Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision (ROD)
- On July 20th, 2021 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the LaGuardia Airport Access Improvement Project allowing the Port Authority to proceed with the LaGuardia AirTrain project. The ROD is the final step in the environmental impact review conducted pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act and allows the Port Authority to proceed with this project, which will finally provide a convenient, reliable, predictable, easy-to-use, and environmentally-friendly rail mass transit connection LGA.
- The FAA was the lead federal agency for the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and collaborated with 16 other federal, state, and city agencies. FAA held multiple public workshops and public hearings, as well as numerous briefings of community leaders and elected officials.
- For more information, please visit lgaaccesseis.com.
Environmental Mitigation
The Port Authority and its contractors be required to comply with all mitigation measures set forth in the FAA’s Final EIS and ROD as applicable. The mitigation implementation will be detailed in reports to be prepared by the Port Authority twice a year and posted on this webpage.
Below is more information about some of these mitigation measures. Additional information will be posted on this page in the coming weeks and months.
Pre-Construction Surveys
The Port Authority will conduct pre-construction surveys of structures that are expected to experience vibration-related annoyance impacts during construction (per FTA guidance), including the Marina Restaurant and Banquet Hall, the Gulf Gas Station, identified historic properties (see Section 3.10.6 of the Final EIS), and residential buildings shown on Exhibit 3.13-8 of the Final EIS, to assess the pre-construction condition of buildings and foundations.
For the upcoming on-airport construction, there are no occupied off-airport structures located within the area of potential vibration-related annoyance impacts from the drilled caisson construction method that will be utilized. Although no vibration impacts are anticipated due to the distance of the construction zone from local residences and the construction method, out of an abundance of caution, pre-construction surveys will be offered through independent contractor LS Tech Land Surveying & Engineering for 12 residences on the northside of Ditmars Blvd from 104-41 to 105-51 Ditmars Blvd (outlined in black box in map below).
Noise & Vibration Monitoring
As part of the plan to minimize construction noise, the Port Authority will pay for an independent consultant to monitor construction noise in the neighborhoods within the General Study Area. The data collected will be used to investigate complaints and aid in identifying if any construction noise exceedances have been rectified. Furthermore, the independent consultant will prepare reports every month on its monitoring findings that will be publicly accessible on this webpage throughout the duration of construction. The reports will include any instances of exceedance and the corresponding corrective action.
Vibration will be monitored by an independent consultant and paid for by the Port Authority in the vicinity of active work areas throughout construction. The monitoring data collected will aid in determining the validity of any complaints and their resolution. The independent monitoring consultant will prepare reports every month on their monitoring findings. These reports will be made publicly accessible on this webpage throughout the duration of construction. The reports will include any instances of exceedance and the corresponding corrective action.
For the upcoming on-airport construction, NYCO Environmental, an independent contractor, will set up a total of five noise and vibration monitors. Two noise and vibration monitors will be located near the construction site and three within the community. Baseline readings will be completed prior to the start of construction and a report will be available for review on the AirTrain LGA webpage. The locations of the five monitors are identified in the map below.
Proposed noise and vibration monitor locations for upcoming on-airport construction:
- Southeast of the Parking Garage Terminal C
- Exit service road by the gas station
- Eastern side of the Marriott Hotel
- West side of the 102nd Street bridge by the Aloft Hotel
- Southwest of the electrical plant (under new roadway)
Air Monitoring
The Port Authority will pay an independent consultant to monitor particulate matter at the perimeter of the active construction areas and verify adherence to construction equipment requirements for the duration of construction. The Port Authority will impose penalties for non-compliance pursuant to applicable contracting mechanisms. The independent consultant will prepare monthly reports on its monitoring findings that will be publicly accessible on this webpage throughout the duration of construction. The reports will include any instances of exceedance and the corresponding corrective action.
For the upcoming on-airport construction, AMC Engineering, an independent contractor, will put in place one PM-10 air monitor at the perimeter of the active construction sites to measure air quality during dust-generating construction activities. Although not required by the Final EIS, the Port Authority has requested that AMC Engineering also put in place PM-10 monitors at four locations within the neighboring community (see purple identifiers in the map below). Baseline readings will be completed prior to the start of construction and a report will be available for review on the AirTrain LGA webpage. The Port Authority will also conduct monitoring in the community during off-airport construction. Additional details will be provided on this webpage as they become available.
Proposed air quality monitor locations for upcoming on-airport construction:
- At the construction site
- North-side of roundabout at the intersection of Ditmars Blvd/102nd St/23rd Ave
- Southeast-side of roundabout at the intersection of Ditmars Blvd/102nd St/23rd Ave
- At the dead end on Curtis Street (from 25th Avenue)
- South-side entrance of pedestrian footbridge near Ditmars Blvd/27th Ave
Community Development Initiatives
The Port Authority will establish and administer a fund to be used by the local community in consultation with the East Elmhurst Corona Civic Association to sponsor programming at other neighborhood parks, such as Hinton Park, the Louis Armstrong Playground, the Helen Marshall Playground, Overlook Park, and other public open green spaces in the neighborhood. The Port Authority will provide up to $75,000 during each year of construction of the AirTrain and Promenade improvements. This funding will be made available beginning August 2021.
The Port Authority will go beyond its current policies for MWBEs and will encourage its contractors to use local business firms located in Queens to the maximum extent practicable. To facilitate achievement of this goal, the Port Authority will utilize existing programs and hire an MWBE specialist from the local community. The MWBE specialist will run programming to provide access to resources, help certify local businesses, improve capacity of businesses, and connect businesses with contractors throughout the duration of design, construction, and commissioning of the AirTrain. For more information, please contact MWBE Outreach Specialist Emanuela Sanchez at [email protected].
The Port Authority will develop a scholarship program tailored to the local community and construction and operational needs of the AirTrain. The scholarships will include guaranteed paid summer internships and job offers with the Port Authority or the Port Authority’s contractor upon graduation. More information will be available in Spring 2022.
The Port Authority and its contractor will work closely with the construction trades unions and affiliated direct entry organizations to fund local candidates to complete pre-apprenticeship programs for trade construction opportunities and fund training programs to better prepare local candidates for these positions. The Port Authority and its partners will fund new classes of pre-apprenticeship programs throughout the construction of the AirTrain, on an as-needed basis as determined by and in coordination with the Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York (BCTC). The classes funded by the Port Authority and its partners will prioritize training local residents to give them direct entry into union apprentice jobs. More information will be available in Fall 2021.
The Port Authority will continue to support an aviation-focused science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program for up to 175 students annually during construction. The third annual STEM program for 50 local middle school students in partnership with Langston Hughes and East Elmhurst branches of the Queens Public Library concluded on July 30, 2021.
In June, the Port Authority announced the expansion of the Council for Airport Opportunity (CAO) LaGuardia Career Center in partnership with Elmcor Youth and Adult Activities and Neighborhood Housing Services of Queens CDC.
