The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has begun a request for proposals process for a train connection to LaGuardia Airport.
The bi-state agency issued an RFP Monday to conduct preliminary engineering and planning work for the elevated train that would connect the New York City airport from a new station complex in nearby Willets Point, Queens. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the firm selected following a four-week RFP process will oversee the planning of two AirTrain stations in new terminal buildings at the airport as well as an AirTrain station at Willets Point. The firm will also plan construction related to the "right of way" for trains operating from Willets Point to the 1939-built airport, which is operated by the Port Authority.
"The millions of passengers who travel through LaGuardia each year deserve a convenient and reliable mass transit option that connects this key transportation hub to the heart of Manhattan," said Cuomo in a statement. "We are transforming LaGuardia into a world-class transportation gateway, and an essential piece of the puzzle is ensuring rail mass transit access to the airport."
Conduit issuer New York Transportation Development Corp. sold $2.4 billion in special facilities bonds last May for the airport transformation project, which includes plans for a new 35-gate Terminal B, central hall and a connecting concourse. The bonds are backed by airline and concession revenues over a 34-year lease period.
Cuomo said the Port Authority and MTA will cooperate in building a new station complex at Willets Point that allows passengers to transfer from the Long Island Rail Road, 7-line subway and the AirTrain. The governor's office said the AirTrain would provide a six-minute ride from LaGuardia to Willets Point and less than 30 minutes to the airport from midtown Manhattan.
"LaGuardia is an anachronistic anomaly and is the only major airport on the East Coast - from Boston in the north to Miami in the South - that does not have rail access," Patrick Foye, executive director of the Port Authority in a statement. "The LaGuardia AirTrain will drive economic activity while reducing congestion across our roadways - benefitting the region, the state and Queens."
