LaGuardia Airport Access

Overview Study Goals LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is the only New York area airport not • Improve transit access to LGA served by rapid transit. Local buses serving the airport are slowed by long passenger boarding times and by operating • Improve transit service in in mixed traffic on local streets. In May 2011 the LaGuardia neighborhoods near LGA Airport Access Alternatives Analysis began with the purpose of developing faster and more reliable transit service to LGA. This • Provide transit improvements study has been a partnership among New York City Department at a low cost and in a short of Transportation, MTA New York City Transit, MTA Bus Company and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. timeframe

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) was identified as the transit mode best suited to improving service to LGA. Under the Select Bus Service (SBS) brand name, BRT has been implemented successfully on Fordham Road in the Bronx, 34th Street and First and Second Avenues in Manhattan and Hylan Boulevard on Staten Island.

Proposed New Routes Current Service Issues Manhattan/Bronx Long dwell times at bus Benefits stops Long signal delays M60 SBS route: 20% Traffic congestion on faster to LGA 125th Street Proposed Bronx SBS Improvement Features route: 40% faster Limited stops Dedicated bus lanes Improved reliability Transit signal priority Off-board fare payment Subway/Rail Connections Luggage racks

Queens Current Service Issues Benefits Long dwell times at bus stops Over 40% faster than Long signal delays current local service Slow travel speeds on residential streets Improved regional connectivity via LIRR Improvement Features and subways Limited stops Highway operation Improved local route Transit signal priority Subway/Rail Connections reliability

New York City Transit , Bus Company LaGuardia Airport Access

Market Research Air Passengers Airport Employees

Origin by Zip Code Destinations by Zip Code Origins of Air Passengers Normalized By Area Origins of Airport Employees Normalized By Area 0.2 - 6.5 0.0 - 0.7 6.8 - 16.2 Riding Transit 0.8 - 1.5 27.9 - 67.7 1.6 - 2.5 2.6 - 4.0 84.2 - 178.6 4.1 - 7.7 202 - 324.1 7.8 - 17.3 578.5

Source: 2005 FAA Survey ´ Source: 2011 Bus Rider Survey ´ Most air passengers originate in the Manhattan core and Most airport employees who commute by transit live in currently travel by taxi or hired vehicle. Queens, Upper Manhattan, or the Bronx. Leisure travel is a growing market at LGA, and leisure Many employees ride transit, primarily the M60 and Q33. travelers are more likely to ride transit. Shift times impact the ability to use transit

Non-Airport Bus Riders Bus riders on LGA-bound routes not traveling to the airport are also a key market because their regular ridership helps to bolster the frequency of routes serving LGA. For example, nearly 10,000 daily riders of the M60 route are traveling entirely on 125th Street. Bus improvements would benefit more than 32,000 daily riders of all routes on this corridor through reduced delays and improved reliability .

Public Outreach Next Steps

• Address stakeholder comments • Bus Rider Survey: June 2011 • Select Locally Preferred Alignments • Employer Interviews: Fall 2011 • Prepare Final Alternatives Analysis report • Community Advisory Committee: June 2011 • Public Meeting #1: June 2011 • Initiate detailed analysis along routes • Public Meeting #2: November 2011 - Traffic and environmental analysis • Public Meeting #3: October 2012 - Corridor Design - Curb Regulation planning • Implementation in 2013/2014 www.nyc.gov/brt New York City Transit , Bus Company