Neighbor News

UberPOOL Is Offering $10 Rides From LaGuardia To Reduce Traffic

Taxi Workers Alliance says the promotion won't help reduce traffic lines.

LA GUARDIA, QUEENS — UberPool is offering $10 rides from LaGuardia International Airport to anywhere in the five boroughs until Friday evening to reduce congestion on airport roads caused by the snowstorm and delayed flights.

Due to the snowstorm, more than 800 flights were canceled at LaGuardia Airport on Tuesday and 500 more were canceled at all three NYC airports on Wednesday.

Port Authority is encouraging passengers to use mass transit to get to the airport. The Q70 SBS LaGuardia, which leaves from Jackson Heights, will operate free of charge until Friday.

Find out what's happening in Queensfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

In addition to promoting free mass transit rides to the airport, Port Authority is also urging passengers to take advantage of Uber's discounted car-sharing service, in hopes that it will help decrease the number of vehicles on the road.

NY Taxi Workers Alliance believes the discounted rides will only worsen traffic conditions. "If Uber is trying to get more drivers at the airport the only effect it will have is to increase congestion," NYTWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai told DNAinfo. "It doesn’t really reduce traffic lines."

Find out what's happening in Queensfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Even though the "first flight in" landed around 4.45 p.m. Tuesday and flight activity is currently back to normal, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is urging passengers to make sure they arrive at the airport earlier than usual to account for increased passenger traffic at the airport.

Similar measures were not required at JFK Airport since the AirTrain is able to accommodate bulk of the passengers traveling to the airport. Governor Cuomo had announced plans for the construction of a similar AirTrain, which would run from Willets Point to LGA.

Photo credit: Public domain

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