Free LaGuardia Airport Bus Service This Summer: Marginally Beneficial But Still Nice

LaGuardia is one of those places people love to hate and is generally seen as a hellhole to travel through. Not far off.

Thankfully, it is in the midst of a multi-billion dollar renovation project. The good news is that after already seeing a glimpse of the new space (part of the terminal is already open), the improvements look really nice. However, it won’t be fully completed for at least several more years. That means lots of construction, lots of delays, and lots of headaches for flyers during this busy summer travel season.

For anyone flying to or from New York’s LaGuardia Airport this summer, the MTA (New York’s mass transit system) is providing free bus service between the airport and subway and Long Island Railroad (LIRR) transfers at Roosevelt Ave (61st and 74th St).

🗣 Attention Travelers:
LaGuardia Link Q70 is FREE!
Thu, June 13 ➡️ Mon, Sep 2

Q70 provides non-stop connections between #LGA Terminals B, C, & D; LIRR rail; & E, F, M, R, & 7 subway lines. The LIRR and the subway trains operate to/from Manhattan. pic.twitter.com/Y5v5UN844X

— LaGuardia Airport (@LGAairport) June 13, 2019

What Are The Dates The Q70 LaGuardia Link Bus Is Free?

The bus will be free everyday from now through September 2, 2019. The Q70 is one of several bus lines that stop at LaGuardia Terminals B, C, and D. Notably, the Q70 has luggage racks and is branded as a link to the subway for more seamless subway connections.

This bus does not stop at the Marine Air Terminal (Terminal A) where JetBlue has its LaGuardia operations.

More About The Q70 LaGuardia Bus

What the Q70 bus looks like.

Those train lines provide easy access to many stops in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. Normally, the transfer between bus and train is already free, so the upside here isn’t terribly huge for travelers. That means arriving into LaGuardia, you can hop on the bus for free, but you’ll still have to pay the $2.75 MetroCard fare to get on the subway at Roosevelt Ave.

The Q70 bus is a “Select Bus” meaning prior to boarding, you insert a MetroCard to obtain a receipt to verify proof that you didn’t just sneak onboard.

Out-of-towners get really confused by this, and each time taking this bus, I always see someone not understanding the concept and discussing with the driver how to pay onboard (you can’t) — which wastes valuable time at the stop. At the very least, providing an entirely free service will make things move along quicker which is probably the MTA’s intent here.

As a future note, you cannot get a MetroCard from one of these kiosks. Inside the LGA terminal are machines to get a MetroCard, then you’d have to come outside and use this second machine to get a bus ticket. Again, you can skip the bus ticket process (pictured below) this summer since the Q70 bus is entirely free. But you would need a MetroCard anyway to get on the subway.

The Select Bus kiosk cannot be used to obtain a MetroCard

Note: At peak times, this bus gets crowded. And traffic in and around LaGuardia is notoriously terrible. Keep in mind that if you’re arriving at LGA, the bus picks up passengers in Terminal B, then Terminal D, and then Terminal C (in that order). 

What About Taxis Or Ridesharing From LaGuardia?

If you’re taking a taxi from LaGuardia, fugged-about-it. Recently, LaGuardia implemented a shuttle bus to taxi policy at Terminals B, C, and D. If you really need to take a car from LGA, I would highly recommend taking a rideshare like Uber or Lyft instead of a cab.

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Any questions about taking the bus getting to or from LaGuardia? Leave them in the comments below.