Triangle Trip

My red-eye flight got in early and I wasn’t in much of a hurry to get to the office. I also didn’t want to sit in rush hour traffic. I decided to give public transportation a try: taking the Airtrain at JFK to connect with NYC public transportation to get to the City. Although this isn’t my first time taking public transportation from/to JFK, I did notice the following issues today which the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (managers of JFK) must address if they want commuter adoption.

1. Improve directions and signage at the JFK airport and Airtrain stations — Maps at the Airtrain stations at JFK are confusing. It shows how the terminals are linked, and what public trains and buses you can connect to using the Airtrain. There are no detailed information on where the public transportation can take you – for example, I can connect to the A train at Howard Beach. Where can the A train take me? Should I even go on the A train vs. the E train?

2. Install a PA (public announcement) system on teh Airtrain — the Airtrain doesn’t make any announcements. I got on the Airtrain on terminal 3 and didn’t hear one single announcement. The train went from terminals 3 to 9 then Federal Circle and Sutphin without telling passengers where to get off or what airline is at which terminal. Before reaching Sutphin station where you would connect to NYC public transit, the train stopped at Federal Circle. Over half the train thought Federal Circle was their destination to switch from the Airtrain to public transportation. Without announcements on the Airtrain, it is just way too confusing for visitors and even for most locals.

3. Tell me the Airtrain is not free, how much it cost, and where/how to pay — when the Airtrain reached Sutphin Boulevard, where you can connect to the Long Island Railroad (LIRR), or NYC buses or NYC subway, you need to pay $5 to leave the Airtrain station. The $5 Airtrain fee the cost for the Airtrain to take you from the terminals to the public transportation hub. However the $5 fee is no where to be found from the time you board the Airtrain at JFK to your destination. When you arrive at Sutphin or Howard Beach, all you see are a bunch of Metrocard vending machines. How is an average person supposed to know how much to pay or even have to pay for the Airtrain since many inter-airport trams are generally free. The lack of transparency on Airtrain fee creates confusion at the turnstile and Metrocard payment stations. This can be eliminated with a simple sign that reads $5 for the Airtrain and instructions to make payment.

4. Provide signs and people to answer questions for NYC public transportation — after I have paid my $5 for the Airtrain, I am confronted with more confusion. The confusion is called NYC commuters plus public transportation choices spanning from: the LIRR, NYC subway and NYC bus. You can take any of the three options to get to the City or the other four boroughs. On the brighter note, both Howard Beach and Sutphin stations have large signs telling you where to get on the subway and where to pick up the bus. Aside from signs leading to the different modes of transportation, there are no transit maps showing you how to get to the City or how much it costs. At Sutphin, there was only one LIRR working and it doesn’t tell you how much it cost to get to PENN station or Flatbush. Furthermore, a visitor and even some locals have no idea what station to get off without a map – i.e., I would bet over 50% of the local New Yorkers have no idea that Flatbush Avenue on the LIRR is connected to Atlantic Avenue subway station in Brooklyn. At Sutphin, you’ll also have to walk through the LIRR station before reaching the NYC subway which is located at the basement. Howard Beach is a less confusing station if you’re a tourist. Your only option from Howard Beach to the City is the A train on the NYC subway.

5. Make the NYC subway turnstiles wider so people with luggage can easily go through — the Sutphin and Howard Beach stations must modify their turnstiles and install gates similar to what is available on the Airtrain. There is no way a person carrying a roller or suitcase can get through the NYC subway turnstile. Instead of having turnstiles, the MTA needs to install gates that open and closes similar to the Airtrain gates. The gates need to be wide enough for a person to pull a luggage through it. Increasing the number of elevators would be nice too!

If NYC is committed to providing public transportation from JFK to the City to eliminate car congestion and attract more riders, the City needs to push the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to implement my recommendations. The City will see an increase in public transportation adoption with minimal costs.

