There’s a new $13 way to get to JFK from Midtown Manhattan

Savvy, budget-conscious travelers know that one of the cheapest ways to get to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is to take the Long Island Rail Road from Penn Station. However, for anyone who lives or works on Manhattan’s East Side, the commute from Penn Station to his JFK station can be a hassle.

Luckily, that trek goes away quickly for some. The Metropolitan Transit Authority is scheduled to launch LIRR service from the new Grand Central Madison Station underneath Grand Central Terminal to Queens, Jamaica on January 25th. The Jamaica stop is about 15 minutes from JFK on the Airtrain.

This new service will be added to existing trains from Penn Station.

The first train is scheduled to leave Jamaica at 10:45am and arrive in Grand Central Madison at 11:07am. You can familiarize yourself with the new terminal.

During the trial period, the MTA said customers will be able to use their Penn Station tickets to board the LIRR from Grand Central Madison.

Trains will initially run from 6:15am to 8pm on weekdays and from 7am to 11pm on weekends. Operates between Grand Central Madison and Jamaica every 30 minutes during the day and on weekends on weekdays. In addition, it runs once an hour during peak hours. The MTA said it will likely increase frequencies after launch, but did not provide further details.

Scott Mayerowitz of TPG found that it takes just 21 minutes to get to Jamaica Station from central Manhattan.

The MTA plans to eventually launch a full LIRR service from Grand Central Madison to Jamaica, hoping to increase overall LIRR service by 41%.

The new route could be as cheap as $13 each way.

If you already have an MTA Metrocard, the LIRR “off-peak” city ticket from Grand Central to Jamaica is $5, and the AirTrain from Jamaica to the airport terminal is an additional $8. Those without a MetroCard can purchase a rechargeable MetroCard for an additional $1.

During peak rush hours, the LIRR fare jumps to $10.75 and the full trip price rises to $18.75.

LIRR service from Grand Central Madison provides an affordable alternative to traveling to JFK for those who live on or near Manhattan’s East Side.

To save time, many New Yorkers take Uber or Lyft to JFK, but these services can cost $100 or more.

Taxis start at a flat rate of $74. However, add tip and toll and the price can easily go up to $100.

Another problem with commuting by car is traffic jams. In good weather, you can reach JFK in just 35-40 minutes, but considering NYC’s notorious traffic jams, it can take up to an hour and a half.

Before the new options, you had to take the subway or bus to Pennsylvania Station and from there catch the LIRR to Jamaica. This can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive commute, depending on where you’re coming from. Such routes can add 30 minutes or more to travel time.

The long-awaited announcement came as construction delays and financial problems hampered the project for decades. Originally known as the East Side Access Station, construction of Grand Central Madison began in his 1960s. But rising costs and a citywide financial crisis forced New York City to pause construction.

Construction then resumed in the 1990s, but construction delays, poor management, and cost overruns stalled the project. The MTA originally aimed to open the new terminal by the end of 2022, but pushed back the date after his one area of ​​the terminal required “additional work.”

Last week, the MTA tested 40 empty trains to and from brand new stations, according to Gothamist.

There is also a separate entrance to the new station. As the name suggests, you can enter the building through separate entrances off Madison Avenue. (In fact, the actual entrances are at Vanderbilt Avenue and East 43rd Street, East 44th Street, East 45th Street, East 46th Street, East 47th Street, and East 48th Street.)

The sprawling Grand Central Madison Terminal cost a whopping $11.6 billion to build and is one of the largest transportation infrastructure projects in the United States in recent years. Grand Central Madison is also his first LIRR expansion in 100 years.