The New LaGuardia

A Report to the Governor from the Airport Advisory Panel:

Guiding Principles for a Comprehensive Airport Master Plan

A 21st Century Airport for the State of New York:

The New LaGuardia

Airport Advisory Panel

Dan Tishman, Chair

Amanda Burden Tony Collins

Jose Gomez-Ibanez Melinda Katz

Jackie Snyder John Zuccotti

Andrew Cuomo, Governor, The State of New York

July 27, 2015

Dear Governor Cuomo,

LaGuardia Airport plays a critical role as a gateway for the State of New York. It is responsible for nearly 12,000

jobs and served nearly 27 million passengers last year. Yet its development over the years has been disjointed

and sporadic. The airport today is consistently rated as among the worst airports in the world in terms of its design,

delays, and overall passenger experience – a 20th century airport overwhelmed by 21st century demands.

In order for the State of New York and the region to remain competitive, we must modernize and revitalize this

critical gateway for the 21st Century, to enable us to maintain our competitiveness and maximize job creation and

economic opportunities.

In January, you appointed me to Chair an Airport Advisory Panel to advise you and the Port Authority of New York &

New Jersey on the modernization of LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International airports. The Panel did a deep

dive over the last seven months in reviewing LaGuardia and its issues, and taking on your challenge to think boldly

and to develop a holistic master plan for an airport that the people of the State of New York and the region deserve.

Attached is our report outlining our recommendations for a new, 21st Century LaGuardia Airport.

Our recommendations were inspired by your charge to not just remodel or rebuild the existing facilities. We focused

on a comprehensive vision for the airport that has been lacking over the decades of its prior development. We put a

focus on putting passengers rst and improving their experience, starting with how they get to the airport. We also

put an emphasis on how a new, modern airport can be a good neighbor to the people of Queens by reducing trafc

and expanding job opportunities.

As Governor, you have consistently emphasized that we must get government moving, and deliver real results for

the people of the State of New York. Towards that end, our report contains specic recommendations including next

steps to ensure that this vision can be translated into an implementable master plan.

We thank you for the opportunity to serve, and look forward to seeing the vision of a new LaGuardia become a

reality.

Sincerely yours,

Dan Tishman

On Behalf of the Airport Advisory Panel

CC: John Degnan, Chairman, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey

Scott Rechler, Vice-Chairman, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey

Board of Commissioners, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey

Patrick Foye, Executive Director, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey

Amanda Burden

Tony Collins

Jose Gomez-Ibanez

Queens Borough President Melinda Katz

Jackie Snyder

John Zuccotti

Executive Summary

hen Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport

(“LaGuardia”) rst opened in 1964, it was

called “the air gateway to America” and

“the crossroad of the world.” Now known as a “third

world country” airport, LaGuardia is synonymous

with cramped, dilapidated facilities ill-equipped to

meet the demands of today, much less the demands

of the future. For far too long, LaGuardia has been

subjected to underinvestment and sporadic and

piecemeal development with no overarching vision or

plan on what the airport should be.

The recommendations from Governor Andrew

Cuomo’s Airport Advisory Panel (“Panel”) will end

the disjointed development that has long plagued

the airport and will provide the guiding principles for

a holistic master plan for LaGuardia. The Panel’s

recommendations call for more than just “brick and

mortar” improvements; they call for the development

of an airport that puts the passenger rst and provides

an experience betting the State of New York.

The Panel’s recommendations for the new airport

include the following elements:

Airport Recommendations:

• Demolish Terminal B and thoroughly redevelop

Terminals C and D to build a unied airport terminal

to form a complete, efcient, and appealing

experience for passengers;

• Build the new unied terminal closer to the Grand

Central Parkway coupled with an island-gate

system that will create nearly two miles additional

aircraft taxiways for better aircraft circulation

and reduce gate delays that are frustrating for

passengers and expensive for airlines;

• Appealing and signicant terminal architecture

with high ceilings, expansive natural lighting, and

openness, designed so passengers intuitively

understand the airport’s layout;

• An “airport of tomorrow” that embraces cutting-

edge technology and includes best-in-class

amenities;

• An Airport People Mover (APM) such as an

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automated tram to provide passengers with easier

movement between the airport’s terminals;

• Business and conference center capabilities to

meet the needs of the business traveler and local

businesses;

• A sustainable and resilient airport that minimizes

energy consumption, reduces harmful emissions,

and protects critical infrastructure to keep the

airport operational during a ood event;

• A design that accommodates a potential hotel, as

well as future growth at the airport;and

• A Marine Air Terminal that is better integrated with

the main airport via an automated tram or some

other form of reliable and convenient mode of

transportation.

