Catching Up With AirTrain

AirTrain is open for business! On December 17 at 2 p.m., passenger service began on the sleek 8.1-mile light rail line with free rides until midnight. At only nine to nineteen minutes from Jamaica to JFK and $5 a ride, it beats paying big bucks for a taxi or spending hours on the subway. Costs do add up, though. Include a ride on the connecting E train at Jamaica or Howard Beach and it becomes $7, hop on the LIRR and it might cost $10 or more.
The new systems first day was not without its problems. Not long after its debut, it had to be shut down for two hours by the Port Authority because platform doors had failed to open, trapping passengers inside for nearly half an hour. The system stopped at 9:30 p.m., while engineers worked to get the door problem resolved.
And on its maiden voyage, Mayor Michael Bloomberg was cuffed by the AirTrains steel doors, making him briefly lose his footing.
Is it a state-of-the-art addition to our transit system or a repeat of the MTAs train to the plane foible in the 80s? Considering that other cosmopolitan locales throughout the world have enjoyed high speed train service for many years, it cant rightly be called innovative, but it may be one answer to the longtime question of how to clear up congestion on the Van Wyck Expressway and Belt Parkway and smoggy air. That is, if its convenient. Trekking to the AirTrain station with kids or big bags in tow might turn some people off.
Still, its a speedy solution even if travelers have to take the time to get to the AirTrain by bus, subway or train.
The Port Authority predicts a 4.8% increase in air travel during the 16-day holiday travel period and is encouraging people to use the AirTrain in conjunction with Penn Station, the Long Island Rail Road and the subway.
"We will make sure that our customers are able to travel through our facilities safely, securely and as quickly as possible," said chief operating officer Ernesto Butcher, who also urged customers to give themselves enough time.
Besides its two Queens stops, the AirTrain will make connections between airport terminals, rental car lots and parking areas within the airport, which adds up to six minutes between stops within JFK. It may also help reduce intra-airport traffic by giving 27 million passengers and millions of airport employees a reliable mode of transportation once theyve reached the airport.
The date to begin AirTrain service was not an arbitrary decision. December 17 marked the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers first flight. Ridership on the first day was light, even though service was free until 12:01 a.m. on the 18th.
Whether New Yorkers will want to schlep their bags up the many stairs potentially involved in an AirTrain trip, especially on return flights where they will be greeted by eager livery and taxi drivers, remains to be seen. Nonetheless, when traffic is at a standstill, the passengers high up on the AirTrain are going to have the last laugh.