MASTER/Format A Text Template

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5.0 REGIONAL ANALYSIS

This section discusses the level of congestion forecast for the entire NYMTC planning area in 2014 and 2040.

Congestion levels in the New York metropolitan region are first benchmarked against congestion in other peer

regions. Section 5.3 discusses performance measures derived from the forecasts. Section 5.4 presents the top

congested corridors in New York City, suburban Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley. Finally potential

mitigation strategies and access to regional airports are both considered.

5.1 Comparisons of Congestion

The NYMTC planning area is second only to the greater Los Angeles region (Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa

Ana) in terms of total population, but far exceeds the population density of any other metropolitan region in the

country. Among the large peer regions shown in Table 5.1, the NYMTC planning area has the third lowest daily

VMT per capita due mainly to high population density and high proportion of transit use.

Table 5.1 Comparison of Daily VMT per Capita and Travel Time Index

Metropolitan Area

2011 Population

(million)

2011

Daily VMT/Capita

(Freeway + Arterial)

2011

Travel Time Index

NYMTC Planning Area

12.4

15.7 (2014)

1.3 (2014)

Chicago

8.6

13.3

1.25

Philadelphia

5.4

14.9

1.26

Baltimore

2.5

17.9

1.23

Boston

4.3

17.9

1.28

Seattle

3.3

18.6

1.26

Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Ana

13.2

19.3

1.37

Washington D.C.

4.6

19.5

1.32

San Francisco Bay Area

4.1

20.1

1.22

Dallas-Fort Worth

5.3

20.3

1.26

Atlanta

4.4

21.3

1.24

Houston

4.1

23.1

1.26

Source: Texas A&M Transportation Institute, 2012 Urban Mobility Report (all regions except NYMTC).

NYMTC’s peer regions evaluate mobility and congestion performance measures as part of their federally-required

CMPs; however, comparative performance measurement across regions is difficult given the many different

measures and methodologies used to evaluate congestion. As a result, data from the Texas A&M Transportation

Institute’s Urban Mobility Report, an annual publication that assesses congestion in 101 urban areas across the

country, was reviewed to provide a comparison of congestion to New York. Because congestion in the urban

mobility report is estimated based on nationally available data, the comparison does not take into account any

unique features of New York that do not show up in these data. Also, because the Urban Mobility report is

calculated for metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), the comparisons shown here include northern New Jersey

and southwestern Connecticut.

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The comparisons are illuminating. The Urban Mobility Report provides estimates of travel, several metrics of

overall congestion, plus specific analyses of the impacts of system operations and public transportation on

congestion.

For the purposes of this analysis, we compared the New York metro area to other metropolitan areas in the ‘very

large’ category, which includes MSAs with over 3 million residents. In 2011, there were 15 metro areas with over

3 million residents. All comparisons are for 2011.

Travel Estimates

In terms of total travel, only Los Angeles metro area exceeds the volume of travel experienced in New York and

no other metro area comes close. The New York metro area has over 10 times the amount of public transit

utilization as the average and more than 5 times the next closest, Chicago. Figure 5.1 presents the travel on

freeways, arterials, and public transportation for the average of the very large areas and the top 5 travel markets.

Figure 5.1. Travel Volumes in New York and Comparable Metro Areas

Note: Very Large Area refers to a metropolitan statistical area with over three million residents.

System Congestion

Figure 5.2 presents three indicators of total congestion for the 15 very large metropolitan areas:

 The percent of travel that is in congested conditions (x-axis);

 The percent of the system that is congested (y-axis); and

 Total delay (bubbles are sized based on total delay).

New York is shown in red and the average of all 15 areas is shown in orange. By percent of travel or system,

New York is not the most congested area. However, because of the amount of travel, New York travelers

experience the most delay (over 500 million hours per year), with only travelers in Los Angeles experiencing

anything close to the level of delay.

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

Freeway VMT (1,000s) Arterial VMT (1,000s) Public Transit Passenger Miles (M)

Very Large Area Average New York Los Angeles Chicago Miami Philadelphia

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Figure 5.2 Measures of Systemwide Congestion

Note: Bubbles are sized to total delay. New York is shown in red and the average of all 15 areas is shown in orange.

While total congestion is relevant for the overall economic and social impact that it has, travel time measured on a

per person basis controls for the size and scale of the region. On a per person basis, commuters in the

New York metropolitan region experience the fourth highest level of travel time per year according to the Urban

Mobility Report data, with Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco metropolitan areas exceeding

New York levels (Figure 5.3).