New ways to access the airport, including:

• An airport designed to accommodate a future

AirTrain;

• Ferry service to the Marine Air Terminal and, if

feasible, to the east end of the airport; and

• Improved road conguration that will reduce

congestion on the surrounding roadway network,

including the Grand Central Parkway.

Consideration for the Queens Community

• An adequate and accessible cell phone lot waiting

area so cars and vans can wait at the airport to pick

up arriving passengers instead of on neighborhood

streets;

• Adequate parking capacity to ensure that

surrounding neighborhoods and roadways are not

used for airport parking;

• Consolidation of the ten rental car companies in

and around the airport into a single facility either at,

or within close proximity to, the airport;

• Extensive employment opportunities for the

Borough of Queens, including increased

participation by Minority and Woman owned and

Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business

Enterprises (M/WBE, ADCBE) in line with the

Governor’s goal of 30% MWBE participation; and

• Expansion of the Port Authority’s Aircraft Noise

program as appropriate throughout construction.

Ensuring Accountability and Progress

• Retaining a Master Planning Firm to advise the

Port Authority and the Governor, to translate the

Panel’s recommendations into an implementable

master plan, and to coordinate airport development

for the long-term; and

• Establishing a new Port Authority Board Committee

to oversee airport development and implementation

of the master plan.

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This report addresses LaGuardia Airport due to the

unique nature of the airport, as well as the immediate

need to synchronize the Panel’s recommendations

with the pending public private partnership

construction project.

The Panel will issue recommendations concerning

John F. Kennedy International Airport in the future.

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Introduction

rom the Erie Canal and New York State’s historic

Parkways, to the Brooklyn Bridge, the Tappan

Zee Bridge and the New York City subway

system, New York State is home to some of the most

critical infrastructure in the United States. The Empire

State is often dened by its rich history of construction,

and the infrastructure built in the last century has served

as a foundation for the success that New York enjoys

today. The continuation of that success depends on

our ability to adapt to the ever-evolving demands of the

century economy. As Governor Andrew Cuomo

noted, these demands are often stymied by 20

century

infrastructure. However, large construction projects

that many have dismissed or ignored because they are

too challenging to undertake can be overcome, as the

Governor has demonstrated with the replacement of the

Tappan Zee Bridge.

New York’s airports, particularly LaGuardia and John F.

Kennedy International Airport (“JFK”), are no exception.

Both airports play a critical role for the State of New

York, but these facilities are unable to meet the demands

of today, much less the needs of the future. Together,

LaGuardia and JFK host an estimated 80 million

travelers a year, directly provide nearly 50,000 jobs and

support more than $50 billion in economic activity in

the region. Yet, many of the terminals at these airports

were built more than 50 years ago during a different era

in aviation travel and have not kept pace with today’s

passenger demands.

LaGuardia and JFK have been consistently rated among

the worst airports in the world in terms of design and

overall passenger experience. Skytrax, an independent

rm that conducts international passenger surveys of

the world’s airports, placed JFK 60

in its list of the top

100 airports in the world and LaGuardia failed to even

make the list of the top 100. Frankly, it does not require

an international passenger survey to recognize the

condition of New York’s airports, particularly LaGuardia.

As Vice President Joe Biden candidly noted, “If I

blindfolded you and took you to LaGuardia Airport in

New York, you would think, ‘I must be in some third

world country.’ ”

In order for New York and the region to remain

competitive, we must rebuild and revitalize these critical

international gateways for the 21

century economy.

