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Transit to LaGuardia Airport: Don’t Believe in Ferry Tales

More than four months after Governor Kathy Hochul hit the brakes on the $2.1 billion LaGuardia AirTrain proposal, the Port Authority has released 14 alternative options for LGA transit access, including a subway extension from Astoria, improvements to bus service, and a new ferry connection. Introducing ferry service seems like a no-brainer given LaGuardia’s waterfront location along Flushing Bay, but there’s a lot more to this proposal than meets the eye.

The Port Authority envisions ferry boats traveling from Pier 11 at Wall Street up the East River to E. 34th Street and E. 90th Street–matching current NYC Ferry routes going to Astoria and Soundview–before branching off to LaGuardia.

Source: Port Authority of NY & NJ

New York City used to have a robust ferry network, and ferries do offer an enjoyable ride, but the truth is that construction of the city’s subway system drove ferries out of business over a century ago. The issue with ferries is a matter of scale, effectiveness, reach, and equity:

  • A single ferry’s capacity is less than that of one subway car. 
  • Employment and population density along the city’s waterfront is much lower now than it was a century ago. 
  • Ferries have very few useful connections to the existing subway and bus network, making transfers difficult. 
  • The state runs the MTA, and the city runs the heavily subsidized ferry system, which means that transferring from the subway or bus to the ferry will require an additional fare on top of the already paid MTA fare.

For all these reasons, ferries are a “nice to have” feature of the city’s transportation network, but they’re a far cry from being a substitute for efficient subway and bus service. Ferries are a niche mode of low-capacity transportation that most benefit the well-off and private developers who want to increase the value of their waterfront properties. Furthermore, the Port Authority is likely to prioritize alternatives that serve as an internal airport circulator to transport people directly to their terminal destination. Ferries cannot fulfill this goal because they will require an additional bus transfer for ferry passengers to reach their terminal. This means that by the time the traveler reaches their gate, they may have already had to make more than three transfers.

The inconvenience of multiple transfers and fare payments will only incentivize travelers to continue to rely on cars–the opposite of the intended goal. Therefore, we must be wary of the idea that ferry service is a 1-to-1 alternative to extending the subway and implementing bus rapid transit.

While adding a ferry to LaGuardia would be the least disruptive to Queens residents and would avoid the need to reallocate street space for dedicated bus lanes, that doesn’t mean it’s the best transportation solution for one of the busiest airports in the country. It’s this same “path of least resistance” thinking that got us the “wrong-way airtrain” proposal in the first place. We must not let the ferry alternative dominate the conversation and become a distraction from increasing mass transit access to the airport. As the saying goes: every complex problem has a solution that is simple, neat–and wrong.

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Carl Galioto
Carl Galioto
1 year ago

Thank you for stating the clear and simple truth. The ferry option is a dodge by elected officials whose support of ferries amounts to abstaining on a vote

Jay
Jay
1 year ago

With all due respect, this just isn’t true. This is all speculative to say that the ferry wouldn’t work. First of all, there are ferry landings right next to two of the terminals, Terminal A and Terminal C. Passengers going to these terminals would simply have to endure a short walk to enter these terminals, and only take a shuttle if they are going to terminal B. Obviously a subway extension should be prioritized, but having a ferry option available would make sense in the short-term, in addition to enhancing existing bus service. It’s all about options.

AJ
AJ
1 year ago

I definitely think it could be useful for people to get to and from the airport in a stress-free and cheap way. Two of LGA’s terminals sit right on the water, terminals A and C. This means that, at least for these two terminals, a shuttle bus may not even be necessary for travelers to access the ferry and all that’s needed is a simple walkway to the docks. Terminal C is also home to Delta airlines, LGA’s largest airline. If you’re a business traveler who just hopped off a flight and are looking to get to the financial district, sure taking a taxi might not be a bad idea. But imagine if you saw a sign near baggage claim that said “Ferry to Wall Street” that would drop you off at Pier 11, a 10 minute walk from the NY Stock Exchange, all for $2.75. I honestly wouldn’t mind taking that. Not to mention that residents of Queens, especially those who live in transit-starved areas like East Elmhurst and who have access to the Flushing Bay promenade, would probably love for a new way to reach Manhattan easily for the price of a subway. Definitely equitable indeed.

This idea that somehow ferries are elitist or only for rich people is widely overblown. What do you expect when a ferry route encourages development near its docks? Maybe because commuters would want to live near the dock to get to work or get around? But this need not even be the case for LGA, it’s just an airport ferry, designed to get people to and from Manhattan. And again, a fair number of LGA’s traffic are business passengers. I have a hard time believing nobody would take it just because it’s not “near anything.” If advertised correctly, a ferry would be a lifesaver to passengers who don’t want to sweat on the BQE worried they’ll miss their flight.

I don’t have a magic wand, so for all I know ridership could be low. And again, I agree that the airport needs dedicated bus lanes all around as well as on the BQE or GCP. But I still think that, like buses, ferries could offer a good short-term transit option for airport passengers and get cars off the road while a subway extension is worked out. That could take years upon years and may never even get off the ground due to community opposition. It’s almost looking like a fantasy at this point for transit advocates, while it would be nice to have.

So until someone can prove me wrong about extending the N/W, I’ll still keep believing in ferry tales for now. :)

AJ
AJ
1 year ago

Glad that we agree on that much at least :D yeah, I definitely think that the existing buses need better bus service. Thankfully the new road network at LGA should get buses in and out of the airport quickly, but then I wonder where bus lanes can be painted otherwise to lessen their time in traffic (i.e., Jackson Heights, Astoria, Harlem). Trouble is, if you ask residents in any area for a bus lane that could take away their parking spots, they’ll automatically object to it just like they would a subway extension in their neighborhood. Someone’s gotta just put their foot down at the end of the day.

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