Coming End of October: New LAX-it Will Reduce Traffic and Provide a Better Experience for Guests Using Taxis and Ride Apps for Pickup

The LAX-it will open around Halloween.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 4, 2019

CONTACT:
Heath Montgomery
(424) 646-5260
COMING END OF OCTOBER: NEW LAX-IT WILL REDUCE TRAFFIC AND PROVIDE A BETTER EXPERIENCE FOR GUESTS USING TAXIS AND RIDE APPS FOR PICKUP 
Guests can walk or take a fast & free shuttle to the LAX-it, adjacent to Terminal 1, which will include great amenities and a fast exit.  
This rendering of the new "LAX-it" pickup area shows the bus drop off location to the right, dedicated lanes for taxis and ride app vehicles and food trucks.

(Los Angeles, CA) As Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) ramps up work on its modernization program, the airport today announced plans for “LAX-it,” a convenient, amenity-rich, centralized area for guests to pick up a taxi or ride app service, and avoid traffic in the Central Terminal Area (CTA). LAX-it will open at the end of October, and will remain in service until the Automated People Mover opens in 2023.

LAX-it will only be for pickups, as ride app and taxi drivers will continue to drop off passengers at the terminal curbs on the Upper/Departures Level. 
 

“Anyone who has come to LAX knows that traffic in the Central Terminal Area can get rough, and we have heard from our guests that the current system with ride pickups can be frustrating," said Keith Wilschetz, Deputy Executive Director for Operations and Emergency Management, Los Angeles World Airports. “LAX-it will provide an easy, efficient experience for guests using taxis and ride apps and reduce overall traffic in and around the central terminal area for all those driving to and from LAX and our neighbors."

LAX-it is located just east of Terminal 1, at the corner of World Way and Sky Way. Accessible by either a short walk from many terminals or via a dedicated shuttle from the airport’s terminals, LAX-it will reimagine the pickup process for taxis, Uber, Lyft and Opoli with additional amenities such as restrooms, benches, umbrellas for sun and rain protection, and local food trucks. LAX-it will also offer connectivity, with cellphone charging stations and Wi-Fi. Dedicated staff at LAX-it will provide passenger assistance and lane management on site. 

The shuttles will operate in a dedicated lane on the lower/arrivals level where they will not compete with other airport traffic and will take guests from any terminal to the new pickup area. Shuttles will come every 3 to 5 minutes during peak hours. They will make a maximum of 2 stops before heading to LAX-it. LAX staff will be available at each shuttle stop to help with wayfinding, questions, luggage loading and assistance for guests with disabilities.

 

The new shuttles and LAX-it are designed with people with disabilities in mind and go beyond regulatory compliance to be ADA-friendly. Customer service agents at each shuttle stop who will be trained to offer (and call) our LAWA ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) shuttle or to provide assistance to board our ADA compliant LAX-it shuttle if they prefer. At LAX-it, crosswalks are built at grade, restrooms allow for easy access without ramps, and an adult-changing station is available on site. 

 

The new pickup area comes just as construction within the CTA on the Automated People Mover, terminal redevelopment, and other projects reaches a critical phase. At the height of construction, the airport projects the loss of 30 percent of the inner-lane curb space that is currently used for passenger pickup and drop off.

 

As the number of guests using LAX has risen, so has the vehicle count in the CTA. Switching to a central pickup point is expected to remove about 15 percent of all vehicle traffic from the CTA. Without this change, the traffic in the CTA would continue to become more congested, with increasing impacts on neighboring communities as a result of traffic backing up on surrounding access roads. With the opening of LAX-it, both guests who are using taxis or ride apps for pickup will have a better experience, while those who are being picked up by friends or family, or taking other shuttle buses to their destination, will benefit from the reduction in traffic within the CTA.


This is the latest in a series of measures LAX is taking to reduce the impact of traffic while work continues on a $14.3-billion capital improvements program that includes modernization of all nine terminals, construction of the new Midfield Satellite Concourse, and a new 2.25-mile Automated People Mover with a total of six stops, including a Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility, two intermodal transportation facilities, and connection to the regional rail system.

Find a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) here.

The LAX-it pickup lot will be located east of Terminal 1, at the corner of World Way and Sky Way.

About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

LAX, the fourth-busiest airport in the world and second busiest in the United States, was named a top-10 U.S. airport by SKYTRAX. LAX served more than 87.5 million passengers in 2018 and offers an average of 700 daily nonstop flights to 109 cities in the U.S. and 1,281 weekly nonstop flights to 93 markets in 47 countries on 69 commercial airlines. LAX ranks 10th in the world in air cargo tonnage processed, with more than 2.4 million tons of air cargo. LAX handled 707,883 operations (landings and takeoffs) in 2018.  


LAX generated 620,600 jobs in Southern California, with labor income of $37.3 billion and economic output (business revenues) of more than $126.6 billion, according to an economic study based on 2014 operations. 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 was honored as having the “Best Overall Customer Service Program” by Airports Council International-North America; named the “Best Airport for Breastfeeding Moms” by Mamava; selected for the Top 10 “Best of the U.S.’s Big Airports” (Wall Street Journal) and “Most Pet-Friendly Airports in the U.S. (Mental Floss); named the second-most improved airport in the U.S. by JD Power; received an “Innovation Award” from the L.A. Better Business Challenge for its Central Utility Plant; and named  a “Business Leader in Air Quality” by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

LAX is also the second-most popular airport in the world to appear on Instagram, according to wego.com. 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.   


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 Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
LAX, the sixth-busiest airport in the world serving nearly 66 million guests in 2022, is owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a proprietary, revenue-generating department of the City of Los Angeles that also governs Van Nuys Airport (VNY). As the international gateway to the Southern California region, LAX and its partners are dedicated to meeting global airport standards for customer satisfaction, safety, regional economic leadership, organizational performance and sustainability.

To better serve the millions of domestic and international guests that travel through LAX each year, the airport is undergoing a multi-billion-dollar capital improvement program to modernize its entire campus. Initiatives underway include an Automated People Mover, a Consolidated Rental Car Facility and two projects that will each add over one million square feet to the airport's existing property: Terminal 9 and Concourse 0. For more information about LAX, its transformation and its environmental, social and local workforce commitments, please visit flylax.com. Follow LAX on X (formally Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

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.