In January 2015, Governor Cuomo created a seven-

member Panel to advise the Governor and the Port

Authority of New York and New Jersey (“Port Authority”)

on the modernization of LaGuardia and JFK airports to

return these once great airports to the position that they

deserve. These modernization efforts should move

forward with the goal of delivering 21

century airports to

the State, while maximizing job creation and economic

opportunities throughout Queens and the region.

The Governor’s airport advisory Panel is comprised of

the following members:

Dan Tishman, Chair – Vice chairman at AECOM

Technology Corporation and Chairman and CEO of

Tishman Realty and Construction

Amanda Burden – Former New York City Planning

Commissioner and a current principal at Bloomberg

Associates

Tony Collins – President of Clarkson University,

co-chair for the North Country Regional Economic

Development Council, president of the Seaway

Private Equity Corporation, and a member of

NYSERDA’s Technology & Market Development

Advisory Committee

Jose Gomez-Ibanez – Derek C. Bok Professor

of Urban Planning and Public Policy at Harvard’s

Kennedy School of Government and Harvard’s

Graduate School of Design

Queens Borough President Melinda Katz

Jackie Snyder – Special advisor for infrastructure

for New York State and the former head of the NYC

Design Commission

John Zuccotti – Co-chairman of Brookeld Ofce

Properties and chairman of the board of directors of

Brookeld Financial Properties LLC

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In 1964, LaGuardia was called ‘the air gateway to America . . .’

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. . . today it’s been likened to a ‘third-world airport.’

Prole of LaGuardia Airport

pened in 1939, LaGuardia borders Flushing

and Bowery bays in the northwestern section

of Queens, NY, and has been operated by

the Port Authority under a lease agreement with the

City of New York since 1947. Today, nearly 12,000

employees work at the airport serving nearly 27 million

passengers, making LaGuardia the 20

busiest airport

in the country. The airport contributes approximately

$16.3 billion in economic activity to the region,

generating about 121,000 total jobs and $5.9 billion in

annual wages.

Twelve airlines serve nearly 70 non-stop destinations

from 73 gates spread across four passenger terminals:

Terminal A – Currently known as the Marine Air

Terminal, the terminal was designated as a historic

landmark in 1995 and serves nearly one million

passengers annually. The terminal has six aircraft

gates and is over a mile from the main airport.

Terminal B – Opened in 1964, Terminal B has 35

aircraft gates, serves eight airlines, and accounts for

about half of the airport’s total passengers.

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Terminal C – Opened in September 1992, Terminal C

includes 22 aircraft gates operated by Delta Air Lines.

Terminal D – Constructed in June 1983 by Delta Air

Lines at the east end of the airport, Terminal D has

10 gates and is connected by a pedestrian bridge to

Terminal C.

Master Plan Design Competition

In October 2014, Governor Cuomo announced

a master plan design competition for LaGuardia

and JFK Airports to generate a vision on how

to transform and modernize them for the 21

century. The Panel reviewed six submissions for

LaGuardia that included a number of innovative

concepts related to transportation access and

overall airport design, which helped inform the

Panel’s nal recommendations. The Panel nar-

rowed down the eld to three designs and has

recommended that the contestants responsible

for these designs

receive a one-time $250,000

payment for their work related to the design com-

petition.

SHoP Architects; Dattner Architects, and PRESENT Architecture PLLC

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Guiding Principles

For a Comprehensive Airport Master Plan

Airport Recommendations

A Single, Unied Airport

LaGuardia should look and feel like a single, unied

terminal both from within and outside the airport

complex. The airport should form a complete, efcient

and appealing experience for passengers, with a

consistent aesthetically pleasing facade worthy of a

world-class airport serving one of the world’s premier

cities. Such a design should be viewed as a single

airport complex with a visually attractive presence

along the Grand Central Parkway.

Airside Improvements

The airport’s current taxiways consistently operate

at capacity during peak travel times, which results

in increased gate delays that are frustrating for

passengers and expensive for airlines. The Panel

recommends moving the airport terminals closer to

the Grand Central Parkway and adopting an island-

gate system in which passengers access gates via a

pedestrian bridge connecting the terminal headhouse

to the gate area. This will enable the construction of

additional taxiways underneath the bridges, which

would improve aircraft circulation, reduce taxi-in and

taxi-out times, reduce gate delays, and decrease

harmful carbon emissions from idling aircraft.

