The groups recognized that the New York metropolitan region badly needs rail service to its airports. Many other cities in the United States and around the world--Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis, London, Amsterdam--already are well served by rail, and a connection between Newark Airport and the Northeast rail corridor is under construction and will open in the near future. They urged the PA to concentrate on moving ahead with two segments of its plan: one to connect JFK Airport to the LIRR and subway stations at Jamaica Center and Howard Beach; a second to connect LaGuardia Airport to transit lines in Queens. Travelers could then get to the airports simply from many points, including Penn Station, Long Island, and numerous city subway lines. Links to existing transit lines are successful in cities such as Paris. Tri-State noted that the Port Authority's original estimate for the cost of the two links is about $750 million, well within the funds being raised by the $3-per-ticket "passenger facility charge."

Noting that "any airport access project should make the most use of the region's unparalleled transportation network," Tri-State groups said that "the PA's proposal to address East Side access--a stand-alone monorail for a small number of airport passengers from 59th street on the East Side across the Queensboro Bridge--could not be justified, both in terms of environmental and social impact." One long term solution may be to connect the LIRR to Grand Central Terminal via the now unused 63rd street tunnel, the letter said. In closing, Tri-State asked the Port Authority for an open planning process for a new rail access plan and to solicit input from all of the many sectors concerned with airport rail access.