A popular route to the airport is getting a boost in service. NY1's Shannan Ferry caught up with commuters, and tells us what transit advocates are saying about it.
From the road to the runway, the Q70 takes more than 4,000 riders from Woodside and Jackson Heights to LaGaurdia Airport everyday, and that number is on the rise.
So much so, that the MTA recently announced it will increase service on the line starting this spring, because ridership has more than doubled since 2013.
"This is a big line and a lot of passengers come here, you know? The number of buses should be increased," said one commuter.
Currently, the Q70 runs every 12 minutes most of the day, every 15 to 20 minutes during the early morning and late evening, and every half hour overnight.
When the increase takes effect, buses will run every 8 minutes during weekdays, every 10 minutes on the weekends, and every 20 minutes overnight.
"It's supposed to be every 15 minutes now, but lately it's been more like every 20 or 25, cause it started out just airport employees, and now more travelers are taking it," said another commuter.
The announcement follows a push for some transit advocates to make the Q70 a free airport shuttle. While advocates say the added service is a step in the right direction, they still feel a shuttle is the right answer.
"The Q70 sounds and looks too much like a regular city bus, making it a recognizable, rebranded, renamed express makes sure that it looks and sounds and feels like a 21st century airport express," said Stephen Sigmund who is the Founding Executive Director of Global Gateway Alliance.
An MTA spokeswoman says the agency will consider advocacy groups' proposal for a free shuttle along with other proposals this summer as part of their regularly scheduled evaluation of fare and toll options.
Meantime, commuters say they'll be looking forward to increased Q70 service come the spring.