Starting with the new Terminal B and Central hall,

moving the terminal 600 feet closer to the Grand

Central Parkway and adopting an island-gate system

would increase taxiway circulation from 4,594 feet/0.9

miles to 11,026 feet / 2.1 miles – an increase of

2.4x compared to the existing terminal. With the

redevelopment of Terminals C and D, moving these

facilities closer to the Grand Central Parkway would

yield a total taxiway increase of nearly two miles.

These gains should improve overall airport efciency

The rst phase of this unication experience

should begin with the demolition of Terminal B and

the construction of a new and larger 21

Century

terminal with a new central departure and arrivals

hall (central hall) located between the new terminal

and Terminal C, linking the two terminals for the

rst time. Passengers arriving via a future AirTrain

can disembark directly into the new central hall with

its views of the aireld, affording passengers an

appealing entry into the airport.

The Panel recommends that the Port Authority

support and encourage Delta’s strong desire to

thoroughly redevelop Terminals C and D in parallel

with the construction of the new Terminal B and

Central Hall. The overall terminal design should

follow the recommended framework of creating a

continuous and unied airport.

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as aircraft can start up at any gate and have the

exibility to taxi in multiple directions.

LaGuardia Airport is also the only major airport in

the region that does not provide non-stop service to

the west coast. Due to a perimeter rule established

by the Port Authority in 1984 to grow Newark Liberty

International and JFK airports, ights into and out of

the airport are limited to only 1,500 miles, with certain

exceptions. The Port Authority is currently evaluating

the impact (in regards to airport operations and

passenger experience, as well as environment, noise

and other issues) in modifying or lifting this rule. The

Panel recommends that the physical redevelopment

of the airport be carried out in a manner to be able

to accommodate appropriate aircraft in the event the

Port Authority Board amends the existing perimeter

rule in the future.

Passenger-rst Airport Experience

With best in-class amenities

Passengers at the new airport should intuitively

understand the layout of the airport and where they

need to go upon entering the terminal and central

hall. The airport should be designed with generous

height and openness to ensure a sense of orientation

for passengers and facilitate efcient movement

throughout the airport.

The redesigned airport should be an “airport of

tomorrow” that can adopt and embrace innovations

in technology that enhance passenger experience.

Examples of these technological improvements

include automated check-in, self service bag

check-in, facial recognition and other technology to

enhance and expedite security, and apps that provide

passengers will real-time information on ight status,

retail, dining, and entertainment options on-airport, as

well as in Queens and throughout New York City.

New York is also home to some of the best dining and

shopping experiences in the world and the new airport

should be no exception. From global retail names to

small, local, “only in New York” establishments, the

airport should provide passengers a best in-class

retail and dining experience that is worthy of, and

unique to, the State of New York.

Airport People Mover

Today more than four million of LaGuardia’s

passengers connect to other ights at the airport.

This number will only increase organically with

the continued growth of air trafc. The number of

connecting passengers could increase further if the

Port Authority were to amend its perimeter rule for

LaGuardia, which limits the distance of ights to

and from the airport to only 1,500 miles, with certain

exceptions.

The new airport should include an Airport People

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Mover (APM), such as an automated tram, to move

passengers throughout the airport in a convenient

and accessible manner. The Panel recommends

that future development provide optionality for a new

APM and recommends the Port Authority conduct a

comprehensive study to determine the best APM system

for the airport. The type and size of the APM should be

based on anticipated passenger demand.

Business and Conference Center Capabilities

And Hotel

With more than 40 percent of passengers traveling

for business purposes, the new airport should include

business and conference center capabilities to meet

the needs of its business-travelers, as well as local

businesses that may want to utilize the services and

amenities.

Common in most world-class airports, a boutique hotel

located in the airport’s new central hall would provide

passengers with a convenient overnight option and

conference facilities. The Port Authority should evaluate

the merits of a 200-room boutique hotel to determine

the hotel’s potential contribution to the overall passenger

experience, the anticipated revenue generated by the

hotel, and how it can be developed and branded in a

way that complements rather than competes with the

hotels nearby.

