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| Cuomo’s $13 Billion Solution to the Mess That Is J.F.K. Airport | Cuomo’s $13 Billion Solution to the Mess That Is J.F.K. Airport |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| New York City fancies itself the capital of the world, but its leading airport, Kennedy International, often gives the impression that it is a gateway to a metropolis in decline. A disjointed string of terminals. One of every four flights delayed. Aggravatingly long security lines. Brutal slogs through traffic just to reach the airport. | New York City fancies itself the capital of the world, but its leading airport, Kennedy International, often gives the impression that it is a gateway to a metropolis in decline. A disjointed string of terminals. One of every four flights delayed. Aggravatingly long security lines. Brutal slogs through traffic just to reach the airport. |
| On Thursday, officials unveiled an ambitious $13 billion solution to the Kennedy mess. The cornerstones are two large international terminals with all the conveniences that modern travelers expect and that will accommodate the steadily rising tide of visitors and the biggest planes in the world. The project promises an array of amenities, including free Wi-Fi, abundant charging stations, a children’s play area and cultural exhibitions. | On Thursday, officials unveiled an ambitious $13 billion solution to the Kennedy mess. The cornerstones are two large international terminals with all the conveniences that modern travelers expect and that will accommodate the steadily rising tide of visitors and the biggest planes in the world. The project promises an array of amenities, including free Wi-Fi, abundant charging stations, a children’s play area and cultural exhibitions. |
| The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates J.F.K., expects it to serve 80 million passengers annually by 2035, up from nearly 60 million last year. | The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates J.F.K., expects it to serve 80 million passengers annually by 2035, up from nearly 60 million last year. |
| Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, who appoints half of the commissioners of the Port Authority and its top executive, vowed to transform J.F.K. into a “21st century transportation hub” that will rank “as one of the finest airports in the world.” | Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, who appoints half of the commissioners of the Port Authority and its top executive, vowed to transform J.F.K. into a “21st century transportation hub” that will rank “as one of the finest airports in the world.” |
| The multifaceted project would do little to solve the airport’s notorious record on flight delays. But travelers should find it easier to get in and out of J.F.K. and to maneuver between the terminals, which are now connected by a tangle of roadways. | The multifaceted project would do little to solve the airport’s notorious record on flight delays. But travelers should find it easier to get in and out of J.F.K. and to maneuver between the terminals, which are now connected by a tangle of roadways. |
| [Dear non-New Yorkers: What’s your impression of our airports? Tell us.] | [Dear non-New Yorkers: What’s your impression of our airports? Tell us.] |
| Turning J.F.K. into an experience travelers can embrace is a tall order for an airport that consistently receives a failing report card. Kennedy ranked 14th in customer satisfaction among the 24 largest airports in the country in a survey by J.D. Power that was released last month. (The airport that ranked last was Newark Liberty International in New Jersey, which also is operated by the Port Authority.) | Turning J.F.K. into an experience travelers can embrace is a tall order for an airport that consistently receives a failing report card. Kennedy ranked 14th in customer satisfaction among the 24 largest airports in the country in a survey by J.D. Power that was released last month. (The airport that ranked last was Newark Liberty International in New Jersey, which also is operated by the Port Authority.) |
| About one-fourth of the flights into J.F.K. arrive late, compared with about 17 percent at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, the world’s busiest airport. | About one-fourth of the flights into J.F.K. arrive late, compared with about 17 percent at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, the world’s busiest airport. |
| Still, the changes Mr. Cuomo announced would have only minor effects on flight delays, if any, because they do not include an additional runway or improvements in the air-traffic control system. The same is true at New York’s other airport, La Guardia, which is also undergoing a multibillion dollar rebuilding project that is not aimed at addressing chronic flight delays. Travelers at both airports might find still find themselves waiting for delayed flights, but their surroundings would at least be more pleasant and comfortable. | |
