JFK Express

This article is about the former New York City Subway service between JFK Airport and Manhattan. For the intra-airport people mover presently operating at JFK, see AirTrain JFK.

JFK Express
The JFK Express bullet on an R68 serving the Franklin Avenue Shuttle
Note: Service began at 57th Street prior to 1989
Northern end	21st Street–Queensbridge
Southern end	Howard Beach–JFK Airport
Stations	12 (9 until 1989)
Started service	September 23, 1978;45 years ago (1978-09-23)
Discontinued	April 15, 1990;33 years ago (1990-04-15)

The JFK Express, advertised as The Train to The Plane, was a limited express service of the New York City Subway, connecting Midtown Manhattan to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK Airport). It operated between 1978 and 1990. Passengers paid extra, premium fares to ride JFK Express trains. Its route bullet was colored turquoise and contained an aircraft symbol.

For most of its history, the JFK Express operated along the IND Sixth Avenue Line; IND Fulton Street Line; and IND Rockaway Line between its northern terminal at 57th Street–Sixth Avenue in Manhattan and its southern terminal at Howard Beach–JFK Airport in Queens. At Howard Beach, passengers transferred to shuttle buses to reach the airport itself. During the JFK Express's last six months of operation, it was extended northward along the IND 63rd Street Line to 21st Street–Queensbridge, also in Queens. The service primarily used R46 subway cars.

Fares and rolling stock

Fares

Ticket

Passengers purchased premium-fare tickets on board, and an onboard transit clerk on each train punched passengers' tickets. ^[1] In addition, there were transit police officers aboard to provide protection for travelers. ^[1] The initial fare was $3.50, ^{[2] [3]} and the fare for the shuttle bus was $1.00. ^[4] On January 1, 1979, airline and airport employees were provided a discounted book of twenty tickets, selling for $25. ^[4] On July 3, 1981, the fare was raised from $4 to $5. ^[5] When the service was discontinued in 1990, the fare was $6.75. ^[1]

JFK Express - train and bus loop fares (with regular subway fare)

date	to JFK Airport via JFK Express	from JFK Airport via JFK Express	from JFK Airport via A train	JFK Airport Loop Express Bus only	regular subway fare
September 23, 1978	$3.00	$3.50	$1.20	$1.00	.50
June 28, 1980	$3.40	$4.00	$1.50	$1.20	.60
July 3, 1981	$4.25	$5.00	$1.80	$1.50	.75
January 2, 1984	$5.10	$6.00	$2.00	$1.80	.90
January 6, 1986	$5.50	$6.50	$2.25	$2.00	$1.00
January 1, 1990	$5.60	$6.75	?	?	$1.15

Rolling stock

The JFK Express used R46s exclusively for most of its existence, ^{[6] [7]} although near its end R44s were used after major service changes took place on December 11, 1988. ^{[8] [6]} The trains were initially three cars long or 225 feet (69 m) in length. ^{[1] [6] [9]} They later were four cars long or 300 feet (91 m) long, half the length of a typical B Division train. ^{[6] [10] [11]} The cars featured luggage racks for airport-bound passengers. ^[1]

History

Introduction

1978 brochure

In spring 1978, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) reached out to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to join a study evaluating long-term transportation improvements to JFK Airport. In summer 1978, the two agencies worked out the details for a service running to the Howard Beach station on the IND Rockaway Line. The station was renamed Howard Beach—JFK Airport, and a transfer terminal to shuttle buses was built. Since air passengers were perceived to be more sensitive to the quality of service, and less sensitive to fare levels, it was decided to operate a special service to Howard Beach at a fare of $3.50, fifty cents cheaper than bus service operated to the airport by Carey Bus Lines. It was decided to have the route operate via the Sixth Avenue Line instead of the Eighth Avenue Line due to its proximity to the economic center of Midtown Manhattan, to Herald Square, Rockefeller Center, and hotels along 50th Street. In addition, 57th Street–Sixth Avenue station provided an optimal terminal for the service as it was underutilized. ^[4] The MTA announced plans for an "experimental" subway–bus service between Manhattan and JFK Airport on June 27, 1978. ^[12]

