UNION STATION TO LAX FLYAWAY BUS SERVICE OFF TO GOOD START

(Los Angeles, CA –April 25, 2006) The non-stop Union Station to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) FlyAway bus service is exceeding the ridership expectations of Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) officials by carrying more than 16,000 passengers in the first 30 days of service.

The new non-stop bus service averaged 535 passengers daily, with a total of 16,040 passengers through April 14. This is more than double the annual projection airport officials made before service began. Of the total number of passengers, riders from Union Station numbered 8,519 and 7,521 from LAX.

"As Southern California's intermodal transportation hub, Union Station’s ability to bring riders to the FlyAway through connections with an extensive and expanding network of rail and bus service is helping to reduce congestion and air emissions, as well as cut transit travel times for residents and visitors," said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, who is also chairman of the MTA (Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority). "The FlyAway is proving successful at keeping Los Angeles moving by getting people out of their cars and out of traffic, while ensuring travelers are able to board their planes on time."

Travel times between Union Station and LAX are also turning out to be shorter than the average 45 minutes predicted earlier. Many trips are completed in 35 minutes or less. But airport officials remind passengers with the summer travel season approaching, they should arrive at LAX two hours in advance of a domestic flight departure and three hours in advance of an international departure.

FlyAway began service on March 15 between Patsaouras Transit Plaza at the East Portal of Union Station and LAX with 88 trips per day. It operates every 30 minutes on the hour and half hour in each direction between 5 a.m. and 1 a.m., and hourly between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. Service is seven days a week, including holidays. The bus operates from Berth 9 at Patsaouras Transit Plaza. It drops off on the Upper/Departures Level in front of LAX terminal, and picks up passengers on the Lower/Arrivals Level under the green signs marked "FlyAway, Buses and Long-Distance Vans."

The 20-mile ride costs $3 each way for adults, $2 each way for children ages 2 to 12 years, and free for those less than two years old. Tickets for rides in both directions can be purchased at a kiosk adjacent to the FlyAway stop at Patsaouras Transit Plaza.

In addition to connecting to the FlyAway from rail and bus service at Union Station, passengers can park at the Gateway Center Garage by using the Vignes Street entrance. Parking for up to 30 days is available at Gateway Center for $6 a day for a 24-hour period. There are 500 covered parking spaces available for FlyAway customers.

More than 50,000 trips are made through Union Station on a daily basis, which includes those trips made via Metrolink and Amtrak trains, Metro Red and Gold Lines, DASH, Metro and various municipal bus operators.

According to ground transportation experts at LAX, 69 percent of the ridership departing from Union Station used public transportation to begin their FlyAway trip during the first 30 days of service. Metrolink, operated by the Southern California Regional Rail Authority and with a service area covering Ventura to Riverside, generated 13 percent of all riders (2,096 people) and was the largest segment of riders from public transportation. This is followed by Metro Bus (9.8 percent), Amtrak (4.6 percent), Metro Red (3.1 percent) and Gold (2.8 percent) Lines, other bus lines (1.7 percent), and taxi (1.2 percent). The remaining 31 percent of the total ridership departing Union Station either were dropped off by private vehicle (3.3 percent) or parked there (1.2 percent).

The attractive, air-conditioned blue buses carry 55 passengers and have cushioned seats. Porters load and unload baggage onto the buses at Union Station, as well as in front of each of the nine LAX passenger terminals.

More information about the FlyAway bus service from Union Station and from Van Nuys Airport in the San Fernando Valley is available at 1-866-I FLY LAX (1-866435-9529) or on LAX's website at www.lawa.org/lax.