Quote:
Originally Posted by urbanview
If you are in London you can take the train from Paddington to LHR directly into whatever terminal you are going. If you live near Paddington it's a one seat ride. Otherwise it's a two to three seat usually (depending on taxi, subway line connections, etc) Most tourists/travelers would do it in 2 because they would be taking a car to the station due to luggage.
If you are in walking distance of the 7/LIRR in NY you can get to LGA in 2 seats, but most people will need 3+ seats to get there depending on subway lines/taxi, etc.
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That's correct. Heathrow Express provides nonstop service between all of Heathrow's terminals except T4. It runs every 15 minutes, and it only takes 15 minutes (21 minutes from T5) to get to what's more or less Central London. From there, it's a 10-minute Tube ride to Piccadilly Circus. I've never taken the HE, but I have ridden the Hong Kong MTR's Airport Express line (modeled after the HE), and it's fantastic. Whether an AirTrain or a Subway extension, neither experience would compare to what has existed in cities like London and Hong Kong for a while now. Even Toronto has its own airport-to-city rail link now in the Pearson Express.
I don't think the AirTrain is a terrible idea in and of itself. What is terrible, however, is the planned connection at Willets Point... the opposite direction of where most of the travel demand is. I understand the desire to connect with LIRR, but as has been mentioned, that's a commuter rail line that doesn't operate on a periodic schedule. Who the hell is going to take the 7 from Manhattan, LIC, or Sunnyside to outer Queens, only to backtrack 2 miles? It'll only be a great option for those who live in Flushing or Jackson Heights; otherwise, a cab makes much more sense.
I think NYC not having direct rail access to its airports isn't that big of a deal. How about finishing the SAS and improving the existing infrastructure first? The London Underground is even older than the NYC Subway, and its stations look as good as new.