PIN X735.82 Van Wyck Expressway Capacity and Access Improvements to JFK Airport Project DDR/DEIS CHAPTER 2 Project Context PIN X735.82 Van Wyck Expressway Capacity and Access Improvements to JFK Airport Project DDR/DEIS Project Context 2.1 PROJECT HISTORY As part of a post-World War II $200-million development program, and in anticipation of an increased population size, the City of New York sought to expand its highway and parkway system to allow for greater movement throughout the five boroughs. The six-lane Van Wyck Expressway (VWE) was envisioned to help carry passengers quickly from the newly constructed Idlewild Airport (present-day John F. Kennedy International Airport [JFK Airport]) to Midtown Manhattan. In 1945, the City of New York developed a plan to expand the then-existing Van Wyck Boulevard into an expressway. The City of New York acquired the necessary land in 1946 and construction began in 1948, lasting until 1953. The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) bridges for Jamaica Station, which were originally constructed in 1910, were reconstructed in 1950 to accommodate the widened roadway. The designation of the VWE as an interstate highway started with the northern sections of the roadway between the Whitestone Expressway and Kew Gardens Interchange (KGI) in the 1960s. By 1970, the entire expressway was a fully designated interstate: I-678 (the VWE). In 1998, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) began work on AirTrain JFK, an elevated automated guideway transit system linking downtown Jamaica to JFK Airport. AirTrain JFK utilizes the middle of the VWE roadway to create an unimpeded link, connecting two major transportation hubs in Queens. As part of the AirTrain JFK project, portions of the VWE were repaved, entrance and exit ramps were reconstructed, and retaining walls were added. Currently, the VWE consists of three unrestricted general-use lanes in each direction. A service road runs parallel to the expressway on each side, connecting to the entrance and exit ramps. In January 2017, Governor Cuomo presented the Airport Advisory Panel’s A Vision Plan for John F. Kennedy International Airport: Recommendations for a 21st Century Airport for the State of New York (JFK Vision Plan),1 which recommends improving road access to the airport. On June 1, 2017, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Van Wyck Expressway Capacity and Access Improvements to JFK Airport Project (the Project). The Project Scoping Report was released to the public on April 20, 2018 (https://www.dot.ny.gov/vwe/reports-documents). 2.2 TRANSPORTATION PLANS AND LAND USE The Project is included in the currently conforming Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), as adopted by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) on June 28, 2018, and found to conform to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for Air Quality by the FHWA and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on August 24, 2018. 1 https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/JFKVisionPlan.pdf` 2-1 Van Wyck Expressway Capacity and Access Improvements to JFK Airport Project DDR/DEIS PIN X735.82 CHAPTER 2. PROJECT CONTEXT The Project is reflected as a vision element in the NYMTC regional transportation plan, Plan 2045: Maintaining the Vision for a Sustainable Region (Plan 2045).2 NYMTC is the metropolitan planning organization for New York City, Long Island, and the Lower Hudson Valley. Plan 2045 serves as a long-range transportation plan for the region. In addition, the Project is part of the JFK Vision Plan, which lays out a comprehensive, airport-wide framework to create a unified, world-class airport that will accommodate expected growth at the airport in the coming decades. The JFK Vision Plan addresses three key areas: • Transforming JFK into a unified, interconnected, world-class airport • Improving road access to the airport • Expanding rail mass transit to meet projected passenger growth 2.2.1 Local Plans for the Project Area The following local comprehensive plans and private development plans were reviewed for the Study Area and New York City: • OneNYC: The Plan for a Strong and Just City • Jamaica Now Action Plan • Jamaica Rezoning Plan • Jamaica Capacity Improvements Project • Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics (MODA) Project (mixed-use development) • Station Plaza Redevelopment (realignment of Archer Avenue at Jamaica Station) • Sutphin Underpass Project • Atlantic Avenue Extension Project • Downtown Jamaica Transportation Study • New York State Complete Streets • New York City Sustainable Streets Strategic Plan See Section 4.2.1 (Land Use) for a discussion of local plans, including local development plans and zoning, and Section 3.4.5 (Miscellaneous) for a discussion of New York State Smart Growth and Complete Streets policies. 