The JFK Express began operation on September 23, 1978, with a three-car train originating at 57th Street. ^{[1] [9] [10]} The MTA created several 30-second long television commercials to promote the new service. ^{[10] [13]} Trains ran daily from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. on 20 minute headways. ^[9] The route began at 57th Street and ran express on the IND Sixth Avenue Line to West Fourth Street–Washington Square, where it switched to the IND Eighth Avenue Line and ran express to Jay Street–Borough Hall in Downtown Brooklyn. From that point on, it ran non-stop on the IND Fulton Street Line and IND Rockaway Line to Howard Beach–JFK Airport. ^{[1] [9]} In its first year, 832,428 passengers rode the JFK Express, greater than an estimate of 550,000 to 850,000 trips for when the service became better known and fully established. ^[4]

The JFK Express attracted 25 percent of the market for travel between Manhattan and JFK Airport, and increased the share of trips to the airport by public transportation. While the MTA received $2.63 million in revenue from the service, it cost $6.5 million to operate it, meaning an operating loss of $3.9 million. The cost of operating the service was $3 million greater than expected due to the decision to have railroad clerks collect tickets on board the train, and due to the service's expanded hours of operation to 2 a.m. during the Carey Bus strike from June 27 to July 23, 1979. ^{[14] [15]} On November 4, 1979, the schedule of service was modified to have trains run every 30 minutes between 5 and 6 a.m., every 20 minutes from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and every 24 minutes from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. ^[4]

Modifications

Within a few years of its inauguration, the service was being criticized as a poor use of resources. ^[16] The JFK Express proved to be unsuccessful, seeing low ridership in part because the service did not actually serve any airline terminals, but rather transferred passengers to a shuttle bus service that was several hundred yards from the station. ^[17] In May 1980, the MTA executive director, John Simpson, recommended that the express train be discontinued, stating that ridership on the line stabilized at 1.3 million yearly riders, and the yearly deficit rose to $2.5 million. In June 1980, members of the MTA board voted to make the JFK Express a permanent service, stating that a mass transit link to JFK Airport was necessary. ^[18]

In June 1983, the New York City Transit Authority, along with other service changes, planned to change service on the JFK Express. The JFK Express would have been extended to Rockaway Park–Beach 116th Street, and the $5 fare and the special guard would be eliminated, making it like any other subway line. Trains would be 8 cars long instead of 4 cars long, and the headway between trains would be 18 minutes, instead of 20 minutes. ^{[19] [20]} The shuttle bus fare would be reduced to 75 cents, the same as the subway fare; a passenger traveling between the airport and any subway stop except Howard Beach would pay $1.50 in total. ^[20] The proposal was still being reviewed in January 1984; it never came to fruition. ^[21]

At times, regular passengers were allowed on the trains and no fares were charged due to disruptions on other services; this included the 1988 closure of the Williamsburg Bridge, when trains on the BMT Nassau Street Line and BMT Jamaica Line were rerouted. Between December 11, 1988, and October 29, 1989, on weekday evenings between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m., passengers were allowed to ride the JFK Express between 57th Street and 47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center without paying the extra fare as it was the only service running between these two stations during those times. ^[22] Some passengers paid the extra fare to get to Aqueduct Racetrack during racing days, when the JFK Express would stop at Aqueduct Racetrack station. ^[23]

Discontinuation

In October 1989, the NYCTA proposed eliminating the JFK Express, citing that it had not attracted enough passengers. At the time 3,200 passengers were using the train per day, down from a high of between 4,000 and 5,000 passengers that used it at the beginning of the service's operation. ^{[24] [25] : 3.14} The executive vice president of the NYCTA, George Miller, said that eliminating the service would save $7 million a year and free 144 transit workers and 12 subway cars for more cost-efficient subway runs. It was determined that 47 percent of the riders of the JFK Express were commuters from Howard Beach and the Rockaways who were willing to pay for the premium service. Trains were running every hour by this point. ^[24]

