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JFK Workers
John F. Kennedy International Airport is one of New York City's biggest employment centers - and its most remote for commuters. The opening of the AirTrain in 2003 has made the area more easily accessible by public transportation, but it comes at a price - $40 a month for workers to access, in addition to regular MTA fares. (The data used for this map predates the AirTrain's opening.)
Many airport workers - those in cargo, food service, maintenance, and other behind-the-scenes jobs - travel to their jobs during late night and early morning hours, when already long trips are lengthened by infrequent off-hour transit service. As the map shows, most JFK commuters drive, contributing to infamous traffic tie-ups on the Van Wyck Expressway. Many workers who live in Brooklyn and Queens live near the routes of local buses that serve the airport, suggesting the potential for improved bus service to open up access to employment opportunities in northeast Brooklyn and Southeast Queens.