The extensive public transportation system in the New York metropolitan region is illustrated by the comparison

of travel time index (TTI) and planning time index (PTI) (Figure 5.4). Where TTI is the ratio of travel time in the

peak period to travel time at free-flow conditions. A Travel Time Index of 1.30 indicates a 20-minute free-flow trip

takes 26 minutes in the peak period. The Planning Time Index is the ratio of travel time on the worst day of the

month to travel time at free-flow conditions. A Planning Time Index of 1.80 indicates a traveler should plan for 36

minutes for a trip that takes 20 minutes in free-flow conditions (20 minutes x 1.80 = 36 minutes). The Planning

Time Index is only computed for freeways only; it does not include arterial roadways. When a PTI is followed by a

number, the number indicates a percentage of on-time arrival. PTI80, translates to the additional time required to

ensure an on-time arrival 80 percent or 4 out of 5 times.

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

Percent of System Congested

(% of lane miles)

Percent of Travel Congested (% of Peak VMT)

New York

Average of all 15 areas

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Figure 5.3 Per Capita Travel Time

Figure 5.4 Comparison of Travel Time Indices Across U.S. Cities

Note: TTI is the ratio of travel time in the peak period to travel time at free-flow conditions. PTI is the ratio of travel time on the

worst day of the month to travel time at free-flow conditions;

PTI80 translates to the additional time required to ensure an on-time arrival 80 percent or 4 out of 5 times. PTI95 translates to the

additional time required to ensure an on-time arrival 95 percent.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Very Large Area Average

New York

Los Angeles

Chicago

Miami FL

Philadelphia

Dallas-Fort Worth

Washington

Atlanta

Boston

Houston

San Francisco

Detroit

Phoenix-Mesa

Seattle

San Diego

Annual Hours per Commuter

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

Ratio of Travel Time in Peak Period to

Travel Time at Free-Flow Conditions

TTI PTI80 PTI95

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5.2 Performance Measures

Tables 5.2 and 5.3 provide regional performance measures in the NYMTC planning area, by county, for the years

2014 and 2040. Table 5.4 provides a percentage difference of the two. The first two tables provide estimates by

county and time period for the following measures:

 Lane miles of congestion (LMC);

 The travel time index (TTI);

 Daily vehicle miles traveled (VMT);

 Vehicle hours of delay (VHD);

 Person hours of delay (PHD);

 Vehicle hours of delay per one thousand miles traveled; and

 Daily person hours of delay per capita.

Lane miles of congestion appear to be consistently higher in the AM peak compared to the PM peak, across

counties. This could be an indication of a sharp peak in the AM (e.g., significant traffic volumes in a single hour)

compared to the PM, when volumes are spread more evenly across several hours. TTI estimates reflect the

same pattern. The 2012 Urban Mobility Report provides some guidance for interpreting the values of the TTI. In

the case of Very Large urban areas (greater than three million residents), , the minimum TTI value for a portion of

an hour to be considered congested is 1.12. The average commuter suffered 6 hours of congested road

conditions on the average weekday. Queens has amongst the highest vehicle and highway person hours of delay,

followed by Manhattan and Brooklyn. Queens’ high estimate for LMC is likely due to several very congested

roadways that pass through the borough, including the LIE, the BQE, the Van Wyck Expressway, and the Grand

Central Parkway. However, the Long Island counties exhibit the highest levels of VMT.

Across counties, VHD per one thousand miles traveled increase marginally between 2014 and 2040, as does

daily person hours of delay per capita. Putnam County, however, is forecast to double both measures between

2014 and 2040, likely a result of the large growth compared to the relatively small base.

Figures 5.5 through 5.7 represent modeled VHD, PHD, and VMT, at a county level, for years 2014 and 2040.

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Table 5.2 2014 Regional Performance Measures

LMC

TTI

(Weighted

by VMT)

VHD

VMT

PHD

Vehicle Hours

of Delay per

1,000 Miles

Daily Person

Hours of Delay

per Capita

Daily

VMT/

Capita

Facility Type

AM

PM

AM

PM

Daily

New York City Boroughs

Bronx

360

60

1.4

1.1

219,060

10,636,250

324,210

20.6

0.23

7.63

Brooklyn

810

470

1.5

1.3

732,080

14,960,260

1,083,480

48.9

0.4

5.9

Manhattan

530

440

1.9

1.3

875,580

9,470,560

1,295,850

92.5

0.8

5.9

Queens

1,320

320

1.7

1.1

1,264,240

26,356,540

1,871,070

48.0

0.8

11.6

Staten Island

60

20

1.1

1.0

61,550

5,581,650

91,100

11.0

0.2

11.7

Suburban Counties

Nassau

580

330

1.2

1.1

510,440

32,784,990

893,280

15.6

0.7

24.3

Suffolk

140

320

1.1

251,060

39,731,990

439,350

6.3

0.3

26.0

Putnam

60

20

1.0

23,290

6,026,010

33,530

3.9

0.3

58.3

Rockland

80

20

1.2

1.0

258,290

8,067,290

371,930

32.0

1.2

25.4

Westchester

190

150

1.1

200,080

23,328,850

288,120

8.6

0.3

24.1

Region

NYMTC

Planning Area

4,130

2,140

1.3

1.10

4,395,660

176,944,390

6,691,910

24.8

0.6

15.7

D/C = Demand to Capacity; LMC = Lane Miles of Congestion; TTI = Travel Time Index; ATS = Average Travel Speed; VHD = Vehicle Hours of

Delay; PHD = Person Hours of Delay; VMT = Vehicle Miles Traveled

Note: D/C = average Demand to Capacity for the particular facility type and period. The “0.8<=DC<=1” and “D/C>1” are the percent of

travel that occurs in various conditions (somewhat congested and very congested).

