AirTrain to JFK will be half price this summer to cut down traffic

The Port Authority is having a summer sale on AirTrain tickets.

The bistate agency will offer half price fares for the AirTrain from July 1 through Labor Day in an effort to reduce vehicle traffic to JFK Airport during heavy construction this summer.

The lower, $4.50 fare, applies to riders that enter or exit the AirTrain at the Howard Beach or Jamaica stations.

The Port Authority suggests travelers should be able to get to the Jamaica station in 20 minutes, depending on the timing, by taking the Long Island Railroad from Grand Central Madison, Penn Station or Atlantic Terminal.

The authority also recommends people who drive to the airport get dropped off at the Lefferts Blvd. station, where short term parking, and the AirTrain are both free.

Last month, Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton floated the possibility that if vehicle traffic during the $19 billion construction work this summer got bad, he’d waive all fees for the AirTrain to further discourage driving.

“When coming to or leaving the airport, we cannot more strongly recommend that travelers use the multitude of train and subway options that are reliably available,” Cotton wrote in a statement.

Travelers who do choose to use the AirTrain can pay with a contactless credit card or smart phone using OMNY, although the turnstiles are wide open.

This comes as the Port Authority reported record high travel at its airports this May with 13 million passengers.

The Port Authority is building two new terminals and is redesigning the roadways around JFK Airport this summer. The entire project isn’t expected to be completed until 2030, although some of the most disruptive work is expected to take place this summer.