LAX FLYAWAY WINS INNOVATIVE TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS AWARD
(Los Angeles, California – November 5, 2008) The LAX FlyAway Program received the first Innovative Transportation Solutions Award today from the Women’s Transportation Seminar – Los Angeles Chapter recognizing the program’s contributions to improving the quality of life for users and the community.
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) operates the LAX FlyAway network of non-stop buses between Los AngelesInternationalAirport (LAX) and three locations: Union Station, Van Nuys and Westwood. The regularly scheduled buses carried 1.3 million passengers in 2007. Service began at Van Nuys in 1975, and LAWA added Union Station in 2006 and Westwood in 2007.
The LAX FlyAway is the first recipient of the Innovative Transportation Solutions Award presented by WTS. The award was made during the group’s annual scholarship and awards dinner at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.
Gina Marie Lindsey, LAWA executive director, said, “The operation of the LAX FlyAway is a major team effort for many divisions at LAWA, supported by major contributions by our transportation partners at Metro, Metrolink, Amtrak and UCLA. Our popular bus service is convenient and affordable and makes significant contributions to reducing traffic congestion and cleaning the air.”
The LAX FlyAway is part of LAWA’s environmental efforts to encourage high-occupancy vehicle ridership. Airport transportation experts estimate that ridership on the LAX FlyAway last year eliminated approximately 23 million vehicle miles, prevented tons of emissions and reduced traffic congestion.
LAWA also completed the conversion of the LAX FlyAway fleet at Westwood to 100 percent clean, compressed-natural-gas buses last month.
More than 22 million travelers and airport employees have used the LAX FlyAway since the service’s inception in 1975. Regularly scheduled buses depart from Van Nuys, Union Station and Westwood and average approximately 35 to 45 minutes one way. The buses stop in front of each of the nine LAX terminals to drop off and pick up passengers.
WTS began in 1977 to enhance the professional and personal advancement of women involved in transportation and to develop industry and government recognition of their increasing involvement in the field. It has 42 chapters in the U.S., Canada and Great Britain, with more than 4,000 women and men transportation professionals. The Los Angeles Chapter presented three other awards at its event. The City of Los Angeles was recognized as Employer of the Year, with Rita Robinson from Los Angeles Department of Transportation accepting the award. Carolyn Flowers, chief operations officer of Metro, received the award for Woman of the Year. Kim Chan, senior transportation planner for Jacobs Engineering, was named member of the year.
Los Angeles World Airports is a City of Los Angeles department that owns and
operates four airports in Southern California: LAX, LA/Ontario International,
LA/Palmdale Regional and Van Nuys Airport (general aviation).
