EDITORIAL
TRAINS TO THE
PLANES
Kathy Hochul wants to remodel John F. Kennedy
International Airport in much the
same way as Andrew Cuomo wanted to do
with LaGuardia Airport when he was governor:
Bring it into the 21st century.
Much like the reconstruction of LaGuardia, it’s
not mere legacy-building. It’s about creating viable,
modern gateways for travelers heading to New York
— something the city desperately needs to remain
competitive in the global marketplace.
On Monday, Hochul and the Port Authority unveiled
the massive $9.6 billion plan to reconstruct
JFK Terminal One, which will actually take up the
space of three current terminals at the airport. The
goal is to create a 21st-century airport terminal that
will make arriving at and departing from JFK far
less of the hassle it can often be.
The best part of the project, thus far, is that most
of it is being privately financed, taking some of the
economic pressure off New York taxpayers and
the Port Authority. It also aims to create more than
16,000 temporary and permanent jobs, delivering
the local economy a good shot in the arm.
But when one builds a better, larger facility of any
kind, it eventually generates more business. For JFK,
that means more travelers. More travelers means
more traffic — and if you’ve ever traveled into or out
of JFK via the Van Wyck Expressway, you know how
agonizing that can be.
JFK Terminal One’s construction will need to beget
some kind of transportation improvements. Expanding
the Van Wyck Expressway just isn’t an option
in a society moving away from the automobile.
Like LaGuardia, JFK lacks a direct, one-seat
ride via the subway system. Yes, you can pick up
the AirTrain from subway connections in Howard
Beach and Jamaica, Queens, but it still involves a
costly transfer — the AirTrain fare is going up to $8
in 2022, nearly three times more than the $2.75 subway
fare.
Hochul and the Port Authority are finally thinking
big in their JFK transformation plan. Now it’s
time to think even bigger by envisioning and planning
a subway connection right to the airport.
Let’s give New Yorkers two “trains to the planes”:
one for LaGuardia, and the other for JFK, the Big Apple’s
gateway to the world.
Much like 21st-century airports, we also deserve
a 21st-century way of getting there.
HOW TO REACH US
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.14 COM | DEC. 17 - DEC. 23, 2021
Registered voters must remember that they have the power to determine our destiny. Photo via Getty Images
A NEW BISHOP IN A TIME OF NEED
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Brooklyn and Queens Diocese has a new Catholic
bishop, and his name is Bishop Robert J. Brennan.
As Grand Knight of St. Anastasia Knights of
Columbus Council #5911 in Douglaston, I would like to
applaud his appointment to the Brooklyn and Queens
Diocese.
Bishop Robert J. Brennan was born and raised on
Long Island, where he attended Our Lady of Perpetual
Help Catholic School in Lindenhurst and St. John the
Baptist Diocesan High School in West Islip.
The bishop is a true New Yorker.
Bishop Brennan at his installation pointed out that
the world — every language and every nationality —
is found in Brooklyn and Queens and that we are a diocese
of immigrants. Well, I find that to be true.
Bishop Brennan is compelled by his religious beliefs
to listen to the needs of all those who are hurting
in the diocese.
We have a new voice in Brooklyn and Queens at a
time when many people, both young and old, are hurting
and need spiritual healing, especially during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Bishop Brennan, may God guide you and protect
you in all that you wish to accomplish for the good of
all those that need you.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.,
Bellerose
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