The Port Authority is offering summer discounts on AirTrain tickets.
The state agency will offer half-price AirTrain fares from July 1 through Labor Day in an effort to reduce vehicle traffic to John F. Kennedy Airport during heavy construction this summer.
The lower fare, $4.50, applies to passengers entering or exiting the AirTrain at Howard Beach or Jamaica stations.
The Port Authority suggests that travelers can reach Jamaica Station within 20 minutes, depending on timing, by taking the Long Island Railroad from Grand Central Madison, Penn Station or Atlantic Station.
The agency also recommends that people driving to the airport get off at the Lefferts Blvd. station, where short-term parking and the AirTrain are free.
Last month, Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton floated the possibility that if vehicular traffic worsens during $19 billion construction this summer, he would waive all AirTrain fees to further discourage driving.
“When coming to or departing from the airport, we cannot recommend that travelers reliably use the many train and subway options that are available,” Cotton wrote in a statement.
Passengers who choose to use the AirTrain can pay with a contactless credit card or smartphone using OMNY, although the turnstiles are wide open.
This comes at a time when the Port Authority announced a record increase in travel traffic at its airports during the month of May, with 13 million passengers.
The Port Authority is building two new terminals and redesigning the roads surrounding JFK Airport this summer. The project is not expected to be fully completed before 2030, although some of the more troublesome work is expected to take place this summer.
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