TRAFFIC-IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AT LAX BEGINS TODAY
Shuttles for LAX Parking Lot C, Hotels and Private Parking Lots to Use Single Roadway Level

            A new traffic-improvement program began today at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).  A new Single-Level Busing operation will redirect the drop-off and pick-up for hotel and private parking facility shuttles, as well as the LAX shuttle bus for Parking Lot C, to one roadway level in the Central Terminal Area (CTA).

            The Single-Level Busing Program is a new initiative designed by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) to improve traffic flow in the CTA by reducing the number of trips made by courtesy vehicles that currently drop off passengers on the Upper/Departures Level and transition to the Lower/Arrivals Level to pick up passengers.

The new process – courtesy shuttles

            The new program requires ALL hotel courtesy shuttles to both drop off and pick up passengers on the Lower/Arrivals Level ONLY at the ground transportation islands in front of each terminal.  Shuttles for Parking Lot C and off-airport Private Parking Facilities will both drop off and pick up passengers on the Upper/Departures Level ONLY at designated zones with signs that read “Shuttle Zone – Private Parking Lots.”  Exceptions will be made to accommodate passengers with ADA requirements.

            “While the ultimate solution to solve traffic at LAX is the Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP), in the years ahead we will use all possible tools and test innovative approaches.  Getting to the airport today is unpredictable because of the number of vehicles entering the airport, which averaged 95,000 daily in 2016,” said Deborah Flint, chief executive officer of Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA).  “Implementing hotel and parking shuttle single-level busing is expected to reduce the growing number of vehicles and improve the airport guest experience.”

                Under this new operation, approximately 2,500 daily trips made by these shuttles are expected to be eliminated – thereby reducing fuel consumption and emissions.   In 2016, private parking lot shuttles made a total of 978,476 trips into the Central Terminal Area – 357,452 trips on the Upper Level (UL) and 621,024 trips on the Lower Level (LL) roadways.  Hotel shuttles accounted for a total of 639,282 trips – 239,462 UL trips and 399,820 LL trips.  LAX Lot C shuttle buses accounted for approximately 110,000 trips.     

            Several stakeholder organizations were involved in developing the program, including:  airlines, advocates for passengers with disabilities, and employees and volunteers who staff public information booths in the terminals.  Managers of the airport-area private parking facilities and hotels also see single-level busing as a way to improve customer service and streamline their courtesy vehicle operations.

Passengers encouraged to use shared-ride transportation                          

            Travelers also can contribute to efforts to reduce traffic at LAX by taking shared-ride public transportation to/from LAX, including the FlyAway® bus, long-distance and municipal buses, Metro Rail Green Line, door-to-door shuttle vans, as well as by sharing rides with other parties when using taxis and app-based ride services UberPool and Lyft Line.

            Providing safe, efficient and reliable passenger access to LAX, and the surrounding business operations that it supports, is a priority for LAWA.  LAWA has proposed the LAX Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP) to address the deficiencies of congestion and delay.  Key components of the proposed LAMP are an Automated People Mover system connecting the airline terminals and parking garages in the CTA, two Intermodal Transportation Facilities, a Consolidated Rental Car Center, and

associated roadway improvements.  The Automated People Mover would also have a station that connects to the Metro Rail LAX/Crenshaw Line.

            LAWA completed nearly two dozen individual projects during the last decade that have improved traffic flow in the Central Terminal Area, including street widenings and lane restriping, and relocating certain ground transportation pick-up zones to improve efficiency.

            LAWA is currently undertaking a variety of measures to help mitigate vehicular traffic congestion, including:  Airport Police traffic, patrol and motorcycle officers deployed throughout the CTA to ensure vehicular flow; posting real-time traffic conditions 24/7 on LAX’s Internet and social media sites; joining WAZE, the community-based, real-time navigation app; restricting rental car companies to an annual number of shuttle trips; and installing additional changeable message signs. 

            For more information about the new Single-Level Busing Program at LAX and other airport traffic management and mitigation measures, please visit https://www.flylax.com .  

About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

            LAX is the seventh busiest airport in the world and third in the United States.  LAX served more than 74.9 million passengers in 2015.  LAX offers 742 daily nonstop flights to 101 cities in the U.S. and 1,280 weekly nonstop flights to 77 cities in 42 countries on 64 commercial air carriers.  LAX ranks 14th in the world and fifth in the U.S. in air cargo tonnage processed, with more than 2.1 million tons of air cargo valued at over $101.4 billion.  LAX handled 655,564 operations (landings and takeoffs) in 2015. 

An economic study based on 2014 operations reported LAX generated 620,610 jobs in Southern California with labor income of $37.3 billion and economic output (business revenues) of more than $126.6 billion.  This activity added $6.2 billion to local and state revenues and $8.7 billion in federal tax revenues.  The study also reported that LAX’s ongoing capital-improvement program creates an additional 121,640 annual jobs with labor income of $7.6 billion and economic output of $20.3 billion, $966 million in state and local taxes, and $1.6 billion in federal tax revenues.

            LAX is part of a system of two Southern California airports – along with 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, follow on Twitter @flyLAXAirport, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LAInternationalAirport , and on YouTube at www.YouTube.com/laxairport1 .  Information about LAX’s ongoing multi-billion-dollar LAX Modernization Program, as well as tips and shortcuts to help navigate LAX during construction  

            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.

CAPTION:  Traffic-improvement program begins today at LAX,

redirecting courtesy shuttles operated by hotels, private

parking facilities, and LAX Parking Lot C to use only one

roadway level.