 8000 cargo jets to begin to supply the world with a vaccine when
ready. Here are two 747 freighters at JFK Airport.
BY JEFF YAPALATER
The International Air Transport
Association (IATA) urged governments
to begin careful planning
with industry stakeholders to ensure
full preparedness when vaccines
for COVID-19 are approved
and available for distribution. The
association also warned of potentially
severe capacity constraints
in transporting vaccines by air.
“Safely delivering Covid-19 vaccines
will be the mission of the century
for the global air cargo industry,”
said IATA’s director general
and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac.
Currently there is only one GDP
compliant Pharma warehouse at
JFK and that is Swiss in partnership
with Worldwide flight Services
at JFK Building 66 with exclusivie
GDP certification at JFK. According
to Swiss, they have a good capacity
for Pharma, but even now the facility
is heavily used and adding a vaccine
to the mix would be overwhelming
under current conditions. One of the
methods mentioned to handle the anticipated
incoming volume is to have
cooler trucks parked at the cargo facilities
to temporarily store the vaccines
before truckers can distribute
locally.
Lufthansa has a large air cargo
operation at JFK according to
Thomas Rohrmeier Director Sales &
Handling USA Northeast.
It has good facilities but is not
GDP certified. but complys with GDP
regulations. Lufthansa had plans to
greatly enlarge the JFK Pharma facilities
as it has done in Chicago, but
since Covid, these plans have been
on hold. But Rohmeier said that they
have a task force in place right now
looking at how to best handle this
eventual need.