Lower Manhattan —Jamaica/JFK Transportation Project

Project Background

The Lower Manhattan Central Business District (Manhattan south of Canal Street) is the nation's third largest CBD, and the center of the international financial industry. The area is served by multiple subway lines; the PATH rail system from New Jersey; and passenger ferry services. However, rail access from Eastern Queens and the Long Island suburbs requires either a transfer at the Jamaica LIRR station to Atlantic Branch trains and then an additional transfer at the LIRR Flatbush Terminal to connecting subway lines; a time-consuming subway trip from Jamaica (via the subway lines); or a continuing trips via the LIRR to Midtown Manhattan and then a southbound connection to heavily-used Manhattan subway lines.

Approximately three miles south of the Jamaica LIRR station (and about 18 miles southeast of Lower Manhattan) is John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), the metropolitan area's primary international air gateway, and a growing market for domestic air travel. At the present time, a one-seat ride to JFK from Lower Manhattan is limited to private cars, taxis and "black cars", and shuttle vans, while rail access is provided via the NYCT Fulton Street subway line ( train) which makes several intermediate stops en-route to Howard Beach, where a transfer is required to the Port Authority's AirTrain JFK. Additional access to JFK from Lower Manhattan is available via subway connection to Penn Station, then LIRR trains to Jamaica, and finally a transfer there to AirTrain JFK, or subway service to Grand Central Terminal, then private bus service to JFK via the city's crowded highway system.

Lower Manhattan's transportation system was severely impaired by the attacks of September 11, 2001. The WTC PATH Terminal and the NYCT Cortlandt Street ( line) Station were destroyed. PATH service to Lower Manhattan was interrupted and subway service disrupted. The attacks also accentuated significant inefficiencies in the area's extensive transportation infrastructure, largely constructed prior to World War I, which jeopardize the area's sustainability as a Central Business District, emerging residential area, and key tourist destination. These issues were documented in the report, Lower Manhattan Transportation Strategies, produced in April 2003 by the LMDC in cooperation with the MTA, PANYNJ, and NYCEDC.

Elected officials and the Downtown business community have identified both improvements in commuter access between Jamaica, Downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan and improvements in access to JFK as key elements needed to support the Downtown area's economic recovery and its ability to compete with other world economic centers such as London, Frankfurt and Tokyo; and established an aim for this project to be completed within a decade.


Project Study Area (click for larger image)	Commuter travel links (click for larger image)	JFK International Airport links (click for larger image)