The Port Authority yesterday approved $2.1 billion in spending for a LaGuardia AirTrain project to Willets Point. The funding had been held up for several years while opposing board members could be replaced. Ousted member Ken Lipper had held up the expansion, claiming that it would be cheaper for the people of New York to provide private car service for every LaGuardia traveler.
The Port Authority states travel to Midtown from the airport would take "less than 30 minutes" with 24-hour, fifteen minute service between New York and Willets Point. Trains, state the Port Authority, will leave Willets Point to Grand Central and Penn Station on fifteen minute intervals, two every hour to each terminal. Of course, they include, some travel times can be longer but future roadway limitations and congestion fees are expected to increase highway delays, now making the AirTrain viable.
Construction will begin in 2021 with the system opening in 2024, according to the Port Authority.