Marine Air Terminal

The Marine Air Terminal serves a small but integral role

at LaGuardia with nearly one million passengers passing

through the terminal each year. However, the Marine Air

Terminal is over a mile from the main airport requiring

passengers connecting to ights at other terminals at the

airport to do so by car, bus, or airport shuttle.

While the Panel reviewed a number of alternative uses

for the Marine Air Terminal, such as a new museum

and other civic programs, it concluded that the terminal

should remain an aviation facility in light of LaGuardia’s

limited footprint and the anticipated increase in

passengers. However, it should be modernized in the

same manner as the rest of the airport and it should be

better integrated with the main airport via an automated

tram or some other form of reliable and convenient

mode of transportation, based on anticipated passenger

demand.

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Access to the Airport

Future Rail Connection

LaGuardia is the only major airport in the New York

City region that is not accessible by rail. The New

York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)

has made a number of efforts to increase public

transportation to and from the airport by select bus

service, express bus service, and regular bus service.

However, none of these options are as efcient and

reliable as rail service. Passenger demand for rail to

those airports that provide AirTrain service has done

nothing but continue to increase. Since the AirTrain

opened at JFK in 2003, ridership has increased 247

percent and last year saw a record ridership of 6.5

million passengers. At Newark Liberty International

Airport, AirTrain ridership has increased by 137

percent since it was introduced in 2001.

The Panel supports Governor Cuomo’s vision to bring

rail service to LaGuardia from Willets Point. However,

given the densely populated communities surrounding

the airport, the Panel recommends that the Port

Authority and the MTA work with the community to

conduct the necessary evaluation and planning to

determine the best method and route for rail service to

LaGuardia that minimizes community impacts. In the

interim, the Panel recommends that the Port Authority

and the MTA expand upon existing service such

as the M60 and Q70 bus service to increase public

transportation access to LaGuardia.

Ferry Service

In 1987, Pan Am started a water taxi service from

Wall Street (Pier 11) to the Marine Air Terminal. Delta

Air Lines acquired the service and operated it until

2000. Since that time, with faster and more efcient

watercraft, ferry service has become a more viable

form of transportation.

The Panel recommends that the Port Authority

explore a strategy for a ferry service operation to the

Marine Air Terminal and, if feasible, to the east end of

the airport as well. With the potential of integrating

the Marine Air Terminal via an automated tram, the

new ferry service would provide passengers with

additional transportation options to travel to the

airport.

Improved Road Conguration

The redevelopment of the airport presents an

opportunity to address the confusing and inefcient

road conguration, which results in inconvenienced

passengers and increased congestion on both local

roads and the Grand Central Parkway. The Panel

recommends that the Port Authority develop a more

efcient roadway conguration to improve trafc

ow at the airport and reduce congestion on the

surrounding roadway network, including the Grand

Central Parkway, and, more importantly, on residential

streets.

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Community Issues

ore than 600,000 residents live near

LaGuardia and approximately 50 schools are

located within ve miles of the airport. As

important as it is that LaGuardia become an airport

for the 21

Century, it is just as important that the Port

Authority remain a good neighbor to the community

throughout construction. In addition to the aesthetic

benets of a new, modern airport, the Panel has

provided a number of recommendations to improve the

quality of life for the communities surrounding the airport

and the Borough of Queens:

Cell Phone Lot Waiting Area

Unlike most airports, including JFK and Newark Liberty

International Airports, LaGuardia does not have an

adequate cell phone lot for individuals waiting to pick up

arriving passengers. As a result, cars and vans clog

local streets and the Grand Central Parkway to wait for

arriving passengers. The Panel recommends that as

part of the modernization of LaGuardia the Port Authority

identify a location for an adequate and accessible Cell

Phone Lot Waiting Area at the airport.