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Table 5.3 2040 Regional Performance Measures

LMC

TTI

(Weighted

by VMT)

VHD

VMT

PHD

Vehicle Hours

of Delay per

1,000 Miles

Daily Person

Hours of Delay

per Capita

Daily

VMT/

Capita

Facility Type

AM

PM

AM

PM

Daily

New York City Boroughs

Bronx

414

84

1.4

1.1

281,219

11,397,786

416,203.8

24.7

0.3

7.6

Brooklyn

1,006

536

1.7

1.3

959,497

16,225,594

1,420,056

59.1

0.5

5.8

Manhattan

594

587

2.1

1.4

1,164,879

10,702,575

1,724,021

108.8

0.9

5.8

Queens

1,498

393

1.8

1.1

1,670,197

28,011,559

2,471,892

59.6

0.9

10.6

Staten Island

91

54

1.1

126,574

6,319,429

187,330

20.0

0.3

11.4

Suburban Counties

Nassau

747

441

1.2

1.1

697,930

34,553,560

1,221,378

20.2

0.8

22.7

Suffolk

255

460

1.1

374,847

45,453,222

655,982

8.2

0.4

25.4

Putnam

167

34

1.1

1.0

67,415

8,198,783

97,078

8.2

0.7

62.1

Rockland

195

68

1.3

1.1

454,119

10,055,092

653,931

45.2

1.8

27.7

Westchester

331

363

1.1

317,228

27,840,339

456,809

11.4

0.4

24.6

Region

NYMTC Region

5,299

3,021

1.3

1.12

6,113,906

198,757,939

9,304,681

30.8

0.7

15.9

D/C = Demand to Capacity; LMC = Lane Miles of Congestion; TTI = Travel Time Index; ATS = Average Travel Speed; VHD = Vehicle Hours of

Delay; PHD = Person Hours of Delay; VMT = Vehicle Miles Traveled

Note: D/C = average Demand to Capacity for the particular facility type and period. The “0.8<=DC<=1” and “D/C>1” are the percent of

travel that occurs in various conditions (somewhat congested and very congested).

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Table 5.4 Percentage Difference between 2040 and 2014 Regional

Performance Measures

LMC

TTI (Weighted by

VMT)

VHD

VMT

PHD

Vehicle Hours

of Delay per

1,000 Miles

Daily Person

Hours of Delay

per Capita

Daily

VMT/

Capita

Facility Type

AM

PM

AM

PM

Daily

New York City Boroughs

Bronx

13.9%

33.3%

4.4%

0.7%

28.4%

7.2%

28.4%

19.8%

18.9%

-0.7%

Brooklyn

24.7%

14.9%

7.1%

3.0%

31.1%

8.5%

31.1%

20.8%

18.1%

-2.2%

Manhattan

11.3%

34.1%

11.1%

2.5%

33.0%

13.0%

33.0%

17.7%

16.1%

-1.3%

Queens

13.6%

21.9%

6.9%

2.0%

32.1%

6.3%

32.1%

24.3%

13.7%

-8.5%

Staten Island

50.0%

150.0%

2.7%

3.0%

105.6%

13.2%

105.6%

81.6%

77.9%

-2.0%

Suburban Counties

Nassau

29.3%

33.3%

3.8%

2.9%

36.7%

5.4%

36.7%

29.7%

21.1%

-6.6%

Suffolk

85.7%

43.8%

1.0%

0.7%

49.3%

14.4%

49.3%

30.5%

27.7%

-2.2%

Putnam

183.3%

50.0%

6.0%

0.4%

189.5%

36.1%

189.5%

112.8%

126.8%

6.6%

Rockland

150.0%

250.0%

7.9%

1.7%

75.8%

24.6%

75.8%

41.1%

53.8%

9.1%

Westchester

73.7%

140.0%

2.6%

2.7%

58.6%

19.3%

58.5%

32.9%

35.2%

1.7%

Region

NYMTC Region

28.3%

41.1%

4.4%

1.8%

39.1%

12.3%

39.0%

23.8%

25.5%

1.4%

D/C = Demand to Capacity; LMC = Lane Miles of Congestion; TTI = Travel Time Index; ATS = Average Travel Speed; VHD = Vehicle Hours of

Delay; PHD = Person Hours of Delay; VMT = Vehicle Miles Traveled

Note: D/C = average Demand to Capacity for the particular facility type and period. The “0.8<=DC<=1” and “D/C>1” are the percent of

travel that occurs in various conditions (somewhat congested and very congested).

