Rack fares to Kennedy Airport have been reduced by 50% to alleviate summer traffic tightening
Travelers heading to New York City are looking to save some money, which surprises summer. The Port Authority in New York and New Jersey is cutting Airtrain Fares to 50% of John Kennedy International Airport (JFK) as it tries to reduce traffic congestion during the summer travel season.
This is not a permanent price cut, but from June 30 to Labor Day, fares will drop from $8.50 to $4.25. While some travelers see robots as an inconvenient way to get to Kennedy International Airport, the reduction may cause people to rethink their plans, especially when considering how bad traffic will be this summer.
Kennedy is about 15 miles from Midtown Manhattan, and the traffic to and from the airport is always busy. But this summer, it brought about a perfect storm of events that threatened to cause major traffic problems. The airport is currently in a $19 billion renovation, the largest airport reconstruction project in the U.S., while the Port Authority expects a record summer travel, with more than 18.3 million passengers expected to pass through it during that period.
Related: The best way to get from Kennedy Airport to Manhattan
“As we enter the busy summer construction period, our efforts to build a new Kennedy International currency with a record number of travelers, we once again ask travelers to keep their cars at home and bring public transport to the airport,” said Kevin O’Toole, chairman of the Port Authority, in a statement.
“The discounted airfare fare is one of many steps we need to reliably bring passengers to and from Kennedy as soon as possible,” he said.
You can connect to Kennedy International Airport via the Long Island Railroad, the New York City subway and local buses. The rack connects travelers at two major bus hubs: Howard Beach Station and Jamaica Station.
Howard Beach offers direct connections to the A Subway Line; Jamaica Station is accessible via E, J and Z lines and LIRR from Madison Central, Pennsylvania Station and Atlantic Pier. Both rack entry points require payment via Metrocard or OMNY; taking a rack near Kennedy Airport is still free.
Construction of Kennedy International institutions is approaching the peak of road work, and the Port Authority expects construction activities to exceed $200 million each month from now until the end of the summer. With this in mind, car journeys to the airport will be restricted – especially near Terminal 7, where the old access routes were removed to make room for steel beams that would support the new road leading to Terminal 6.
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“We apologize for any inconvenience we have caused, but we guarantee that the new Kennedy International Airport is approaching and the first new gates will be open next year,” said Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority. The reconstruction of Kennedy Airport will include a brand new Terminal 1 and 6, with Piers 4 and 8 undergoing massive renovations and expansions.
Airport officials encourage passengers to take advantage of the reduction of air tickets. For those who have to drive to the airport, officials recommend arriving at the parking space on the Kennedy Airport website at least three hours before the flight. Customers using rides like Uber and Lyft will need to meet the driver at a remote pick-up location.
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