Take A Ride On The AirTrain

Come December 17, Queens will finally catch up with worldly cities like London, Chicago, Paris, Atlanta and Tokyo when the long-awaited AirTrain finally opens to the public. The date was not arbitraryDecember 17 marks the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers first flight. "Its a tribute and testament to the people of the Port Authority," said Port Authority executive director Joseph Seymour of the imminent opening.
The state-of-the-art 8.1-mile light rail line, which is capable at traveling as fast as 60 miles per hour, will connect Kennedy International Airport to the transportation hub in downtown Jamaica, as well as make connections between airport terminals and car rental outlets. In addition, the AirTrain will also stop at the Howard Beach A-train station. A ride on the rail will only cost travelers $5 and will be payable via MetroCard, but convenience wont be the only benefit of the newest transportation option.
"We are truly excited to introduce this innovative rail system, whose trains will literally soar over roadway traffic," said Governor George Pataki. "AirTrain JFK will allow travelers from throughout the region to connect to passenger terminals at Kennedy Airport in record time, saving people countless hours while making an invaluable contribution to our quality of life."
Currently, 27 million passengers pass through JFK annually and thousands of airport employees commute via automobile to their jobs each day. The impact on traffic in the area includes not only the Belt Parkway and the Van Wyck, but the congestion spreads to the LIE and the Grand Central Parkway as well. AirTrain going online has the potential to reduce both highway traffic and emissions pollution, as well as to create jobs and revenue.
"AirTrain is going to reduce congestion on roadways near airports, provide dozens of permanent jobs and contribute to the ongoing revitalization of neighborhoods in Queens," said Port Authority Vice Chairman Charles Gargano. "It will help ensure JFKs continued economic strength and reaffirm the airports position as one of the worlds premier international gateways."
The nearly year-long delay in AirTrains opening began after Kevin DeBourgh, 23, of Jamaica was fatally injured after operating the train on a test run. That incident came in the wake of a long, drawn out and vocal campaign led by local civic groups that wanted to stop the project before it started six years ago.