Just in Time for “Century Crunch” July 25-28: LOS ANGELES, SANTA MONICA OFFICIALS CELEBRATE START OF NEW FLYAWAY® BUS SERVICE BETWEEN LAX AND SANTA MONICA

(Los         Los Angeles and Santa Monica officials came together this morning to celebrate the launch of a new, low-cost FlyAway® bus service providing nonstop service between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the City of Santa Monica. The new FlyAway® bus service begins tomorrow, Tuesday, July 15, and will operate hourly from 5:45 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. daily, including weekends and holidays, departing both locations 15 minutes before each hour. One-way fare is $8, with children five years old and under free.    

The FlyAway® bus stop will be located in front of the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1875 Main Street, just north of Pico Boulevard, and three blocks from Santa Monica State Beach, one of the city’s most popular tourist and recreational attractions. Passenger drop off and pick up at LAX will be in front of each airline terminal.

"The new FlyAway® bus service will give Westsiders a convenient and cost-effective way to get to and from LAX," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. "And the new FlyAway® service at Santa Monica begins at an important time, when reducing the number of vehicles traveling to and from LAX will be absolutely necessary in order to cope with traffic congestion near the airport expected during ‘Century Crunch.’"

As chair of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) board, the mayor encouraged all passengers to use shared-ride public transportation to and from LAX during

the 57-hour closure of Century Boulevard in both directions at the intersection of Century and Aviation boulevards from 9 p.m. Friday, July 25 through 6 a.m. Monday, July 28. One-third of all vehicles entering the LAX Central Terminal Area use Century Boulevard.

 “Santa Monica is thrilled to welcome FlyAway® service to our city,” said Santa Monica Mayor Pam O’Connor. “This new service will give not only our residents an affordable and convenient way to get to LAX, but it will also make it easy for tourists to come to Santa Monica and then enjoy our city by walking, riding a bike, or using our Big Blue Bus to explore.”

            “I’m thrilled to see FlyAway® expand to Santa Monica because it means more cars off the road on the Westside,” said Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin, Metro board member and chair of the City Council’s Transportation Committee. “Los Angeles is making progress every day toward improving the way we get to and from LAX, which is a huge win for our neighborhoods.”

Based on the percentage of LAX passengers originating from the Santa Monica area, LAX officials anticipate first-year ridership from this location to exceed 100,000 passengers.

“The FlyAway® service has great potential for successfully encouraging air travelers to use this economical and convenient bus as an alternative to driving private vehicles to and from LAX,” said Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey. “We also believe the service will be attractive to business travelers and tourists visiting the Santa Monica area for business or leisure.”

FlyAway® bus service at Santa Monica joins four other routes already in operation at Union Station, Van Nuys, Westwood, and the Metro station at Expo/La Brea. A sixth route, in Hollywood, is scheduled to begin in September. 

Los Angeles World Airports, Metro, Los Angeles Department of Transportation, law enforcement and emergency response agencies recommend airport travelers utilize FlyAway® services the weekend of “Century Crunch,” as traffic conditions in and around the airport are expected to become severe. To find public transit options to and from LAX, use Metro Trip Planner at www.metro.net.

About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

            LAX is the sixth busiest airport in the world and third in the United States, serving nearly 66.7 million passengers in 2013.  LAX offers 692 daily nonstop flights to 85 cities in the U.S. and 928 weekly nonstop flights to 67 cities in 34 countries on 64 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 $91.6 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 www.lawa.aero/lax or follow on Twitter @flyLAXAirport, 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.

About the City of Santa Monica

Santa Monica is an 8.3 square mile city situated at a gateway to the Pacific Ocean on the west side of Los Angeles County. Offering an environment of unparalleled natural beauty, the city is home to a mix of residential communities, commercial districts, and recreational and art venues. Recently named by National Geographic as one of the Top 10 Beach Cities in the World, Santa Monica is home to three miles of beaches and the Santa Monica Pier, and attracts over 6 million visitors annually. Santa Monica’s residential population is approximately 90,000, increasing to an estimated 250,000 during the day with visitors and employees.The City of Santa Monica is a national leader in environmental, economic and social sustainability. Connect with the City of Santa Monica at their city home page (www.smgov.net ) , follow the city on Twitter (@santamonicacity), and on Facebook (www.facebook.com/cityofsantamonica ).