The future of the LaGuardia AirTrain is again uncertain.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was asked directly on Monday if she thought that the AirTrain is the right solution.
“I’m looking at all the options. The whole idea of looking at alternatives does not mean on the same day I’m going to say which alternative I want. I don’t feel obligated to accept what I’ve inherited,” she said.
She has asked the Port Authority to thoroughly examine alternative mass transit solutions for reducing car traffic and increasing connectivity to LaGuardia Airport.
Opponents and supporters of the project will see what develops from this new look.
Frank Taylor lives near the airport and is president of the Ditmars Boulevard Block Associstion.
“You have to see this as waste of time and waste of money and they are steamrolling the neighborhood,” he said.
The price tag for the project has increased to $2 billion. The Federal Aviation Administration approved the project after an environmental review.
But there have been questions about the process and how much consideration was given to alternatives, including a busway or extending the N train.
Carlo Scissura with NY Building Congress supports the project and the jobs it would create.
“Does this mean it stops or back to the drawing board? Does it continue with a quicker option or different route? The most important piece is the governor is committed to mass transit from LaGuardia,” he said.
For decades there have been conversations and proposals to improve airport access. The AirTrain from LaGuardia to Willets Point was supported by former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