| At J.F.K., the new terminals — one to be built by a consortium of four foreign airlines and one by JetBlue Airways — will take several years to complete. In the meantime, the Port Authority plans to spend $1 billion on improvements to roadways and other infrastructure within the airport grounds. | At J.F.K., the new terminals — one to be built by a consortium of four foreign airlines and one by JetBlue Airways — will take several years to complete. In the meantime, the Port Authority plans to spend $1 billion on improvements to roadways and other infrastructure within the airport grounds. |
| Mr. Cuomo, at a breakfast conference in Manhattan on Thursday, said that airlines had committed to spending $10 billion to build the terminals. But as has been the case with many major infrastructure projects in the region, the final price tag could very well be higher and the project could take far longer to complete. | Mr. Cuomo, at a breakfast conference in Manhattan on Thursday, said that airlines had committed to spending $10 billion to build the terminals. But as has been the case with many major infrastructure projects in the region, the final price tag could very well be higher and the project could take far longer to complete. |
| Rick Cotton, the executive director of the Port Authority, said one goal was to “eliminate the spaghetti” of roads that cross the main loop that connects J.F.K.’s six free-standing terminals. “There are more steps to go but ultimately the goal is to have all of the passenger facilities interconnected,” Mr. Cotton said. | Rick Cotton, the executive director of the Port Authority, said one goal was to “eliminate the spaghetti” of roads that cross the main loop that connects J.F.K.’s six free-standing terminals. “There are more steps to go but ultimately the goal is to have all of the passenger facilities interconnected,” Mr. Cotton said. |
| Mr. Cotton said private companies would provide about $2 billion of additional funding for those infrastructure upgrades. Among the improvements, he said, would be an increase in the capacity of the AirTrain, which links to the subway system and the Long Island Rail Road. | Mr. Cotton said private companies would provide about $2 billion of additional funding for those infrastructure upgrades. Among the improvements, he said, would be an increase in the capacity of the AirTrain, which links to the subway system and the Long Island Rail Road. |
| J.F.K. has been notoriously difficult to get to and from. Unlike many major international airports, it is not accessible from the main business districts in Manhattan by a single transit ride. | J.F.K. has been notoriously difficult to get to and from. Unlike many major international airports, it is not accessible from the main business districts in Manhattan by a single transit ride. |
| No solution to that shortcoming is on the horizon. But the state Department of Transportation has allocated $1.5 billion for improvements to the highway interchanges that produce the biggest bottlenecks for airport traffic. Mr. Cuomo said the transportation department would add a fourth lane in each direction on the Van Wyck Expressway, the main route to J.F.K. | No solution to that shortcoming is on the horizon. But the state Department of Transportation has allocated $1.5 billion for improvements to the highway interchanges that produce the biggest bottlenecks for airport traffic. Mr. Cuomo said the transportation department would add a fourth lane in each direction on the Van Wyck Expressway, the main route to J.F.K. |
| “This is long overdue — it’s about 20 years overdue," said Mitchell L. Moss, director of the Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management at New York University. “It isn’t just cosmetic. The roads stink there. The signage at J.F.K. is predigital. They have not changed the signs since they named the airport after John Kennedy.” | “This is long overdue — it’s about 20 years overdue," said Mitchell L. Moss, director of the Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management at New York University. “It isn’t just cosmetic. The roads stink there. The signage at J.F.K. is predigital. They have not changed the signs since they named the airport after John Kennedy.” |
| Mr. Moss said the planned improvements to Terminal 1, one of two international terminals, would “turn the thing into a global shopping mall.” But he said that is the established trend in airports around the world, where a “captive audience” of travelers waiting to board planes is enticed to spend money in sleek shops and restaurants. “J.F.K. has been very slow to recognize that there’s more money to be made on the ground than in the planes,” he said. | Mr. Moss said the planned improvements to Terminal 1, one of two international terminals, would “turn the thing into a global shopping mall.” But he said that is the established trend in airports around the world, where a “captive audience” of travelers waiting to board planes is enticed to spend money in sleek shops and restaurants. “J.F.K. has been very slow to recognize that there’s more money to be made on the ground than in the planes,” he said. |