As a frequent visitor of Hong Kong, below is quick read on what to do there. Hong Kong Island is probably half the size of Manhattan and you can probably explore it in less than four days. It has great public transportation, especially the modern subway. Traveling by train is probably the best way to avoid traffic congestion on buses.

Central – The central business district. Lots of people. Lots of shopping – probably the most Chanel, LV, Armani, etc. store per capita in the world. There’s a building called IFC2 by the pier. It has lots of food and hip bar: Isola, Red, etc. IFC2 has a ferry terminal that can take passengers to Kowloon Island – the Star Ferry.

Lan Kwai Fong (LFK) – located in Central. It’s got a lot of historical houses built on slopes. It’s a place where Westerners go for happy hour. Tons of hip restaurants and bars. Very diverse crowd.

Soho – a 10 minute walk from LFK (more like elevator ride). It’s got more restaurants. More trendy…

Victoria Peak – Located in Central. Take the cable car up to the top of the mountain and get a panoramic view of Hong Kong and Kowloon.

Causeway Bay – probably the busiest intersection in Asia. Causeway Bay has a Time Square. It’s the area where locals and foreigners shop.

Aberdeen – located on the other side of HK island (HK is separated by a large mountain). Arberdeen has great seafood.

Repulse Bay – a resort like area near Aberdeen. It’s got a nice beach and very quiet. It’s where the locals go to get away form City life. You can take a bus from Admiralty or Central to get to Repulse Bay. It is also on the way to Stanley.

Stanley Market – a walking flea market where you can pick up local art work and enjoy local food. It’s also off the beach. The Murray Building is one of the landmarks – old government building that was moved from Central. Not too far from Repulse Bay.

Kowloon Island is located across the channel from Hong Kong Island. I highly recommend taking the Star Ferry (US$2 or less) which takes you from Wai Chai or Central (IFC2) to Kowloon. At one point, the ferry was the only way to go from one island to another. While in Kowloon, check out:

Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade – the Star Ferry will drop you off at the Promenade. There are museums and shops along the Promenade. It also offers a great view of the Hong Kong skyline, especially at night. There’s also the Kowloon Walk of Fame (not quite Hollywood).

The Old Railway Tower – a landmark of Hong Kong is also located along the Promenade. It is also a concert hall and great place to get a panoramic view of Hong Kong Island.

Tsim Sha Tsui – perpendicular to the promenade are filed with shops – from brand names to local designers. The top floor of the Peninsula Hotel offers a great view of HK at night. They serve drinks and dinner up there. Felix and Aqua (on One Peking Road building) is good spot for drinks and view.

Temple Street Market or Mong Kok Market – it’s a flea market worth checking out. It has pretty good street food as well.

Tian Tan Buddha – located on Lantau Island (by the airport) would be a good hiking experience. You’ll have to take the ferry from HK to get there.

Amusement parks: HK Disney, Ocean Park.

As a frequent flyer of United in and out of San Francisco International Airport (SFO) Terminal 3, here are some hot tips for you:

1.  When flying on a domestic flight out of Terminal 3, you should always go through TSA security checkpoint near Gate 74 and 75. Gate 74 and 75 is located between the domestic and international terminals. It is called out “Boarding Areas” (the bottom red dot) if you refer to the map below.

The Gate 74 and 75 checkpoint is to the left of the Ticketing area, opposite side of the regular boarding area. No one is aware of this security checkpoint as it is geared towards travelers coming from the international terminal or BART. Lines here are always shorter than the Premier lines.

2.  When you are in transit through SFO from domestic to international terminal, the best approach is via the bus interlink. The bus is located near the Yankee Pier restaurant or Gate 72. Referring to the map above, it is the 2nd red dot from the top. You will need to go through a door near the information booth, then down the stairs to the waiting area. The bus comes every 15 minutes or so. Going by bus means you will be able to avoid going out of Terminal 3, taking the Airtrain, and go through security screening at the International terminal.

Try these two tips and let us know your thoughts.