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Figure 5.5 NYMTC Planning Area Daily Vehicle Hours of Delay by County

Figure 5.6 NYMTC Planning Area Daily Person Hours of Delay by County

5-10

Figure 5.7 NYMTC Planning Area Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled by County

Reliability

Increasingly, transportation agencies are looking to travel time reliability as a measure to capture system

performance. Travel time reliability typically refers to the variability of travel times that travelers experience from

one day, season, or year to the next. The focus on reliability comes from the recognition that congestion is a

function of several root causes, including crashes and other incidents, special events, weather, and normal

fluctuations in demand in addition to limited capacity.

A variety of performance measures have been developed to measure reliability, but all of them draw from the

distribution of travel times on a given segment, corridor, or system. Common reliability measures in use

today include:

5

 The planning time index (PTI) and other variants of the travel time index. These measures capture the

multiple of free flow time (travel time under uncongested conditions) required to complete a given

percentage of trips ‘on time.’ The PTI typically considers the 95

th

percentile of travel time (i.e., a PTI of 3

means that a traveler must allow for a trip that is three times as long as free flow time to be on time 95

percent of the time). The PTI is a special instance of the TTI measure, which typically considers the

relationship between average travel time and free flow time. The 95

th

percentile can be thought of as

one day a month. Several agencies also consider the 80

th

percentile which might be thought of as the

travel time that a system user may expect once a week.

5

The SHRP 2 Reliability program has developed several measures of reliability through a range of projects. SHRP 2 L03,

Analytical Procedures for Determining the Impacts of Reliability Mitigation Strategies, has the most current published version

and can be found at: http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/166935.aspx.

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 The semi variance is a one-sided variance that looks at the relative variation of the entire travel time

distribution (i.e., the sum of the difference of each observed travel time from free flow, calculated only in

one direction).

6

 The buffer index is similar to the planning time index, except that it compares the 95

th

percentile of travel

time to average travel time.

 Failure measures capture the percent of trips that occur on a segment or corridors above some threshold

(e.g., 2.5 times free flow speed).

As one of the largest metropolitan areas in the U.S., the NYMTC region experiences significant unreliability on its

road network. A recent study by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute of the most congested highway corridors

in the U.S., identified 28 congested highway corridors in the NYMTC region. The TTI data are drawn from

continuous travel time data that, to date, has been most effectively collected on limited access facilities. This

analysis does not address the reliability of the arterial network, which is of equal concern.

Figure 5.8 presents reliability performance measures drawn from the TTI report for the corridors in the NYMTC

region. Three measures are shown:

 TTI – the ratio of average travel time to free flow travel time

 TTI

80

– the ratio of the 80

th

percentile of travel time (the 80

th

worst travel time) to free flow time – this

measure captures how unreliable travel is on a corridor roughly once a week

 TTI95 – the ratio of the 95th percentile of travel time to free flow time – this measure captures how

unreliable travel is on a corridor roughly once per month.

Nearly all of the corridors identified in this analysis face unreliable conditions. Even average travel times on these

corridors takes twice as long as free flow. Put another way, travel on these corridors occurs at best at half the

posted speed. At least one day a week (TTI

80

), travel times on many of these facilities are 3.5 to 4 times longer

than free flow or twice again average conditions. Notable exceptions include the Belt Parkway (which has

substantially more reliable conditions than the other corridors (while still generally unreliable), I-95 and Harlem

River Drive (both of which have a TTI

80

value of close to 6.0), and the Van Wyck, which experiences severe

congestion (TTI

80

of over 8 in the Northbound direction, meaning that it takes 8 times as long as free flow time to

traverse this corridor roughly once a week).

6

The semi-variance measure was developed by SHRP 2 L02, Establishing Monitoring Programs for Travel Time Reliability,

http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/168765.aspx.

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Figure 5.8 Reliability on Select Highway Corridors in the NYMTC Region

Source: Texas A&M Transportation Institute Congested Corridors Report, 2011. http://mobility.tamu.edu/corridors/.

Note: The indices shown are not additive, but layered one on top of the other for each corridor, illustrating the relative difference

amongst the three travel time indices- TTI, TT80 and TTI95.

