Could a new parking lot for trucks at JFK Airport improve the quality of life for Queens residents? The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey thinks it can.
Officials on Tuesday broke ground at John F. Kennedy International Airport in southeastern Queens on an expanded parking plaza for big rigs and other trucks. The sprawling lot is expected to triple the current parking capacity while taking idling trucks off neighborhood streets.
The future lot, expected to open in 2026, will accommodate up to 150 trucks while easing the burden placed on locals who have had to deal with illegal commercial truck parking that takes up in-demand parking space and leads to other quality-of-life concerns such as loud noise.
“It will really help to address a long-standing community concern, and that’s what we’ve been trying to do as we build and expand and modernize JFK Airport,” said Hersh Parekh, director of intergovernmental affairs at the Port Authority.
NYC Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers, who oversees the Council’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said the lot will help residents who have “dealt with the consequences” of illegal truck parking.
“Tripling the number of on-airport truck parking spaces at JFK is a meaningful step forward,” she said. “This project reflects our commitment to building safer streets, supporting truck drivers, and modernizing our infrastructure with sustainability and equity at the forefront.”
Illegal truck parking is a ‘number-one complaint’ in Queens
The spacious new lot, part of the airport’s ongoing $19 billion redevelopment plan, requires hefty construction, including the demolition of an existing food-prep building that officials said has been empty for nearly three decades.
For Queens residents, truckers and airport officials, the big job is well worth it.
“One of the number-one complaints that we get that just does not go away is the trucks on our blocks,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards.
He said that the airport’s modernization will result in a “continued expansion of the facility’s capacity” to process cargo.
“But that doesn’t mean families living near the airport should bear the burden of added truck traffic on their local streets, creating concerns around air quality and street safety,” the beep said. “This significant expansion of truck parking at JFK means they will not have to.”
Airport officials said the development is a priority not only for the community, but to address airport needs that relate to air cargo increases at the site. In 2024, JFK handled 1.67 million tons of cargo, a 5% increase from 2023 and 25% more than in 2019, Port Authority reps said.
The lot will complement the existing plaza, which airport employees, taxi drivers, for-hire vehicle drivers, and truck drivers often use. The project includes new concessions and restrooms.
“Breaking ground for the expansion of truck parking facilities at JFK Airport is a win for the airport, a win for the community and a win for the drivers who support our cargo operations and help to keep our region moving,” Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said.
Zach Miller, the Trucking Association of New York’s vice president of government affairs, applauded the effort.
“Our hardworking truck drivers keep our city and economy moving,” he said. “They deserve safe, accessible places to rest. We applaud the Port Authority for its leadership and commitment to supporting the trucking workforce.”
