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Gadling's worst five US Airports for public transportation
Earlier this week we wrote up a brief article rating some of the best connected airports in these great United States. What's the value of a top five list without the sadistic benefit of a bottom five list though? Fear not Gadlingers, it was easier to create this list then the top five, with these airports rated above and beyond the worst connected to public transportation. Again, we've not only ranked them by accessibility but also cost and proximity to the city in question.- Detroit: We can thank the automotive lobby for this one. With barely any train service in the city and a metropolitan airport halfway between downtown Detroit and Ann Arbor, nobody can easily get to DTW. There are a couple of public buses, but they only appear to run in specific directions and to be honest with you, I've never seen one on the grounds.
- Newark/New York: While EWR is connected to NJ transit, it costs freaking 14$ to get there from Penn Station and THEN you have to take the stupid airtrain around the airport. Half the time the latter train is broken down, and if you forgot your ticket from NJTransit you have to pay extra for the privilege to transfer to your dumpy terminal. Terrible.
- Los Angeles: SoCal vehicle mentality seems to require people to drive everywhere in the city. The lackadaisical subway system doesn't even consider coming close the airport and even then most people are afraid to use it.
- Las Vegas: Nevada seems to think that if people are going to Vegas to gamble that they have enough money to pay for a cab into town. Not everyone comes to the city to gamble!
- Washington DC (Dulles): IAD has the Washington Flyer, which will at least connect you to the Orange Line in NOVA, but it costs nine bucks and takes an extra half hour to get there. Transferring downtown takes even longer and the Flyer can be affected by traffic. With all of those stipulations, the 2$ I pay for the New York Laguardia bus looks like a dream.
Filed under: Airlines, Transportation, Airports
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Patricia Jan 24th 2008 11:08AM
I don't know about your comment on LAX. I had to go to LA a couple of years ago for a family emergency and the last time I was in LA before that was before they put in the train system. I found taking the free shuttle from the airport to the train station and then taking the train to the family homestead was a fairly easy operation and one that I have repeated several times since then. Maybe the whole thing is easy because the city I go to is at the end of one the train lines and then it's just a short bus ride (or taxi) but I was really impressed with the service and the train.
Next time I'm in LA I want to take the train to other areas of town but I'm sold as far as getiing to and from the airport.
Amanda Jan 24th 2008 10:37AM
I feel like Denver (DIA) is missing from this list. At nearly twenty miles from downtown Denver, with only three hourly bus lines that cost $9 a piece, Denver is fairly similar to Dulles in that it takes over half an hour to connect by bus to the light rail system, and close to an hour to get downtown. Living in the southeast suburbs of Denver, I have yet to find an acceptable route to the airport that does not involve a car.
Grant.Martin Jan 24th 2008 11:09AM
Believe it or not, Denver was # 6 :)
sharon ann hooper Jan 24th 2008 10:44AM
altanta air port is night mare
Jon Jan 24th 2008 4:20PM
Don't blame IAD on Washington, DC - we have our own little airport (DCA) that's well-served by easy public transportation. It's not DC's fault that they put IAD out in BFE.
Susan Johnson Jan 24th 2008 11:16AM
I disagree about LA. I fly there often to visit family and I can take the Van Nuys shuttle from outside the terminal to the bus station in Van Nuys for only $4.00. There are also shuttles to other LA surrounding areas. It is quite convenient for my family in Simi Valley.
Susan
paul Jan 24th 2008 3:40PM
I also disagree about L.A. What's wrong with taking a 5-minute shuttle to the Metro train system? During rush hour when the trains run often, I can get from East Hollywood to the airport in almost 40 minutes.
Marilyn Terrell Jan 24th 2008 5:48PM
I agree with Jon, Dulles is a bust but Reagan National is super-convenient to public transit; Metro's Blue Line stops right there to pick you up. And if you come into BWI, that's easy too: take a free shuttle to the Amtrak/MARC train station, and from there it's 40 mins and 6 bucks to DC on the MARC commuter train Penn Line South, which operates Mon-Fri only. Weekends, take Amtrak, which costs a little more. MARC schedule here:
http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/marc/schedulesSystemMaps/penn.cfm
ultraclay Jan 24th 2008 8:17PM
I can't believe LaGuardia didn't rate. I tried taking the bus from there to the 71st-Continental stop a couple years ago and ended up crawling through traffic for an eternity.
I'd never do that again. At least Newark and JFK have the airtrain, regardless of what you think of it, it beats the hell out of the bus.
Sondra Jan 26th 2008 4:47PM
Atlanta Airport....18 hours in purgatory
...
John Howell Jan 25th 2008 9:24PM
The people who wrote this article choked BAD on Las Vegas. Take a cab if you like, but the numerous airport shuttles to and from The Strip are a very reasonable $6.
Barry Jan 28th 2008 12:00AM
LAX has quite decent bus connections to Santa Monica, which is where I tend to stay when I am there.
Good old Detroit: I must be one of the few to take a bus from downtown all the way out to the airport - it certainly takes you on a magical mystery tour of the city.