Traffic & Transit
Get To LaGuardia Airport For Free On The Q70 Bus, Hochul Says
Free fares will go into effect May 1 as the state works on a permanent transit option to LaGuardia in lieu of Cuomo's derided AirTrain.
QUEENS, NY — New Yorkers still can't get to LaGuardia Airport by train, but soon they'll be able to get there for free.
Fares on the Q70 bus, which runs between Woodside and LaGuardia Airport, will be suspended as of May 1 as the state works on a permanent transit route to the airport in lieu of Andrew Cuomo's derided Air Train, Governor Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday during the MTA's board meeting.
"The Q70 bus could be this interim means to let people know that this is a good way to get from the airport to the next station," Hochul said, alluding to the subway connections along the bus route. The idea for free Q70 rides came from a Daily News opinion piece, the governor said.
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Hochul's announcement comes as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey explores 14 public transit routes to the airport — a return to the drawing board that began after the governor hit the brakes on her predecessor's much-maligned, $2.1B AirTrain plan last October in the wake of his scandal-fueled resignation.
The airport is currently only accessible through a handful of bus lines, but the Port Authority is considering a slate of options, including elevated subway extensions through Astoria or a light rail plan that could link with the proposed Interborough Express subway line.
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State transit experts are currently in the midst of a community engagement effort in order to hear feedback and proposals on the plans from New Yorkers.
"There are ideas that [the expert panel] came up with, but what does the community want? This is their mode of transportation," said Hochul.
The governors announcement was one of many during an hours-long MTA general meeting Wednesday, where the city's transit agency vowed to cut down on fare evasion amid a recent spate of violent subway crimes.
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