Project Marks Latest Milestone in LaGuardia's Complete Rebuild to Date, Following Opening of Terminal B in June 2020
"A completely redesigned road network — with state-of-the-art traffic management systems and fewer signaled intersections — will make it far easier for travelers arriving by vehicle to get to terminals or parking garages, representing a significant step forward as we create a world-class travel experience at a new LaGuardia Airport," Governor Cuomo said. "Along with plans to build AirTrain LaGuardia, which will create the airport's first reliable and fast mass transit rail link to Manhattan, the new roadway network puts LaGuardia Airport well on the way to becoming one of the most accessible airports in the nation."
Governor Cuomo today also announced $1.5 million in additional funding to the Council for Airport Opportunity for the LaGuardia Career Center which, working with Elmcor Youth and Adult Activities and Neighborhood Housing Services of Queens CDC, will continue to provide opportunities for local residents to benefit from the airport's redevelopment through 2025. The Council for Airport Opportunity is a nonprofit organization that provides airport-related recruitment and job placement services to Queens residents, including those who are minority and disadvantaged.
Governor Cuomo's vision for a new and unified LaGuardia Airport — the first major new airport in the United States in 25 years — was unveiled in 2015, following the recommendations of the governor's airport advisory panel. Construction started in 2016, with significant milestones coming at a brisk pace, including the opening of a new Terminal B garage in February 2018, a new Concourse B in November 2018, a new Delta Concourse G in October 2019, a new Terminal B headhouse in June 2020, the first phase of Concourse A in August 2020, and the opening of the first taxiway beneath a pedestrian skybridge in May, 2021. Currently, more than half of LaGuardia passengers are using new gates and facilities.
The project — one of the largest public private partnerships in aviation history — includes the demolition and replacement of every terminal and concourse except for the historically landmarked Marine Air Terminal, all while continuing to maintain full flight operations which included passenger volume records in 2018 and 2019.
Completion of the Outer Roadway Network
Central to the vision for a new LaGuardia is creating a unified airport with two new main terminals connected by a Central Hall and a new, simplified and highly efficient roadway system that will allow for speedier vehicular movements.
The Port Authority has allotted $625 million to new roadway/bridge construction as part of the overall $8 billion LaGuardia Airport modernization project. This includes LaGuardia Gateway Partners work on the western half of the airport at the new Terminal B and Delta's rebuilding of the entire eastern half of the airport to replace existing Terminals C and D with a single new Terminal C, which will be complete mid-2022.
Twenty-six new bridges/flyovers replace 15 existing bridges and significantly eliminate the need for on-airport traffic signals. Prior to the start of the modernization program, there were 19 traffic signals for drivers to navigate at Terminals B, C and D. Following completion of the modernization project, only three of those 19 traffic signals are expected to remain. Most of the on-airport road crossings will have been eliminated by raising traffic up onto bridges, sometimes three levels high. To further improve traffic flow, the 8.4 miles of new airport roadway will feature more and wider lanes than the previous 7.7 miles of airport roadway.
As Governor Cuomo announced last spring, roadway construction was accelerated during the pandemic as a result of reduced traffic and travel volume at the airport during the COVID-19 pandemic, which slashed six months off the scheduled time for completion.
The additional funding for the Council for Airport Opportunity announced by the Governor is in addition to the $1.4 million allocated by the Port Authority of NY&NJ and airlines serving the airport in 2018 to establish the new partnership with Elmcor Youth and Adult Activities and Neighborhood Housing Services to provide the following services to local residents:
- Job placement assistance with airport employment opportunities
- Job development, skills training, and readiness programs
- Career counseling, interview preparation, and orientation for success in employment
Operating out of a new satellite office opened in April 2019 at 107-20 Northern Boulevard in Corona, the career center has already assisted 3,575 customers and placed 376 people in jobs at LaGuardia Airport, including 245 from Queens.
The extension of CAO funding is intended to maximize access to job opportunities for local residents, both during the redevelopment and beyond, and is among the many community benefits associated with funding for AirTrainLaGuardia. Funding for the office was set to have expired at the end of 2021.
CAO recruits candidates for airport employment and provides them with job readiness counseling, career orientation and instruction in interviewing skills and job search techniques. Elmcor and NHS will add their in-depth knowledge of the community to ensure that the new CAO office reaches all local residents seeking to benefit from economic opportunities at LGA.
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