NEW VAN NUYS FLYAWAY BUS FACILITY OPENS
(Van Nuys, CA)- Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) officials and Los Angeles City Councilmember Tony Cárdenas today dedicated a new $34-million Van Nuys FlyAway bus facility, providing low-cost, nonstop transportation between the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles International Airport. Enhancements to the facility include additional parking, more convenient passenger drop-off, a modern terminal building and new landscaping.
“This new FlyAway is a state-of-the-art facility,” said Van Nuys Airport Manager Selena Birk. “Not only is it more functional and aesthetically appealing, it also has the capacity to grow with the demands of airport ground transportation well into the 21st century.”
FlyAway passengers will immediately notice many of the facility’s new enhancements. A terminal building more than twice the size of the original is conveniently located next to a passenger drop-off area, and new features in the terminal include ATMs, larger restrooms, a community meeting room and automated bus ticket dispensers. Other major improvements include attractive new landscaping and additional parking. Construction began in April 2003, and finishing touches in early 2005 will incorporate completion of the multi-level parking structure and surface parking lot.
The Van Nuys FlyAway is on the cutting edge of LAWA’s plans to develop a network of FlyAway facilities throughout the greater Los Angeles area. The FlyAway eliminates an estimated 2,000-plus cars from local streets and freeways every day, and the development of additional FlyAway facilities offers a significant potential for reduced traffic and improved air quality in the region.
“Special thanks are in order to members of the local community for their patience during the construction period,” said Los Angeles City Councilmember Tony Cárdenas, whose district includes the vicinity of Van Nuys Airport. “Fortunately, all of the careful planning and effort that has gone into the new FlyAway has paid off, both in terms of improving the valuable service it provides to San Fernando Valley residents and as an architectural enhancement to the community.”
Birk recognized the many individuals and organizations who contributed to the FlyAway Improvement project, including the design architects of Daniel, Mann, Johnson and Mendenhall, the construction management firm Jobe Corporation, the contractor Tutor-Saliba and LAWA project managers and inspectors. The dedication event featured holiday entertainment, refreshments and free bus rides for all passengers from 6 a.m. to midnight.
The FlyAway opened in 1975 and transported over 275,000 passengers in its first year of operation. In 2003, its annual passenger count rose to over 730,000, and since its inception, the FlyAway has served over 16 million passengers.
