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| Re: Diagrams Re: Air Train question (581818) | |||
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Re: Diagrams Re: Air Train question |
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Posted by Charles G on Thu Mar 6 12:04:38 2008, in response to Re: Diagrams Re: Air Train question, posted by Terrapin Station on Thu Mar 6 11:14:08 2008. No, the most direct route is dropping off at the kiss and ride, Fed Circle, or the Central Terminal Area. Taking the A to HB, getting dropped off at HB, or walking to HB is not very direct. The latter three are all minor in terms of use and convenience compared to the first three, yet the first three see no charge.Those are certainly not the most direct routes for people without access to an automobile. For those coming on the subway from Lower Manhattan or Brooklyn the subway to HB is the most direct access. Even for those with access to an auto and being dropped off at the airport, those coming from Brooklyn would find that the most direct route and least traffic would involve exiting the Belt at Cross Bay and being dropped off at the Howard Beach station. Charging for that access is contrary to their charter since it is bad transportation policy. How can that be? You have argued strenuously that the charge at Howard Beach is a pedestrian toll and not a rail fare. I agree, because the charge is made to people who cross the line whether or not they ride the Airtrain or simply decide to wander around the parking lot. How can a pedestrian toll be bad transportation policy? Yes, it's just a guess, because I can't figure out any other reason. That are maximizing revenue by charging a shady fee that not many people pay and for that and other reasons, they have not been called to task on it. Why is the fee "shady". Nobody is or was hiding it. Something about the HB residents not wanting it? I don't buy that. What other logical reasons were presented? You don't buy it? Do you really think HB residents want hundreds or even thousands of cars per day exiting the Belt at Cross Bay and turning Coleman Square into an impromptu Kiss-and-Ride? The other reason presented was that there was no reason to build a second station in the long-term lot other than to serve the subway station. They currently use shuttle buses to serve the outer reaches of the lot and could certainly extend those shuttles to serve the small section of parking near where the HB subway station is. To the extent that the line cost more to go and additional 0.3 miles (some of it over swampland) and to build another station, why shouldn't those for whom it was built specially contribute more? They should maximize revenue without blatant inequity and without blatantly poor transportation planning. The blatant inequity argument holds no water. There are inequities everywhere, and you don't give any rationale why the PA would have malicious intent towards people who want to use the entrance from Howard Beach. The "poor transportation planning" argument holds no water either. The number of people arriving at JFK via public transit has tripled (!) since the AirTrain was built. AirTrain JFK is probably the biggest public transit home run in the Metro Area since Midtown Direct. You might argue that they could have done even better, but the argument that it is "poor transportation planning" is, quite frankly, laughable. |
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