For years, New York City has flirted with the idea of connecting LaGuardia Airport to the city’s rail and subway system. But after decades of false starts and flawed proposals, it’s become painfully clear: a dedicated rail link isn’t happening. And so, with no trains on the horizon, the city is focusing on the one option it can control—its roads.
That brings us to the Q70 bus.
The Q70: Free, Functional, and (Sometimes) Frustrating
We’ve taken the Q70 Laguardia Link bus ourselves, and while the ride was undeniably crowded, it wasn’t a bad experience overall. The fact that it’s completely free makes it a no-brainer for budget-conscious travelers. Compared to taxis or rideshares, it’s an incredible value—even if it’s not the fastest ride you’ll ever take.
However, that trip also reminded us of the Q70’s biggest flaw: New York City’s notoriously congested traffic. What should’ve been a quick hop to the subway turned into a sluggish crawl through congested streets. In fact, our transit time nearly doubled thanks to the gridlock during the final few blocks before reaching the station.
Side Note: One downside of the Q70 is that it only stops at Terminals B and C. If you’re flying out of or into Terminal A—the historic Marine Air Terminal, currently home to Spirit Airlines—you’ll need to transfer to the airport’s internal shuttle bus from Terminal B.
A $160 Million Plan to Fix It
To help ease those kinds of delays, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, the MTA, and the Port Authority have committed $160 million in upgrades to improve the Q70’s route. The plan focuses on speeding up service by making the bus less susceptible to the very thing that slows it down—car traffic.
According to the Gothamist, the improvements will include:
- A new bus-only lane on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) to bypass congestion
- Traffic signal priority at intersections to give buses a smoother ride
- Better bus stops and wider sidewalks at transit hubs to improve passenger flow
- More real-time information for travelers, both on buses and at stops
- New articulated electric buses to increase capacity and reduce emissions
In theory, these changes should drastically reduce travel times and make the Q70 a more reliable connection between LaGuardia and key subway and LIRR lines in Queens.
A Rail Dream Deferred
Let’s be honest—it was disappointing when the city finally threw in the towel on a LaGuardia rail link. However, by the time the final proposals were put together, it was difficult to find anyone outside the planning committee who genuinely believed the AirTrain plan made sense. The route would’ve been circuitous, expensive, and not especially faster than current options. So scrapping it was probably the right call.
Instead of chasing an overengineered dream, NYC is now trying to improve what it already has. Whether $160 million will be enough to make the Q70 feel like a true “airport link” remains to be seen. But if the upgrades go as planned, more travelers might be willing to skip the taxi line and take a free bus to the train.
And for a city like New York, that’s at least a move in the right direction.
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