$160 Million Boost for LaGuardia Airport Connectivity, Governor Hochul Announces Plan to Enhance Q70 Bus Service

Travelers headed to LaGuardia Airport can look forward to a smoother journey thanks to a robust $160 million improvement plan announced by Governor Kathy Hochul, in collaboration with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). This comprehensive proposal promises to enhance the Q70 LaGuardia Link bus service, ensuring faster, more frequent, and reliable connectivity. As Governor Hochul told the press, the plan is a key part of a "bold vision for a new era in New York" emphasizing the transformation of LaGuardia into a world-class destination, as mentioned by the Governor's Office.

In the official announcement, Governor Hochul stressed, “This new funding will advance several transportation projects, provide new bus lanes, reduce congestion and overcrowding, and install new traffic lights to prioritize buses into the airport. I’m proud to celebrate these accomplishments and look forward to creating a world-class transit option." Following prolonged collaboration between the PANYNJ, MTA, the New York City Department of Transportation, and the New York State Department of Transportation, the proposal will hit the Port Authority Board's desk for a vote tomorrow. After analyzing transit to LaGuardia Airport at the request of the Governor, key recommendations have finally come to the fore, courtesy of a panel of distinguished transportation experts.

Improvements on the cards include traffic signals favoring the Q70 bus along Roosevelt Ave and Broadway, an exclusive bus lane on the shoulder of the northbound Brooklyn-Queens Expressway between Northern Blvd and Astoria Blvd, and increased bus frequencies to manage the peak period rush. In a move to further eliminate delays, a designated bus pick-up and drop-off area near Terminal C is planned with exclusive road access. Commuters will also find improved wayfinding and lighting at critical subway and LIRR stations.

In response to this announcement, Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton remarked on the proposal's ability, “This proposal will fund the development of the faster, more reliable mass transit link the expert panel envisioned and passengers traveling to our world class LaGuardia Airport deserve. The installation of bus-only lanes on the expressway portions of the route will create a bus link that will be a fast trip to the airport with the bus able to avoid congestion." MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber echoed these sentiments, stating that “There’s no reason a first-class New York travel experience should be limited to the new LaGuardia Airport. These common sense, road-tested bus improvements are going to make the ride to and from Queens a lot smoother and faster for tens of thousands of passengers,” as reported by the same press release.