TTI – the ratio of average travel time to free flow travel time

TTI80 – the ratio of the 80th percentile of travel time (the 80th worst travel time) to free flow time

TTI95 – the ratio of the 95

th

percentile of travel time to free flow time

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

EB

Belt Pkwy WB

EB

Laurelton/Belt/Shore Pkwys WB

Bronx Whitestone Brg NB|Whitestone Expy NB

NB

Cross Island Pkwy SB

FDR Dr NB

Goethals Brg EB|I-278 EB

EB

Grand Central Pkwy WB

Harlem River Dr NB

Henry Hudson Pkwy NB

Hutchinson River Pkwy NB

EB

I-278 WB (Brooklyn Queens/Gowanus Expy)

NB

I-95 SB (NE Thwy, Bruckner/Cross Bronx Expys)

Long Island Expy EB (Suffolk)

EB

Long Island Expy/I-495 WB (Nassau-Queens)

SB

Major Deegan Expy/I-87 NB

Northern State Pkwy WB

EB

Southern State Pkwy WB

NB

Van Wyck Expy/I-678 SB

Ratio of Travel Time in Peak Period to

Travel Time at Free-Flow Conditions

TTI

TTI80

TTI95

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Accessibility

Accessibility (or just access) refers to the ease of reaching goods, services, activities and destinations, which

together are called opportunities. It can be defined as the potential for interaction and exchange (Hansen 1959;

Engwicht 1993). Accessibility can be thought of as having two components- attractiveness and impedance. The

attractiveness component is usually measured as the number of opportunities at destinations. For example, when

measuring accessibility to jobs, the attraction value can be the number of jobs at the various potential

destinations, while for shopping centers this can be the number of shops in the center. The impedance function

decreases the probability of being attracted to such destinations based on distance or travel time.

7

There is no single method to evaluate accessibility. For example, accessibility can be measured by the travel

times between two points, the availability of jobs within a certain travel time, the availability of transit options, and

so on.

Figures 5.9 and 5.10 illustrate one common measure of accessibility – the availability of jobs from a given zone

within 45 minutes in 2014 and 2040, respectively. The region represented by dark red represents traffic analysis

zones with access to over 4 million jobs within 45 minutes. The blues and greens represent the other end of the

spectrum with access to considerably fewer jobs. In 2040, more of the TAZs turn from green to blue and red to

yellows, indicating fewer jobs within 45 minutes. This is a sign of an increasingly congested transportation

system, however, the difference does not appear to be dramatic. One reason for this could be that the 2040

alternative contains committed projects planned to alleviate current traffic congestion. One region that could

potentially see an accessibility improvement in the future (as measured by access to jobs) is part of Long Island

and Queens, partially attributable to the presence of the East Side Access project, linking Long Island and

Queens to Grand Central Terminal.

7

Access to Destinations: Development of Accessibility Measures, Ahmed M. El-Geneidy, David M. Levinson, University

of Minnesota.

5-14

Figure 5.9 2014 Jobs Accessible Within a 45 Minute Drive During a Morning Peak Commute

5-15

Figure 5.10 2040 Jobs Accessible Within a 45 Minute Drive During a Morning Peak Commute

5-16

5.3 Critically Congested Roadway Corridors in 2040

Figures 5.11 through 5.13 present the top congested corridors in the three subareas of NYMTC’s planning area

based on the most significantly congested corridors. The methodology adopted to identify these corridors is

described in Section 4.0 based on four factors - importance, magnitude, intensity, and consistency.

Figure 5.11 Top Congested Corridors

New York City

5-17

Figure 5.12 Top Congested Corridors

Long Island

Figure 5.13 Top Congested Corridors

Lower Hudson Valley

5-18

5.4 Access to Regional Facilities – Airports

The New York Metropolitan is primarily served by three large hub airports – John F. Kennedy International (JFK),

LaGuardia (LGA), and Newark Liberty International (EWR). Other airports that offer commercial service to

residents of the NYMTC region include Westchester County, (HPN) and Long Island‐MacArthur (ISP). Stewart

International Airport (SWF), while located just outside the NYMTC region, also serves the NYMTC region

(Figure 5.14). This section of the report discusses access to the three major airports – JFK, LaGuardia, and

Newark Liberty. Appendix C contains estimated travel times between representative locations throughout the

NYMTC region and the six airports mentioned above.

Figure 5.14 Airports in the NYMTC Region

EWR and JFK each offer 33 percent of the flights from the region, LGA offers 29 percent, with the remaining

5 percent of flights are split between the three smaller airports. In terms of available seat miles, a measure of

capacity and average flight length, JFK offers 61 percent, Newark Liberty offers 28 percent, and LaGuardia offers

10 percent. The large airports each serve a different mix of markets:

 With a limited number of exceptions, flights to and from LaGuardia Airport are restricted to a perimeter of

1,500 miles from the airport. At the same time, LaGuardia is the closest airport to the region’s main

population and employment centers. Therefore, airlines at LaGuardia tend to offer frequent services to

major hubs and business destinations, focusing on higher-value origin-destination traffic. More than 90

percent of LaGuardia’s origin-destination passengers come from the NYMTC region, and the average

travel party size is 1.8 (heavily weighted towards solo business travelers, relative to other area airports).

Of the total enplanements at LaGuardia, 8 percent of passengers are connecting to another flight and do

not use the NYMTC region’s ground transportation system.

