Governor Kathy Hochul, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) are investing $160 million to deliver faster, more frequent, and more reliable service on the free Q70 LaGuardia Link bus line, which connects the airport with the subway in Jackson Heights and the Long Island Rail Road and subway in Woodside.
$160 Million for Faster, More Reliable Q70 Service
The Port Authority, in coordination with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the New York City Department of Transportation, and the New York State Department of Transportation, is advancing a $160 million package of improvements to the free Q70 LaGuardia Link bus line. These upgrades, the result of months of interagency collaboration, are designed to provide faster, more frequent, and more reliable service between LaGuardia Airport, the subway in Jackson Heights, and the Long Island Rail Road and subway in Woodside.
The improvements include:
Traffic signals that prioritize Q70 buses on Roosevelt Avenue and Broadway to reduce travel time
An exclusive bus lane on the shoulder of the northbound Brooklyn-Queens Expressway between Northern Boulevard and Astoria Boulevard to improve service reliability
Increased bus frequencies during peak periods (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), beginning June 1, to accommodate growing ridership
A newly designated bus pick-up and drop-off area near Terminal C with direct, exclusive road access to avoid airport road congestion
Enhanced wayfinding and lighting at Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av / 74 St (7, E, F, M, R) and 61 St-Woodside Stations (7, LIRR) to improve the customer experience
Upgraded branding and signage to highlight the enhanced service
This effort follows a comprehensive analysis of transit options to LaGuardia Airport, initiated at the direction of Governor Kathy Hochul in late 2021. A multi-disciplinary team of engineering, construction, and transportation experts led the study, under the guidance of an independent panel of world-renowned transportation leaders. The panel ultimately recommended significant enhancements to bus service as the most effective near-term transit solution for LaGuardia.
The expert panel included:
Mike Brown, former Commissioner of Transport for London and Managing Director of Heathrow Airport
Janette Sadik-Khan, Principal at Bloomberg Associates and former Commissioner of the NYC Department of Transportation
Phillip A. Washington, CEO of Denver International Airport and former CEO of Los Angeles Metro