Parking

The Port Authority is currently constructing a new

1,100-space parking garage on the east end of the

airport, and a new 3,100-space parking garage will be

carried out by the public- private partnership for the

construction of the western half of the main airport. The

Panel recommends that the Port Authority conduct a

thorough analysis of the number of parking spaces

needed to ensure an adequate level of parking such that

the surrounding neighborhoods are not used as parking

for the airport. Parking garages should be located

within easy access to the Airport People Mover or within

walking distance to the terminals. The new parking

garages should also be incorporated into the overall

architecture to ensure a unied design treatment of the

entire airport complex.

Consolidated Car Rental

There are currently ten car rental companies that serve

LaGuardia, but only two of these companies are located on

the airport. The Panel recommends that the Port Authority

explore how these companies can be consolidated into

a single facility, either at or within close proximity to the

airport, connected by a single mode of transportation.

Such a facility would provide passengers with greater ease

and access to a car rental company of their choosing and

reduce congestion on the adjacent roadways.

Employment Opportunities

The construction of the new Terminal B with the central

hall and the supporting infrastructure is estimated to

be a $4 billion project. The construction is expected to

generate an additional 8,000 direct jobs and 18,000

total jobs. This project and future development of the

airport presents signicant employment opportunities

for the Borough of Queens and the region, as well as

opportunities for increased participation by Minority and

Women owned and Airport Concession Disadvantaged

Business Enterprises (M/WBE, ADCBE).

Building upon the Port Authority’s long-standing

commitment to M/WBE and ACDBEs, the Panel

recommends that the Port Authority build upon the

agency’s strong track record of capacity building and

contractor programs to ensure that airport development

supports Governor Cuomo’s goal of 30% MWBE

participation. The Port Authority should ensure that

development reaches a broad spectrum of businesses

and job seekers reective of the communities and region

where the airport is located.

Aircraft Noise

In the spring of 2014, Governor Cuomo directed the

Port Authority to undertake a series of comprehensive

actions regarding aircraft noise at LaGuardia and JFK

airports, such as establishing aviation community

roundtables, implementing a Federal Part 150 noise

study, and installing additional monitors to track aircraft

noise. The Port Authority has established a new

Aviation Noise Ofce staffed by a team dedicated solely

to addressing noise issues at the airports. The Panel

commends the Governor and the Port Authority for these

actions and recommends that the Port Authority expand

these efforts as necessary throughout construction of

the new airport structure.

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Sustainability

s an airport for the 21

century, the new airport

should lead as a facility that is resilient and

sustainable. The new terminal with its island-

gate system is a more efcient terminal conguration

that minimizes energy consumption. The new airside

design and conguration should reduce taxi time

and fuel burn. With an airport interior designed with

generous height and openness, the airport should be

able to better utilize natural light.

With its close proximity to Flushing and Bowery Bay,

LaGuardia is also vulnerable to storm surge and

ooding. That vulnerability and its larger impact were

vividly demonstrated during Hurricane Sandy when

approximately 100 million gallons of saltwater ooded

the airport and shut it down for two days, impacting

250,000 passengers and causing an estimated

economic loss to the region of roughly $108 million.

The Port Authority has implemented a number of

resiliency and storm mitigation projects to protect vital

infrastructure and improve ood control at the existing

facilities. The new airport should be designed so that

critical infrastructure is elevated and protected in order

to keep the airport operational during a ood event.

Hurricane Sandy ooded LaGuardia’s runways, shutting down the airport for two days.

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Ensuring Accountability and Progress

project with the scale, importance, and

challenge of the new LaGuardia requires

a high level of oversight and coordination

to ensure accountability and progress. The Panel

recommends that the Port Authority issue a request

for proposal (RFP) to retain a Master Planning

Firm to advise the Governor and the Port Authority,

to translate these recommendations into an

implementable master plan, and to coordinate overall

airport development for the long-term. The Panel

understands that the Port Authority intends to move

forward with this recommendation within the next 60

days. The Master Planning Firm should ensure that

each part of the airport’s development is undertaken

consistent with the overall vision of the Panel, as well

as provide the necessary additional framework to the

Panel’s recommendations.

The Panel also recommends that the Port Authority

establish a new committee of the Port Authority Board

comprised of Port Authority Commissioners to oversee

the project’s development and ensure accountability.