The city wants to raise the flat fee for a taxi between JFK Airport and Manhattan to $65 and add one for LaGuardia trips for the first time, the Taxi and Limousine Commission’s acting boss revealed Wednesday.
Trips between JFK and Manhattan would rise from $52 to $65 under the TLC proposal, while trips between LaGuardia and Manhattan below West 110th Street and East 96th Street would have a flat rate of $39, Acting TLC Commissioner Ryan Wanttaja said during a City Council budget meeting.
Averaged metered fares from LaGuardia and the flat-rate zone are $29.40, according to TLC calculations.
The remainder of the price increase accounts for the cost of paying drivers to wait at the airport for pickups; the average wait time for drivers at LaGuardia is 1.3 hours, the TLC said.
“These proposals come after our biannual review of the fare structure … taking into consideration demand and supply of taxicabs at the airports, average driver wait time in the airport ‘hold’ lots, and what that wait time would cost based on a $15 hourly minimum wage,” said Wanttaja, whose comments marked the first time the TLC had publicly addressed the issue.
Airport travelers in search of cheaper rides to or from Manhattan can opt for for-hire vehicle services like Uber or Lyft.
Unlike metered taxis, app-based trip prices vary by time of day — meaning they can be lower or significantly higher than the flat rate.
Taxi commissioners will hold a public hearing on the proposed hike on April 5.