LAX AUTOMATED PEOPLE MOVER EARNS ENVISION GOLD AWARD FOR SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE

12/06/2022 12:00 AM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 6, 2022

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LAX Public Relations
(424) 646-5260
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(Los Angeles) The Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Automated People Mover (APM) train system has won an Envision Gold Award for Sustainable Infrastructure from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI), the organization announced this week.

 

The ISI noted that the LAX APM project scored exceptionally well across many indicators in the Envision framework pertaining to improving quality of life, from minimizing light pollution, noise and vibration, to improving mobility and access to convenient and sustainable transportation options. In many of these areas the project team, managed by LAX Integrated Express Solutions (LINXS), went above and beyond the highest requirements outlined in Envision, earning the team additional accolades for their accomplishments.

 

“The LAX Automated People Mover is coming to life right before our eyes as the centerpiece of our multibillion- dollar airport modernization program, with a sharp focus on building a sustainable LAX for the future of our city," said Justin Erbacci, Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles World Airports. "This transformative transportation system will remove cars from the road, help ease traffic congestion around our Central Terminal Area, and create a reliable way for our tens of millions of passengers to access the airport."

 

The APM will provide enhanced connection and an improved user experience for an anticipated 30 million passengers each year. Furthermore, it will help alleviate congestion in the surrounding communities, resulting in approximately 117,000 fewer vehicle miles traveled per day. 

 

The electric train system runs on a 2.25-mile elevated guideway with six stations, three of which are located inside the Central Terminal Area (CTA) and three outside. The project broke ground in March 2019 is scheduled to open for passenger service during the first half of 2024. During the airport’s peak hours of 9 a.m. – 11 p.m., the APM will run nine trains of four cars each. The cars are designed to carry up to 50 passengers and their luggage for up to 200 passengers per train. Passengers who need to travel from the Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility at one end of the line to the West CTA Station at the other end will be able to do so in 10 minutes.

 
The LAX APM has many sustainable features in alignment with LAWA's Sustainability Action Plan, “Boldly Moving to Zero,” the 2016-2040 Regional Transportation/Sustainable Communities Strategies and LA's Green New Deal. The highly energy-efficient electric train cars are made from fully recyclable aluminum shells, and are designed to eliminate hazardous substances and toxic emissions. The regenerative breaking system converts kinetic energy lost when decelerating back into energy used for onboard vehicle power demands.  
 
Other sustainable elements include a solar power system on the roof of the APM's Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF), which will provide 40% of the MSF's power demand and 7% of the overall APM project's power demand. 
 

“This project builds on a robust vision for sustainability, entirely transforming the way passengers move around and through Los Angeles International Airport and significantly reducing the reliance on automobiles for ground access," said Melissa Peneycad, Managing Director, ISI. “All that is achieved broadly for community sustainability, quality of life, stakeholder involvement, and energy use on this project make it a well-deserved recipient of the Envision Gold Award.”

 

The project also integrates with the new LA Metro Crenshaw/LAX rail line, thereby contributing to a larger integrated mass transportation strategy for the airport community and the greater LA Basin region. This will enhance the level of service that LAX and LA Metro provides, as visitors and staff will have a more convenient way of traveling between LAX and the LA Basin.

About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

LAX, the fifth-busiest airport in the world in 2021 with 48 million passengers, is in the midst of a $15-billion capital improvement program that will touch on all nine passenger terminals and build new facilities, including an Automated People Mover (APM) train, Consolidated Rent-A-Car (ConRAC) facility and the West Gates at Tom Bradley International Terminal.
 
In 2019, LAX served nearly 88.1 million passengers and offered an average of 700 daily nonstop flights to 113 destinations in the U.S. and 1,200 weekly nonstop flights to 91 markets in 46 countries on 72 commercial airlines.


LAX generates 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 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 (LAWA), a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City's general fund.

LAWA is leading the aviation industry in sustainability practices, with initiatives related to water management, energy (electricity) management, air quality, recycling and natural resources management. In 2019, LAX received Level III ACI Airport Carbon Accreditation from Airports Council International-Europe.

LAWA is also a leader in inclusivity, operating eight programs that provide opportunities for business enterprises including local, small, minority-owned, veteran-owned and disadvantaged firms, and working together with community partners to offer the HireLAX Apprenticeship Readiness Program, which targets local workers to make them ready for rewarding careers in the construction trades, and the Build LAX Academy, designed to prepare small contracting businesses for success when working on projects at LAX.

LAX was named a top-10 U.S. airport by SKYTRAX in 2018, and was honored as the "Most Innovative Airport for Passenger Experience" in 2019 by the American Association of Airport Executives. LAX is the second-most popular airport in the world to appear on Instagram, according to wego.com. Other recent honors have included selection as the No. 9 Best Airport (Wall Street Journal); No. 7 Best On-Time Performance for a Mega-Hub Airport (OAG); one of "The World's Best Airports for Business Travelers" (GlobeHunters); Public-Private Partnership of the Year (P3 Bulletin); Urth Caffe, Best Airport Coffee Concession of the Year (Global FAB Awards); Innovation of the Year, Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility (ARTBA); Best Project, United Airlines Terminal 7 and 8 Redevelopment Program (Engineering News Record California); North American Public-Private Partnership Deal of the Year (IJ Global); and Innovative Transportation Solution of the Year, Automated People Mover (WTS LA).


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.

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