Taxis at Jamaica Station?
 

Hi,

I am scheduled to fly JFK-BOS tomorrow. Looks like we are going to have some weather and given my previous experiences out of JFK this time of day with weather, I am considering switching to the DL Shuttle out of LGA. Problem is, I'll be working near Wall St. and had planned on taking the subway straight to JFK. I don't particularly want to pay to take a taxi all the way to LGA.

So, I thought about taking the train to Jamaica, then a taxi to LGA. Is this doable? Is it even worthwhile?

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Not recommended. Instead, take a Queens-bound E or R train to Roosevelt Avenue/Jackson Heights, and take a cab or the Q-47 bus from there to the Marine Air Terminal.

Is it easy to get a cab there?

I've only ever done the N/W -> M60 route, and there are definitely no cabs at Astoria Blvd., by comparison.

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If not a yellow cab, one should be able to get a black (livery) car without much trouble. Roosevelt Avenue/Jackson Heights station is a transportation hub, served by several subway lines and several bus routes.

From Wall St, I would take the 4/5 to 125th St and then the M60 to LGA. Second choice would be the Q47 from Jackson Heights.

Thanks for the tips. As expected, my flight was canceled - DL is so predictable.

With this weather, I'm probably just going to end up taking a cab. I had to take the bus to work today and it took about 45 minutes from 27th St., I can't imagine how long a subway/bus combo to LGA would take.

I actually just found out my GF's dad is going to be taking a car to LGA this afternoon, so ideally I'll be able to hop on that.

Thanks!

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Well, I ended up taking the subway/bus combo to LGA. Not something I'd like to repeat in the near future, at least not with any baggage. The subway was fine, but the bus was real packed and not suited for hauling any sort of luggage. With no luggage I'd do it again, but budget a minimum of 1 1/2 hours, especially if heading to the Marine Air Terminal since its the last stop at LGA.

I mean for $2 (or free if you already have a monthly metrocard), its hard to complain when the alternative is a $20-35 taxi or $60-100 car service.

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Which subway/bus combination did you take?

4/5 to the M60

The last two times I've taken the M60 from LGA, it has been equally crowded, unpleasant, and slow. Seems much worse than before.

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Big mistake, especially if you have luggage. The M-60 starts its run on the west side of Manhattan. By the time it gets to Lexington Avenue, it has had plenty of time to pick up passengers. And, as you noted, it goes to the other LGA terminals first, before getting to the Marine Air Terminal.

Next time, try the E or R to Jackson Heights. You get to cross the East River by subway, rather than bus, and at Roosevelt Avenue there are two separate buses to LGA: the Q-47, which only serves the Marine Air Terminal, and the Q-33, which serves all the other terminals. Each route begins its run at the Jackson Heights subway station, so you are likely to get a seat and be able to stash carry-on baggage under your seat.

I'll try that if I attempt this again.

I'm not completely cheap, but if I'm not in a rush I don't mind taking public transport instead of a taxi/car. I just wish it was a bit more seamless, like JFK or EWR.

I've had great luck with both the M60 and the Q33, although like all public transportation, sometimes they can get crowded. However, I never take the M60 to or from Manhattan, as traffic can snarl its way over the Triboro Bridge and typically causes it to crawl across 125th Street. Instead, I generally only use it between Astoria (where I catch the N/W trains) and LGA. I think the E to the Q47 would have been the right choice. And although I'm never going or coming from as far south as Wall Street, and never going or coming from the Marine terminal, I find the ride on the the E/Q33 combo, or the N/M60 combo, between midtown and LGA to be reliably an hour. For $2, that's a pretty sweet deal.

If you are just one person the NY Airport Service bus from Grand Central is the best combination of speed/low cost. It is $12 per person and takes the same amount of time from Grand Central to LGA as a cab. Take the 4/5/6 to Grand Central and catch a bus, you can look up their schedules online. I'm not sure which terminal they stop at first.