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If you’re jetting into JFK this summer, prepare to tack on an extra step to your Uber routine.
As of Tuesday, May 13, all for-hire vehicle pickups at JFK’s Terminal 4 will be moved to a designated off-site location—Lot 66 Ride App & Car Services Pickup, to be exact—from noon to 2am daily, until further notice. Why the switch? Blame it on the usual suspects: a booming travel season, a traffic-choked terminal, and peak construction chaos.
Here’s how it’ll work: once you land at Terminal 4 and grab your bags, hop on the free shuttle bus from the arrivals level, which departs every few minutes and heads straight to Lot 66. Don’t even think about hailing that Lyft until you’re nearly there—Port Authority recommends requesting your ride no more than five minutes before arrival. (You’ll get an onboard heads-up when you're close.)
If you’re departing from Terminal 4, you’re in the clear—ride-share drop-offs are still happening at the usual curb.
This isn’t the airport’s first summer shuffle. The Port Authority rolled out a similar strategy last year, successfully redirecting around 500,000 vehicles from the terminal frontage. And the whole operation takes a cue from LaGuardia’s own ride-share reroute during its massive redevelopment.
Speaking of construction: this logistical detour is part of JFK’s $19 billion transformation, including the buzzy New Terminal One, a sprawling 2.4-million-square-foot complex with 23 gates and more than 300,000 square feet of retail, dining, and lounges. Translation? If you’re annoyed now, just wait until you’re sipping cocktails next to a Shake Shack under a Roy Lichtenstein mural.
Terminals 5 and 7 are also in on the reshuffle. Flyers arriving there will need to hop on the free AirTrain to the Howard Beach Station for pickups. The setup includes Wi-Fi, signage, and staff to make sure you don’t end up waiting in the wrong parking lot.
Bottom line: JFK’s ride-share game is getting a glow-up. Just don’t forget to budget an extra 15 minutes for the shuffle.