News and Updates – FAA to Release LGA AirTrain Draft EIS on August 21

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will post the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed LaGuardia Airport AirTrain on August 21. A 45-day public comment period for the DEIS will begin on August 21 and ends October 5, 2020.

The agency will post the DEIS on the project website and will notify the New York Public Library that branches can download the document for residents who are not online. The website also will have information about how to comment for the record by U.S. Mail, email and through a web comment form.

The FAA will hold virtual online workshops and hearings on the DEIS on September 22, 23 and 24, 2020. Residents can learn about the study during the workshops and they can comment for the record during the hearings. The public can register for the workshops and hearings at lgaaccesseis.com beginning August 20. In-person workshops and hearings will not be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) is the project sponsor. The AirTrain is an automated people mover that would provide a reliable transit alternative for travelers and employees at LaGuardia Airport. The proposed project would include passenger stations at LaGuardia Airport that would connect with the Long Island Railroad and the New York City subway system.

The FAA is conducting the EIS because the PANYNJ plans to request funding for the AirTrain under the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) program. The agency is conducting the EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), which requires the FAA to identify and publicly disclose the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project.