An out-of-service escalator at Jamaica Station in Queens is reviving complaints that date back years and causing a frustrating case of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu for some travelers taking the John F. Kennedy International Airport AirTrain.<\/p>\n
The ascending escalator has been out of commission for months, leaving AirTrain passengers to wait for an elevator or face a long flight of stairs.<\/p>\n
This comes after a long outage for the descending escalator back in 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n When to expect a fix<\/p>\n A spokesperson from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey told CBS News New York:\u00a0<\/p>\n “We greatly appreciate travelers’ patience as we work to repair the escalator at the Jamaica AirTrain JFK station. We are expecting a part from an international manufacturer that has experienced shipping delays. Once these repairs are complete, the escalator will be entirely refurbished and should provide reliable serviced for years to come.”<\/p>\n The Port Authority expects the escalator to be repaired in time for the busy summer travel season.<\/p>\n Back in 2023, the agency cited supply chain issues for the broken descending escalator. \u00a0<\/p>\n “This should not take that long”<\/p>\n Some riders told CBS News New York they’ve grown accustomed to the outages and don’t mind waiting for the elevator. Others point to the $19 billion transformation of JFK, questioning why the AirTrain hasn’t kept pace.<\/p>\n “My wife and I looked at this and said, ‘Here we go again,'” Paul Whalen said.\u00a0<\/p>\n CBS News New York first spoke with Whalen in 2023, when he reached out about prolonged outages for the downward escalator at the station.\u00a0<\/p>\n “This should not take that long. I’m sure they can find parts somewhere else,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said.<\/p>\n He said this critical transit hub should have infrastructure on par with Penn Station’s.<\/p>\n “We deserve nothing less than any other community,” he said.<\/p>\n “I was here at Christmas. I was here coming back from overseas at Easter and a couple of other domestic trips,” Whalen said. “You look at these elevators at the rush-hour times, and they are jam-packed.”<\/p>\n Richards said a $50 million commitment from Gov. Kathy Hochul will bring Jamaica Station into the 21st century.<\/p>\n You can email Elle with Queens story ideas by\u00a0CLICKING HERE<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n