On a September day in 1998, a groundbreaking took place for what is expected to be a railway system that will not only bring passengers to New York City’s largest airport but is also highly anticipated to deliver economic development for Southeast Queens.

The project is the $1.5 billion light rail system, called AirTrain which, when complete, will link nine terminals at JFK, to Jamaica and Howard Beach tying them into the New York subway system, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and the New York City Transit bus system.

What the Jamaica LIRR station looks like now (top) and an artist’s rendering of how it will look when complete in 2003.

AirTrain will stretch for 8.4 miles, traveling a two-mile loop around the airport, linking the passenger terminals, and continuing on to the rental car areas and long-term and employee parking lots.

A 3.1 mile extension will run from the Federal Circle/rental car stop to the LIRR’s Jamaica Station, where passengers will be able to connect with six LIRR lines, the E, J and Z lines, and multiple New York City Transit buses.

According to AirTrain officials, the new rail system will be fast, convenient and dependable.

The 34,000 people who are expected to ride the system daily will get an eight-minute ride from JFK to the Jamaica Station, drastically slashing the usual 20 minutes it takes to make the same ride by car during high traffic.

The loop around the airport will also take eight minutes.

AirTrain users will not have to worry about making a certain train. At peak hours of Airport use (3 p.m. to 8 p.m), the time lapse between trains will be only three to four minutes, according to Port Authority officials.

Apart from the ease on traffic congestion along the Van Wyck Expressway, this new and innovative rail system, is planned to become operational from the Jamaica Station by 2003.

AirTrain construction, which is being paid for through a combination of a passenger surcharge already in existence and Port Authority funds, has meant subcontracts to Southeast Queens businesses.

Already, contracts have been given to Southeast Queens companies for the in-airport portion of the project, according to Jim Heyliger, president of the Association of Minority Entrepreneurs of New York (AMENY).

Another portion, the renovation of the LIRR’s Jamaica Station, which began recently, has also given contracts to two Southeast Queens companies. A $1.1 million contract with one company has been confirmed as has been a $300,000 contract with International Pest Control, both based in Jamaica, according to Heyliger.

Heyliger said that he has asked Perini Construction, the company in charge of the Jamaica Station project, to see to it that of the 17 percent of AirTrain contract money promised to
minorities and women, 25 percent
stay in Southeast Queens.

To this end, on June 20, Heyliger plans to hold a meeting at York College with Perini, the Port Authority and other Jamaica Station major contractors. "We will advise the community about what the Jamaica Station project is about" and how to apply for subcontracts, he said.

The total project AirTrain project is creating 4,150 construction jobs, generating $580 million in wages, according to Heyliger who said he is working to see that many of these jobs go to Southeast Queens workers.

Once the construction is done, employees will be required to run it, and the AirTrain is already hiring them.

According to Greg Murphy, an AirTrain spokeperson, it will take about 118 employees: accountants, control operators, customer service representatives, electricians, etc., to run the system.

According to Philippa Karteron, assistant deputy administrator for the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) and project coordinator for AirTrain job placement, the hiring is being done in three stages.

The first two stages have already taken place and the third is scheduled for this fall.

"The idea is to make the process as inclusive as possible and ensure that workers from Southeast Queens have a real opportunity to take advantage of these opportunities," Karteron said.

According to Murphy, "We had hoped all the [employees] would come from the Southeast Queens area, and it seems to be working out that way."

In an interview with the PRESS earlier this year, Carlisle Towery, president of Greater Jamaica Development Cooperation, said he hopes the project will create economic coat tails for Southeast Queens over the long haul.

"I believe we can attract a hotel to Jamaica," he said. "The market is there and I believe AirTrain will stimulate that in a reasonable time.

AirTrain cars are already running on tracks near JFK airport. PRESS Photo by Ira Cohen

"The Port Authority has designed the building to accomodate that," Towery said. "We also want to get some open space to make it attractive. We want to have a whole range of things to make it nice."

Towery said he hopes that many of AirTrain’s customers will spend time in Southeast Queens and spend their money there. "We want to make Jamaica not just a place to go through but a place to go to," he said.