Federal Aviation Administration

PURPOSE AND NEED

LGA Access Improvement Project EIS 1 Federal Aviation Administration

LAGUARDIA AIRPORT (LGA)

• LGA is the 21st busiest airport in the U.S. • The Airport served approximately 31.1 million passengers in 2019 • It is the primary business/short-haul airport for City

Federal Aviation Administration

In 2019, approximately 31.1 million passengers traveled through LaGuardia—making it the 21st busiest airport in the U.S. The majority of these passengers (approximately 83 percent) were origin and destination passengers, which means they began or ended their air travel trip at LaGuardia; the remaining 17 percent of passengers were connecting between flights at LaGuardia. LaGuarida is the primary business/short- haul airport for .

LGA Access Improvement Project EIS 2 Federal Aviation Administration

PASSENGER CHARACTERISTICS

Local Trip Origins and Destinations • Approximately 77 percent of LGA passengers arrive from NYC or leave 4% for destinations 49% within NYC.

12% • Approximately 77% half of LGA 12% 7% passengers with 6% origins and 1% 10% destinations in are traveling to/from Other New York State / Midtown. and New York City • Midtown Manhattan Manhattan Queens customers represent Brooklyn The Bronx 26.3 percent of all Staten Island LGA passengers.

Federal Aviation Administration

The chart shows the local origin and destination locations for LaGuardia passengers based on passenger surveys conducted by the Port Authority in 2017. Of the origin and destination passengers, approximately 77 percent arrive at LaGuardia from or depart LaGuarida for destinations within New York City. Approximately half of the origin and destination passengers travel between LaGuardia and Manhattan, with just over one-quarter of all origin and destination passengers traveling to/from Midtown Manhattan.

LGA Access Improvement Project EIS 3 Federal Aviation Administration

PASSENGER AND EMPLOYEE CHARACTERISTICS

Overall, approximately 99 percent of passengers access LaGuardia Airport via surface roads and streets.

Percent of Passengers to and from Percent of Employees to and from LGA by Mode of Transportation LGA by Mode of Transportation

4% 6% 6%

1%

40% 56%

87% Low-Occupancy Vehicles Personal Vehicle Shuttle Bus and Van Public Transportation Public Transportation Dropped Off or Other Other

Federal Aviation Administration

In August 2017, the Port Authority conducted a ground access survey at LaGuardia for both air passengers and employees, which included questions about the trip to or from LaGuardia for air passengers and typical work trip information for employees. As shown, approximately 87 percent of passengers travel to and from the Airport in low-occupancy vehicles, including private vehicles, rental cars, taxis, and for-hire vehicles. Approximately 6 percent travel via shuttle bus or van, including shared-ride services and hotel shuttles, and approximately 6 percent travel via public transportation. Overall, approximately 99 percent of passengers rely on on-road vehicles to travel to and from LaGuardia.

Approximately 14,000 people, including Port Authority, airline, and concession employees, are estimated to work at LaGuardia on a day-to-day basis. As shown, the majority of employees (approximately 7,800 employees) drive a personal vehicle to the Airport and approximately 40 percent commute by public transportation. Employees who reside in local neighborhoods, including Glendale, Elmhurst, East Elmhurst, Astoria, Jackson Heights, Woodside, Rego Park, Corona, and Flushing, can access the Airport with a direct bus route. Employees in other neighborhoods use a combination of bus routes or travel by Long Island Rail Road or subway with a bus connection to reach the Airport. The remaining 4 percent of employees are dropped off at the Airport or commute by another mode, such as bicycle or walk.

LGA Access Improvement Project EIS 4 Federal Aviation Administration

PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSED ACTION

The purpose of the Proposed Action is to provide a time certain transportation option that connects Airport passengers and employees to and from LGA, as travel times to and from the Airport continue to increase and become more unpredictable. Additionally, this transportation option should ensure adequate parking for Airport employees.

Federal Aviation Administration

SCRIPT – read slide

LGA Access Improvement Project EIS 5 Federal Aviation Administration

NEED FOR THE PROPOSED ACTION

The Port Authority is proposing the Proposed Action to address unpredictable and increasing travel times to and from LGA, while also addressing space constraints for employee parking. Specifically, the Proposed Action would address: • increasing and unreliable travel times between LGA and key locations within New York City; • limited passenger and employee access to and from LGA, which is primarily via roadway access; • traffic congestion on off-Airport roadways near the Airport, which contributes to Airport access travel times; and • limited on Airport options to provide adequate employee parking and areas for storage of equipment and materials for maintenance activities.