 JFK has a history of being the main gateway to New York City for international flights. Because of the

perimeter rule at LaGuardia, JFK offers the majority of the transcontinental and international seats from

the region. In addition, domestic airlines at JFK tend to offer connecting flights from JFK to cities across

the U.S. to improve the utilization of capacity on their international flights and improve the viability of

5-19

services to certain markets, to the extent seats cannot be filled with local passengers. Finally, extra

capacity available at JFK, particularly outside peak hours for international flights, is used by domestic

carriers for flights to leisure destinations. About 19 percent of JFK’s passengers are connecting to

another flight and do not use the NYMTC region’s ground transportation system, Of those who have a

local origin, two thirds come from the NYMTC region. The average travel party size at JFK is 2.7,

influenced by families traveling together on leisure trips to and from the region.

 EWR is also a major international gateway, and it serves as a major connecting hub for United Airlines

for both domestic and international flights (27 percent of all passengers at EWR are connecting

passengers). While close to 50 percent of EWR’s origin-destination passengers are from New Jersey,

nearly one third come from the NYMTC region. The average travel party size is 2.3.

The three smaller airports concentrate on service to airline hubs and leisure destinations.

8

,

9

John F. Kennedy International (JFK)

John F. Kennedy International Airport is the busiest airport in New York, with over 47 million annual travelers

passing through the airports seven airline terminals and over 1.3 million tons of air cargo in 2011. The airport has

over 125 aircraft gates for the more than 100 airlines that arrive and depart from the airport. Roughly

36,000 people are employed at the airport, which operates 24 hours per day.

JFK is one of the world’s leading international air cargo centers. The airport offers nearly 4 million square feet of

modern, state-of-the-art cargo warehouse and office space. The entire air cargo area is designated as a

Foreign-Trade Zone. JFK services the world’s key air cargo markets though a strong mix of long-haul, direct, and

nonstop all-cargo aircraft and wide-body passenger aircraft flights.

The airport offers customers over 5,000 customer parking spaces in a variety of places, including: multilevel

parking garages, surface spaces in the Central Terminal Area, a long-term parking, and cell phone lot. A

reservation system was introduced in 2011.

The AirTrain service connecting JFK with the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and New York City subway and bus

lines, was opened in 2003. At the airport, AirTrain provides fast, free connections between terminals, rental car

facilities, hotel shuttle areas, and parking lots. In 2011, 5.5 million passengers used AirTrain JFK. Recent

improvements include: digital signage; expanded closed-circuit televisions; track, switch, and third-rail heaters to

improve reliability in cold weather; and a digital audio recording system for monitoring critical communications in

real time.

The I-678/Van Wyck Expressway and the Belt Parkway are the only limited-access highways connecting JFK

Airport. The Van Wyck Expressway connects the airport (including its substantial air cargo facilities) and southern

Queens/southwestern Nassau County with central Queens – where it connects with I-495, the Grand Central

Parkway, Queens Boulevard, Union Turnpike, and the Jackie Robinson Parkway. This portion of I-678 and its

northbound Service Road experience severe congestion during many hours of the day due to insufficient mainline

capacity, frequent merges and weaves, and heavy truck usage.

The Belt Parkway is the only east-west limited-access highway in southern Queens, primarily serving traffic

to/from JFK Airport as well as through trips between Brooklyn and southern Nassau County. The Cross Island

Parkway connects to the Belt Parkway just east of JFK and is the only continuous north-south limited-access

highway in eastern Queens. The entire length of the Belt Parkway in Queens experiences severe congestion

mostly (but not exclusively) during peak commuting periods, due to insufficient mainline capacity, and frequent

merges and weaves. The eastbound Belt Parkway in southern Queens and southbound Cross Island Parkway in

8

http://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/passenger_allcargo_stats/passenger/media/

cy10_primary_enplanements_prelim.pdf.

9

West of Hudson Regional Transit Access Study – Air Passenger Forecasting Report, March 2010.

5-20

eastern Queens experience the heaviest congestion in evening peaks. The westbound direction in southern

Queens and northbound direction in eastern Queens are heaviest in morning peaks. Trucks are not permitted on

these parkways due to low overhead clearances and narrow lanes.

JFK airport is also served by local buses, and premium shuttle bus service from the Port Authority Bus Terminal

and Grand Central Terminal. While the airport is accessible by transit, a one seat ride to JFK at present time is

limited to private cars, taxis and limousine, and shuttle vans. The transit mode share in 2007 was approximately

19 percent.

10

LaGuardia (LGA)

LaGuardia Airport is located in the borough of Queens, New York City, bordering on Flushing Bay and Bowery

Bay. The airport is 8 miles from midtown Manhattan. The airport has four main terminals with a total of 71 aircraft

gates. LaGuardia Airport employs about 10,000 people.

