-- TRAFFIC ADVISORY --
LOS ANGELES WORLD AIRPORTS ADVISES TRAVELERS OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION ON NORTHBOUND I-405 FREEWAY DURING PRESIDENTS’ DAY WEEKEND (“JAMZILLA”)
LAX FlyAway® Bus Service To Operate Normal Schedules
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) officials advise passengers and motorists that they should PLAN AHEAD to avoid major traffic congestion and delays (“Jamzilla”) expected on the northbound I-405 San Diego Freeway during Presidents’ Day weekend from 7 p.m. on Friday, February 14 through 6 a.m. on Tuesday, February 18, 2014. Airport officials also announced its dedicated I-405 webpage containing information and tips for travelers and airport workers.
LAX is forecasted to serve more than 160,000 passengers, of which 40,000 will be international travelers, each day of Presidents’ Day weekend. While less than on weekdays, approximately 20,000 airport-wide employees are scheduled to work each day. A daily average of 65,000 vehicles is expected to come to LAX that weekend.
Airport officials do not anticipate impacts to travelers coming to the airport for departing flights, or to airport employees reporting for work. However, passengers, motorists, and employees leaving LAX and driving northbound I-405 to the San Fernando Valley, to northern Los Angeles County, to Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, and beyond should expect major traffic congestion and possibly multi-hour delays – especially during daily peak traffic periods.
Flights at LAX are expected to operate normally during Presidents’ Day weekend. Of course, winter weather conditions in other parts of the country or heavy fog conditions locally may impact flights to/from LAX. Before coming to the airport, passengers should check with their airlines by calling or v isiting their websites for flight status. Passengers are also encouraged to sign up on their airline’s website to receive flight status alerts.
LAX has a staff of nearly 300 Volunteer Information Professionals and Customer Service Representatives, of which 100 of them speak a combined total of 25 languages. This staff will receive specific training on ground-transportation options to assist passengers.
LAX FlyAway® nonstop bus service will operate on normal schedules at its four locations: Expo/LaBrea, Union Station, Van Nuys, and Westwood. Northbound FlyAway® buses to Van Nuys and Westwood are expected to encounter traffic congestion and delays, especially during peak traffic periods. To ensure FlyAway® buses depart in a timely manner, additional buses will be dispatched as needed.
Airport officials offer the following general travel advice and tips to passengers and motorists:
· Plan ahead. Plan your route and monitor real-time traffic conditions.
· Use public transportation to/from LAX to reduce the number of vehicles on the
I-405.
·
As a reminder, California state law prohibits using hands to talk, text, or browse the Internet on cell phones or other electronic devices while driving.
The traffic congestion and delays will be due to scheduled construction on a 5.6-mile (9 km) section of the northbound direction of the I-405 between Getty Center Drive on the south and Ventura Boulevard on the north, about 10 miles north of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). This segment of freeway equals two-thirds of the length of the entire I-405 Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project. The closure will facilitate excavating and re-paving the mainline roadway in one 80-hour closure as opposed to several 55-hour closure operations over a series of weekends.
About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
LAX is the sixth busiest airport in the world and third in the United States, based on 2012 worldwide rankings (the latest available). LAX offers 680 daily flights to 96 cities and 930 weekly nonstop flights to 59 cities in 30 countries on 63 commercial air carriers. LAX ranks 14th in the world and fifth in the U.S. in air cargo tonnage processed, with over 1.9 million tons of air cargo valued at over $86.9 billion. An economic study in 2011 reported that operations at LAX generated 294,400 jobs in Los Angeles County with labor income of $13.6 billion and economic output of more than $39.7 billion. This activity added $2.5 billion to local and state revenues. LAX is part of a system of three Southern California airports – along with LA/Ontario international and Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund.
For more information about LAX, please visit or follow on Twitter @LAX_Official , on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LAInternationalAirport , and on YouTube at www.YouTube.com/laxairport1 .
As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities. Alternative formats in large print, braille, audio, and other forms (if possible) will be provided upon request.