On October 29, 1989, the IND 63rd Street Line opened and the JFK Express was extended to 21st Street–Queensbridge, skipping Roosevelt Island. ^{[6] [26] [27]} This extension was short-lived, as service was discontinued on April 15, 1990, due to low ridership, with as few as 3,200 riders per day. ^{[1] [28] [17]} The bus service, connecting the Howard Beach–JFK Airport station and the airport proper, continued after JFK Express service ended, and was the only link between the airport and the Howard Beach station at the time. ^{[1] [29] : 15} Passengers preferred the A train, which was cheaper and ran more often. ^[1] Ridership on the A to the airport increased after the discontinuation of the JFK Express; in 1995, about 1 million passengers used the A to the airport. ^{[25] : 3.14}

Since the discontinuation of the JFK Express, the A train has continued to serve the Howard Beach–JFK Airport station. ^[17] The JFK shuttle bus service remained in operation until the AirTrain JFK, a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey-operated people mover system, replaced it on December 17, 2003. ^[30] The AirTrain JFK also connects with the Long Island Rail Road at Jamaica, ^[31] and with the E ​,​ J , and​ Z trains to Manhattan at Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue. ^{[30] [31] : 3 : 5} A proposal, referred to as the Lower Manhattan–Jamaica/JFK Transportation Project, would provide express train service between JFK Airport and Lower Manhattan through Brooklyn. This would be similar to the JFK Express except that the service would be an extension of AirTrain JFK and operate via the LIRR's Atlantic Branch, providing a one-seat ride to the airport terminals. ^[32]

Final route

Service pattern

The following lines were used by the JFK Express service: ^[26]

Line	Portion	Tracks
IND 63rd Street Line	full line	all
IND Sixth Avenue Line	north of West Fourth Street–Washington Square	express
IND Eighth Avenue Line	south of West Fourth Street–Washington Square	local
IND Fulton Street Line	Jay Street–Borough Hall to Euclid Avenue	express
	Euclid Avenue to Rockaway Boulevard	local
IND Rockaway Line	north of Howard Beach–JFK Airport	local

Stations

Station service legend
	Stops all times except late nights
Time period details
	Station is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act
↑	Station is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act in the indicated direction only
↓
	Elevator access to mezzanine only

	Station [26]		Notes
Queens
	21st Street–Queensbridge		new terminus after completion of IND 63rd Street Line; opened October 29, 1989
Manhattan
	Lexington Avenue		opened October 29, 1989
	57th Street		original terminus before IND 63rd Street Line opened
	47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center
	42nd Street–Bryant Park
	34th Street–Herald Square
	West Fourth Street–Washington Square
	Chambers Street
	Broadway–Nassau Street
Brooklyn
	Jay Street–Borough Hall
Queens
	Aqueduct Racetrack		racing days only
	Howard Beach–JFK Airport		transfer to Port Authority shuttle bus to airport terminals

