By Betsy Scheinbart
AirTrain cars were not designed to run on LIRR tracks because the AirTrain and the one-seat ride from Manhattan to JFK were always separate projects, the Port Authority and the Empire State Development Corporation said Monday.
The one-seat ride plan would connect the airport with Penn Station using both AirTrain and Long Island Rail Road tracks into Penn Station or possibly Grand Central Station.
“The AirTrain and the one-seat ride are two distinct projects,” said Maura Gallucci, a spokeswoman for the Empire State Development Corporation, a project of the state government.
Gallucci said that while Gov. George Pataki would like to have the one-seat ride operational by 2005, he felt it was very important to get the AirTrain running even sooner. The AirTrain is currently ahead of schedule, Gallucci said.
The free airport loop of the AirTrain should be running next year, along with the Howard Beach connection, while the Jamaica segment will be operational in 2003, AirTrain officials said.
The fare for the Howard Beach and Jamaica rides have not be determined. Plausible fares of $5 for passengers and $2 for airport employees were tested on potential riders during the development of the AirTrain, said Tony Cracciolo manager of the Port Authority’s Priority Capital Programs, which includes the AirTrain.
The $1.9 billion AirTrain project coincides with the current $9 billion redevelopment of John F. Kennedy Airport, while the one-seat ride is planned in conjunction with the redevelopment of Penn Station, which is scheduled to be completed in 2005, Gallucci said.
Cracciolo and Gallucci both noted that the AirTrain and one-seat ride transportation systems will serve different travelers.
“They were always slated as a two-phase project,” Gallucci said. “They will serve two different constituencies.”
Queens travelers would likely find the subway to Jamaica or Howard Beach for the AirTrain connection more convenient than the one-seat ride from Manhattan, Cracciolo said, while travelers from Long Island can also take the Long Island Rail Road to Jamaica.
Cracciolo said that although the AirTrain cars cannot run on LIRR tracks, they will still be needed on AirTrain tracks, even if the one-seat ride is in service.
The AirTrain system was designed to link up with the railroad tracks in the future, but when that could happen remains undetermined, Cracciolo said.
“Why spend a whole lot of extra money to run them off the AirTrain tracks” at this time, Cracciolo said.
AirTrain cars run on an automated system that does not require an engineer, while Long Island Rail Road cars under the current system require an operator. They are also heavier than AirTrain cars to meet federal crash standards, Cracciolo said.
In order for a car to run on both systems, it would have to use an operator while on the LIRR tracks and then switch to automatic mode on the AirTrain tracks, making for a more expensive car, Cracciolo said.
Another problem with the one-seat ride access project is the congestion at Penn Station, in the East River tunnels, and along LIRR tracks in Queens, Cracciolo said.
Transit Authority officials did not return calls by presstime, but Cracciolo said the MTA has told the Port Authority that the one-seat ride will not be operational until about 2010 or 2012.
As for the Pataki’s goal of a one-seat ride by 2005, Cracciolo said “we here at the Port Authority don’t have a problem with that. You could build a track connection in a couple of years, but the MTA’s available capacity on existing lines does not exist.”
Possible future projects to free up space on the tracks include the redevelopment of the LIRR’s communication system, which would allow trains to run closer together, and the East Side Rail Access Project, Cracciolo said.
The East Side Access Project is a proposal to make Grand Central Station a stop on the LIRR. U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-St. Albans) is among the supporters of the plan, which he said would allow 60,000 travelers to save 20 minutes of commuting time and be a valuable AirTrain connection.
Reach reporter Betsy Scheinbart by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300 Ext. 138.