Federal Aviation Administration

SCRIPT – read slide

LGA Access Improvement Project EIS 6 Federal Aviation Administration

INCREASING AND UNRELIABLE TRAVEL TIMES

For trips from LaGuardia Airport to Times Square from 2014-2017

Annual Average Annual Average Number of Extreme Travel Time Daily Maximum Travel Time Travel Days*

36-43MINUTES 54-65MINUTES 21-114DAYS

increased more than UP 20 percent UP 20 percent five-fold

Source: The NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. Taxi GPS Dataset. * When a trip took 70 minutes or more

Federal Aviation Administration

As traffic levels, congestion, and delay increase on the roadway network around the Airport, travelers to the Airport will experience increased and more uncertain travel times. A representative Midtown Manhattan location, Times Square, was chosen to provide context for travel times. Based on existing taxi trip record data, travel times for on road vehicles between LaGuardia and Times Square increased from 2014 to 2017. Annual average travel times and the annual average daily maximum travel time from LaGuardia to Times Square increased approximately 20 percent from 2014 to 2017; the annual average travel time increased from 36 to 43 minutes, while the annual average daily maximum travel time increased from 54 to 65 minutes. In addition, between 2014 and 2017, the number of extreme travel days for trips from LaGuardia to Times Square increased more than five-fold from 21 to 114 days.

Future traffic conditions are expected to be exacerbated by increases in passenger traffic, as well as increases in the amount of local traffic not associated with the Airport.

Increasing travel times, as well as the increasing number of extreme travel days, results in unreliable access to LaGuardia.

LGA Access Improvement Project EIS 7 Federal Aviation Administration

LIMITED NON-ROAD ACCESS

• Access to the Airport is limited to on-road vehicles on surface roads and streets • LGA is the only airport in the New York City metropolitan area without a direct rail connection to the New York City Transit subway system and the Long Island Rail Road commuter rail • Travelers to the Airport who wish to use public transportation, including the subway or Long Island Rail Road, must transfer to a bus to access the Airport • Although the bus service operates on a schedule, local traffic can cause delays resulting in uncertain travel times

Federal Aviation Administration

LaGuardia is the only major commercial New York City area airport without a direct connection to the local rail system. Providing supplemental access opportunities for Airport users is one of the Port Authority’s goals to improve passenger level of service, commensurate with or better than airports serving other major US cities.

Travelers to the Airport who wish to use public transportation, including the subway or Long Island Rail Road, must transfer to a bus to access the Airport. Although the bus service operates on a schedule, local traffic can cause delays resulting in uncertain travel times. Existing bus operations including the NYC Express Bus, Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus service, and others face the same delays and uncertain access times associated with roadway access and congestion as all other surface vehicles.

LGA Access Improvement Project EIS 8 Federal Aviation Administration

TRAFFIC CONGESTION ON OFF-AIRPORT ROADWAYS

• Several freeway segments in the vicinity of the Airport are currently operating at a poor or failing level of service for one or more peak hours - Grand Central Parkway - Van Wyck Expressway - Whitestone Expressway • Future traffic congestion will be exacerbated by increasing passenger traffic and increases in local traffic not associated with the Airport • .

Federal Aviation Administration

Traffic congestion on off-Airport roadways contributes to unpredictable Airport access travel times. Roadway level of service is a qualitative measure used to describe the condition of traffic flow and ranges from “A,” representing excellent conditions where traffic is free flow, with low volumes and high speeds, to “F,” representing high volumes and delay where excessive roadway queuing develops.

In 2018, several freeway segments in the vicinity of the Airport were operating at a poor or failing level of service (LOS E or F) for one or more peak hours. This includes portions of the Van Wyck Expressway, the Whitestone Expressway, and the Grand Central Parkway to the south of the Airport and to the west of Flushing Meadows- Corona Park.

Future traffic congestion will be exacerbated by increasing air passenger traffic, as well as by increases in local traffic not associated with the Airport.

LGA Access Improvement Project EIS 9 Federal Aviation Administration

LIMITED ON AIRPORT OPTIONS FOR EMPLOYEE PARKING AND AREAS FOR STORAGE OF EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS FOR MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES

• LGA is land-constrained • The Port Authority currently provides 1,500 parking spaces for employees in Lot P10, which is directly adjacent to the air operations area (AOA) • However, the employee parking spaces provided in Lot P10 are not required to be located near the AOA or on Airport • The Port Authority has identified that relocating a portion of these spaces could free up space to provide the flexibility required for efficient performance of routine maintenance activities.

Federal Aviation Administration

There are limited on-Airport options to provide adequate employee parking and areas for storage of equipment and materials needed to perform airfield maintenance activities. LaGuardia is land constrained, occupying 680 acres. Airport property needs to be reserved for aviation uses that must be located adjacent to the air operations area (AOA). The Port Authority currently provides 1,500 parking spaces for employees in Lot P10, totaling approximately 560,000 square feet, which is directly adjacent to the AOA. The Port Authority has identified that relocating a portion of these spaces, currently occupying up to 216,000 square feet, could free up space to provide the flexibility required for efficient performance of routine maintenance activities.

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