LAX FlyAway® NONSTOP BUS SERVICE TO IRVINE FORMALLY INAUGURATED;
NEW SERVICE DESIGNED TO BE CONVENIENT, DIRECT AND AFFORDABLE

            (Los Angeles, California – November 23, 2009)  Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa today at a news conference formally inaugurated the LAX FlyAway® nonstop bus service from Irvine Station in Orange County to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).  The new service is designed to make travel to and from LAX more convenient, direct, and affordable for Orange County residents and visitors. 

            During the event at LAX, the Mayor greeted City of Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang and Orange County transportation officials, many of whom arrived at LAX for the occasion by a FlyAway® bus from Irvine. The FlyAway® in Irvine completes its first week of service.

            Mayor Villaraigosa said,“The FlyAway® service removes hundreds of thousands of cars each day from our roads, helping fulfill my commitment to provide clean transportation alternatives.  The new Irvine service will connect LAX passengers from Orange County with the world and help them start and finish their trip conveniently and affordably by not driving to LAX.”

            Mayor Kang said, "The FlyAway® service is of particular interest to the City of Irvine because our city council members have worked for years on the vision to bring these buses to our community. The idea of regional transportation is the way of the present, and it is the path for our collective future.”

             Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey said, “With the expansion of the FlyAway® to Irvine, we are increasing LAX’s contribution to reducing regional traffic congestion and improving air quality, while better serving our Orange County  customers, especially those travelling internationally.”

            Service started November 16 with six daily trips in each direction using 22-seat, compressed-natural gas fueled buses owned by LAWA.  The fare for the one-way, 50-mile trip is $25 for adults.  To attract family ridership, up to two students in grades kindergarten to eighth  may ride free with each paying adult.  Students must show a school identification card or other proof of age.  All children under five years old ride free.  Passengers must pay the bus driver upon boarding with a debit or credit card.  Cash is not accepted.

            Irvine Station, located at 15215 Barranca Parkway, has 500 surface parkingspaces, where FlyAway® passengers can park free for up to 30 days.

            Daily departures from Irvine Station are scheduled at 4:45 a.m., 6:45 a.m., 8:45 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 12:45 p.m., and 4:45 p.m.  Riders to LAX are dropped off at each terminal on the Upper/Departures Level.  Bus service from LAX terminals to Irvine operates at 9:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 3:45 p.m., 5:45 p.m., 7:45 p.m., and 9:45 p.m.  Riders from LAX board buses on the Lower/Arrivals Level in front of each terminal under green signs marked “FlyAway, Buses and Long Distance Vans.”

            The addition of Irvine by LAWA is part of its ground transportation initiative to expand its FlyAway® bus system to improve passenger convenience and reduce traffic congestion.  The Irvine Station is the fourth site in the FlyAway® network.  Its other locations at Van Nuys, Westwood and Union Station handled more than 1.5 million travelers combined for the 12 months ending June 2009.  Airport ground transportation planners forecast Irvine could serve as many as 72,000 passengers during its first year of operation.

            Like Union Station, Irvine Station serves other modes of transportation, including Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner, Southern California Regional Rail Authority’s Metrolink commuter rail, Orange County Transit Authority bus lines, and other local business employee shuttle services. It is the busiest transit station in Orange County, and the 14th busiest Amtrak station nationwide with 669,405 boardings in 2008. 

            The City of Irvine unanimously approved a license agreement with LAWA on Sept. 8 to operate the new FlyAway® from its transit station and to provide the free parking spaces, with the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners giving its approval on Oct. 5.          

            The expansion of FlyAway® bus service is a requirement of the LAX Master Plan Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP).  The MMRP is designed to ensure compliance with the proposed mitigation measures identified in LAX Master Plan Alternative D and the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR).   The FEIR has been approved by the City of Los Angeles and the Federal Aviation Administration.

            Under the MMRP, nine FlyAway® service sites will operate by 2015 to reduce traffic going to and from LAX.  Passengers will use dedicated, clean-fuel, high-occupancy buses to reach LAX from these locations and reduce ground traffic congestion and vehicle emissions around LAX and the region. 

The bus service is compliant with Americans With Disabilities Act requirements.

            The service from Irvine is operated by Coach America Los Angeles under a three-year agreement.

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