| Mr. Cotton said that a consortium of four foreign carriers — Lufthansa, Air France, Japan Airlines and Korean Airlines — had pledged to spend $7 billion to replace Terminals 1 and 2 with a massive terminal containing 23 gates and 230,000 square feet of stores and restaurants. He said that the complex would be operated by Munich Airport International and would be connected to Terminal 4, integrating the south side of the airport. | Mr. Cotton said that a consortium of four foreign carriers — Lufthansa, Air France, Japan Airlines and Korean Airlines — had pledged to spend $7 billion to replace Terminals 1 and 2 with a massive terminal containing 23 gates and 230,000 square feet of stores and restaurants. He said that the complex would be operated by Munich Airport International and would be connected to Terminal 4, integrating the south side of the airport. |
| On the north side, he said, JetBlue has proposed to demolish Terminal 7 and build a $3 billion international terminal that would connect to the airline’s hub in Terminal 5. One of JetBlue’s development partners is RXR Realty, a Long Island-based company led by Scott Rechler, a former vice-chairman of the Port Authority and major campaign contributor to Mr. Cuomo. | On the north side, he said, JetBlue has proposed to demolish Terminal 7 and build a $3 billion international terminal that would connect to the airline’s hub in Terminal 5. One of JetBlue’s development partners is RXR Realty, a Long Island-based company led by Scott Rechler, a former vice-chairman of the Port Authority and major campaign contributor to Mr. Cuomo. |
| The proposals for the new terminals still must be approved by the commissioners of the Port Authority, half of whom are appointed by the governor of New Jersey. But that group has been unusually cooperative since Philip D. Murphy, a Democrat like Mr. Cuomo, succeeded Chris Christie, a Republican, in Trenton. | The proposals for the new terminals still must be approved by the commissioners of the Port Authority, half of whom are appointed by the governor of New Jersey. But that group has been unusually cooperative since Philip D. Murphy, a Democrat like Mr. Cuomo, succeeded Chris Christie, a Republican, in Trenton. |
| Some transportation experts have pressed the Port Authority to expand the capacity of J.F.K. by adding at least one runway. The Regional Plan Association called for two additional runways in its broad vision for the region’s transportation network last year. | Some transportation experts have pressed the Port Authority to expand the capacity of J.F.K. by adding at least one runway. The Regional Plan Association called for two additional runways in its broad vision for the region’s transportation network last year. |
| But adding a runway is politically thorny because it would require the taking of property adjacent to the airport or encroaching on Jamaica Bay, which lies along J.F.K.’s southern border. Mr. Cotton said that the airport could handle the projected growth in passenger traffic by putting them into bigger planes and, making use of advances in air-traffic technology, flying the planes closer together so that more flights can arrive and depart each hour. He noted that London’s Heathrow Airport handles 80 million passengers a year with just two runways. | But adding a runway is politically thorny because it would require the taking of property adjacent to the airport or encroaching on Jamaica Bay, which lies along J.F.K.’s southern border. Mr. Cotton said that the airport could handle the projected growth in passenger traffic by putting them into bigger planes and, making use of advances in air-traffic technology, flying the planes closer together so that more flights can arrive and depart each hour. He noted that London’s Heathrow Airport handles 80 million passengers a year with just two runways. |
| “What we need are passenger facilities and roadways,” Mr. Cotton said. “We’re trying to build an airport where the passenger experience inside the terminals is vastly improved compared to what it is today at J.F.K. The measuring stick is other airports.” | “What we need are passenger facilities and roadways,” Mr. Cotton said. “We’re trying to build an airport where the passenger experience inside the terminals is vastly improved compared to what it is today at J.F.K. The measuring stick is other airports.” |
| Travelers see other airports around the world and ask, “How come J.F.K. can’t be like those airports,” Mr. Cotton said. “This is not impossible.” | Travelers see other airports around the world and ask, “How come J.F.K. can’t be like those airports,” Mr. Cotton said. “This is not impossible.” |