Lower Manhattan – Jamaica/JFK Transportation Project

The Lower Manhattan – Jamaica/JFK Transportation Project is a proposed public-works project in New York City, New York, that would use the Long Island Rail Road Atlantic Branch and a new tunnel under the East River to connect a new train station at the World Trade Center Transportation Hub site with John F. Kennedy International Airport and Jamaica Station on the LIRR. It would allow for a one-seat, 36-minute long ride between JFK Airport and Lower Manhattan, cut commuting times from Long Island by up to 40% and reduce crowding on the 2 and 3 subway lines in Manhattan.

The Lower Manhattan-Jamaica/JFK Transportation Project was a priority of former New York Governor George Pataki. His successor, former Governor Eliot Spitzer said that he did not view the project as a top priority, compared to construction of the Second Avenue Subway, LIRR East Side Access, or replacement of the Tappan Zee Bridge, and wanted a careful evaluation of the benefits of the costly project.

History

Before the September 11 attacks, Lower Manhattan was the third biggest central business district in the United States. It is now the fourth largest, behind Midtown Manhattan, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Many commuters take the LIRR to Atlantic Terminal and transfer to a Manhattan-bound subway or take the LIRR to Penn Station and transfer to a subway heading downtown to reach their jobs in...
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