By the 1990s, there was demand for a direct link between Midtown Manhattan and JFK Airport. In 1990, the MTA proposed a $1.6 billion rail link to LaGuardia and JFK airports, which would be funded jointly by agencies in the federal, state, and city governments. The rail line was to begin in Midtown Manhattan, crossing the East River via the Queensboro Bridge. It would travel to LaGuardia Airport, then make two additional stops before proceeding to JFK. After the Port Authority found that the ridership demand might not justify the cost of the rail link, the MTA downgraded the project's priority.