The airport provides more than 6,900 public parking spaces, including a 2,900 space, five-level parking garage;

E-ZPass Plus in all parking lots; Express Pay machines in Lots 2, 4, and 5; and a 55-space metered lot. A

reservation system was introduced in 2011. In 2011, the airport catered to approximately 24 million passengers

The Grand Central Parkway provides direct access to LGA. Just west of LGA, the Grand Central Parkway

connects to the Robert F. Kennedy Triboro Bridge (which in turn provides access to upper Manhattan, the Bronx,

the George Washington Bridge, and Westchester County) and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) (which

provides access to midtown and lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Verrazano Narrows Bridge to Staten Island).

To the east, the Grand Central Parkway connects to the Whitestone Expressway (which in turn feeds into the

Whitestone Bridge to the Bronx, eastern Westchester County, and Connecticut), the Van Wyck Expressway (to

southeastern Queens and JFK Airport), and the Long Island Expressway and Northern State Parkway (to Eastern

Long Island).

The airport is also accessible via several MTA New York City Transit buses, which provide service to Manhattan

and Queens, with connections to New York City subways, Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North Railroad for

destinations beyond. Private shuttle bus services connect LGA to the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Grand

Central Terminal. Based on statistics reported in the ACRP Report 4, eight percent of total LGA passengers use

transit. A significant share of LGA employees also use transit to commute to their jobs. The majority of

passengers drive and park at the airport. The remainder access LGA either via rentals, drop-offs, or shared rides.

A recent joint planning effort involving New York City Department of Transportation, MTA New York City Transit,

and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey resulted in plans to improve LGA bus connections, including rail

from Queens rail transit nodes at Jackson Heights and Woodside.

Newark Liberty International (EWR)

Opening in 1928, Newark Liberty Airport (EWR) is the nation’s oldest airfield and home to the nation’s first

commercial airline terminal. Located partly in Newark and partly in Elizabeth, Newark is located only 14 miles

from Manhattan, serving a critical role for the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area. Approximately

21,000 people are employed at the airport. Newark Liberty has three major terminals and just over 100 gates.

Newark Liberty is the overnight small package center for the New York-New Jersey region, offering a full range of

short-, medium-, and long-haul services to domestic and international destinations. The airport expanded its

cargo capacity in 2004 with the opening of a 142,000 square-foot facility, which combined with United and

Continental’s cargo buildings, increases cargo space at the airport to 1.3 million square feet. In 2011, 34 million

passengers and 812 thousand tons of cargo passed through EWR.

11

10

ACRP, Report 4, Ground Access to Major Airports by Public Transportation.

11

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, http://www.panynj.gov/airports/ewr-facts-info.html.

5-21

Opened in 2001, AirTrain Newark offers service to the Newark Liberty International Airport train station, where

passengers can connect to New Jersey Transit and Amtrak rail links for connections between the airport and New

York City, Philadelphia, points across New Jersey, and destinations beyond. Thousands of daily riders also use

AirTrain Newark to travel between passenger terminals and to connect to parking lots and rental car areas. In

2011, about two million paid riders used the system to connect to the airport at the Northeast Corridor station.

East-west access to EWR is via I-78. The New Jersey Turnpike provides north-south access to the airport. From

within New Jersey, EWR can also be reached via U.S. 1 and 9. Transit options include New Jersey Transit buses

and trains, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey PATH trains, which require transfers either to a

bus or New Jersey Transit trains at Newark Penn Station.

Airport Accessibility

Tables 5.5 through 5.8 represent 2014 and 2040 auto travel times to the six regional airports. Tables 5.9 and 5.10

show the modeled differences between the 2014 and 2040 travel times from across the NYMTC region to the six

airports in the AM and PM peak periods, based on results from the NYBPM. As indicated in Tables 5.9 and 5.10,

auto travel times increase over the 26 year period at different rates, except in select Manhattan markets to JFK

and Islip (MacArthur), likely the impact of the Eastside Access Rail project, which could cause a mode shift from

auto to rail, improving travel on the access roadways marginally.