References

1. Grynbaum, Michael M. (November 25, 2009). "If You Took the Train to the Plane, Sing the Jingle". City Blog. The New York Times. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
2. Goldman, Ari L. (June 5, 1980). "JFK Train: Wasteful or Wonderful; Deficit of $2.5 Million a Year 'Train to the Plane' Service: Is It Wasteful or Wonderful? How the Fares Compare A 'Psychological Barrier'". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved September 19, 2016.
3. "Introducing the new JFK Express. Now you can take the train to the plane". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 1978. Retrieved June 7, 2019– via Flickr.
4. JFK Express service: one year evaluation and future options. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 1979. OCLC   7001601.
5. "The JFK Express Take The Train to The Plane. Timetable". New York City Transit Authority. 1980. Retrieved June 7, 2019– via Flickr.
6. Linder, Bernard (December 2008). "Sixth Avenue Subway Service Changes". New York Division Bulletin. 51 (12). Electric Railroaders' Association: 2–4. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
7. Maitland, Leslie (April 14, 1980). "U.S. Cites Flaws in R-46 Subway Cars; Transit Authority to Cut Their Use 47%" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
8. Chiasson, George (April 2003). "The R-44 Story" (PDF). New York Division Bulletin. 46 (4). Electric Railroaders' Association: 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 4, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
9. "New "JFK Express" Service Begun in Howard Beach" (PDF). New York Leader Observer. September 28, 1978. Retrieved July 22, 2016– via Fultonhistory.com.
10. Pitt, David E. (October 22, 1989). "Transit Agency Wants to End Airport Express". The New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2009.
11. • Queens Subway Options Study, New York: Environmental Impact Statement. United States Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Urban Mass Transit Administration. May 1984. pp. 83–. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
    • "Playing In The Neighborhood: Laying In The Neighborhood; Tortoise Heads Into Queens". The New York Times. October 18, 1998. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
12. Lichtenstein, Grace (June 27, 1978). "Experimental Bus‐Subway Route to Kennedy Planned". The New York Times. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
13. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Train to the Plane. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2009– via YouTube.
14. "Carey Bus Runs Halted As Drivers Go on Strike". The New York Times. June 27, 1979. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved August 3, 2020.
15. "Settlement Is Reached In Carey Bus Dispute". The New York Times. July 22, 1979. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved August 3, 2020.
16. Goldman, Ari (June 5, 1980). "JFK Train: Wasteful Or Wonderful". The New York Times. p. B1. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
17. Faison, Seth (April 20, 1993). "Trains and Buses, Then Airplanes". The New York Times. Retrieved August 30, 2009.
18. Schiro, Anne-Marie (July 25, 1981). "To The Airport: Getting There The Fastest". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved September 19, 2016.
19. Goldman, Ari L. (June 5, 1983). "Changes Planned For Subway to Rockaways and West Side". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved September 19, 2016.
20. Goldman, Ari L. (June 2, 1983). "Cut In Fare to $1.50, End of Guards Urged For 'Train to Plane'". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved September 19, 2016.
21. Haitch, Richard (January 15, 1984). "Follow-Up On The News; A JFK Local?". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved September 19, 2016.
22. Feinman, Mark S. "The New York City Transit Authority in the 1980s". nycsubway.org. Retrieved August 30, 2009.
23. Crist, Steven (October 14, 1981). "Aqueduct's Eye On The Affluent". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved November 29, 2016.
24. Pitt, David E. (October 22, 1989). "Transit Agency Wants to End Airport Express". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved September 19, 2016.
25. JFK International Airport Light Rail System: Environmental Impact Statement Volume 1 of 3. Federal Aviation Administration, United States Department of Transportation. 1997.
26. "October 1989 Map". New York City Transit Authority. October 1989. Retrieved October 7, 2018– via Flickr.
27. Lorch, Donatella (October 29, 1989). "The 'Subway to Nowhere' Now Goes Somewhere". The New York Times. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
28. The New York Times (March 11, 1990). "JFK express subway to be discontinued". New York City: Observer–Reporter. p. 54. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
29. "Project Profile; USA; New York Airtrain" (PDF). UCL Bartlett School of Planning . September 6, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
30. "AirTrain JFK opens for service". Railway Gazette International . March 1, 2004. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
31. Gosling, Geoffrey D.; Freeman, Dennis (May 2012). "Case Study Report: John F. Kennedy International Airport Airtrain" (PDF). sjsu.edu . Mineta Transportation Institute, San Jose State University. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 7, 2015.
32. Lower Manhattan-Jamaica/JFK Transportation Project, Summary Report, Prepared for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, and PANYNJ. Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. December 2008. Retrieved February 5, 2017– via Scribd.

External links

• Line by Line History
• JFK Express TV Commercial "Train to the Plane" (1980) (35-second video clip) – from the MTA's YouTube Video Information Channel (Made January 5, 2010. Retrieved August 20, 2010.)
• The Catalog of Transit Fiscal Ephemera & Exonumia from the City of the New York - JFK Express, page 10