These headed to JFK Airport forward for Thanksgiving week journey ought to enable for lengthy strains amid airport building, Port Authority officers stated Monday.
“Leave at least three hours to get to the airport,” Port Authority Govt Director Rick Cotton stated Monday, including, “And we urge everyone, if you’re traveling, to consider public transportation.”
The congestion warnings come as officers are already predicting a file variety of vacationers over the Thanksgiving Day weekend amid the continued building of two new terminals. Making maters extra sophisticated, rain is within the forecast for Thanksgiving Day.
“We apologize for any inconvenience that the construction process and the traffic cause for any travelers,” Cotton stated. “But we believe — and we hope everyone will come to believe — that the pain is worth the gain.”
Airport officers anticipate 1.34 million folks will journey by way of JFK within the coming week, 25,000 extra folks than final yr’s Thanksgiving journey file. In the meantime, the $19 billion venture to construct a brand new Terminal 1 and Terminal 6 is coming into what the port government known as its “peak phase,” with added construction-related visitors anticipated.
Evan Simko-Bednarski/NYDN
Crews work to finish JFK Airport’s new Terminal 1 — an enormous 23-gate advanced — on account of open in 2026. The continued building is anticipated to contribute to congestion on the airport roads through the peak journey season of the winter holidays. (Evan Simko-Bednarski
“If you choose to drive this holiday season, you really can expect congestion on the airport roadways,” stated Jessica Forse, the top of the Port Authority’s terminal redevelopment venture.
In an effort to cut back automobile visitors on the airport, Ubers, Lyfts and different automobile providers have been restricted from choosing up passengers straight from their terminals. As a substitute, Forse stated, a shuttle bus will decide up arriving passengers each 2 minutes, and take them to a car parking zone on the sting of the airport the place rideshare providers can function.
Evan Simko-Bednarski /NYDN
Crews work to finish JFK Airport’s new Terminal 1 — an enormous 23-gate advanced — on account of open in 2026. The continued building is anticipated to contribute to congestion on the airport roads through the peak journey season of the winter holidays. (Evan Simko-Bednarski
The restrictions, which have been in impact since July, have thinned terminal visitors by about 4,000 autos a day, Forse stated.
For-hire autos can nonetheless drop passengers off straight at their terminal.
Port Authority officers additionally inspired passengers to take the AirTrain.
Evan Simko-Bednarski /NYDN
Crews work to finish JFK Airport’s new Terminal 1 — an enormous 23-gate advanced — on account of open in 2026. The continued building is anticipated to contribute to congestion on the airport roads through the peak journey season of the winter holidays. (Evan Simko-Bednarski
For customers of mass transit, an AirTrain connection from the Lengthy Island Rail Street or the A prepare will value $8.50.
However those that drive to the JFK’s Lefferts Boulevard car parking zone — thought of a part of the airport — can experience the AirTrain to their terminal totally free.
Requested if the Port Authority could be discounting the $8.50 fare for straphangers, Cotton stated there was no plan to take action right now.
However the state of affairs is unlikely to resolve earlier than the subsequent vacation rush.
The brand new terminals — Terminal 1, an enormous 23-gate, 7.4 million sq. foot hub for worldwide flights, and Terminal 6, a smaller constructing anticipated to share home and worldwide flight duties — are on account of open in 2026.