Table 5.5 Estimated 2014 Travel Times to Six Regional Airports

AM Peak Period

County

Location

Airports

JFK

LGA

EWR

ISP

SWF

HPN

Manhattan

Downtown

44

28

46

86

106

62

Manhattan

Midtown

44

25

43

84

93

49

Manhattan

Uptown

27

9

50

71

85

41

Brooklyn

Park Slope

33

29

58

84

115

73

Queens

Jamaica

12

17

82

64

107

46

Staten Island

Staten Island College

46

49

30

104

120

94

Bronx

Botanical Garden

36

22

57

71

86

31

Westchester

White Plains

51

40

76

87

71

15

Rockland

Spring Valley

61

44

66

98

58

40

Nassau

Hempstead

31

48

95

47

130

69

Suffolk

Brentwood

66

71

118

19

152

93

Putnam

Carmel

83

75

114

120

53

45

JFK

John F. Kennedy International Airport

LGA

LaGuardia Airport

EWR

Newark Liberty International Airport

ISP

Long Island MacArthur Airport

SWF

Stewart International Airport

HPN

Westchester County Airport

5-22

Table 5.6 Estimated 2040 Travel Times to Six Regional Airports

AM Peak Period

County

Location

Airports

JFK

LGA

EWR

ISP

SWF

HPN

Manhattan

Downtown

43

30

55

86

117

62

Manhattan

Midtown

34

30

57

78

106

49

Manhattan

Uptown

28

10

62

78

97

40

Brooklyn

Park Slope

35

32

67

88

129

74

Queens

Jamaica

12

20

83

70

122

47

Staten Island

Staten Island College

49

54

25

110

121

82

Bronx

Botanical Garden

38

24

69

80

92

32

Westchester

White Plains

57

44

91

99

78

15

Rockland

Spring Valley

69

51

80

112

64

44

Nassau

Hempstead

33

51

112

52

147

71

Suffolk

Brentwood

73

80

139

22

176

100

Putnam

Carmel

94

86

133

136

56

50

Table 5.7 Estimated 2014 Travel Times to Six Regional Airports

PM Peak Period

County

Location

Airports

JFK

LGA

EWR

ISP

SWF

HPN

Manhattan

Downtown

60

38

37

123

128

70

Manhattan

Midtown

57

34

29

110

114

54

Manhattan

Uptown

33

11

39

96

101

43

Brooklyn

Park Slope

42

36

45

114

136

78

Queens

Jamaica

12

16

63

82

122

44

Staten Island

Staten Island College

50

51

20

130

131

96

Bronx

Botanical Garden

38

21

42

92

94

31

Westchester

White Plains

54

39

61

110

81

14

Rockland

Spring Valley

69

45

54

122

67

34

Nassau

Hempstead

30

46

93

59

144

67

Suffolk

Brentwood

62

67

113

23

163

87

Putnam

Carmel

82

72

95

138

54

42

5-23

Table 5.8 Estimated 2040 Travel Times to Six Regional Airports

PM Peak Period

County

Location

Airports

JFK

LGA

EWR

ISP

SWF

HPN

Manhattan

Downtown

63

39

130

145

77

Manhattan

Midtown

50

37

33

117

130

59

Manhattan

Uptown

34

12

42

103

116

48

Brooklyn

Park Slope

47

40

49

125

154

86

Queens

Jamaica

12

17

66

89

138

49

Staten Island

Staten Island College

61

21

147

153

111

Bronx

Botanical Garden

39

23

45

100

112

35

Westchester

White Plains

57

40

65

118

101

15

Rockland

Spring Valley

73

50

59

133

81

38

Nassau

Hempstead

30

47

97

65

160

72

Suffolk

Brentwood

65

73

121

27

185

97

Putnam

Carmel

83

72

97

144

63

42

Table 5.9 Percentage Change between 2014 and 2040 Travel Times to Six

Regional Airports

AM Peak Period

County

Location

Airports

JFK

LGA

EWR

ISP

SWF

HPN

Manhattan

Downtown

-4%

6%

20%

0%

11%

1%

Manhattan

Midtown

-23%

18%

32%

-7%

13%

1%

Manhattan

Uptown

5%

11%

24%

10%

14%

-2%

Brooklyn

Park Slope

8%

17%

5%

11%

1%

Queens

Jamaica

5%

13%

1%

10%

14%

2%

Staten Island

Staten Island College

7%

12%

-15%

6%

0%

-13%

Bronx

Botanical Garden

7%

8%

22%

12%

8%

1%

Westchester

White Plains

13%

10%

20%

13%

9%

4%

Rockland

Spring Valley

11%

15%

22%

15%

11%

Nassau

Hempstead

6%

5%

18%

11%

13%

3%

Suffolk

Brentwood

10%

11%

18%

15%

8%

Putnam

Carmel

13%

14%

16%

14%

7%

11%

5-24

Table 5.10 Percentage Change between 2014 and 2040 Travel Times to Six

Regional Airports

PM Peak Period

County

Location

Airports

JFK

LGA

EWR

ISP

SWF

HPN

Manhattan

Downtown

6%

2%

6%

5%

14%

9%

Manhattan

Midtown

-14%

8%

15%

7%

14%

11%

Manhattan

Uptown

3%

12%

8%

7%

15%

12%

Brooklyn

Park Slope

11%

10%

8%

10%

13%

11%

Queens

Jamaica

2%

8%

6%

9%

14%

12%

Staten Island

Staten Island College

22%

19%

7%

13%

17%

15%

Bronx

Botanical Garden

3%

10%

6%

8%

19%

14%

Westchester

White Plains

6%

3%

5%

8%

25%

9%

Rockland

Spring Valley

6%

11%

8%

9%

22%

11%

Nassau

Hempstead

0%

3%

4%

10%

12%

7%

Suffolk

Brentwood

6%

9%

8%

16%

13%

11%

Putnam

Carmel

0%

2%

4%

17%

0%