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posted by CoolHand on Saturday May 09 2015, @08:44PM   Printer-friendly
from the Bella-notta-Fiorello dept.

George Haikalis writes in the NYT that last week, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey put off, yet again, deciding between two proposals for a nearly $4 billion project to rehabilitate the dilapidated Central Terminal Building at La Guardia Airport. But piling billions of taxpayer dollars into upgrading La Guardia, which has been likened to an experience “in a third world country," won’t solve its fundamental problems. "It can’t easily expand," says Haikalis. "Its two runways and four terminals are surrounded on three sides by water, making landing difficult and hazardous. Parking is a nightmare."

There are precedents for replacing airports close to the center city with modern, more outlying airports. Hong Kong and Denver are two examples; Berlin will soon follow suit. With the consolidation of the major United States airlines and the sluggishness in the global economy, the much larger Kennedy and Newark airports could accommodate La Guardia’s passenger load, by adding more frequent service and using larger aircraft, if the F.A.A. were to lift the caps on the number of flights allowed there. Kennedy, with its two sets of parallel runways, could handle many more flights, particularly as new air-traffic control technology is introduced in the next few years. The money budgeted for the La Guardia upgrades would be better used to create a long-proposed one-ride express-rail link between Manhattan and J.F.K., by reviving a long-disused, 3.5-mile stretch of track in central Queens and completing the modernization of the terminals at Kennedy. "By avoiding the costly replacement of outmoded terminals at La Guardia and by creating a new express rail link and upgrading terminals at Kennedy, the increased economic activity could more than make up for the lost jobs," concludes Haikalis. "New York’s importance to America’s economy demands a first world vision to shutter this third world airport."

 
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  • (Score: 2) by bziman on Sunday May 10 2015, @02:21AM

    by bziman (3577) on Sunday May 10 2015, @02:21AM (#180942)

    And why does NYC need 3 airports anyway?

    You mentioned Dulles airport, way outside of DC... but between Dulles and DC is Reagan National. And around the other side of the beltway is BWI. NYC is MUCH bigger than the Baltimore-Washington Metro Area, and the Baltimore-Washington region has three airports.

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  • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Sunday May 10 2015, @03:24PM

    by Grishnakh (2831) on Sunday May 10 2015, @03:24PM (#181095)

    Yes, they should shut down Reagan airport too.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 10 2015, @07:03PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 10 2015, @07:03PM (#181135)

    The subway line to Dulles is currently being built. However, Dulles does have a nice toll road that takes you there without traffic problems. Parking is no problem. I've always had an issue considering it a DC airport because Dulles is something like 30 miles outside of the Beltway, and about 60 miles outside DC. If you live in southern Maryland, which is on the direct opposite side of Dulles of the Beltway, it is quite a haul to get there.

    BWI is very close to Baltimore. It serves DC well, but it also serves Baltimore and north to southern PA. But it is a world apart from Dulles. You're better off flying from BWI to Dulles than driving. I think you can probably say DC is served by three airports, but not the larger metro area. Dulles and Reagan serve DC and NVa, and BWI serves DC and Baltimore. If you live outside the Beltway, depending upon which side you live on, you really only have one or two realistic airport choices, because simply getting to the other airport can take longer than your flight would be.

    Reagan will never close. Regardless of its advantages or disadvantages, all the Congress critters fly in and out of there. It is also located right on the river, which is desirable for an airport.