Non-alternative Airport Transportation
Keith Schneider, The New York Times, 9/16/2007
Business travelers who pack light and like to save money and time as they shuttle among America's major airports and cities might consider one not-so-trammeled route: rapid transit.
Since 1989, more than 30 American metropolitan regions have developed or expanded their light-rail and commuter-rail systems, while some have built bus rapid-transit lines. Many of these new services provide airport connections, including ones that serve Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International.
The Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, for instance, has been linked since 2000 by the Trinity Railway Express to the center of Dallas (35-minute ride, $4.50 each way), and since 2002 to Fort Worth (31 minutes, $2.50 each way). The Trinity trains run about twice an hour during peak commuting times in the morning and afternoon, and hourly at other times. The airport station can be reached by a shuttle bus from all terminals. Information is available at trinityrailwayexpress.org/newweekeb.html.
Figuring out whether rapid transit works for you should take about five minutes on the Internet. Use the search term "ground transportation" and the airport you are visiting. All major airport Web sites publish instructions with maps about how to get to train stations. The sites also link to the local public-transit agency that operates the service and provide details about routes, schedules and fares.
If you are carrying a lot of bags, a shuttle bus, taxi or rental car generally makes more sense even though they cost more than trains. During morning and afternoon rush hours, these more conventional methods can also take considerably longer. But if you are carrying only an overnight bag, a laptop and a briefcase, the train is competitive. Here are six cities that make the transit connection convenient.
Boston
Logan International Airport has two rapid transit lines to get downtown and to many suburbs, a rapid-transit bus line and a subway. Two years ago, the airport and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority opened the Silver Line rapid-transit bus service on a dedicated right of way from Logan to South Station downtown, which connects to commuter rail, Amtrak, intercity bus service and the Red Line subway to Cambridge and other communities. The bus stops three times in the city, serves all five Logan terminals, costs $1.25 a ride and takes about 20 minutes. A taxi takes much longer during rush hours and costs $25 to $30.
Logan is also served by the Blue Line subway, reachable on a free shuttle bus that runs regularly all day and serves every terminal. The Blue Line intersects the Orange Line at the State Street station (three stops) and the Green Line at Government Center (four stops). The one-way fare is $2, and travelers typically can make the total trip, airplane to city destination, in 40 minutes to an hour, better than contending with Boston traffic, especially at peak times. For more information, go to http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/
Philadelphia
The Philadelphia International Airport is served by a commuter-rail line that connects all seven terminals to center city. Since the service started in 1985, 20 million passengers have used the R1 high-speed train to get to and from the airport. Trains run every 30 minutes from 5 a.m. to midnight, and take about 20 to 30 minutes to reach three downtown stations that connect with Amtrak and Philadelphia's extensive subway and commuter-rail system. The one-way fare is $7 or $8 on the train (a taxi costs about $30), and tickets may be bought from the conductor. Additional information is at www.septa.org/service/rr_schedules.html.
Chicago
The Chicago Transit Authority operates the Blue Line subway 24 hours a day from O'Hare International Airport to downtown Chicago. The authority also operates the Orange Line to Midway Airport.
One drawback to taking the train to the city from O'Hare is that the Blue Line station is tricky to find. Follow the signs to the O'Hare C.T.A. station, which is on the lowest level of the parking garage in the main terminal area.
One advantage, however, of taking the train from O'Hare is that it runs every 10 minutes during the day, and takes around 45 minutes.
The Orange Line station at Midway is a 10-minute walk from the main terminal. Trains operate 21 hours a day during the week, every six to eight minutes during peak times, and take about 30 minutes to make the 121/2-mile trip downtown. The fare from O'Hare and Midway is $2 each way and could climb at peak times pending budget negotiations. we need to check on this Average taxi fare from O'Hare to downtown is $35 to $40, and from Midway $25 to $30. The Web site for the Blue Line is transitchicago.com/maps/rail/blue/OHare.pdf. For the Orange Line, transitchicago.com/maps/rail/orange/Midway.pdf.
San Francisco
The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system has been serving San Francisco International Airport since June 2003 with fast, frequent trains. BART trains stop at a station in Garage G, which is reachable on the airport's AirTrain system, an automated people mover that connects terminals with airport services. Its trains run all day, as often as every four minutes.
BART operates from the airport from 4 a.m. to nearly midnight during the week. It takes 23 to 33 minutes to reach all San Francisco stations, which connect to four other lines and 37 more stations in the 104-mile system. One-way fares vary by destination, though they are generally in the $5 range.
For schedules and a BART map, see bart.gov/stations/schedules/lineSchedules.asp. For fares,
bart.gov/tickets/calculator/fareCalculator.asp .Washington
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which lies just across the Potomac River from downtown Washington, is served by the Blue and Yellow Lines of the city's Metrorail, one of the most modern and elegant rapid-transit systems in the world. Trains operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority run every few minutes from 5 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., and to 3:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
The 106-mile, 86-station Metro system serves Washington and Virginia and Maryland suburbs. The trip from Reagan National to downtown on the Yellow Line, which is more direct, takes 10 to 15 minutes, depending on your stop. There is no faster way to get downtown. On the Blue Line, which serves more stations on the Virginia side of the river, trips downtown can take 15 to 24 minutes. Fares to center-city stations vary, but are generally around $2 each way. Tickets can be bought at dedicated vending machines at the airport Metro station, in front of the main terminal.
The Web site for the Metro's map is wmata.com/metrorail/systemmap.cfm. For schedules, wmata.com/timetables/rail/Midday.pdf.