2 https://www.nymtc.org/Required-Planning-Products/Regional-Transportation-Plan-RTP/Plan-2045-Maintaining- the-Vision-for-a-Sustainable-Region 2-2 PIN X735.82 Van Wyck Expressway Capacity and Access Improvements to JFK Airport Project DDR/DEIS CHAPTER 2. PROJECT CONTEXT 2.2.2 Transportation Corridor 2.2.2.1 Importance of the Project Route Segment The VWE is a vital link in the transportation network within the five boroughs of New York City and Long Island. The VWE connects JFK Airport and Manhattan via Long Island Expressway, which is the primary vehicular route between the airport and Midtown Manhattan. Nearly 170,000 vehicles per day travel on the VWE from the KGI to JFK Airport, which has a six-lane capacity and is congested for extended hours every day. The expected overall airport growth is anticipated to result in additional traffic volumes on the VWE, and thus, worsen the roadway congestion. The VWE also serves as the major route for commercial truck traffic to get to and from the airport, with trucks accounting for 8 percent of morning peak volume and 5 percent of evening peak volume. The VWE is a Qualifying Highway on the National Network of roadways designated by the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982. Qualifying Highways accommodate large trucks, including tractor-trailer combinations with trailers up to 53 feet long. The VWE is also a part of the National Highway System, which is a network of approximately 160,000 miles of roadways important to the nation’s economy, defense, and mobility. The corridor provides critical connections to major interstates. At the KGI, the VWE continues north while also connecting to the Grand Central Parkway and Jackie Robinson Parkway. This interchange provides connections to routes leading to western Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Long Island. To the south, the VWE connects to the Belt Parkway, which crosses southern Brooklyn and eastern Queens and Nassau Expressway as a connecting east-west interstate. The VWE is also a crossroads for several major rail lines and AirTrain JFK utilizes the VWE median between 94th Avenue/Atlantic Avenue and 133rd Avenue. 2.2.2.2 Alternative Routes No alternate routes exist between Hoover Avenue and JFK Airport that would be suitable as a permanent detour. 2.2.2.3 Abutting Highway Segments and Future Plans for Abutting Highway Segments The northern limit of the project corridor is Hoover Avenue. North of Hoover Avenue is the KGI, which connects the VWE to Grand Central Parkway, Jackie Robinson Parkway, and Union Turnpike. The VWE continues north through the interchange, turning into Whitestone Expressway north of CitiField and crossing the East River into the Bronx on the Whitestone Bridge. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is making operational improvements at the KGI to enhance safety and improve traffic flow. These improvements include replacing the existing deteriorated two-lane VWE southbound viaduct over the Grand Central Parkway with a continuous three-lane viaduct; constructing new exits to the westbound Union Turnpike and Jackie Robinson Parkway; realigning and widening the mainline Grand Central Parkway within the KGI project limits to address alignment deficiencies; and reconstructing the ramps connecting the Grand Central Parkway, Union Turnpike, Jackie Robinson Parkway and VWE to provide operational improvements. At the southern limit of the project corridor, the abutting highway segment continues into JFK Airport, eventually turning into the JFK Airport access road. The JFK Vision Plan for a future airport roadway system will change the current network of roads connecting the terminals into a “ring road” to allow for easier and quicker access to all terminals. 2-3 Van Wyck Expressway Capacity and Access Improvements to JFK Airport Project DDR/DEIS PIN X735.82 CHAPTER 2. PROJECT CONTEXT Except for the proposed improvements noted above, there are no current plans to reconstruct or widen the adjoining segments of the project corridor within the next 20 years. 2.3 TRANSPORTATION CONDITIONS, DEFICIENCIES AND ENGINEERING CONSIDERATIONS 2.3.1 Operations (Traffic and Safety) and Maintenance 2.3.1.1 Functional Classification and National Highway System (NHS) The functional class of the VWE within the Study Area is Principal Arterial Interstate and a Qualifying Highway (Table 2-1). The southern limit of the VWE (I-678) is the central terminal area of JFK Airport approximately 2.3 miles south of the Nassau Expressway. As a Qualifying Highway, special dimension vehicles (tractor-trailer combinations with trailers up to 53 feet long) are allowed to