New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) launched a customer engagement survey that will help them to reimagine Jamaica Station in Queens.
Through a customer survey, MTA will use customer feedback to plan for a redesign of the transportation hub that serves 200,000 riders daily on the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), AirTrain JFK, and New York City subways and buses. The Governor’s Executive Budget for Fiscal Year 2027 includes $50 million to fund planning for joint projects between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and MTA.
“Jamaica Station is a critical hub for hundreds of thousands of riders each day, from Long Island Rail Road commuters, to residents of Southeast Queens, to air travelers from around the globe — these riders deserve a world-class transit experience,” Hochul said. “We know that Jamaica Station can be so much more than it is today, and by advancing this customer survey, we’ll have the insights of the riders who use it to help guide a long overdue redesign that transforms the customer experience and delivers Southeast Queens an integrated, best-in-class station for all who use it.”
Officials said the station is a key part of the commute for millions of New Yorkers, with more than 1,000 subways and LIRR trains passing through the station every weekday. The station is the fourth busiest commuter rail station in North America, surpassed by Grand Central Station, Penn Station and Toronto’s Union Station.
The station was last upgraded in 2023 when the AirTrain to JFK began operations. Recently, the station has seen significant increases in LIRR service following the opening of Grand Central Madison and the completion of the Main Line’s new third track. The station has seen a 54 percent increase in the number of trains that stop there, at 790 trains per day over the 481 that stopped there before Grand Central Madison opened.
The customer survey began on April 10 and will run through May 8. Customers can find the online survey by using QR codes posted throughout the station. Additionally, information tables will be staffed from 7 a.m. until 9 a.m., and from 3 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. at various locations throughout the station on various days.